"JERRY SHOULD FIRE EBERFLUS RIGHT NOW": Skip Bayless fumes as Rico Dowdle scores an open TD vs. his former team Cowboys

Skip Bayless spoke on Sunday after Dallas' defense collapsed against Carolina. The Fox Sports analyst asked Jerry Jones to fire Cowboys defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. A busted coverage allowed Panthers running back Rico Dowdle to score easily against his former team.

Dowdle spent last season in Dallas before joining Carolina in free agency. He torched his old teammates at Bank of America Stadium. The unit he targeted, led by Eberflus, entered the week ranked last in total defense.

Bayless posted on X as the Panters took control in the third quarter, and his message was clear for Jones.

“IF POSSIBLE, THE DALLAS COWBOY DEFENSE LOOKS WORSE THAN EVER. JERRY SHOULD GO DOWN AND FIRE EBERFLUS RIGHT NOW. THIS IS JUST SO EXCRUCIATINGLY EMBARRASSING.” Bayless tweeted.

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Dowdle’s 36-yard catch-and-run gave Carolina a 20-17 advantage midway through the third quarter. The score capped an 80-yard drive that sliced through Dallas in just four plays. It was the same opponent Dowdle warned to “buckle up” before kickoff, and he backed it up in Panthers colors.

Rico Dowdle punishes Dallas with another breakout performance

NFL: Dallas Cowboys at Carolina Panthers - Source: Imagn

Rico Dowdle dominated Dallas on the ground and through the air with 90 rushing yards and 53 receiving yards on three receptions through three quarters. His six-yard-per-carry showed how poorly the Cowboys defended short-yardage runs and screens. At the midway point of the third quarter, the Panthers had 258 total yards and scored on back-to-back drives to take control of the game.

The former Dallas tailback entered the matchup fresh off a 200-yard rushing performance against Miami that earned him the NFC Offensive Player of the Week. With Chuba Hubbard out, Dowdle became the focal point of Carolina’s offense and was a game-breaking option for Bryce Young in both phases.

Young later found Tetairoa McMillan for another touchdown, putting Carolina back in front 27-24 early in the fourth quarter.

Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott briefly reclaimed the lead with a third quarter touchdown to George Pickens, while kicker Brandon Aubrey stayed perfect on extra points. The Panthers' Ryan Fitzgerald booted field goals from 55 and 31 yards, the first trimming the Cowboys’ halftime lead to four points.

Edited by Victor Ramon Galvez