4 reasons the Carolina Panthers will beat NY Giants in Week 2
By Luke Gray
Christian McCaffrey will dominate in the passing game
This is a matchup the Carolina Panthers simply must exploit if they want to win on Sunday.
After the scenes in Week 1 where Christian McCaffrey was a dormant part of the offense, it was no coincidence that the Panthers scoring 17 fourth-quarter points coincided with the All-Pro becoming a bigger part of the game plan.
Looking ahead to Week 2, the Panthers must utilize McCaffrey heavily in the passing game against the New York Giants linebackers. The Stanford product is arguably the best pass-catching running back in the league, making him almost impossible to cover at the second level.
As the Giants showed on Sunday, they struggle to cover running backs nowhere near the level of McCaffrey in the passing game.
After holding Derrick Henry to just 82 yards rushing. it was back up Dontrell Hilliard who had his way with three receptions for 61 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns. Something that offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo has no doubt picked up after watching the game film.
While it’s understandable for the Panthers to be hesitant with McCaffrey’s touches given his injury history, he is Carolina’s most dynamic player. When the former first-round pick has the ball in his hands, he makes things happen.
With a potentially advantageous matchup in Week 2, expect a big game from McCaffrey.