Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey looks good in his first game back from injury
As well as Mike Davis has played in the past six games, the Panthers needed Christian McCaffrey.
McCaffrey, who missed the past six weeks with a high ankle sprain, played in his first game Sunday since suffering the injury in Week 2 against the Tampa Bay Bucs.
The Panthers used McCaffrey early and often.
He had 48 yards rushing, 43 yards receiving and a touchdown in the first half. He finished with 69 yards rushing, and 10 catches for 82 yards and two touchdowns.
McCaffrey’s first touchdown came on fourth-and-3 from the Kansas City 9-yard line, on the Panthers’ first drive. The Panthers ran a play-action fake, and Teddy Bridgewater found a wide open McCaffrey. McCaffrey caught it, and ran to the end zone untouched.
McCaffrey also had a 1-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter, his sixth touchdown of the season.
The biggest question heading into Sunday’s game was how McCaffrey would be utilized Sunday, given how well Davis had played in his absence.
But the Panthers are using McCaffrey often, while still giving Davis and wide receiver Curtis Samuel opportunities out of the backfield. The Panthers went to McCaffrey on the first two plays of the game. Davis came in on the next two plays. He had a catch for 12 yards, and a huge block on the Panthers’ second drive, which led to a 14-yard touchdown for Samuel on a shovel pass.
Samuel finished with 13 yards rushing and a career-high 105 yards receiving.
This story was originally published November 8, 2020 at 2:35 PM with the headline "Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey looks good in his first game back from injury."
