With four games remaining in a tight NFC South race, the tide of the Carolina Panthers’ backfield may be turning. So, will we see some different motion coming from the team’s ground attack here in Week 15?
Running back Chuba Hubbard chatted with reporters on Thursday, just ahead of this weekend’s matchup against the New Orleans Saints. And with the fifth-year rusher looking the best he has all season, he was asked about continuing to share work with teammate Rico Dowdle.
Hubbard, in his early follow-up to a career campaign, appeared a tad slow out of the gate in 2025. Due in part to a lingering calf injury, which sidelined him for two games, he ran for just 217 yards over his first four outings.
His brief absence gave way to the emergence of Dowdle, who took over as the starter beginning in Week 5. In the pair of contests without Hubbard, Dowdle recorded a whopping 473 scrimmage yards—a franchise record for a two-game span.
Unfortunately for Hubbard, the struggles and the strain persisted upon his return—as he averaged 2.6 yards per carry in his first three games back. He’d see his workload gradually decrease in that time and beyond, receiving no more than five attempts from Weeks 9 to 12.
But Hubbard broke through in the team’s Week 13 win over the Los Angeles Rams, notching a season-high 83 rushing yards on 17 totes along with two receptions for 41 yards and a score. Dowdle, meanwhile, hit the ground for 58 yards on 18 tries (3.2 yards per carry).
Both Hubbard and Dowdle should get their chances to shine this Sunday, as they’re set to face a defense that’s allowed the 10th-most rushing yards per game (130.9).
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