Yesterday, we shared a stat from ESPN about Carolina’s average rushing yards before contact. The Panthers are currently No. 5 in the league in that category, a credit to the offensive line.
The team is also excelling after contact, as it turns out. NFL Matchup on ESPN says Carolina is fourth in the league in rushing yards after contact (1.96). Only the Jaguars, Texans and Titans are averaging more.
This time it is all about Christian McCaffrey.
While No. 22 has always been able to make people miss with his agility, this year he seems to have increased his functional strength. Now he’s also able to run through contact more than in the past. This has enabled him to turn big runs into huge, game-breaking kind of plays. McCaffrey has already scored on runs of 76 and 84 yards, a new team record.
11 more games of this and McCaffrey will have a strong claim to win league MVP, assuming the Panthers win enough of them to make the playoffs.
