Fresh off the game of his career, Carolina Panthers edge rusher Rico Dowdle is set to face his former team in Week 6, the Dallas Cowboys, which sets up an interesting revenge game angle.
With Chuba Hubbard sidelined due to injury last week, Dowdle broke loose for over 200 yards on the ground in a Week 5 win over the Miami Dolphins and could be in line for another big workload on Sunday with Hubbard still not practicing.
Following his career-best performance, Dowdle spoke with his former quarterback, Dak Prescott, and had four simple words for Prescott after a congratulatory text.
“See you next week," Dowdle said he told Dak, according to Alex Zietlow of The Charlotte Observer.
That isn't the only message Dowdle had for the Cowboys, as he also said Dallas needs to "buckle up" after he torched Miami last Sunday.
Dowdle has since doubled-down on that comment, although he did clarify what he meant a bit and it's clear there isn't animosity behind what he said.
"They've got to buckle up,'' Dowdle said once again, per ESPN's David Newton. "That was just meaning it's going to be a very physical game. I take pride in that. Buckle your chinstraps up. I will be coming.''
"I know we're going to have to buckle up,'' Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer responded after Dowdle made his comment. "We'll bring our seatbelts, Rico. We'll buckle up. Can't wait to see him though.''
While he might not say so publicly, Dowdle likely has a chip on his shoulder from the Cowboys letting him walk in free agency after a career year. Cowboys co-owner Stephen Jones explained what was behind that decision.
“We were huge fans of [Rico Dowdle], but we made a conscious decision to go for Javonte [Williams], even though we had a lot of love for Rico," Jones said. “My hats off to Rico. What a hell of a game he had. He’ll be a handful for us,” Jones explained.
Dowdle has a great chance to eat against his former mates, as the Cowboys sport a bottom-10 run defense and are giving up the fourth-most points per contest this season.
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