Panthers' Rico Dowdle: Forgettable afternoon in loss

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.

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.