The Carolina Panthers’ season hasn’t been great, but it hasn’t been terrible either. Their current record is a mid-of-the-road 4-4. If someone is to thank for those four victories, it is running back Rico Dowdle.
Dowdle is the fifth-best running back in the NFL this season when it comes to total rushing yards, with a total of 605, with two touchdowns in 106 carries. The team has relied on him to move things forward, and against Miami and Dallas, especially, he has delivered. In the game against the Dolphins, he recorded 206 rushing yards, and the following week against the Cowboys, he posted 183.
This week, the Panthers face the terrifying Green Bay Packers (5-1-1), and Dowdle could be at the center of the team’s offensive efforts. Andy Dalton, who started last week due to Bryce Young’s injury, is questionable with an injury, and the starting quarterback is just returning from an injury. It wouldn’t be out of place for the Panthers to rely on Dowdle to move the chains.
Should I Start or Sit Rico Dowdle In Week 9?
Play him; he has been performing pretty well for the entire season. Don’t expect a whopping performance like he did against Miami and Dallas, two of the worst defenses in the country, but he may give a good production.
With Bryce Young coming back from injury and Dalton injured on the sidelines, the coaching staff will probably avoid putting the starting quarterback at risk. That means one thing for Rico Dowdle: more carries.
Who will be the Starting Quarterback for the Carolina Panthers in Week 9?
On Wednesday, Panthers head coach Dave Canales gave a positive update for Bryce Young’s return this weekend:
“We had a little bit of a modified practice today, but he handled it, handled the load,” Canales said of Young. “Tomorrow we’ll push it again, and we’ll make a decision in the next couple of days.”
While he didn’t confirm the return of the player, the news couldn’t come at a better time, as backup Andy Dalton seems to have suffered a serious thumb injury. Canales revealed that Dalton had played through a thumb injury he suffered early in last week’s game, but his status is now questionable. Dalton is the only other signal-caller on the team’s active roster.
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