One of the main storylines for the Carolina Panthers heading into their Week 1 opener against the Cleveland Browns centers on just how many snaps will Christian McCaffrey receive on offense in the contest.
Overall, not much went McCaffrey’s way over the past two seasons, as multiple nagging injuries sidelined him from a multitude of crucial games. There was an early concern that he would go on to be ruled out for the home clash with the Browns due to his shin ailment, but he ended up being a full participant in practice on both Thursday and Friday.
McCaffrey’s first task of the year will be to make the most out of his snaps against the Myles Garrett-led Browns front seven. From the Browns’ standpoint, they are wary of his all-around prowess as a running back.
For one, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski is a fan of McCaffrey — a player who he sees is quite a versatile offensive talent.
“He can do it all,” Stefanski said during a press conference ahead of the Browns’ road contest against the Panthers. “He is so versatile. He can run downhill. He can run in the perimeter. He can catch the ball out of the backfield. You can line him up at wide receiver.
“There is really not much he can’t do. He is just a really, really good football player.”
It remains to be seen on just how much of McCaffrey’s versatile skill set that Panthers offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo plans to exploit in Week 1.
In the big picture, the Panthers aim to open up the campaign with a 1-0 record for the second consecutive year.
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