The Carolina Panthers have played well the past two weeks, and they got a big win against the Dallas Cowboys this week to improve their record to 3-3. The Panthers played a good game on both sides of the ball, but it was their offense that was able to seal the deal for them. At the same time, there were some mistakes that they wish they could take back.
One of those mistakes was near the end of the first half when Xavier Legette tried to lateral pass the ball to Rico Dowdle, only for the running back to fumble the ball. Dowdle was able to recover the ball, but he fumbled again, and it was recovered one more time. With all of that, the Panthers were knocked back a few yards, but they were still able to get a field goal to end the half.
After the game, head coach Dave Canales shared what he told Dowdle and Legette about the lateral.
“Canales said Rico was calling for the ball on Legette’s ill-advised lateral. Canales told both: ‘Guys, let’s not make stuff up,'” The Athletic's Joe Person wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Luckily, that play did not affect anything for the Panthers, and not only were they still able to get points, but they won the game in the end.
Panthers defeat Cowboys on game-winning field goal
With the Panthers having the ball last, it came down to a fourth-down play where Bryce Young connected with Hunter Renfrow. The Panthers got a few more first downs, and from there, they let the clock go down to three seconds to kick the game-winning field goal.
Throughout the game, Rico Dowdle once again controlled the Panthers on the ground, and it was evident he wanted his revenge on his former team. Dowdle finished the game with 183 rushing yards, led the team in receiving yards with 56, and added a touchdown. After the game, he shared that this was personal for him.
“It's a lot that went on in the five years that I was there. But it was definitely personal. Just wanted to get the win and have a great performance,” Dowdle said, via David Newton of ESPN.
The passing game was solid as well, as Young finished with 199 passing yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. It looks like the Panthers are clicking at the right time, and the hope is that they can keep this momentum going.
