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A two-pronged Carolina Panthers rushing attack that came into Saturday ranked 11th in the NFL in yards per game was washed away by the Tampa rain during an NFC South showdown that the Buccaneers won, 16-14.
Even so, running back Rico Dowdle cashed a $1 million incentive in the third quarter.
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Dowdle, who eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the second straight season last month, needed only 7 total yards versus the Bucs to earn an additional seven figures, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. He finished the game with 10 yards on seven carries.
After mustering only 6 yards in the first half, during which he averaged a putrid 1.2 yards per carry, Dowdle finally hit his mark in the second half.
Those elusive 7 yards saw the sixth-year pro amass 1,350 yards from scrimmage this season. He entered the matchup with 277 receiving yards and added 20 on two catches in Saturday evening's defeat.
Dowdle, a South Carolina native who played for the Gamecocks, has enjoyed a standout 2025 campaign after signing with the Panthers as a free agent this past offseason.
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In his NFL breakout, he reached the 1,000-yard rushing milestone in his fifth season with the Dallas Cowboys in 2024 and then signed a one-year, $3 million deal with Carolina.
The incentive Dowdle earned Saturday signifies a 33.3% increase in his pay for this season.
Notably, Dowdle starred in a revenge game against the Cowboys this season. Leading up to the Week 6 matchup, Dowdle said his former team "gotta buckle up." Then he piled up 239 scrimmage yards, including 183 rushing yards, and a receiving touchdown in a 30-27 win.
Dowdle was nowhere near those numbers Saturday with the division on the line. His offense was out of sync. The elements didn't help.
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That was especially true on a head-scratching fourth-quarter play, in which Dowdle slipped on what appeared to be a flea-flicker pitch.
The ball didn't make it back to quarterback Bryce Young, and Tampa Bay ended up recovering the fumble inside its own 30-yard line with a 16-7 lead in hand.
The Panthers (8-9) now need the Atlanta Falcons to defeat the New Orleans Saints on Sunday in order to qualify for the playoffs.
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