Carolina Panthers: 3 Big takeaways from Preseason Week 1
Christian McCaffrey needs to be used more
Last season Christian McCaffrey finished No. 9 in catches with 80. He also tied for second in touchdowns among running backs with five. Early on in preseason action, he picked where he left off.
The Panthers lined up in shotgun and McCaffrey got matched up on a backer, he had an option route. McCaffrey took the inside leverage caught the pass and turned up for a first down.
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There’s no doubt that the Panthers have an X-factor in McCaffrey because of his soft hands and ability to run routes like a wideout, however, he needs to be used more as a runner. It’s just Week 1 of the preseason but the Panthers only ran McCaffrey four times.
Backs aren’t usually expected to shine in preseason games because it’s difficult to get into a rhythm. Nevertheless, there’s still a feeling that the Panthers will use McCaffrey as a receiver, similarly to the way Reggie Bush was during his days in New Orleans.
Last season is an indication of that. The Panthers didn’t use McCaffrey much as a runner — he finished the season with 117 carries for 435-yards. Panthers general manager Marty Hurney brought in power back, C.J. Anderson who’ll likely take some of the workload off McCaffrey.
Still, there’s a chance Anderson will be more than a spell back. After all, he ranked inside the Top 10 in touches and yards last season. McCaffrey is too explosive and too talented of a runner to be used as a pass catching back. They need to feed him the rock more than seven or eight times a game. Allow him to get into a rhythm and make big plays as a runner.