Rico Dowdle's two-week explosion has suddenly turned attention to the previously overlooked Carolina Panthers and presented them with a potential conflict.
Usual starter Chuba Hubbard is nearly ready to return from the ankle injury that sidelined him over the last two weeks. But might it be in the best interest of the Panthers to ride the hot hand?
Dowdle is certainly on fire in October, rushing for 389 yards and a touchdown on 53 carries for an average of 7.34 yards per attempt. That sky-high level of production can't be taken for granted, and it might seem illogical to leave such a prolific runner on the sideline in favor of Hubbard.
Dowdle sees it only as an advantage for the 3-3 Panthers.
"The two-headed monster is better than one," Dowdle told reporters Wednesday, via the team's official site.
Dowdle and Hubbard are expected to split snaps when the latter returns, which could be as soon as Sunday's game against the 0-6 New York Jets. Hubbard has had a front-row seat for Dowdle's breakout and wasn't the least bit surprised to see his teammate thrive in his absence.
"Rico's a great player. I mean amazing player," Hubbard said. "He's shown it throughout camp every time he's been here. He works hard. The opportunity came, he made the most of it, and yeah, like I said, it's not a surprise."
The Panthers find themselves in the luxurious position of needing to decide how to distribute carries between their chosen top back and his outrageously productive backup, a place Carolina hasn't been in in any capacity in quite some time. Though it makes for a juicy headline, there isn't any internal strife regarding their fortunate conundrum.
"It's a great opportunity for us to look at both guys and to find a way for them to help the team," coach Dave Canales said.
Instead of worrying about how they'll keep both happy, the Panthers will likely be eager to use Hubbard and Dowdle however they see fit in a game most expect them to win over the lowly Jets. For his part, Hubbard will just be happy to be back on the field.
"All that stuff is left up to the coach, and then the only thing we can control is going out there and producing at a high level," he said. "That's all we really have to control. We are pretty close and there's no hard feelings either way."
If all goes according to plan, both will find success and the Panthers will improve to 4-3. Don't be surprised if it includes another health dose of Dowdle.
"I think he's earned everything that he's done in the last two weeks," Canales said. "He's earned the right to help this team, and he will, and we'll find a way to do that."
