The Cowboys will make the trip to Carolina for the third straight year but this one could be the most competitive matchup yet. The Panthers are 2-3 and have yet to lose at home this year. They're coming off a monster game from former Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle. But the Cowboys aren't exactly hurting in the running game either.
That will be one of the storylines for the week, as we detail five each for the Panthers and Cowboys.
Panthers
Turning it Around? – After an 0-2 start to the season, the Panthers have started to turn things around, winning two of the last three. Although, they needed some last-second heroics to beat the Dolphins, who took a 17-0 lead in the first half only to watch the Panthers claw back. A Bryce Young TD pass in the final minute lifted Carolina to a 27-24 win over the Dolphins.
Fasten the Seatbelt – Rico Dowdle's "buckle up" comment has definitely made its way to the Cowboys' locker room and coaching offices. After Dowdle's impressive 206-yard rushing day against the Dolphins last week, the former Cowboys RB playfully told his old team to "buckle up" and get ready for a showdown. Brian Schottenheimer responded, saying the Cowboys will "have their seatbelts on" but also credited Dowdle for his phenomenal game and knows it won't be easy bringing down the hard-nosed runner come Sunday.
Bryce Young – The Panthers are giving Bryce Young every chance to succeed and let him live up to the standards of the 2023 No. 1 overall pick. In his third season, Young is showing more signs of his development, evident by a last-second drive to win the game against Miami last week. But overall, Young is still near the bottom in many passing categories, including a 79.9 passer rating that ranks 27thin the NFL. Young is also not a quarterback that attacks much down the field, as the Panthers are 30th in the NFL in average-yard per completion at 5.19.
Road vs. Away – Fortunately for the Panthers, they're at home this week in Charlotte, a place the Cowboys have won rather easily the last two years. But things could be different for Carolina in 2025. At least the stats so far suggest a different team when the Panthers are at home vs. away games. The Panthers are 2-0 at home and 0-3 on the road, where they're averaging just 15 points per game, opposed to the 28.5 they're scoring at Bank of America Stadium. The Cowboys are 7-1 in regular season games in Charlotte but 0-2 in the playoffs.
Rookie standout– Tetairoa McMillan was one of the players the Cowboys were heavily targeting with the No. 12 overall pick this past draft. When he went off the board to Carolina, the Cowboys shifted their forus to Tyler Booker. But McMillan hasn't disappointed with the Panthers, racking up 324 yards through five games, the second-most by any rookie receiver in the NFL. He's had at least three catches in every game but has yet to find the end zone.
Cowboys
Even Record – Through five weeks, it's already been a wild ride for the Cowboys, who have played three very close games and then have been on both ends of a lopsided final. The Cowboys are coming off their most dominant game of the season in a 37-22 win over the Jets that wasn't nearly as close as the final score. The Cowboys led 30-3 at one point in the second half and cruised to the win. And to get that win with seven key starters that were missing from the Week 1 lineup is even more impressive.
Help on the Way? With three starting offensive linemen out last week, and another still on IR, there could be some help for the Cowboys against the Panthers. Jerry Jones wouldn't say which of the linemen might be able to come back but considering Tyler Smith was active but only on emergency duty, suggests he could be back sooner than later. Tyler Guyton (concussion) and Tyler Booker (ankle) might not be too far behind.
High Level – The Cowboys are just 2-2-1 – the only team in the NFL at .500 after five games, but there can't be much blame placed at Dak Prescott. He's had a stellar five games so far, leading the NFL in both completions and attempts. He's also one of six quarterbacks with 10 TD passes already this year. And to think, we've seen four different starting O-line combinations in five games, not to mention CeeDee Lamb has missed the majority of three games, it's a credit to Dak and his leadership throughout the adversity.
Running Wild – The reason the Cowboys are leading the NFL in overall yards per game at 406.0 is the resurgence of the running game, led mainly by Javonte Williams, who is third in the NFL with 447 yards. He's averaging 5.7 yards per carry, thanks in large part to his career-long 66-yard run last week. But the Cowboys are the only team in the NFL with two rushers with at least 20 carries and a 5.0 yard average. Miles Sanders is also averaging 5.9 yards per carry.
Added Pressure – Let's not go so far to say the Cowboys aren't still missing Micah Parsons. But for the last two games, the pass rush has been much better, including last Sunday against the Jets. The Cowboys sacked Justin Fields five times. James Houston continues to be one of the biggest surprise on the team with his consistent pressure. He now leads the team with 3.5 sacks, including 2.5 in the last two games.
