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Rico Dowdle gets first 100-yard game in Cowboys' win plus 6 more important performances

29 November 2024Last Update :
Rico Dowdle gets first 100-yard game in Cowboys' win plus 6 more important performances

ARLINGTON, Texas — Rico Dowdle’s final stat line on Thanksgiving was as surprising as it was predictable.

In the context of what the Dallas Cowboys have been as a rushing attack, crossing the 100-yard threshold was an incredible feat.

•  Tony Pollard was the last Cowboys player to run for more than 100 yards in a game when he did it last season in a Week 3 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

• It had been more than two years since the Cowboys had a 100-yard rushing performance in a win — Oct. 30, 2022, when Pollard ran for 131 yards in a 49-29 victory against the Chicago Bears.

The Cowboys’ 100-yard rusher drought was second-longest in the NFL, with the Denver Broncos being the only team lost longer in the rushing wilderness.

All of that is a thing of the past.

Dowdle got off to an electric start, rushing for 46 yards on five carries in the first quarter. He finished with 112 yards on 22 carries for the first 100-yard game of his career. He also added his first touchdown run of the season.

“I had three receiving but definitely crazy that was first rushing (touchdown) of the season,” Dowdle said.

The Cowboys committed to a running back-by-committee approach early in the offseason. They didn’t bother addressing the departure of Pollard in the heart of free agency — one that featured Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry — or in the 2024 NFL Draft. They signed Ezekiel Elliott after the draft, despite multiple years showing the veteran had little left in the tank.

Throughout training camp, it was clear that Dowdle was on a different level from the other running backs on the roster. The Cowboys ignored that, choosing to stick with the committee approach and spread the carries around, no matter how obvious it was that Elliott had nothing to offer. It wasn’t until just two weeks ago that Mike McCarthy said that Dowdle was “the lead back.”

Dowdle is the best running back on the team and — as Thursday showed — it isn’t really that close. Dowdle’s season numbers won’t impress anybody because they aren’t designed to; the Cowboys hadn’t given Dowdle the keys to the running game until very recently. As Dowdle expressed earlier in the season, it’s much easier for a running back to get in a rhythm when there’s a consistent dose of carries.

“I’ve been firm on that since the beginning,” Dowdle said. “With the flow, getting that rhythm. I think it’s shown. It speaks for itself.”

Thursday was only the third time this season the Cowboys gave Dowdle at least 15 carries. The first time was the Week 5 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Dowdle ran 20 times for 87 yards and added a big touchdown catch in that game. Last week, he got 19 carries against the Commanders and produced 86 yards.

His performance against the Giants was a career-best across the board.

According to Next Gen Stats:

• Dowdle forced 10 missed tackles, the most in a game by a Cowboy since Elliott in 2020.

• Four of his 22 carries went for more than 10 yards, including a long of 22 yards.

• 106 out of his 112 yards came after contact.

Season totals: Dowdle’s rushing
PLAYER G ATT YARDS YPC YPG TD
Rico Dowdle
11
134
600
4.4
54.5
1

The Cowboys’ offensive line has struggled all season and now it’s dealing with a number of injuries. Tyler Smith returned to the lineup Thursday but Zack Martin remained out and rookie left tackle Tyler Guyton exited with a high ankle sprain. The passing game isn’t a significant threat with Cooper Rush at quarterback.

Despite all of that, Dowdle produced. Anything the Cowboys do on offense the rest of this season, and perhaps into the future, Dowdle has shown he deserves to be involved.

In addition to Dowdle, there were a number of players who showed against the Giants that they can be positive contributors.

Young bucks

Luke Schoonmaker

It wasn’t long ago that it looked like Schoonmaker was falling out of favor with the coaching staff. Coming out of the bye week, Schoonmaker got two offensive snaps in San Francisco and then one snap in Atlanta. The following week, against the Philadelphia Eagles, Schoonmaker had 11 snaps and one target. It was a troubling trend for Dallas’ 2023 second-round pick.

Two weeks ago, against the Houston Texans, Schoonmaker was thrust into action because of a concussion to Jake Ferguson during that game. Schoonmaker got 44 snaps and responded with six catches for 56 yards on 10 targets (all career-high numbers). On Sunday against the Commanders, Schoonmaker caught three of his four targets for 55 yards and a crucial touchdown catch while playing 43 snaps.

Against the Giants, Schoonmaker got involved early and finished with five receptions for 33 yards on six targets. Those aren’t earth-shattering numbers but it’s more encouraging than where things were just earlier this month.

DeMarvion Overshown

The game changed when Overshown intercepted Giants quarterback Drew Lock on a screen pass and returned it for a touchdown. The Cowboys’ offense was having trouble getting in the end zone and Overshown provided a much-needed cushion and forced the Giants to play from behind. He recovered a fumble later in the game, too.

“I think he has his own creative identity,” Micah Parsons said. “That’s what I like. He’s not trying to be like me. He’s his own special specimen. He’s going to be felt every play. He’s a wild cat out there on the field. I love playing next to him.”

KaVontae Turpin

There’s an energy that can be felt in the building when Turpin gets the ball in space. He’s small in stature but possesses blazing speed — the smallest opening can result in a big play. Turpin popped off a 30-yard catch-and-run as part of his four-catch, 53-yard outing, building off of his electric past couple of weeks.

Turpin still has areas he can grow. Measuring up defenses is a fundamental part of his game and part of what makes him great, but he needs to get through it a little faster on offense than what he’s accustomed to on special teams. And McCarthy needs to ensure he’s involved in the offensive scheme as frequently as possible.

Veteran crew

Cooper Rush

When Cowboys owner and GM Jerry Jones said he liked some of the individual performances he saw, the first name that came from his mouth was Rush.

“(I) like what Rush did at quarterback,” Jones said. “That’s winning football. … I’m really, particularly, pleased with the way Rush is playing quarterback out there. Thought he had everything to do with us being successful.”

Rush rarely makes the big, splashy plays and the Cowboys do miss an element of the deeper passing game compared to what they have with Dak Prescott. However, the quarterback on the other side showed what the bad side of a backup quarterback can be. Lock had some good throws and great runs but his interception to Overshown changed the complexion of the game and ended up being the winning margin. Those are the plays Rush typically avoids.

The way Rush has played in the past two games are more reminiscent of his play in 2022, when he helped the Cowboys to a 4-1 record in Prescott’s five-game absence. His game is far from perfect, but Rush has proven that he is a capable backup who can hold down the fort in small doses.

Chuma Edoga

With Asim Richards going on injured reserve this week with an ankle sprain, Edoga’s return from IR was good timing. It proved to be especially important when Guyton went down with a sprained ankle. Edoga came in and did a decent job. The Cowboys may be relying on Edoga for the foreseeable future, depending on Guyton’s status.

Brandin Cooks

The Cowboys welcomed the veteran receiver back from IR and he showed up in a couple of big moments. His final stat line — three catches for 16 yards and a touchdown — was relatively pedestrian but the moments of his production were significant.

With the Cowboys stalling twice already in the red zone, they faced third-and-goal on their first drive in the third quarter, nursing a slim 13-10 lead. Cooks used his speed to run across the field and catch a touchdown to give the Cowboys a 20-10 advantage. On the final drive of the game with the Cowboys leading 27-20, they had a chance to ice the game on third-and-2 from their own 38-yard line. Rush found Cooks for a 3-yard gain, and the Cowboys were able to take a knee from there to end the game.

(Top photo of Rico Dowdle: Chris Jones / Imagn Images)

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