CHARLOTTE — The Panthers brought Rico Dowdle here for a reason, and that begins on Sunday.

The Panthers will start Dowdle at running back, with Chuba Hubbard out this week with a calf injury .

Dowdle ran for 1,079 yards last year for the Cowboys, and added another 249 yards receiving, so he brings a near-equivalent kind of production to the game, and they're confident they can maintain the same kind of plan.

Dowdle has 103 yards from scrimmage in four games backing up Hubbard and getting around a third of the reps, and scored his first touchdown as a Panther here two weeks against the Falcons. Trevor Etienne will back him up, and they also added DeeJay Dallas to the active roster this week.

"Just expecting him just like always, go in there, run the runs we call, and run with

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