Deep dive into Christian McCaffrey’s sensational Week 9 return

Christian McCaffrey in the passing game

It didn’t take long for Christian McCaffrey to demonstrate his supreme prowess in the passing game. He caught the game’s first pass from quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and concluded the Carolina Panthers’ opening drive with another successful completion to get in the end zone.

Having someone like McCaffrey to lean on in the backfield was highly beneficial for Bridgewater. The quarterback has struggled over the last two games prior to this one, which coincided with Mike Davis’ dip in form – but he was visibly more confident with the best dual-threat player in the NFL alongside him once again.

The Chiefs opted to bring safety Daniel Sorensen down to the second level prominently to cover McCaffrey, which is something that resulted in plenty of tackles but little in the way of preventing the player from making a difference.

McCaffrey brought in all ten of his targets for 82 receiving yards and a score. He was a constant thorn on the Chiefs’ side and made a remarkable grab late in the game that typified the sort of quality the new face of the Panthers brings to the table.

Not only did McCaffrey make a difference when his number was called, but his presence freed up space for others to work in. The main beneficiary was Curtis Samuel, who turned in his best performance of the campaign on his way to nine receptions, 105 receiving yards, and a touchdown.