Dave Canales acknowledged what was obvious to Carolina viewers the last two games: The Panthers can’t ignore that Rico Dowdle is clearly their best quarterback right now.
Since Chuba Hubbard returned to the lineup over the past two weeks, he has seen the majority of reps, outscoring Dowdle, 73 to 52, according to Next Gen Stats. Hubbard has returned 65 rushing yards and a touchdown on 26 carries over the two games, while Dowdle has more than doubled his production, rushing for 133 yards on 25 carries.
“Chuba has meant a lot to his organization, certainly to the identity that we wanted to build our team on, and we wanted to give Chuba an opportunity to go out and continue to impact our team in a positive way,” Canales said Monday, via ESPN. “We can’t ignore that Rico has been exceptional in a few games, and then in the opportunities he’s had in the last two weeks.
“He’s made great plays. Love the tempo and the violence he’s running with. And those are all things we’re talking about and working through this week.”