4 reasons behind Christian McCaffrey’s no-show at the Dolphins
By Dean Jones
Christian McCaffrey was a non-factor in the passing game
One thing that enables Christian McCaffrey to be so great is his ability to be a reliable target coming out of the backfield on passing downs. But this threat was well and truly nullified by the Miami Dolphins.
Again, McCaffrey’s afternoon was cut short. However, for the All-Pro to get just one target when he was in the lineup was extremely disappointing.
A lot of this had to do with Cam Newton’s hesitancy under center. It was a rough afternoon for the signal-caller, who threw two interceptions in the first half and was benched later on in the game in favor of P.J. Walker.
McCaffrey is normally the league’s best security blanket.
A player that masks a lot of problems elsewhere.
But the Dolphins did a tremendous job of keeping him in check when he was on routes. And their front seven wreaked havoc with pressures, sacks, and batted passes thrown in for good measure.
The Carolina Panthers aren’t going to win many football games when McCaffrey is ineffective in the passing game. But it would get much worse for the player and the organization as the game went on.