Christian McCaffrey, Running Back

Christian McCaffrey has proved all year that he is one of the premier running backs in the NFL. He totaled 15 carries for 53 yards, and he also caught eight passes for 67 yards.

But it was what he did in the passing game — yes, you read that right — that really stood out. The Panthers’ only TD on Monday night came when McCaffrey completed a halfback pass to tight end Chris Manhertz on fourth-and-2 from midfield. No one on the Saints’ defense was expecting the Stanford product to pass the ball, but his first NFL pass attempt ultimately went for a 50-yard TD as Manhertz found the end zone for the first time in his professional career.

Here’s a look at the play, which gave the Panthers a 7-0 lead with 4:02 remaining in the opening quarter:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EU2iihoENPE

In addition to being McCaffrey’s first TD pass, the scoring strike was also the first TD pass by a non-QB in Panthers history. Furthermore, it was the first TD pass by any Carolina player since Week 13.

With two weeks remaining, McCaffrey has a chance to finish with 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards. He has 979 yards on the ground this season to go with 94 receptions for 768 yards, putting him in line to perhaps break Steve Smith’s franchise record of 103 catches in a single season.

As I’ve said before, if the Panthers had a better record, McCaffrey might be in the MVP discussion. Instead, his strong season will probably be overlooked by many, which is an absolute shame.

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