GREEN BAY, Wis. — Rico Dowdle rushed for 130 yards and two touchdowns, and his big run in the final minute set up Ryan Fitzgerald's last-second 49-yard field goal as the Carolina Panthers beat Green Bay 16-13 on Sunday, ending the Packers' three-game winning streak.
A loss could be costly for Green Bay (5-2-1). Star Packers tight end Tucker Craft was removed from the field with a knee injury in the third quarter.
Carolina (5-4), a two-touchdown underdog according to BetMGM Sportsbook, bounced back from a 40-9 home loss to Buffalo to sit over .500.
Dowdle split time with Chuba Hubbard, but Panthers coach Dave Canales said Dowdle would get the bulk of the carries and the move paid off.
Running behind an injured offensive line, Dowdle responded with a stellar 25-carry performance that included one big mistake.
His second touchdown of the day gave the Panthers a 13–6 lead late in the third quarter. But he celebrated by thrusting his hips twice (an obvious reference to the Key & Peele sketch) and was punished for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Fitzgerald's subsequent 48-yard extra point attempt in high winds was very short, and Carolina maintained a 13-6 lead.
Dowdle and Fitzgerald both redeemed themselves after Green Bay's Josh Jacobs scored the tying play from two yards out on third-and-goal with 2:01 left. Instead of going for two to tie the game, the Packers tied the game on Brandon McManus' extra point.
After Carolina got the ball back, Dowdle went 19 yards on second-and-10 from midfield to put the Panthers in field goal position as time expired for the Florida State freshman.
Before Jacobs' touchdown, the Packers had marched to the Carolina 35 on five of their first six possessions, but had only two field goals to prove it.
Green Bay entered the game with just three losses on the season, matching Philadelphia for the fewest total in the league. Savion Williams fumbled the ball in the red zone, preventing him from scoring, and Jordan Love threw an interception that led to Carolina's touchdown on Sunday.
McManus made plays from 49 and 27 yards, but also missed a 43-yarder that would have given Green Bay the lead in the third quarter. Dowdle's second touchdown came after Green Bay's Keysian Nixon was called for pass interference on a third-and-goal incomplete.
Green Bay also missed a short field goal attempt while trailing 13-6 in the fourth quarter and made it on fourth-and-8 from the Carolina 13. Love rolled to his right, found no one open, headed left and then threw across the field. Carolina's Mike Jackson dropped the ball in the end zone.
Love was 26 of 37 for 273 yards with one interception on his 27th birthday. Jacobs had 17 carries for 87 yards.
“Panthers”: O.G. Chandler Zavala (elbow) left in the first half. LB Trevin Wallace left late in the fourth quarter. C Cade Mays (ankle/knee) and OLB Princely Umanmielen (ankle) did not play.
Packers: In addition to Kraft's injury, WR Matthew Golden (shoulder), OG Aaron Banks (stringer) and DL Colby Wooden (shoulder) left the game. WR Dontayvion Wicks (calf) and DE Lucas Van Ness (foot) were out for the second straight game.
Panthers: Host New Orleans next Sunday.
Packers: Host Philadelphia on Monday, November 10th.
