CHARLOTTE — When Rico Dowdle hobbled off the field to the sidelines late in the fourth quarter on Sunday in the Panthers' win against the Dolphins, he didn't know that with the latest 16-yard rush, he'd topped 200-plus yards on the day. He didn't know that he was knocking on the second-most single-game rushing yards in franchise history, and in reachable distance of the top spot.

He just knew he was cramping badly.

Granted, he'd pounded the grass during one of the warmer days Charlotte had seen in a week, featured as the primary back with Chuba Hubbard out due to a calf injury, so cramps were not a surprise. But Dowdle also knew he wanted to finish what he started. So he did what any player would do in that situation.

"I drank like five (pickle juices) on the sidelines. Five pickle

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