Rico Dowdle buries Cowboys with brutal postgame message after career day

Rico Dowdle warned the Dallas Cowboys that they should "buckle up" for their matchup on Sunday. Dowdle was looking for revenge after the team moved on from him in the offseason and instead opted to bring in the likes of Javonte Williams and Jaydon Blue. Dowdle joined the Carolina Panthers in the offseason.

Dowdle gave his former team the warning, and yet, he still had another huge game at the expense of Dallas' defense. In his second start with the Panthers, Dowdle ran for 183 yards on 30 carries and caught four passes for 56 yards and a touchdown in the 30-27 victory.

After the game, Dowdle was asked for his message after the game. Dowdle simply said, "they weren't buckled up."

Rico Dowdle trolls Cowboys after running all over them in revenge game

This isn't what Cowboys fans wanted to see: a motivated Dowdle trying to prove them wrong in a revenge game setting. Yet, the porous defense allowed him to do just that.

The Cowboys decided to move on from Dowdle after he ran for 1,079 yards and two touchdowns on 235 carries last season. They signed Williams, who was previously on the Denver Broncos, and he's been solid so far this season.

Entering the game, he ran for 447 yards and five touchdowns on 79 carries. Against the Panthers, Williams was held to just 29 yards on 13 carries, while catching just five of eight targets for five yards. A far cry from what Dowdle was able to do.

Dallas' defense as a whole struggled. They were unable to get to quarterback Bryce Young much, as he was sacked just once. Meanwhile, Young completed 17-of-25 pass attempts for 199 yards and three touchdowns.

Carolina served as a winnable game for Dallas. Considering this is a team that still has to play the Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Chargers, and Kansas City Chiefs, they have to win those easier-on-paper matchups. Now at 2-3-1 on the year, a playoff spot is looking unattainable unless they really turn things around.