The actions of the last two weeks showed that the Dallas Cowboys were shifting away from their running back-by-committee approach. Head coach Mike McCarthy confirmed it Thursday.
The No. 1 job belongs to Rico Dowdle.
“You got to get him the ball,” McCarthy said. “That’s my focus. Just continue to get him opportunities. He’s the lead back. I thought he had a really good first half (Sunday), and I think that’s really illustrated by the attempts. Rico needs to touch the ball.”
Through nine games, Dowdle leads the Cowboys in rushing with 83 carries for 374 yards.
“It means a lot coming from coach McCarthy, showing that they got confidence and trust in me,” Dowdle said. “Starting running back for the Dallas Cowboys, I take that with great pride. That’s a good accomplishment coming from my situation, undrafted and all the adversity.”
Dallas has run the ball poorly this season, averaging 83.7 yards per game. Only the Las Vegas Raiders have been worse. After not re-signing lead back Tony Pollard in March, the plan entering the season was to use Dowdle, Ezekiel Elliott, Dalvin Cook and others in a committee approach. Their ineffectiveness coupled with poor offensive line play has been a major contributor to the Cowboys’ 3-6 record. While Dowdle leads Dallas in rushing, his yardage total ranks 32nd among NFL running backs.
| WEEK | OPPONENT | ATT | YDS | YPC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
10
|
 Eagles |
12
|
53
|
4.4
|
|
9
|
 at Falcons |
12
|
75
|
6.3
|
|
6
|
 Lions |
5
|
25
|
5.0
|
|
5
|
 at Steelers |
20
|
87
|
4.4
|
|
4
|
 at Giants |
11
|
46
|
4.2
|
|
3
|
 Ravens |
8
|
32
|
4.0
|
|
2
|
 Saints |
7
|
30
|
4.3
|
|
1
|
 at Browns |
8
|
26
|
3.3
|
|
|
83
|
374
|
4.5
|
The goal was to have more games like Week 5 in Pittsburgh when Dowdle led the way with 20 carries for 87 yards. That showing came against one of the NFL’s best rushing defenses. The Cowboys improved to 3-2 that night. But they haven’t been the same since.
Following the bye week, Dowdle missed the game at San Francisco with an illness. The two games since he has clearly been their lead back, carrying 12 times for 75 yards against the Atlanta Falcons and 12 times for 53 yards against the Philadelphia Eagles. No other Cowboys running back has had more than six carries in either game.
“If you pay attention to the games the last couple of weeks, we’ve been pretty much trending in that direction,” Dowdle said. “I’m definitely looking forward and excited. I want the ball in my hands and show what I can do.
“In my past, it was all about the injuries and things like that. But I now feel like I got my body in the best shape and best position possible for me. I definitely think I can go out there and operate at a high level consistently.”
Dowdle was an undrafted rookie signed by the Cowboys in 2020. He got only seven carries his rookie season. A hip injury caused him to miss all of 2021. An ankle injury limited him in 2022 as he only appeared in five games and didn’t get any carries. He finished with 361 yards and two touchdowns on 89 carries and caught 17 passes for 144 yards and two more touchdowns last season. He doesn’t have any rushing touchdowns this season, but he has three touchdown receptions.
“I wouldn’t necessarily say I had doubts,” Dowdle said of getting this opportunity. “It was just a matter of when. I always wondered when.”
pound the rock @ricodowdle 🪨
📺: #DALvsPIT on NBC
📲: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/LvklCbYJ1e pic.twitter.com/Lzw6Mm5c7D— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) October 7, 2024
The Cowboys have been criticized for not doing more at the position in the offseason. Four-time Pro Bowler Derrick Henry spends his offseasons in Dallas. He was a free agent. He wanted to play for the Cowboys. But Jerry Jones said they couldn’t afford Henry. Instead, Jones opted to add Elliott on a one-year, $2 million deal. Henry, who is the favorite to win NFL Offensive Player of the Year, signed a two-year, $16 million contract with the Baltimore Ravens.
Knowing that last season was likely Pollard’s last in Dallas, the Cowboys didn’t use a first-, second-, third-, fourth- or fifth-round pick in either of the last two drafts on the position.
Part of their reasoning was because of how highly they thought of Dowdle.
“It was a huge part of it,” Cowboys vice president of player personnel Will McClay said in September. “His development, the way he came in. From his rookie year to last year and all those things, his determination, and the success that he had in spurts last year made us feel really good about it, knowing the system and improvement.”
Running back will likely be a high priority this offseason. But until then, it appears Dowdle will get every opportunity to show what he can do in a lead role.
“I don’t remember a specific turning point of it, I just know us in the running back room, we all figured like the committee approach was something that just wasn’t working for us,” Dowdle said. “Any running back, you want to be able to get out there and get the bulk of the carries and try to find that rhythm. That’s something that I’ve stood firm on. The past couple of weeks have been trending toward me being a lead back.
“A lot of times when you’re only getting a handful (of carries) you find yourself trying to make that big play and chase that big play, just because you know you might not be getting as many reps. … A guy like me, I think I get stronger as the game goes.”
(Photo: Sam Hodde / Getty Images)
