Rico Dowdle set to shine, 4 other things to know about Dolphins vs. Panthers

Talk about a Jekyll and Hyde team? The Carolina Panthers dropped their first two games this season, which has been the case now four consecutive years. Dave Canales’ club then opened some eyes by pitching the team’s first shutout since 2020, a convincing 30-0 victory over the Atlanta Falcons at Charlotte.

With an opportunity to even their record this season last week at New England, Carolina took an early 6-0 over Mike Vrabel’s team thanks to a Bryce Young TD pass to tight end Tommy Tremble. Canales’s team then watched the Patriots score 42 consecutive points in what proved to be a 42-13 loss. Hence, the Panthers went from 30-point winners to 29-point losers in the span of eight days.

The team now has back-to-back home games, the first on Sunday against the 1-3 Miami Dolphins. Mike McDaniel’s club comes off its first win of the season, a 27-21 Monday night triumph over the New York Jets. The Dolphins did suffer a huge loss in that victory as star wideout Tyreek Hill was lost for the rest of the season with a knee injury.

So which version of the Panthers shows up on Sunday?

Panthers vs. Dolphins history

These two franchises have only met eight times during the regular season, and did not square off for the first time until the Panthers’ fourth season in the league in 1998. The Dolphins have prevailed in six of the eight encounters, the most recent a 42-21 win two years ago in South Florida. However, one of Carolina’s two wins in the series came in 2017, a convincing 45-21 triumph in the Dolphins’ last appearance in Charlotte.

Dolphins Defense Finally Forces Turnover

Dolphins: Miami’s defense has been a big disappointment in many ways, and it took the Dolphins four games to finally come up with a takeaway—recovering three Jets’ fumble in last Monday’s win. The ‘Fins are one of three teams in the league, along with the Jets and 49ers, not to intercept a pass this season.

Panthers at Patriots — Sep 28, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) walks off of the field after a game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Last Sunday’s ugly 42-13 loss at Foxborough not only dropped Carolina to 1-3, but the Panthers are now a dismal 6-20 in interconference action dating back to 2020—including 0-2 this season. Canales’s club has lost five consecutive games to AFC teams (4 by double-digits) by a combined score of 160-88.

Keep an Eye on QB Tua Tagovailoa

Tagovailoa comes off his first turnover-free game this season after serving up four interceptions and losing a fumble during the team’s 0-3 start. The six-year pro has all five of Miami’s turnovers this season. Can Carolina get some heat on Tagovailoa, sacked just eight times in four games?

With Chuba Hubbard sidelined, Rico Dowdle gets an opportunity to show his 1,000-plus rushing season with the Cowboys a year ago was no fluke. The Dolphins’ run defense has been abysmal, allowing 158.0 yards per game. Miami has given up 120-plus yards on the ground in each of their first four games.

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