C.J. Anderson could have a career year in a Panthers uniform in 2018. For those who think running back Christian McCaffrey will dominate the touches in Carolina, I say hold on just a minute.
The platoon is no new concept in the NFL and Norv Turner likes to control the ball. Turner’s preferred offense fits Anderson’s game. Check out this highlight video.
While McCaffrey may be quicker and have more top end speed, Anderson is a master of the cut back. He’s not going to break many runs over 30 yards but he is also very hard to bring down behind the line of scrimmage. He also has the proverbial ‘non-stop motor’ while also loving to lower his head to finish a run.
Even with McCaffrey in a platoon, Anderson could see 15-plus touches a game, which is all he needed last season to finish with 1,007 yards. He could easily top his career high for recpetions out of the backfield (34) and receiving yards (324). You have to remember McCaffrey was more effective catching the ball than running it last season. He caught 80 balls as a rookie as compared to only 117 rushing attempts. I don’t see Norv Turner’s offense cutting into those numbers. So don’t think I’m down on CMC for a second.
Instead, I see the added touches coming from Cam Newton’s pile of runs. At a time when we thought the Panthers were going to reduce Newton’s rushing to limit the hits on the franchise quarterback, he had a career high 139 rushing attempts. No way Turner’s offense will call or allow that many rushes. Besides, I think Turner will have more confidence in his running back tandem to convert that third down.
Expect to see formations where both McCaffrey and Anderson are on the field. Plenty of options in that scenario. Anderson as a quick hitter between the tackles...or a pitch to McCaffrey outside...or play action to either one and then a pass to one or the other in the flat. It’s going to be hard to defend.
I leave you with a C.J. Anderson ‘tribute’ video, produced by an unhappy Broncos fan is my guess. You might want to close your eyes for about 15 seconds around the 1:10 mark as it shows the score in Super Bowl 50. Hey, maybe he will score another winning touchdown in the Super Bowl wearing a Panthers uniform this time.