CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle was so frustrated after getting only six carries in Monday night's 20-9 loss at San Francisco that the next morning he posted a confused emoji on social media.
On Wednesday, head coach Dave Canales met with the team to admit he has to be more balanced with his play-calling, starting with Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Rams.
"Just frustrated with the outcome of the game,'' Dowdle explained of his emoji. "I thought we had an opportunity to run the ball more. Coach addressed it with the team. . . . He talked to me this morning about it.
"We've got to run the ball for us to have our best chance and things like that.''
Despite his admission to the team, Canales has no plans to give up the play-calling. He just acknowledged as a young play-caller - at 44 he's only called plays for two-plus seasons - he has to be better.
"Every week is a lesson for me,'' Canales said. "Every week there's something to take and I have great people around me that we talk to, that we have accountability with and I lean on those guys because I want to get better, as well, as we continue this process.''
Canales' explanation satisfied Dowdle's frustration level.
"I'm definitely satisfied,'' he said. "It's understandable. Everybody knows. He knows. He took ownership of it. We take ownership of it as a team. We know what we've got to do.''
Dowdle averaged 23 carries in his previous five starts in which the Panthers (6-6) went 4-1. He was so impressive in his first two starts, gaining 473 scrimmage yards to set a two-game Carolina record, that Canales abandoned his attempt to share the backfield responsibilities between Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard two games after Hubbard returned from a calf injury.
Dowdle promptly rushed for 130 yards and two touchdowns in an upset of the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.
Carolina's next two opponents, New Orleans and Atlanta, loaded the box to stop Dowdle and he was held to 98 yards on 37 carries.
But Dowdle said the 49ers were not overloading the box, making the decision to go away from the run puzzling since he averaged 6.3 yards on his six carries.
Hubbard averaged 5.3 yards on his three carries.
"We had an opportunity to run it on them,'' Dowdle said. "They didn't give us heavy boxes. So I thought we could have run it on them.''
In hindsight, Canales agreed as the Panthers try to keep pace of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-5) in the NFC South.
"He just took full ownership of it,'' Dowdle said. "He definitely knows we need to run the ball to make that game closer. He said that in front of the whole team.''
Dowdle appreciated that. He also didn't question Canales' decision to pass on first-and-goal from the 1 in the first half with the Panthers trailing San Francisco only 7-0.
They play was pivotal to the loss because quarterback Bryce Young, on a rollout pass to tight end Mitchell Evans, was intercepted in the end zone.
"Got to trust coach with his play call,'' Dowdle said. "It was a good play. He was open for a while. The safety just fell off and made a good play. There's multiple ways we can get in the end zone.''
