This Carolina Panthers weapon seems more than ready to face the Dallas Cowboys this Sunday.

The Carolina Panthers picked up a big win last week, rallying from a 17-0 deficit to defeat the Miami Dolphins by a score of 27-24.

While there was plenty of credit to go around in the Panthers' comeback victory, the biggest star of the afternoon was running back Rico Dowdle, who racked up 206 rushing yards and a touchdown on nine yards per carry.

Now, Dowdle will be facing his former Dallas Cowboys squad this Sunday as Carolina looks to nail down its second straight win. He fired a strong message to the Cowboys earlier this week, and with the matchup getting closer, Dowdle sent another stern warning to his ex-teammates.

“They've got to buckle up. Stand on that,” Dowdle said, via Joseph Person of The Athletic. “That was just meaning it’s going to be a very physical game from my end. I just take pride in that. Buckle the chin straps up tight, and I will be coming.”

Dowdle spent the first five years of his career in Dallas between 2020 and 2024. While he didn't get much usage over his first four seasons with the club, Dowdle broke out last season, registering 1,079 yards and a couple of scores while averaging 4.6 yards per attempt. He also caught 39 passes for 249 yards while reaching the end zone three times.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones appreciates what Dowdle did in Dallas, but he certainly doesn't want to see Dowdle play well this weekend.

“He’s a good back, make no mistake about it. And he got a big offer to go,” Jones said. “We felt that the backs that were potentially available to us, at the time he signed with Carolina, we thought we had a chance to get a back and of course we did in Williams. … I don’t wish him well out here against us Sunday. But I wish him well. He was always one of my favorite backs.”

Dowdle signed a one-year deal with the Panthers in free agency, with Carolina hoping he would provide a nice complement to Chuba Hubbard. He struggled out of the gate with the Panthers this season, so much so that he was tabbed as a potential trade candidate.

However, the 27-year-old obviously broke out in a big way in Week 5. Whether or not he can actually maintain that level of production — or come close to it — against Dallas remains to be seen.