Rico Dowdle

Speaking Thursday, Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy said Rico Dowdle is “the lead back” while adding that Dowdle “needs to touch the ball.”

On one hand, this doesn’t come as much of a surprise. Dowdle has handled 33 of the Cowboys’ last 64 running back opportunities, and that’s after missing Week 8’s game against the 49ers due to an illness. Still, this is the first time McCarthy has gone out of his way to endorse Dowdle as the team’s lead back. Dowdle has earned 15 or more opportunities in his last two games and has totaled 163 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown over that span. He’ll have some RB3/FLEX appeal in Week 11 against the Texans.