Christian McCaffrey deservedly wins FedEx Ground weekly honor
Christian McCaffrey has proved me wrong.
It has been an impressive season for Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey both in terms of what he has accomplished compared to last season, and how his results so far this year have stacked up around the league. Thursday, he was rewarded for his efforts. The Carolina Panthers announced that McCaffrey was named the FedEx Ground Player of the Week.
He was more than deserving of the honor. On Sunday against the Seahawks, he racked up 17 carries for 125 yards and a touchdown. Averaging 7.4 yards per carry, he certainly was a big part of the reason why the offense functioned so well. He ranked third for the most rushing yards on Sunday behind Sony Michel of the New England Patriots and Lamar Miller of the Houston Texans.
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In 11 games, McCaffrey has 53 carries for 757 rushing yards and has caught the ball 71 times for 608 yards. With 10 total touchdowns, he has a chance to increase that number as the Panthers head into the final five games of the season. I think he will be able to put up great numbers against the Buccaneers on Sunday, especially as a receiving back out of the backfield. Tampa Bay’s passing defense has not been stellar the season, and there’s no reason why that trend should not continue on Sunday.
He has certainly proved me wrong. In the pre-season I wrote that he may not be able to handle the workload that the Panthers were expecting out of him, and that it may be too much. If anything, he has proven that he can handle the workload. He has passed the test with flying colors, and become the multi-dimensional player that the Panthers predicted they would get when they drafted him. Another thing I worried about in the off-season for McCaffrey was whether or not he could be an effective runner. He has proven me wrong there as well. Appearing to have gained muscle in the off-season, he has quite literally powered his way to the end zone on many occasions.
This certainly gives validation to the Panthers drafting him eighth overall in 2017. As I see it, the next step for him would be the Pro Bowl. That accolade might be a bit tougher. The amount of talented running backs in the National Football League is extremely deep this year. McCaffrey certainly belongs in the conversation, but certainly has some competition. What he can do over the next couple of games may determine whether or not he gets a Pro Bowl invite.
Next. Carolina Panthers keys to win at Tampa Bay. dark
Following Sunday’s game against Tampa Bay, the Panthers have to play the Cleveland Browns, the New Orleans Saints twice, and the Atlanta Falcons once. Those games can quite literally determine the fate of the Panthers season. McCaffrey will need to be at his best in all games moving forward as he is no doubt one of the top playmakers on that offense and one of the best players on the team. He can do it all and if possible, he will need to do even more with the fate of the Panthers season on the line.