4 reasons the Panthers are clueless without Christian McCaffrey
By Dean Jones
Carolina Panthers don’t have a productive QB
The fact Sam Darnold looked like a world-beater with Christian McCaffrey alongside him in the backfield is proof positive of just what a special player the Stanford product is.
Without him, Darnold has returned to the signal-caller we saw plenty of during his time with the New York Jets.
And that is a big problem.
There are multiple factors in play here. But the simple fact is Darnold is not doing enough in terms of processing and his benching at the New York Giants was yet another strong indicator that he isn’t up to the task of becoming the team’s long-term option.
The Carolina Panthers are reportedly looking to secure the services of Deshaun Watson before the trade deadline, with Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk going as far as to say the organization has already made the Houston Texans an offer they’d be willing to accept.
Deshaun Watson update: Watson prepared to consider multiple options — it’s not Miami-or-bust — and multiple teams remain interested.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) October 25, 2021
Meanwhile, Carolina’s QB outlook has changed after ugly Giants loss. Panthers are expected to be players. pic.twitter.com/6rT07vrOmy
Having McCaffrey and Watson together would be almost unstoppable. Although there are some serious legal issues surrounding the Clemson product that make this move a significant gamble.
As for Darnold, his issues are glaring. Simply put, the former USC star is clearly incapable of picking up a team and leading them to victory by himself.
His confidence has dipped a substantial amount in McCaffrey’s absence. Whether Darnold will still be under center when he’s ready to return is yet to be determined.