Four studs from Panthers big win over Buccaneers

Christian McCaffery

Christian McCaffrey needed to step up on Sunday. I wanted to see more out of him and I wanted to see him leave his fingerprints all over this game. That is exactly what happened on Sunday. Whether it be in the running game or the passing game, he was effective. This is the type of game that offense of coordinator North Turner probably envisioned when discussing McCaffrey’s increased workload in the off-season.

He carried the ball 17 times for 79 yards and two touchdowns. It seemed that anytime he entered the red zone on Sunday, he was an automatic threat. Averaging 4.6 yards per carry, a 35-yard dash was his longest of the afternoon. He looked incredibly comfortable and confident running the football and a lot of credit has to be given to the offensive line for creating running lanes for him. Catching five passes for 78 yards, he was the team’s leading receiver as well. A 32-yard grab was his longest of the afternoon, and he averaged 15.6 yards per catch. He was truly a multi-tool player and this is the kind of game that warranted him being such a high draft pick.

I’m excited to see him perform under the bright lights on Thursday. My guess is that he will factor into the Panthers game plan quite a bit, as getting him involved in the offense early seems to be working quite well.  He is a catalyst in every sense of the word and he is truly a player who makes this offense run smoothly. If the Panthers want to go toe-to-toe with the high-powered offense of the Steelers, McCaffrey needs to be at the center of everything offensive.