Can McCaffrey Pass Cam Newton on Panthers All-Time Rushing List in 2020?
Just three seasons into his NFL career, running back Christian McCaffrey is already the franchise's fifth all-time leading rusher with 2,920 yards. Assuming McCaffrey stays healthy, he should easily move into fourth within the first five games or so, surpassing DeShaun Foster.
The real question is: Can McCaffrey jump Cam Newton on that list by season's end?
Well, let's take a look at where things currently stand.
1. Jonathan Stewart - 7,318
2. DeAngelo Williams - 6,846
3. Cam Newton - 4,806
4. DeShaun Foster - 3,336
5. Christian McCaffrey - 2,920
McCaffrey would need 1,886 yards on the season to catch up to Newton and although it seems impossible, it can be done. Last season, McCaffrey rushed for 1,387 yards while averaging 86.7 yards per game. For McCaffrey to match Newton in 2020, he would need to average roughly 117.8 yards per game. To reach that feet, he would need somewhere in the neighborhood of 375 carries and average about five yards per rush or 345 carries while averaging 5.5 yards per rush.
Eight other running backs have rushed for at least 1,886 yards in a single-season (Eric Dickerson, Adrian Peterson, Jamal Lewis, Barry Sanders, Terrell Davis, Chris Johnson, O.J. Simpson, and Earl Campbell). Of course the game has evolved into more of a pass-happy attack, but there's not many teams that have a guy like McCaffrey. He's not just an amazing talent, but he's a workhorse, which makes passing Newton possible.
Is it possible in Joe Brady's offense though?
If the offense is efficient under Teddy Bridgewater and the passing game is fairly potent, it will and should be a balanced offensive attack. However, if the offense seems stagnant, Brady could start to lean heavily on McCaffrey and the run game. Adding Robby Anderson to an offense that already has explosive receivers such as DJ Moore and Curtis Samuel makes it almost impossible for the aerial attack to be pedestrian. For McCaffrey to catch or pass Newton this year would likely mean Teddy Bridgewater went down with an injury and the offense being in disarray.
Let us know if you think McCaffrey can pass Newton on the all-time rushing list in 2020 in the comment section below!
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