Rico Dowdle trolls with TD celebration after ‘2 pumps’ drama

Rico Downdle went viral in week 9 for his A “Key & Peele” themed touchdown celebration.which earned him a controversial penalty after the game. The Carolina Panthers the running back made sure not to make the same mistake against the New Orleans Saints in Week 10.

Dovdle carried his momentum into Week 10 by scoring a shortstop early in the game. After getting back on his feet, he set up the same celebrationbut he didn’t even attempt a single pump before running to join his teammates.

Dowdle’s opening celebration paid homage to the popular old “Key & Peele” sketch on YouTube. The video features comedian Keegan-Michael Key playing the character of Hingle McCriggleberry, who is flagged in the end zone for pumping his hips three times.

Two pumps were allowed in the skit, but not three. Dowdle only had two shots, prompting fans to comically retaliate against his over-penalty for celebrating. Key even responded and reached out to Dowdle after I saw the video.

Either way, Dowdle’s Week 10 touchdown extended his hot streak, making him one of the league’s best running backs over the past month. The 27-year-old has racked up 598 yards since Week 5, leading the league during that span.

Dowdle’s absurd run allowed him to take complete control of the Panthers backfield. He entered the season as Chubby Hubbard’s backup, but has since become the team’s clear starter.

Aaron Jones imitates Rick Dowdle’s touchdown celebration

Dowdle’s Week 9 touchdown celebration and subsequent penalty were among the hottest topics last week. As a result, the fiasco inspired Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones to honor him after he also found the end zone early in Week 10.

After scoring, Jones celebrated almost the same “zero pump” as Dowdle. The two runners scored almost at the same time, so their celebrations were happening practically simultaneously.

Aaron Jones almost did two pumps and then stopped 😂

📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/9kkIKIiSps

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) November 9, 2025

Dowdle and Jones are not directly related to each other, which probably makes the celebration more of a coincidence than a planned sequence.

Neither Jones nor Dowdle were penalized for their celebrations in Week 10, indicating where the line might be in the NFL compared to ‘Key & Peele’.