Panthers’ Rico Dowdle expected to outsmart the NFL with Week 9 celebration thanks to learnings from ‘Key & Peele’
That celebration could come back to bite him.
The Carolina Panthers went back to the bread and butter in Week 9 against the Green Bay Packers with running back Rico Dowdle carrying the offense and the results went as expected compared to the last time we saw Dowdle with a sizable role.
Dowdle finished the game with 130 yards on 25 attempts and was ripping off big runs all day against a pretty stout defensive front in Green Bay. Head coach Dave Canales hinted Dowdle will get an opportunity again to be the lead back after the frustrating production the run game produced over the previous two games and Dowdle delivered.
“Those guys up front, they’ve been doing a great job all season,” Dowdle said. “Just allow me to get to the second level and executing their blocks at a high level. And we can do it against anybody. I don’t really, I never really look at numbers like they’re the top run defense. It’s just, each week is its own. We take each week as its own. Looking at the film, I knew we’d have a chance to have a good one.”
Dowdle also added two touchdowns in the team’s 16-13 win over the Packers on Sunday and had some nifty celebrations. One in particular, though, nearly cost the team and could come back to bite Dowdle later this week.
Refs weren’t having it with Rico Dowdle paying homage to Hingle McCringleberry
If you don’t know of Hingle McCringleberry, let me be the first to educate you. Hingle McCringleberry is a fictional football character from a Key & Peele skit who was penalized for an excessive “3-pump” dance after a touchdown. You can see the skit for yourself here.
After his third quarter touchdown, Dowdle did his own Hingle McCringleberry impression (which other NFL players have done previously) and stopped a two pumps, which should be allowed, right? Not according to the officials on Sunday, who threw the flag for unsportsmanlike conduct.
“From my understanding and everything I’ve learned, we go over stuff like this every week in the meeting room. I definitely think you’re supposed to get two pumps,” Dowdle explained. “Hopefully, I don’t get a fine.”
Fines will be announced on Saturday for Week 9 infractions and if Dowdle were to be fined, it would likely be for taunting. Back in Week 5, Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Nate Thomas was fined $4,814 but he did a three pump celebration. That’s a big no-no. We’ll see how the NFL feels about two pumps.
This season, 18 different players have already been fined by the NFL for taunting or showing obscene gestures on the field. Dowdle could be the next for this and it’d be a little ridiculous but it’s something the league is set to crack down on this season.
It’s bad enough Dowdle was hit with a penalty, and one that proved to be costly. The penalty was enforced on the following PAT that back up the attempt and was missed in the windy conditions.
It’s worth noting New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs used the same celebration on Sunday but stopped after one pump and was not flagged. So, lesson be learned, only one pump.
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