5 critical observations from Christian McCaffrey’s 2021 season
By Dean Jones
What were some critical observations to take from yet another frustrating season from Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey in 2021?
There was a great sense of excitement before competitive action began regarding Christian McCaffrey. The star running back was fit and firing on all cylinders after appearing just three times in 2020, which was a significant boost for an offense that often struggled without the All-Pro during another disappointing five-win season.
McCaffrey is one of the best in the business. There’s absolutely no getting away from that.
However, there are now some lingering doubts regarding his status and whether he can stay healthy enough to assist the Carolina Panthers consistently over a prolonged period of time. McCaffrey managed just seven games this season, but there is much to discuss regarding the former first-round pick in the coming weeks.
With this in mind, here are some crucial observations from McCaffrey’s 2021 season.
Critical Observation No. 1
Things began well for Christian McCaffrey
Although things ended on an extremely sour note for Christian McCaffrey, the early signs were incredibly positive. The running back looked like his old self during the opening two games against the New York Jets and New Orleans Saints, going over 100 yards from scrimmage in both contests as the Carolina Panthers got their 2021 off to the best possible start.
McCaffrey looked explosive and gave new quarterback Sam Darnold the league’s best security blanket during his initial transition to a different environment. Having the Pro Bowler in the lineup clearly galvanized everyone associated with the organization and also gave the player some real confidence that the injury problems that blighted matters in 2020 were now behind him.
How wrong we were.