5 big takeaways from the Carolina Panthers win vs. NY Jets in Week 1
By Luke Gray
Carolina Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey is still the best around
Oh, how the Carolina Panthers have missed their star running back. The former Stanford Cardinal returned to action with 187 all-purpose yards in the season opener.
Christian McCaffrey only suited up for three games last season and although Mike Davis was a suitable replacement and had over 1000 all-purpose yards, his level of production is nothing compared to what the All-Pro brings to the table.
He was a notable target for Sam Darnold early on, with the signal-caller checking it down to McCaffery on numerous occasions and letting his back go to work making New York Jets players miss on many occasions
McCaffrey even got it done without the ball getting a critical block to allow Darnold the time to throw a 57-yard strike to Robby Anderson.
If McCaffrey stays healthy this will really help Darnold as he’s already shown to be a viable receiving option. The former first-round pick is a star and arguably RB1 in the league.
McCaffrey’s injury problems last season mean he’s not been talked about in the same conversation as other stars such as Derrick Henry, Alvin Kamara, and Dalvin Cook, but expect the player to have another stellar year in the backfield.