Christian McCaffrey, Running Back
Luke Kuechly has been the Panthers’ most consistent performer on defense, but overall, the most consistent performer on the entire squad has probably been second-year running back Christian McCaffrey. On Sunday, he was once again a standout for Carolina.
McCaffrey carried 16 times for 63 yards and two TDs against the Browns. He also had six catches for 38 yards as he continues one of the most spectacular receiving seasons by a running back in the history of the NFL.
With 17 more catches this season, McCaffrey would break Matt Forte’s record of 102 receptions, a mark set in 2014. And given that he’s averaging 6.6 catches per game, that seems likely to happen.
McCaffrey now has 86 catches for 701 yards and six TDs in 2018. Add that to his 179 carries for 926 yards and seven scores, and he has a real chance to become just the third player in league history to finish with 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards (Roger Craig and Marshall Faulk are the others).
His team may be a disappointment, but McCaffrey has been anything but. In fact, if the Panthers were in a better position right now, he might find himself in the MVP discussion. He has simply been that good all season long.
