From the continued ineptitude at tackling, to abysmal punt return coverage, to whatever the hell Vernon Butler was thinking, Week 16 revealed some early signs of quitting from the run-down Carolina Panthers. One man that hasn’t checked out, however, is running back Christian McCaffrey.
On a Sunday that rhymed with the six that preceded it, McCaffrey showed out once again and continued to etch his name into NFL history. So, instead of leading off with the same black cloud that’s hovered over this team the last seven weeks, let’s send you into the holiday season by talking about the only player who has consistently brought joy to Carolina in 2019.
McCaffrey tallied a franchise-high 15 receptions (for a game-high 119 yards) against the host Indianapolis Colts, breaking the previous mark (14) held by Steve Smith. This is now the second record of note McCaffrey has surpassed the organization’s all-time leading receiver in, the first coming last season with his 107 catches.
That year-old honor went by the wayside as well, as McCaffrey pushed his season reception total to 109. In addition, he’s the only running back in league history to amass at least 100 catches in two years.
The 2019 Offensive Player of the Year candidate now heads into the final week of the campaign with 933 receiving yards, 67 short of a season with 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards. Marshall Faulk (1999) and Roger Craig (1985) are the only two players to have ever accomplished that feat.
As for the game, this 38-16 loss was pretty much a wash, rinse and repeat of the last two months.
The offense was led by another underwhelming performance at the quarterback position, this time with Will Grier making his pro debut. In a frank summation of his day, the biggest throw of the contest came in the form of a 12-yard completion to receiver DeAndrew White on a 4th & 10 late in the third quarter. That throw, though, came out of the left hand of Michael Palardy on a fake punt.
Grier’s performance had all the makings of a rookie trying to make too much happen because he was thrust into a tough situation. He appeared less than calm throughout, missing his targets downfield on erratic throws while trying to survive behind an unreliable offensive line.
To his credit, Grier did show the ability to extend plays and hit his safety valve in McCaffrey when needed. But, as expected, he just isn’t ready to win games at this level as of yet.
Carolina’s run defense, ranked No. 30 coming into Sunday, was a familiar point of pain. Indianapolis pounded the rock 32 times for 218 yards, averaging a hefty 6.8 yards per carry. Their three rushing touchdowns pushed the Panthers into a team record of their own as well, helping them surpass the 2008 Detroit Lions (yes, the 0-16 ones) for the most rushing scores allowed in a season.
The special teams unit, easily the strongest of the three phases for the team this year, wasn’t exempt from the embarrassment. In fact, they were probably the worst of it save for Palardy’s throw.
Colts punt returner Nyheim Hines took two punts back to the house. His 84-yard dash gave Indianapolis their second of five touchdowns and a 14-0 lead seven minutes into the game. Later, his encore came with about seven minutes left, going for 71 yards, another score and bringing his total punt return yardage to 195.
The Panthers will look to close out this lost season on a high note next week when they host the New Orleans Saints. And by “high note,” we mean get McCaffrey his 1,000 receiving yards and get out of Dodge without anymore significant injuries.
[lawrence-related id=616026,616031]
[vertical-gallery id=616060]