3 primary keys to a shock Carolina Panthers divisional crown in 2022

Carolina Panthers RB committee

D’onta Foreman has been nothing short of an amazing off-season acquisition. This was a move made to help alleviate some of the mileage on Christian McCaffrey, who played a jarring 93 percent of snaps in 2019 before injuries riddled his next three seasons.

The Carolina Panthers anticipated giving McCaffrey a much-needed breather in hopes to have him play a full season and potentially lead the team into playoff contention. However, with his blockbuster trade to the San Francisco 49ers, the team needed Foreman to step up and he has in an impactful manner.

Before McCaffrey’s trade, Foreman had 12 rushes for 37 yards and played a total of 31 snaps in the first six weeks of the season, just 10 percent of Carolina’s total snaps on offense. Since Week 7, the former Texas Longhorn has logged over 53% with 238.

His promotion to the starter and offensive focal point in some games has led to Foreman rushing for 600 yards, including four 100-yard performances which eclipse McCaffrey’s three.

Foreman isn’t the only running back to have an increased workload on the new-look Panthers. Both Chuba Hubbard and Raheem Blackshear have an increased role in the offense, playing 33 and 13.75 percent of snaps respectively since Week 10.

Hubbard in particular has shown tremendous improvement, increasing his yards per rush from 3.6 in his rookie season to 4.5 this time around. His catch percentage has also progressed from 67.6 to 80 percent.

Having two running backs behind Foreman that play with confidence and bring a unique skill set to the table can help prevent the team from making the same mistake of relying heavily on one player at the position. Something that will also keep opposing defenses guessing.