Let the cake bake. That's a saying we have around here, and the Dallas Cowboys are now seeing the benefits of sticking with Rico Dowdle and the run game.
In the early part of the season, it was a running back-by-committee approach for the Cowboys, and that didn't work to the point where Dallas had one of the worst rushing attacks in football.
However, since Rico was handed the keys to the running back room and has made ample "trips to the plate," as head coach Mike McCarthy states, Dowdle has taken off impressively. ... and he's yet another example of Dallas' work with UDFAs, the undrafted free agents who get signed to The Star after the completion of each seven-round April draft.
Last week in a win at Carolina, 14 such players contributed, including Brandon Aubrey, Cooper Rush, KaVontae Turpin, Brock Hoffman, Terence Steele, T.J. Bass, C.J. Goodwin and Trent Sieg.
Oh, and the potential 1,000-yard rusher Rico.
"I think it reflects to the fact that we've been kicking (expletive) in the eighth round,'' McCarthy joked this week. "I'm just proud of those guys, I think they're all examples of it's not where you start, you just keep working and when your opportunity comes, I think they've clearly taken advantage of it, I think that's awesome."
UDFA success is a key component in Dallas' roster-building history. Mark Tuinei, Everson Walls, Cliff Harris, Nate Newton, Drew Pearson, Bill Bates, Tony Romo and Cornell Green are among the many standouts who came to the Cowboys via that path.
Dowdle's success is such that is the first undrafted running back to have three straight 100-yard rushing games since 2014.
"There was a number of things that started slow for us," McCarthy said of early 2024. "When you look at the run game and the protection, it was definitely something, especially in the first month, was not something that we did best. But that's why you play the whole year.
"I'm just glad he's established himself as the one [starter], like to see him potentially start playing more on third down, but its been exciting to watch Rico have the success."
Rico has stated since training camp that he believes in getting in rhythm is the best way in getting him rolling and in the last month, Dowdle has been one of the best backs in football.
Dowdle has rattled off rushing totals of 86, 112, 131, and 149 from an average of 21 attempts to now be within a great shot of surpassing the 1,000-yard mark, which seemed impossible a few weeks ago.
Rico's rise has been such that he should be considered for a place in the offense in 2025. In what capacity, though, is unknown, but there's no doubt that Dowdle has done enough to suggest he can give the offense some juice in the run game.
There haven't been many bright spots for the Cowboys in 2024, but one of them is Dowdle's emergence as the starting running back.
This cake is far from baked around here, for Rico or the roster. But Dallas' masterful work in unearthing gems in "Round 8'' is a key ingredient.
