Who should start? Panthers face tough decision with RBs Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Rico Dowdle has been phenomenal since stepping in as the Carolina Panthers' starting running back two weeks ago, totaling 473 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns in two outings.

Coach Dave Canales now faces a tough decision: whether to keep Dowdle in the starting lineup once Chuba Hubbard returns from a calf injury, which could be as soon as this week against the New York Jets.

“A great question,” Canales said after the Panthers' 30-27 win over the Dallas Cowboys, which moved his team to 3-3. “We’re going to figure that part out. But I know Rico is doing a great job, and he will be a big part of what we’re doing.”

Canales calls it a good problem to have.

But that doesn't make the decision any easier, given the team's loyalty to Hubbard.

Dowdle, in his sixth NFL season, is doing it all for Carolina. He ran for 183 yards on 30 carries and caught five passes for 56 yards and a touchdown on Sunday, just days after warning his former Dallas Cowboys teammates to “buckle up.” That effort came seven days after Dowdle rushed for 206 yards on 23 carries while catching four passes for another 28 yards in a come-from-behind win over the Miami Dolphins.

He set a franchise record for scrimmage yards in back-to-back games. And he become only the seventh player in the last two decades to amass more than 200 yards from scrimmage in consecutive outings.

Hubbard has been the Panthers' starter and arguably their best player over the past couple of seasons, and the team rewarded him with a four-year, $33 million contract late last season after he ran for nearly 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns. He's earned Canales' respect for his toughness and leadership.

So Hubbard will definitely play.

But it's hard to imagine Canales putting a hot hand — a scorching hand, in fact — on the bench after two incredible weeks and two Carolina wins.

The running game. It's remarkable what the Panthers have done on the ground the last two weeks — a combined 455 yards rushing against the Cowboys and Dolphins — considering they lost guard Robert Hunt, their best offensive lineman, and center Austin Corbett to injuries in Week 2, and that a third starter, right tackle Taylor Moton, missed Sunday's game with an elbow injury. Top reserve Chandler Zavala has also missed the last two games. But the Panthers keep plugging and playing guys and seemingly improve each week. It might be time to give offensive line coach Joe Gilbert a raise.

The Panthers need to take better care of the ball in the first half. Seven of Bryce Young's eight turnovers this season have come before halftime. He had one on Sunday, but it wasn't the QB's fault. Young was intercepted when his pass went straight through the hands of rookie Tetairoa McMillan.

McMillan may have messed up that catch, but he more than made up for it later in the game. The No. 8 pick in the NFL draft has been solid all season and on Sunday caught his first two touchdown passes from Young. McMillan has 27 catches for 380 yards, which puts him on pace for nearly a 1,200-yard season. He's still very raw in some respects, but his upside is off the charts.

Carolina's pass defense needs to find a way to slow down opposing quarterbacks with more frequency. Although the defense had some timely stops against the Cowboys, the Panthers allowed Dak Prescott to throw three touchdown passes — and that was without CeeDee Lamb. Carolina's inability to cover the tight end has really stood out, and Jake Ferguson became the latest to find the end zone. Miami's Darren Waller also had a big game against the Panthers in Week 5.

The Panthers are expected have "a few more guys” available this week against the Jets, Canales said. Receiver Jalen Coker was close to returning from injured reserve last week and could make his debut on Sunday. Hubbard, tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders and defensive lineman Turk Wharton could also be back this week if they make progress in practice. Also, the Panthers plan to open the 21-day window on Corbett, who avoided surgery for a knee injury earlier this year.

2 — Sunday marked only the second time the Panthers have won back-to-back games under Young, their third-year quarterback.

Carolina has a chance to move above .500 on Sunday with a victory at the winless Jets. The last time the Panthers were above .500 this late in the season was Nov. 3, 2019, when they started 5-3, only to lose all of their remaining games.

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