'Dominant' Rico Dowdle named big winner after Panthers' shocking victory

The Carolina Panthers marched into Lambeau Field on Sunday and marched out with a last-second win. While the defense was almost otherworldly, there is no one player more deserving of that win than Rico Dowdle. The offense, plagued by the wind much like Green Bay's was, couldn't throw the ball against a tight pass defense, but Dowdle carried them anyway.

The running back got the starting job back as an ineffective Chuba Hubbard finally got relegated, and he ran with it to the tune of 130 yards and a career-high two rushing touchdowns. Fittingly, he is the biggest winner of the entire contest.

Rico Dowdle named among NFL's biggest winners after Week 9

Rico Dowdle was historically good while filling in for Chuba Hubbard, but when Hubbard returned, the two backs split carries. Even then, with Dowdle being RB2, he very much outplayed Hubbard. It forced the coaching staff to turn to Dowdle, and he delivered.

"When Chuba Hubbard returned to the lineup after recovering from an injury, the Panthers coaching staff decided to make him an offensive focal point again. He's averaged 2.7 yards per carry during the subsequent three games," the Bleacher Report staff wrote.

"However, Hubbard's five carries Sunday show the team is trending back toward Dowdle, who has been dominant in stretches. Against the Packers, he carried the ball 25 times for 130 yards and two touchdowns," they continued.

In the last five outings, three of which are starts, Dowdle has three games of 20 carries and over 130 rushing yards. He has been phenomenal when given the ball. Even when he didn't get as many touches, he still averaged over five yards per carry.

"He is the driving force behind the Carolina offense," the analysts concluded. And as a result, he's the big winner from Sunday. The Panthers have a stud running back, which everyone thought they would in Hubbard, and they can ride him to victory like they did on Sunday.

He forced the coaches to start giving him the ball way more, and he delivered even when faced with a really tough defensive matchup.

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