Rico Dowdle's surge makes for interesting offseason for Cowboys at running back

Rico Dowdle's second-half surge in his first season as the lead Dallas running back gives the Cowboys some interesting things to consider in the offseason.

The fifth-year player didn't have any 100-yard games in his career before becoming the first undrafted back in 10 years with three in a row in Dallas' 30-14 victory over Carolina on Sunday.

As the Cowboys (6-8) enter the final three games with virtually no chance to extend a three-year playoff run, Dowdle is set to take an increasingly impressive highlight reel into free agency. NFC South-leading Tampa Bay (8-6) visits Sunday night.

The 26-year-old has reset his career high in each of the past three games, capped by 149 yards against the Panthers. Dowdle's only rushing touchdown of the season (he has three receiving) came in his first 100-yard game, a 27-20 Thanksgiving victory over the New York Giants.

“Touchdowns are the only thing I am missing right now, but this is definitely a great time right now considering these past three weeks,” said Dowdle, who has 880 yards rushing. “Those guys have been opening it up, and it’s been three good weeks.”

“Those guys” are the blockers who have been without seven-time All-Pro right guard Zack Martin the past four games. Martin just had season-ending ankle surgery.

Brock Hoffman replaced Martin and has since been forced to slide over the center with rookie Cooper Beebe sidelined by a concussion. Left tackle Chuma Edoga left the Carolina game with an ankle injury but returned and had to move to right guard when T.J. Bass injured his leg.

Dowdle started the season slowly, averaging 34 yards over the first four games, back when Ezekiel Elliott was still a much bigger part of the rotation. Elliott returned to the Cowboys after a season away from the team for which he won two rushing titles as the fourth overall pick in the 2016 draft.

Now, Elliott is an afterthought for what's left of his time with the Cowboys, and possibly the NFL, as the Cowboys prepare to see what the market for Dowdle might look like.

Dowdle's future with the Cowboys could be tied to the draft as well. Dallas is trending toward the middle of the first round, so the question will be whether Boise State's Ashton Jeanty, the Heisman Trophy finalist who went to high school in the Dallas area, is still available.

The Cowboys have liked what Cooper Rush offers as a backup quarterback ever since he went 4-1 in 2022 filling in after Dak Prescott broke the thumb on his throwing hand in a season-opening loss.

After throwing a career-best three touchdown passes against the Panthers, Rush is 3-3 since Prescott's season-ending hamstring injury.

The Cowboys have won three of the past four, the lone loss coming against Cincinnati on a botched special teams play late, when their blocked punt could have put them in position for the victory.

Like Dowdle, Rush will be a free agent. There's a decent chance he will return since the Cowboys just signed Prescott to a $240 million, four-year extension.

The Cowboys are among the most-penalized teams in the NFL and were flagged a season-high 14 times against Carolina. Five of the Panthers' 16 first downs were by penalty.

WR CeeDee Lamb entered the Carolina game with just one 100-yard outing after having eight in his breakout 2023 All-Pro season. He had 104 yards before halftime against the Panthers and finished with 116.

Lamb has been steady all season while playing through a shoulder injury, getting at least 89 yards in seven games after ending a long holdout by signing a $136 million, four-year extension in August.

TE Luke Schoonmaker's role appears to have diminished again now that Jake Ferguson is back from a concussion. He had zero targets for the first time since early November. While Ferguson was out, Schoonmaker had the two most productive games in his two seasons with 56 and 55 yards.

The return of DE DeMarcus Lawrence this season is appearing unlikely. He's been out since Week 4 with a foot injury. There was no chance of him playing against Carolina, and the dim playoff outlook leaves little incentive to force anything with the 32-year-old. Lawrence is set for free agency.

Plus-6: Turnover margin for the Cowboys the past four games. Before that, they were among the worst in the NFL at minus-11.

The Cowboys are 4-0 on short rest this season, which means they're 2-8 on regular or extra rest. The next two weeks are regular rest before facing division leaders. After the Buccaneers visit, Dallas goes to Philadelphia. The Eagles are on the verge of clinching the NFC East, which the Cowboys won last season.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Dallas Cowboys safety Israel Mukuamu celebrates after an interception against the Carolina Panthers during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb catches a pass against the Carolina Panthers during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush passes against the Carolina Panthers during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)

Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle runs against the Carolina Panthers during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones)

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A former Polish justice minister who faces prosecution in his homeland over alleged abuse of power said Monday that he has been granted asylum in Hungary.

Zbigniew Ziobro was a key figure in the government led by the nationalist conservative Law and Justice party that ran Poland between 2015 and 2023. That administration established political control over key judicial institutions by stacking higher courts with friendly judges and punishing its critics with disciplinary action or assignments to far-away locations.

Current Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government came to power more than two years ago with ambitions to roll back the changes, but efforts to undo them have been blocked by two successive presidents aligned with the national right.

In October, prosecutors requested the lifting of Ziobro's parliamentary immunity to press charges against him. They allege among other things that Ziobro misused a fund for victims of violence, including for the purchase of Israeli Pegasus surveillance software.

Tusk’s party says Law and Justice used Pegasus to spy illegally on political opponents while in power. Ziobro says he acted lawfully.

Hungary, led by nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, has hosted several politicians close to Law and Justice while Polish authorities were seeking them.

In a lengthy post on X Monday, Ziobro wrote that he had “decided to accept the asylum granted to me by the government of Hungary due to the political persecution in Poland.”

“I have decided to remain abroad until genuine guarantees of the rule of law are restored in Poland,” he said. “I believe that instead of acquiescing to being silenced and subjected to a torrent of lies — which I would have no opportunity to refute — I can do more by fighting the mounting lawlessness in Poland.”

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in Budapest on Monday that Hungarian authorities have granted asylum to “several” individuals who would face political persecution in Poland, according to his ministry. He declined to specify their names.

In an English-language post on X, Tusk wrote that “the former Minister of Justice(!), Mr. Ziobro, who was the mastermind of the political corruption system, has asked the government of Victor Orbán for political asylum.”

“A logical choice,” he added.

FILE - The leader of the Polish junior coalition partners Zbigniew Ziobro, speaks to reporters alongside in Warsaw, Poland, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski, file)