5 critical observations from Christian McCaffrey’s 2021 season
By Dean Jones
Christian McCaffrey injury caused big-time disruption
No sooner had optimism arrived for the Carolina Panthers and Christian McCaffrey, it was taken away in the blink of an eye. The running back went down with an injury at the Houston Texans on Thursday Night Football in Week 3 and although the team managed to win that particular game against inferior opposition, this was a cataclysmic blow to their overall aspirations.
McCaffrey wasn’t seen again until Week 9 against the New England Patriots and it didn’t take much longer for things to unravel. Sam Darnold looked a shell of himself without the All-Pro, reverting to the signal-caller we saw fail to meet expectations over three years on the New York Jets.
The Panthers didn’t have a sufficient backup plan in the event McCaffrey missed an extended period of time. Something that came to haunt them in a big way and play a leading role in the decision to fire Joe Brady as offensive coordinator.
Carolina had some major problems at quarterback and across the offensive line. Although he’s just one man, McCaffrey masked a lot of this and once he was on the sidelines, these major flaws became exposed.
What the future holds for McCaffrey and the Panthers is less certain now than it’s ever been. Some huge decisions are coming and the sooner they are made, the better the team’s chances will be.