The Carolina Panthers picked up one of the more shocking upset victories in recent memory in the NFL when they handed the Green Bay Packers a 16-13 defeat in Week 9. With the win, the Panthers pushed their record to 5-4, and they have quietly emerged as a sneaky wild-card contender in the NFC.
Carolina has a formula for winning games, as it involves playing strong defense and pounding the ball on the ground on offense. Once again, the Panthers received a strong performance from running back Rico Dowdle, but he received a punishment from the league on Saturday night, as did his fellow teammate, rookie linebacker Nic Scourton.
NFL Announces Punishments for Rico Dowdle, Nic Scourton
Dowdle’s emergence as the Panthers’ lead running back has been one of the most surprising developments in the NFL this season. Despite only starting three games, Dowdle has run for 735 yards this season, which is good for the fourth-highest total in the league. In a span of only a few weeks, he has essentially made Chuba Hubbard an afterthought in the team’s offense.
Against the Packers, Dowdle was a madman once again, as he ran for 130 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries, while also catching two passes for 11 yards. With Dowdle continuing to torch opposing defenses for massive rushing totals, Carolina’s offense has managed to take a step forward, even if it still isn’t putting up massive point totals on a weekly basis.
After one of his scores against Green Bay, Dowdle recreated the popular “Two Pumps” touchdown celebration, which quickly earned him an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and a fine of $14,491. On Saturday, the NFL confirmed Dowdle’s fine, while also announcing that Scourton had been fined $8,701 for taunting.
“Rico Dowdle’s $14,491 fine for his two-pump celebration officially fell under the ‘obscene gestures’ provision, per NFL’s weekly gameday accountability release,” Joe Person of The Athletic shared in a post on X. “In addition to Dowdle, Panthers rookie OLB Nic Scourton fined $8,701 for taunting vs. Packers.”
Panthers Looking to Continue Winning Ways in Week 10
GettyRunning back Rico Dowdle of the Carolina Panthers.
Dowdle’s fine has been common knowledge throughout the week, so it isn’t too surprising to see that the league is standing by its initial ruling. Dowdle has managed to put a positive spin on the situation, as he started a GoFundMe to raise money for the Children’s Home Society of North Carolina, setting a goal of $14,000. As of Sunday morning, Dowdle had raised over $44,000, with the goal now set at $60,000.
On the field, Dowdle will look to keep on producing at an absurd rate for the Panthers out of the backfield. He will draw a favorable matchup in Week 10, as Carolina will take on the lowly New Orleans Saints, who struggled mightily in their first game with rookie quarterback Tyler Shough starting under center. Kickoff for this game is set for 1 p.m. ET, and if Dowdle finds the endzone again, all eyes will be on him to see what he ends up doing for his touchdown celebration.
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