Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey has a chance at history Sunday, but should he play?
There has been plenty left unsaid around the Panthers’ facility the last few weeks.
But the history that Christian McCaffrey can make Sunday? That’s widely known. And the Panthers won’t shy away from helping him get there.
McCaffrey is expected to become the third player in NFL history with 1,000 receiving yards and 1,000 rushing yards in a single season, joining Roger Craig (1985) and Marshall Faulk (1999).
While the Panthers have said they won’t be throwing the ball to him just to help him get the 67 receiving yards he needs, they also won’t be resting him like year. The fewest percentage of offensive snaps he has ever played in a game came in Week 17 last year against the Saints (13.9 percent) when he sat after the first offensive drive.
But interim coach Perry Fewell assured that won’t be the case this week against New Orleans.
“We’re going to try and win a football game, so he’s our guy and if he eclipses the milestone, so be it,” Fewell said.
In other words, McCaffrey’s been a workhorse all year and that’s not coming to an end this week.
McCaffrey leads the league in scrimmage yards (2,294) by more than 500 yards and is second in scrimmage touchdowns (18). Sitting him would be the smart long-term approach. If the third-year running back were to possibly get injured in the game, it could potentially set him and the team back for the 2020 season.
But the Panthers want to win this game if they can and not end the year on an eight-game losing streak, and sitting the team’s most valuable player doesn’t go along with a goal of beating one of the top teams in the NFC. But if the game gets out of hand and McCaffrey has clinched the record, Fewell may then take him out at that time.
“We have something to play for. We’re playing for a win,” Fewell said. “I’m not saying I won’t pull (McCaffrey) at some point and time in the game, but we’re going to try and win a football game and if we have an opportunity to win a football game and a game that’s close and tight, he’ll be in there. He’ll be battling. He’ll want to be in there and he’ll be battling me on the sidelines and that won’t look too good.”
McCaffrey has been shooting down the importance of individual records over the last month by saying repeatedly that it only matters so much to him because of the team’s record.
That’s part of the unique history he will likely be making Sunday. Faulk and Craig reached their 1,000/1,000 marks as their teams finished with winning records and playoff appearances — even a Super Bowl title in Faulk’s case.
The Panthers won’t even hit .500.
But with 106 scrimmage yards, McCaffrey would also be the first player with 2,400-plus in a losing season. With 216 scrimmage yards, he would have the most ever in a single season.
McCaffrey said he thinks he’s watched almost every play of Marshall Faulk’s career and when the Panthers have similar offensive plays to what the Rams run, he’ll watch back how he did it.
While he is trying to follow in the footsteps of some of the greatest of all-time, McCaffrey will be the main focus Sunday for Panthers fans. But having faced a similar situation last year, and Ron Rivera electing to go the safe route, Fewell has decided to focus instead of getting the single win that has proved so elusive.
With not much actually on the line for the Panthers against a Saints team in need of a win for playoff positioning, any ramifications from electing to roll the dice on playing almost all of the team’s starters will be one of the big things to watch Sunday.
Other notes:
- Linebacker Shaq Thompson has been ruled out of Sunday’s game with a foot injury. The injury had been designated as an ankle last week, but that was a clerical error. He was missed one game and has not practiced at all over the last two weeks. The team has not shared any information on the extent of the injury.
- Wide receiver DJ Moore remains in concussion protocol after leaving the game vs. the Colts early in the first quarter. He has not practiced this week, but has also not been ruled out.
- The ramifications from Vernon Butler being ejected from Sunday’s game against the Colts have not yet concluded. Butler left the game after he punched Colts tight end Jack Doyle in the helmet, although after the game he admitted he had intended to hit an offensive lineman he was competing with. On his way out, Butler put up his middle finger and waved to the booing crowd. Fewell said that the team is still discussing what to do about Butler and that they still expect some sort of response from the league, whether in the form of a fine or suspension.
Game time
Saints (12-3) at Panthers (5-10)
- When: 1 p.m. Sunday
- Where: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte
- Watch/Listen: Fox/1110 AM
- Line: Saints -13
Injury update
Did not participate: Marquis Haynes (knee), DJ Moore (concussion), Shaq Thompson (foot).
Limited participation: Tre Boston (shoulder), Greg Olsen (knee)
Full participation: Andre Smith (ankle), Gerald McCoy (knee), Ian Thomas (ankle), Brian Burns (shoulder), Kyle Love (ankle), Woodrow Hamilton (illness)
Required reading
+ How Panthers rookie Christian Miller became bigger than Superman to 11-year-old Jaden
+ Christian McCaffrey’s epic season hasn’t saved the Panthers. But it should be praised
+ Panther will interview Perry Fewell for permanent head coaching job
This story was originally published December 26, 2019 at 5:39 PM.
