The Green Bay Packers’ run defense has been suffocating this year. Entering Week 9, the Packers are third in the NFL in rushing yards allowed with 78.9 per game.
Sunday presents a good test in the form of the Carolina Panthers’ Rico Dowdle. He has been on a timeshare since Chuba Hubbard‘s return, but the Panthers will be pivoting to feature Dowdle more.
Jeff Hafley’s defense should be up for the job.
A calf injury Hubbard suffered in October opened the door for Dowdle to be Carolina’s featured back. Dowdle embraced the opportunity and burst onto the scene.
After totaling 27 carries combined in the first four games of the year, Dowdle gobbled up 23 rushing attempts in Week 5 and turned them into 203 rushing yards and a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins’ 20th-ranked run defense. With Hubbard still out the following week, Dowdle racked up 183 rushing yards on 30 carries against his former team, the Dallas Cowboys.
Hubbard’s return had many wondering how Carolina would navigate the situation, given just how dominant Dowdle looked.
Head coach Dave Canales tried to divvy up the carries when Hubbard returned two weeks ago, but the results have been heavily one-sided. Against the New York Jets two games ago, Hubbard had 14 carries to Dowdle’s 17. Hubbard turned his 14 rushes into 31 yards for an average of 2.2 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Dowdle turned his 17 attempts into 79 yards for an average of 4.6 yards per carry.
Canales tried a more even split again this past week, and the results yielded another dud for Hubbard and another glowing outing for Dowdle. Hubbard had 12 carries against the No. 31 rushing defense in Buffalo and only managed 34 yards. Dowdle had just eight carries but ran for 54 yards, an average of 6.8 yards per rush.
On Monday, Canales admitted that Carolina will be rolling with Dowdle in a heavier role, starting Sunday in Green Bay.
Chuba has meant a lot to his organization, certainly to the identity that we wanted to build our team on, and we wanted to give Chuba the opportunity to go out and continue to impact our team in a positive way. We cannot ignore that Rico has been exceptional in a couple of games, and then in the opportunities he’s had over the last two weeks.
Green Bay’s run defense has been tremendous this year. It held the dynamic duo of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery to a combined 44 rushing yards on 20 carries in Week 1. In Week 2, it held three Washington Commanders rushers — including quarterback Jayden Daniels — all to 17 yards apiece on a combined 19 attempts.
The Packers had trouble with a couple of running backs who will lower their shoulder and invite contact, like Dowdle enjoys doing. The Cleveland Browns’ Quinshon Judkins punished the Packers for 94 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown back in Week 3. In the following game, Dallas’ Javonte Williams piled up 85 yards, but it took 20 carries. He also had a touchdown.
That’s the most damage an opponent has done to Green Bay’s rush defense this year. It’s been pretty stellar, overall.
Dowdle presents a challenge in that he isn’t going to try to beat Green Bay with his speed on the outside like a Gibbs. Dowdle isn’t going to be intimidated by what the Packers have done this year against other No. 1 running backs. He’ll willingly lower his pad level and invite contact. Canales sees this as a great thing from the now-veteran back.
”He’s made some excellent plays. Love the tempo and violence that he’s running with,” Canales said Monday. “And these are all things that we’re talking about and working through this week.”
If you’re the Packers preparing for Dowdle on Sunday, you already have faith in your own group. Although it’s a challenge, it’s by no means an impossible one. Take a deeper dive into Dowdle’s breakout games; they came against Miami and Dallas, who boast the No. 28 and No. 28 rush defenses in the NFL, respectively. This past week was another solid outing for Dowdle against the 31st-ranked the Buffalo Bills run defense.
Dowdle doesn’t pick who’s on the schedule, but he hasn’t faced a run defense quite like Green Bay’s as the featured back yet this year. Dowdle will be ready, but so will Green Bay.
