Rico Dowdle buries Cowboys with brutal postgame message after career day
Rico Dowdle warned the Dallas Cowboys that they should "buckle up" for their matchup on Sunday. Dowdle was looking for revenge after the team moved on from him in the offseason and instead opted to bring in the likes of Javonte Williams and Jaydon Blue. Dowdle joined the Carolina Panthers in the offseason.
Dowdle gave his former team the warning, and yet, he still had another huge game at the expense of Dallas' defense. In his second start with the Panthers, Dowdle ran for 183 yards on 30 carries and caught four passes for 56 yards and a touchdown in the 30-27 victory.
After the game, Dowdle was asked for his message after the game. Dowdle simply said, "they weren't buckled up."
Rico Dowdle trolls Cowboys after running all over them in revenge game
— Sheena Quick (@Sheena_Marie3) October 12, 2025“Rico what was your message after the game?”
Dowdle: “They weren’t buckled up.”
He finished with 239 yards from scrimmage for the single-game franchise record. #Panthers
This isn't what Cowboys fans wanted to see: a motivated Dowdle trying to prove them wrong in a revenge game setting. Yet, the porous defense allowed him to do just that.
The Cowboys decided to move on from Dowdle after he ran for 1,079 yards and two touchdowns on 235 carries last season. They signed Williams, who was previously on the Denver Broncos, and he's been solid so far this season.
Entering the game, he ran for 447 yards and five touchdowns on 79 carries. Against the Panthers, Williams was held to just 29 yards on 13 carries, while catching just five of eight targets for five yards. A far cry from what Dowdle was able to do.
Dallas' defense as a whole struggled. They were unable to get to quarterback Bryce Young much, as he was sacked just once. Meanwhile, Young completed 17-of-25 pass attempts for 199 yards and three touchdowns.
Carolina served as a winnable game for Dallas. Considering this is a team that still has to play the Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Chargers, and Kansas City Chiefs, they have to win those easier-on-paper matchups. Now at 2-3-1 on the year, a playoff spot is looking unattainable unless they really turn things around.
Broncos’ defense sets franchise record in suffocating effort vs. Jets
The Broncos’ defense made franchise history in a shutdown performance, leading the team to a 13-11 victory vs. the Jets.
The Denver Broncos’ defense sculpted a historic performance on Sunday in London, leading the team to a 13-11 win over the New York Jets at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, stacking three wins in a row.
Denver held New York to just 82 total yards of offense, including a staggering -10 net passing yards, the fewest ever allowed in franchise history and the second-lowest in the NFL since 1990 (h/t Parker Gabriel of The Denver Post). The Jets’ total was also their worst passing output in team history.
New York quarterback Justin Fields bore a nightmare outing, completing just 9 of 17 passes for 45 yards and suffering nine sacks, losing 55 yards in the process. The Broncos' pass rush came from all directions, with eight different defenders recording sacks, the team’s most in a single game since 1996. Jonathon Cooper led the way with two, while Justin Strnad, Talanoa Hufanga, Nik Bonitto, John Franklin-Myers, Zach Allen, Eyioma Uwazurike, and Brandon Jones each added one.
Denver entered Week 6 already leading the league with 21 sacks and ranking second in points allowed (16.8 per game). The Jets didn’t record a first down until one minute before halftime and managed only 32 yards in the opening half. On New York’s final two drives, the Broncos’ defense forced a combined loss of six yards and ensured the win with back-to-back sacks.
While Denver’s defense shone, the offense was wandering in the weeds. Rookie quarterback Bo Nix finished with 174 passing yards and one touchdown, but after a solid first half, he failed to complete a pass in the third quarter. The Broncos’ offense mustered only 63 rushing yards, with J.K. Dobbins leading the ground game (14 carries, 40 yards). A holding penalty in the end zone by Quinn Meinerz resulted in a safety that briefly gave the Jets an 11-10 lead.
Denver’s only touchdown came on a Nate Adkins reception at the end of the first quarter, while kicker Wil Lutz added two field goals, including the decisive one with five minutes remaining. The Broncos gained just 248 total yards, but it was enough thanks to the defense’s relentless pressure and the Jets’ offensive feebleness.
The win improved Denver to 4-2, their best start to a season since 2016.
What surprised Sean Payton about Broncos’ offensive struggles vs. Jets
Payton, who is 61 years old, admitted that he thought the Broncos were going to be successful at running the ball against the Jets, according to Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette. New York stuffing the run was seemingly not on Sean Payton's BINGO card for Sunday's matchup.
“Broncos coach Sean Payton: ‘I didn't think we played well up front. Said ‘This was a game coming in, I thought we would be able to run the ball.'”
Denver finished with just 78 rushing yards as a team. Running back JK Dobbins led the way with 40 yards on 14 attempts, while quarterback Bo Nix had the second-most yards with 24. The Broncos had eight different players have at least one rush attempt in the game.
Even the passing was nothing to gloat about, as Nix ended the contest with 174 yards and a touchdown while completing 63.3% of his throws. His lone touchdown score went to tight end Nate Adkins.
Luckily, the defense played at an elite level. Jets quarterback Justin Fields struggled throughout the contest, as the Broncos sacked him nine times. If the defense can continue getting after the quarterback like that, then this team will be a problem in the later portion of the 2025-26 season. The Broncos move on to Week 7, where they will take on the New York Giants.
