Rico Dowdle’s career day boosts the Cowboys’ offense

ARLINGTON, Texas – Mike McCarthy and the Cowboys have wanted to put Rico Dowdle in touch more in recent weeks. Thursday’s win over the New York Giants showed why.

Dowdle rushed for a career-high 112 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries, good for 5.1 yards per carry. He also had the Cowboys’ longest rush of the season, leading a running back for a 22-yard rush in the first quarter. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, Dowdle was grateful for his offensive linemen who paved the way to success at the top.

“It feels great, I have to give credit to those guys at the front,” Dowdle said. “They were able to create movement, a little bit of space, and we did it, and it paid off for us.”

The Cowboys’ offensive line has seen a lot of different faces at different front positions due to injuries, which has certainly hindered the running game. The last two weeks have been a different story, however, and Dowdle is taking notice.

“Very impressive, if you look at last week and this week, I think those guys up front did a hell of a job,” Dowdle said. “It’s just the preparation that these guys put in and being ready when their opportunity comes and making the most of it.”

When Dowdle plays well, it’s because he has a rhythm. Although Dowdle did not get a carry on the final three offensive drives of the half, he remained on pace for 50 yards on 8 carries in the first half and 62 yards on 14 carries in the second half.

“I wish I had him in a better position earlier in the game,” McCarthy said. “But I think this is just clear evidence of what he can do when he touches the ball beyond 20 runs.”

McCarthy’s confidence in Dowdle is growing every week, and the rhythm he has achieved in recent weeks is no surprise to this team as they see the work Dowdle is putting in.

“Rico is a young man who has worked incredibly hard,” McCarthy said. “He struggled with the injury challenges early in his career, you just see what we see every day.”

The Cowboys have been hit by injuries across the board, but now they face a long layoff with two wins that give them a chance to get healthy and continue to collect more.

“Rest is definitely important,” Dowdle said. “We’ve got 10 days until the next one, we’ve got a little bye week this week, I’m pretty sure we’ll get our bodies back in those 10 days.”

And it sounds like the carries continue to pile up for Dowdle as well, as Dallas enters the third trimester of the season and looks to maintain this momentum week in and week out.

“This team needs this,” McCarthy said of Dowdle’s outstanding performance. “We have to run football not only for our offense but also for our football team.”