Panthers RB's McCaffrey & Davis Tabbed as a Top Rushing Duo
The Carolina Panthers’ offense is built around the transcendent talent of Christian McCaffrey. The All-Pro signed a record-breaking deal this offseason which made him the highest-paid running back of all-time. Some may not agree with paying a running back $16 million per year in 2020, but money aside, you cannot knock his immense impact on the gridiron.
In 2019, McCaffrey became the third player in NFL history with at least 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in the same season, joining Roger Craig and Marshall Faulk. McCaffrey racked up 2,392 yards from scrimmage last season - while scoring 19 touchdowns - which places him third on the NFL’s all-time yards from scrimmage list. Additionally, no other running back in NFL history has multiple 100-catch seasons besides ‘CMC’, who has done so in back-to-back seasons at just 24 years of age.
Besides McCaffrey, the Panthers don’t have a solidified No. 2 option in the backfield to help complement CMC and take some of the load off of his shoulders. His impact is indisputable, but not having help behind him may raise some problems down the line. Matt Rhule stated in a zoom media call last month that his Pro Bowl running back won’t have to carry the burden of the offense - as he has done in recent years - but that will be difficult to accomplish without a solid backup running back.
Mike Davis is the one most likely slotted into the backup role on the Panthers’ depth chart behind McCaffrey, but many are skeptical regarding how much he will really offer come game day.
Davis had a disappointing 2019 campaign, totaling just 27 yards on 13 carries during his time split between the Chicago Bears and Carolina. However, fans should be optimistic that the South Carolina product can revert back to his 2018 form with the Seahawks. He totaled 514 rushing yards (on 4.6 yards per attempt) to go along with 214 receiving yards and five total touchdowns. 728 yards from scrimmage is quite acceptable for a backup running back and should be encouraging for Panthers’ fans.
Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller ranked all 32 of the NFL’s running back duos for 2020 in which he slotted the Panthers at No. 2. This ranks above the Jets (No. 3), Saints (No. 4), and Cowboys (No. 5 ).
Barring injury, Christian McCaffrey will likely have another All-Pro-caliber season, especially given the weapons and new coaching staff the team acquired this offseason. Additionally, having a competent starting quarterback in Teddy Bridgewater, as opposed to Kyle Allen for 14 games in 2019, will directly help in McCaffrey’s case and will result in him returning as the league’s best and most impactful running back. Assuming that Mike Davis is healthy and can hopefully contribute close to the level in which he did with Seattle in 2018, then it is not a hot take to say that the Panthers do indeed have the second-best backfield in the NFL.
How do you feel about the Panthers' backfield being ranked No. 2 in the NFL? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below and discuss it with fellow Panther fans!
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