- A strong show on the ground: As a team, the Panthers compiled 216 net rushing yards at 5.7 yards per carry, which equates to 0.16 EPA per rush – a single-game performance in the 93rd percentile this season.
- Rico Dowdle makes his statement: Dowdle, playing against his former team for the first time since signing with Carolina in free agency, made sure they remembered what they lost. The veteran back rushed 30 times for 183 yards (6.1 yards per carry), added four receptions for 56 yards and a touchdown and moved the chains on the ground 10 times.
The Carolina Panthers outlasted the Dallas Cowboys 30-27 in a wild back-and-forth matchup on Sunday. And the difference in the game came down to one clear factor: the run game.
Carolina, led by former Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle, pounded Dallas into the ground all afternoon as the Cowboys rushing attack fell flat. The win moves the Panthers to 3-3 and the Cowboys to 2-3-1 on the year.
Dowdle makes his statement
Dowdle, playing against his former team for the first time since signing with Carolina in free agency, made sure they remembered what they lost. The veteran back rushed 30 times for 183 yards (6.1 yards per carry), added four receptions for 56 yards and a touchdown, and moved the chains on the ground 10 times.
He forced three missed tackles, with 89 of his yards coming before contact and 94 after contact, averaging 3.0 yards before and 3.1 yards after contact per attempt.
“It’s going to be a very physical game from my side,” Dowdle said before the match. “Just be proud of that…I definitely want to go out there and play a good game against them.”
And he did.
Carolina’s rushing attack is getting results
As a team, the Panthers compiled 216 net rushing yards at 5.7 yards per carry, which equates to 0.16 EPA per rush – a single-game performance in the 93rd percentile this season. Their ball carriers averaged 2.6 yards before contact, largely thanks to solid play up front.
All five starting offensive linemen scored well on initial assessment, each earning an overall grade above 67.0. Cade Mays led the group with a run-blocking grade of 75.8, while Damien Lewis (68.0), Yosh Nijman (67.4) and Brady Christensen (68.9) all had strong performances. Ikem Ekwonu, while the lowest-rated run blocker of the group, still posted a respectable 64.4 in that department, rounding out a cohesive effort up front.
Dallas’ ground game is empty
For the Cowboys, the contrast was jarring. Their rushing attack was virtually non-existent, with an EPA of -0.45 per game – second percentile in the league this season. Despite 19 attempts, they managed only 31 rushing yards (1.6 yards per attempt).
On average, Dallas runners were hit 0.1 yards behind the line of scrimmage. After contact, they only managed 1.7 yards per carry. The offense didn’t record a single explosive run (more than 10 yards) or a single forced missed tackle. They lost a total of five yards on three tackles for loss.
Javonte Williams, the leader, struggled mightily, finishing with 29 yards on 12 carries. Only five of those yards came before contact, and he averaged just 0.4 yards before contact per attempt. His 24 yards after contact were hard-earned, but the inefficiency was glaring.
Carolina’s defense held up well against the run, with four different defenders recording multiple run stops. Bobby Brown III recorded two tackles for loss, while Christian Roseboom, Derrick Brown and A’Shawn Robinson each added two stops of their own. Of the 12 Panthers who played at least 10 run defense snaps, seven earned run defense grades above 70.0 on initial review – a strong collective showing in the trenches.
Same problems in Dallas
It’s hard not to wonder if the Cowboys are second-guessing their decision to let Dowdle walk in free agency. While Carolina leaned on him as the focal point of a dominant rushing effort, Dallas looked lost on the ground, unable to generate a push or create space for his backs.
For Dallas, the struggles to defend the run are nothing new. Since the start of the 2024 season, they rank 30th in rushing yards per attempt allowed, 31st in yards before contact allowed and 30th in explosive runs surrendered. Their EPA allowed of 0.074 per rush is the worst mark in the league by a significant margin.
Ironically, the only team close to them during that period was the Carolina Panthers – the very team that just overwhelmed their front and completely neutralized their ground game.
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