Who Should I Start? Rico Dowdle or Jaylen Wright

Tuesday, October 15, 1:17 AM

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy expressed the need for running back Rico Dowdle to get more opportunities, stating, "He definitely needs to touch the ball more, without a doubt." Dowdle had only five carries for 25 yards rushing in Dallas's loss to the Lions. With the team falling behind early, he was more active in the passing game, catching five passes for 30 yards. In contrast, Ezekiel Elliott managed just 17 yards on six carries against Detriot, marking his fourth straight game with six or fewer rushes and failing to reach 20 yards each time. It will be interesting to see if McCarthy follows through on his promise to increase Dowdle's touches, as he appears to be the more explosive option. The Cowboys are on bye this week and will return in Week 8 to face San Francisco on Sunday Night Football.

Sunday, October 6, 4:48 PM

Miami Dolphins running back Jaylen Wright toted the rock 13 times for 86 yards in the team's 15-10 victory over their division-rival New England Patriots. The rookie easily saw his most extensive workload of the season in the win and was efficient with his touches (6.6 YPC) -- leading the team in rushing despite seeing six fewer carries than Raheem Mostert (4.2 YPC). The former Volunteer was thrust into a more prominent role early in the first half when running back De'Von Achane (concussion) left the game and did not return. Wright's long gain of the contest was a 17-yard scamper in the fourth quarter. On the ensuing drive, the fourth-round pick ripped off another chunk gain of 16 yards, eventually leading to the team's second touchdown since Week 2 -- a 3-yard dive by fullback Alec Ingold. Wright was actually in on the scoring play; he just didn't have his number called. It's a nice performance by the rookie and a strong rushing performance for the Dolphins as a whole -- totaling 193 yards on the ground. With Miami heading into their bye week, Achane will have extra time to clear the league's protocol before they take on the Indianapolis Colts in Week 7. It's unlikely that Wright would garner such an extensive workload with the second-year back healthy. However, at least the rookie has proven he has the chops to be a difference-maker.