For the third consecutive game in a row, Rico Dowdle hit over 100 rushing yards in a game. In fact, Dowdle stacked career rushing records game after game. After a season where he struggled to average even a 4.0, he’s cracking 6 to 7 yards per carry. Here’s what has changed for Dowdle and the Dallas Cowboys run game.
Rico Dowdle Finally Heating Up the Cowboys Run Game for Three Reasons
Offensive Line Struggles Repaired
Although the Cowboys offensive line has taken a hit this season, they’ve maintained their strength. In fact, they’ve improved in both pass blocking and run blocking. This has allowed Dowdle’s original 3-yard carries to turn into seven, eight, or nine-yard plays. In the past, the Cowboys line has struggled to hold it and shift defenses. Now, there isn’t so much of that. They’re moving seamlessly as a unit. And this is just the start. It’s bound to get better once starters heal up next season.
Dowdle is the Consistent Starter
Mike McCarthy began the season shuffling through running backs. He had a room full of guys with the potential to be what the Cowboys needed, but he wasn’t sure which one would pop. Dowdle has been plagued with injuries most of his NFL career. Because of this, he wasn’t immediately placed as a starter. Not to mention, the return of fan-favorite Ezekiel Elliott implied that Dowdle wouldn’t see the field as much.
Then entered McCarthy’s running back committee. The purpose was to help prevent one exhausted running back at the end of the season. However, this caused backs to play cold. They’d be taken out before they began to really move the ball. Picking Dowdle as the lone starter made the most sense because he kept providing the Cowboys with the best chance to win. He’s also the only running back on the roster with more than 100 yards in a single game this season.
The Dak Prescott Injury
Prescott getting injured halfway through the season might be the best thing to happen to Rico Dowdle’s career. Prescott getting his $60 million check as the highest-paid player in the league also obligated the Cowboys to use him the most. McCarthy has also been known to neglect the run game and still does it in the current Cowboys season. Without his passing threat on offense and having to rely on a capable but lacking Cooper Rush, there was no choice but to open up the run game.
Dowdle’s career-breaking rushing games have been thanks to the Cowboys not airing it out 40 times a game. Now they can develop themselves as a ground team, a dual-threat offense that isn’t one-dimensional. This makes it harder for defenses to predict and easier for points to be scored. Again, it’ll only get better next season, when Prescott is back on the field.
The Future of the Cowboys Run Game with Rico Dowdle
There’s a possibility that the Cowboys can become one of the best rushing teams in the NFL. It won’t be this year, but it is well on its way. Although he’s currently 15th in the league in total rushing yards, he hasn’t had nearly as many carries as guys like Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley. Imagine a season where Dowdle gets 230 carries by this time. With his average of 5 yards per carry, that would give him 1,150 rushing yards, which would bump him into third place.
Out of running backs, Dowdle currently is 6th for yards per carry. He’s playing like one of the best running backs in the game right now. If he maintains this momentum into 2025 and is given even more opportunities, there could be a resurgence of greatness at the Cowboys running back position. The Cowboys can have one of the best offenses in the league, but only if they get out of their own way and let it happen.
Main Image: Jim Dedmon – USA Today Sports
The post The Dallas Cowboys Could Have a Top 5 Run Game in 2025 with Rico Dowdle appeared first on Last Word on Pro Football.