Former Cowboys RB Rico Dowdle Sends Clear Message to Old Team
Thank you, Rico Dowdle, for turning what would have otherwise been a pretty boring Week 6 game between the Dallas Cowboys and Carolina Panthers into something that might actually be watchable.
Dowdle, gassed up off a career high 206 rushing yards against the Miami Dolphins in a Week 5 win with the Panthers, decided that was the right moment to send a message to his old team, the Cowboys.
(The Cowboys) gotta buckle up,” Dowdle said after the win over Miami. “I think they know.”
If they didn’t know, they do now.
Cowboys Cut Bait After 1,000 Yard Season
Dowdle, 5-foot-11 and 215 pounds, made the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2020 and played mostly on special teams before sitting out all of the 2021 season with a hip injury.
He returned and played mostly on special teams still in 2022 before finally moving his way into a backup running back role in 2023, when he had 505 yards of total offense and 4 touchdowns in 16 games then had a breakout season in 2024 with 1,328 yards of total offense and 5 touchdowns, including 1,079 rushing yards.
One drawback? Dowdle seemed allergic to reaching the end zone running the ball. He had just 2 rushing touchdowns in 2024 and the Cowboys didn’t even attempt to match a 1-year, $2.75 million free agent offer from Carolina.
Before his breakout game in Week 5 against the Dolphins, Dowdle had just 83 rushing yards through the first 4 games playing behind Chuba Hubbard, who sat out against Miami with a calf injury.
AFC West Free Agent Becomes Star RB in Dallas
Perhaps the most insulting thing for Dowdle as he exited the Cowboys was his former team decided to sign another free agent running back to a deal for essentially the same amount of money, bringing in former Denver Broncos starter Javonte Williams on a 1-year, $3 million contract.
Williams has been nothing less than a revelation for the Cowboys. He is also coming off his own career game with 135 rushing yards and 1 touchdown on 16 carries in a win over the New York Jets in Week 5.
While Hubbard leads the Panthers with 289 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns through 5 games, Williams leads the Cowboys with 447 rushing yards and 5 rushing touchdowns to go with 17 receptions for 78 yards and 1 touchdown.
The Cowboys only rushed for 5 touchdowns, total, in 2024.
Interestingly, both Williams and Hubbard are averaging 5.7 yards per carry this season.
In another twist, Williams also saw his first team turn its back on him when the Broncos declined to bring him back after he averaged under 4.0 yards per carry each of the last 2 seasons.
“Javonte Williams has absolutely re-resurrected his career in Dallas,” Fox Sports analyst and 3-time Super Bowl champion tight end Rob Gronkowski said after the Cowboys defeated the Jets. “Over 100 yards in the first half kind of says it all.”
Huge Game for Both Teams in Week 6
While there might be some shade thrown at the Dallas-Carolina game in Week 6, it’s a massive game for both teams.
The Panthers are off to a surprising 2-3 start under second year head coach Dave Canales and have won just 7 games over the last 2 seasons, including a 2-15 record in 2023.
The Cowboys are 2-2-1 and have one of the league’s best offenses, led by quarterback and NFL MVP candidate Dak Prescott.
Steelers head out of their bye with a massive win in Week 5 despite Pittsburgh not playing a game
The first thing every team does when the NFL schedule is released in May, is take a look at their bye week. The Pittsburgh Steelers, having the earliest possible bye, we're probably less than pleased on first glance.
In reality, the bye came at a pretty good time. Coming off an overseas trip that saw the team end the first month of the season 3-1 and battered with injuries, there is probably little complaining on the southside of Pittsburgh right now.
That is especially true when considering what happened to the rest of the AFC North on Sunday.
Steelers build on AFC North lead after the rest of the AFC North loses on Sunday
The Steelers have an opportunity in front of them that they cannot squander. They play the Cleveland Browns in Week 6 before taking on the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7 on Thursday night. If they can win both of those games, with the way the Baltimore Ravens are playing and no Joe Burrow in Cincy, the Steelers can put a chokehold on the division lead before Halloween.
Maybe that sounds hyperbolic, but the Bengals cannot win without Joe Burrow. The Ravens can have Lamar Jackson or Dan Marino at quarterback, and it still wouldn't matter with how bad their defense is. As for the Browns, well we know they are the Browns.
So if you're the Steelers, you cannot waste what's in front of you. Pittsburgh and Mike Tomlin cannot afford to play down to their competition the way they have for the past decade. Pittsburgh has to keep its foot on the gas and aim for the division crown.
In order to see what an outside observer thinks of the Steelers' chances, I reached out to Adam Holt who helps cover the AFC North at A to Z Sports.
Steelers can't afford to get comfortable
"In the NFL, it’s tough to have an awesome weekend when you don’t hit the gridiron. That’s exactly how the Steelers probably feel right now, though. They had an early bye week to give some rest to banged up players and possibly get some back from injury in Week 6."
"Additionally, the entire AFC North embarrassed themselves in some capacity. The Ravens were completely lifeless on both sides of the football against Houston. Without Lamar Jackson and key defensive starters, they are no threat in the division. The Browns blew a late lead to the Vikings to begin action on Sunday morning. The Bengals are still having major issues on defense, and their offense looks much weaker with Jake Browning at quarterback. He’s turning the ball over a ton, and that’s a trend, not an anomaly now."
"Pittsburgh can’t sit back and get comfortable here, though. They need to continue winning games they should and find ways to improve their roster in smart ways at the trade deadline, especially in the secondary and at potentially wide receiver depth." - Holt
So it feels like their is alignment here. The Steelers have to grab the bull by the horns. They have to pounce instead of play with their food. That starts with showing they can beat inferior opponents the next two weeks.
