Panthers playmaker predicted to disappoint vs. Saints through no fault of his own

Carolina's surprise start at running back has seen his production dropping off of late, but it wouldn't be fair to blame him.

Nov 16, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle (5) runs with the ball in the third quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The first time that the Carolina Panthers faced the New Orleans Saints earlier this year they changed things up defensively. Rather than allow Rico Dowdle to roll over them as he had Carolina's last few opponents, they loaded up against him and effectively dared Bryce Young to beat them.

It worked, as Dowdle had very little room to work with on his runs. New Orleans contained him to just 53 yards on 18 carries. Meanwhile, Young could not rise to the occasion and he posted a dismal line of 124 yards and zero touchdowns.

Tomorrow the Panthers get their rematch with the Saints, and if they're going to earn their revenge a big game from Dowdle would go a long way towards that goal.

However, other teams have picked up on what the Saints did and Dowdle's numbers have taken a turn downwards ever since. According to FantasyPros, Dowdle's production will disappoint again.

Rico Dowdle predicted to disappoint

“I think Rico Dowdle is likely to disappoint again, and I don’t think it’ll necessarily be his fault either. Since exploding on the fantasy scene during the middle of the season, he’s slowed down considerably and at times has fallen behind Chuba Hubbard in the pecking order... Last time he faced the New Orleans Saints, he averaged just 2.9 yards per carry and was saved by his touchdown. Averaging fewer than 3.3 yards per carry in three of his last four contests, Dowdle will continue to struggle from a production standpoint.”

Nov 16, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle (5) runs with the ball in the second quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

While the Saints were able to quiet Dowdle last time, they're not exactly a great run-defending team. For the year they have allowed 1,466 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns to opposing running backs and 21.1 fantasy points per game.

Other analysts believe that Dowdle and Hubbard could go off on New Orleans. Moe Moton at Bleacher Report says they could rack up 200+ rushing yards together.

- Enjoy more free Panthers coverage with Carolina Panthers on SI -

Insider’s ‘nightmare scenario’ for the Panthers is a distinct possibility

Bryce Young breaks through to next tier in quarterback power rankings

Why Rico Dowdle, Chuba Hubbard could have monster game vs. Saints

Bryce Young needs to reverse dismal history vs. Saints starting this week