Dowdle recorded five rushes for nine yards in Saturday's 34-31 wild-card round loss to the Rams. He added one reception on two targets for six yards.

EDGE Analysis

Dowdle has been particularly inefficient to close the season, averaging only 3.3 yards per carry across Carolina's final four regular-season contests. He also lost his status as the team's lead back in the playoff loss, with Chuba Hubbard out-touching Dowdle 15-6. Dowdle is headed to free agency for the second consecutive offseason, and he is likely to be signed as a complementary back given his fade down the stretch after a strong start to 2025.

Dowdle rushed seven times for 10 yards and brought in both targets for 20 yards in the Panthers' 16-14 loss to the Buccaneers on Saturday. He also lost a fumble and recovered another.

EDGE Analysis

Neither Dowdle nor Chuba Hubbard had any success against the Buccaneers' stout defensive front, with each back netting only 10 rushing yards. Dowdle made an impact with a 25-yard grab on one of his catches, while his other reception resulted in a five-yard loss. Additionally, his lost fumble came early in the fourth quarter at the Buccaneers' 24-yard line on a botched trick play, and while it didn't lead to points since Chase McLaughlin had a 38-yard field-goal attempt blocked, it certainly robbed Carolina of what seemed to be a high-percentage scoring opportunity. Despite the disappointing finale, Dowdle had plenty of important contributions in his first Panthers season on his way to 1,076 rushing yards and six touchdowns alongside a 39-297-1 receiving line over 17 games, and he'll continue to play a key role in next weekend's wild-card round if the Falcons defeat the Saints on Sunday and make the Panthers the NFC South champions in the process.

Dowdle (toe) practiced fully Wednesday, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.

EDGE Analysis

Dowdle was held out of Tuesday's walkthrough due to what coach Dave Canales called a sore toe, per Gannt. However, Dowdle's return to all activity one day later indicates the absence likely was maintenance-based more than anything. Since the Panthers' Week 14 bye, Dowdle has turned 45 touches into 160 yards from scrimmage and one TD, while fellow RB Chuba Hubbard notched 90 total yards and no TDs on 23 touches during that span. Expect a similar breakdown of reps between the two Saturday at Tampa Bay with a potential playoff berth on the line.

Dowdle (toe) is participating in practice Wednesday, Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer reports.

EDGE Analysis

Dowdle missed Tuesday's walk-through practice due to a sore toe, so it's encouraging to see him already back on the field as at least a limited participant. As long as Dowdle is able to continue practicing in some capacity Thursday, it will bode well for his chances of being cleared to face the Buccaneers on Sunday, a contest that may determine the winner of the NFC South title. Dowdle exploded onto the scene midway through the 2025 regular season and revitalized Carolina's rushing game, but he's since been in a slump, having averaged just 47.3 rushing yards per game across his last seven appearances.

Head coach Dave Canales said that Dowdle was held out of Tuesday's walk-through practice due to a sore toe, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.

EDGE Analysis

Canales termed Dowdle's absence as a rest day and labeled him day-to-day, which suggests the Panthers aren't too concerned about the running back's availability for Saturday's regular-season finale at Tampa Bay. The Panthers will wait and see if Dowdle is able to get back on the practice field in some fashion Wednesday and/or Thursday before determining his status for Saturday. Given that the NFC South title will be at stake this weekend, expect Dowdle to do everything in his power to suit up against the Buccaneers.

Dowdle carried the ball 12 times for 59 yards and caught three of five targets for four yards in Sunday's 27-10 loss to the Seahawks.

EDGE Analysis

The Panthers' offense couldn't get anything going Sunday until it was too late, and Dowdle wound up falling short of 60 rushing yards for the seventh straight game. Despite the late-season slump, the fifth-year back is still just 14 rushing yards short of setting a new career high after amassing 1,079 yards with the Cowboys in 2024. Dowdle may need to find another gear in Week 18 against the Buccaneers with the NFC South title, and a playoff spot, on the line.

Dowdle rushed nine times for 29 yards and brought in four of six targets for 14 yards in the Panthers' 23-20 win over the Buccaneers on Sunday.

EDGE Analysis

Dowdle outpaced Chuba Hubbard by just three carries and two rushing yards, as both backs had a predictably difficult time versus the Buccaneers' typically stingy run defense. With Sunday's production, Dowdle did exceed 1,000 rushing yards for the second consecutive campaign, but he's been at 58 rushing yards or fewer in six consecutive games heading into a Week 17 home matchup against a tough Seahawks defense.

Dowdle rushed the ball 16 times for 49 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 20-17 loss to the Saints. He added one reception on one target for five yards.

EDGE Analysis

Dowdle reclaimed the lead-back role in Carolina, out-touching Chuba Hubbard 17-9. However, he found very limited room to run, with his longest gain going for only eight yards while averaging under 4.0 yards per carry for the fourth time in his last five games. Dowdle did manage to save his day with a four-yard touchdown midway through the first quarter, his first time reaching the end zone since Week 10. Overall, Dowdle has failed to reach 100 yards from scrimmage in four of his last five games, despite seeing at least 17 touches in all but one matchup in that span.

Dowdle carried the ball 18 times for 58 yards and caught both his targets for 21 yards in Sunday's 31-28 win over the Rams.

EDGE Analysis

The fifth-year running back split touches nearly equally with Chuba Hubbard, but it was Hubbard who paced Carolina's backfield with 124 scrimmage yards, including a 35-yard TD reception from Bryce Young in the first quarter. Dowdle has gone three straight games without getting into the end zone himself, producing 141 rushing yards on only 3.3 yards per carry during that stretch, and Hubbard could be re-emerging as the Panthers' top RB. The team will be on bye next week, so clarity in the backfield pecking order likely won't come until a Week 15 clash with the Saints.

Dowdle rushed six times for 38 yards and brought in all four targets for 36 yards in the Panthers' 20-9 loss to the 49ers on Monday night.

EDGE Analysis

Game script significantly limited Dowdle's opportunities on the ground, but the talented back still found his way to a highly efficient performance that saw him pace the Panthers in both rushing and receiving yards. Dowdle's carry total was his lowest since Week 1 when he opened the season stuck in a complementary role behind Chuba Hubbard, but his modest volume Monday was strictly an outlier Dowdle should have a chance to bounce back from to some degree in a Week 13 home matchup against the Rams on Sunday.