4 primary factors behind Carolina Panthers incredible Week 7 turnaround

Carolina Panthers running attack

The Carolina Panthers are going to miss Christian McCaffrey and will be dealing with short-term pain – taking a large dead cap hit – for future flexibility. The former first-round selection was the ultimate pro and often the only good part on offense during his time with the team.

If not for the injuries, McCaffrey would have a valid argument as the best running back in the league over the last five years. With all of that said, it was impossible not to notice just how much better the Carolina rushing attack was on Sunday.

Perhaps it was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers letting go of the rope due to their inept offense or an extra-motivated offense considering they just lost their best weapon. D’Onta Foreman was the star with 118 rushing yards and Chuba Hubbard added 63 more with a touchdown thrown in for good measure.

It is hard to envision a game when the season started in which those two players would combine for 24 carries, let alone be pivotal to a Panthers victory against the 2020 Super Bowl champions. But that is exactly what happened.

The running game helped take the pressure off P.J. Walker and set up arguably Carolina’s best day offensively this season. Plenty of credit must also be given to an offensive line that finally looks dominant following years of struggle.