ss HOT MOMENT: Ex-Cowboy Rico Dowdle lights up Dallas with a franchise-record 239 yards, shocking fans as his “Buckle Up” warning comes to life in unforgettable fashion.
He Dallas Cowboys were on the receiving end of one of the greater called shots in recent NFL history in Week 6.
That’s when Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle told his former team to “Buckle Up” headed into the game then went out and set a franchise record with 239 yards from scrimmage.
Dowdle simply imposed his will on the Cowboys from start to finish while his replacement in Dallas, Javonte Williams, had his worst game of the year with 13 carries for 29 yards.
Dowdle signed a 1-year, $2.75 million free agent contract with the Panthers after he played the first 5 seasons of his career in Dallas. He had a breakout season with over 1,000 rushing yards in 2024 to go with 249 receiving yards.
It still wasn’t enough for the Cowboys to convince themselves he was a better play than Williams, who signed a 1-year, $3 million free agent contract with the Cowboys after 4 seasons with the Denver Broncos.
Through 6 games, he still leads the Cowboys with 476 rushing yards and 6 touchdowns and is averaging 5.2 yards per carry.
Still, to get torched like that by a player you discarded in such public fashion has to feel catastrophic for the Cowboys, who dropped to 2-3-1 with the loss.
“I didn’t know Emmitt Smith was going to show up in a Panther uniform (against the Panthers),” ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith said on “First Take” on October 13, comparing Dowdle to the NFL career leading rusher and former Cowboy.
Dowdle’s Performance Sets Social Media Ablaze
“The Revenge of Rico Dowdle” was a hot topic on social media and the Monday morning following the game.
“That wasn’t Rico Dowdle out there,” former NFL MVP and ESPN commentator Cam Newton said on October 13. “That man said ‘tell them to buckle up’ then went out and did the damn thing. That wasn’t Rico Dowdle out there … that was Rico Suave out there.”
Dowdle has an incredible 473 yards from scrimmage in his last 2 games, becoming just the seventh NFL player since 1970 to have over 225 yards from scrimmage in 2 consecutive games.
“Rico Dowdle has more yards from scrimmage in his last 2 games (473) than Saquon Barkley has all season (462),” NFL on CBS wrote on its official X account.
“We’ve been saying he was a dog … today he was a horse,” former Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart said. “Is he the best running back in the league right now? Because he’s sure playing like it.”
“Major respect to Rico Dowdle these past 2 weeks and congratulations on the franchise record of the most scrimmage yards in a single game of 239 yards,” former NFL running back and 2017 NFL Offensive Player of the Year Todd Gurley wrote on his official X account.
“Rico Dowdle‘s 239 scrimmage yards vs the Cowboys are the most scrimmage yards in a game against a former team in NFL history,” NFL Plus wrote on its official X account.
“All Rico needed was an opportunity and his number 5 back and we get historical stats like this,” ESPN’s Kev Roche wrote on X. “Googled most popular tv shows in 1970: we’re talking gunsmoke and bonanza, that’s how long ago. Rico Dowdle: doing things not seen since the ponderosa.”
