Christian McCaffrey will have an even bigger role in the Panthers' offense this season.
McCaffrey Eric Weddle Jersey , the team's first-round draft pick in 2017, carried the ball 117 times for 435 yards and established a franchise rookie record with 80 receptions. He finished the season with seven touchdowns.
While McCaffrey led the Panthers in receptions, he'll be counted on to carry the ball more after the team parted ways with its all-time leading rusher Jonathan Stewart. Panthers two-time NFL Coach of the Year Ron Rivera believes McCaffrey is up to the task, saying he can be a running back who carries the ball 200 times this season.
McCaffrey's durability has been questioned at times because his body build is more akin to a scat back than a power back.
He averaged just 3.7 yards per carry in 2017.
"Yeah, why not?" Rivera said of the prospect of a 200-carry season. "Everybody forgets that when he was (at Stanford) he carried the ball between the tackles more than anybody and touched the ball more than anybody. I don't see why not."
McCaffrey is all for it.
"Obviously anybody on the team wants the ball as much as possible," McCaffrey said. "That is football. You should want to compete. But we are here to win football games, so whatever that means and whatever that takes we're going to do."
McCaffrey, the son of three-time Super Bowl champion wide receiver Ed McCaffrey, likes what he's seen so far from new offensive coordinator Norv Turner, who has taken over for Mike Shula.
He feels "a lot more comfortable" in his second year with the Panthers Alex Mack Jersey , even though he's learning a new offensive scheme. But he wouldn't discuss what will be different about his workload this year or in what different ways he will be used under Turner for competitive reasons.
"However they want to use me, that is where I will be," McCaffrey said. "I think we have a lot of great talent and a lot of different weapons."
He won't be carrying the entire load in the backfield, of course.
The Panthers added depth at running back signing 2017 1,000-yard rusher C.J. Anderson, who played in Denver and helped the Broncos beat Carolina in the Super Bowl in 2015. Carolina is also expecting some added help from Cameron Artis-Payne and Kenjon Barner.
And don't forget, it was quarterback Cam Newton who led the team with 754 yards rushing and six touchdowns last season.
The 21-year-old McCaffrey enters the season with a new perspective after a "traumatic experience" earlier this summer.
McCaffrey, his brothers and some friends were in Colorado when they saw an elderly man fall off a cliff while hiking with his 13-year-old grandson. McCaffrey called 911 and one of his friends administered chest compressions.
McCaffrey said paramedics arrived at the scene in about 11 minutes. The 72-year-old Dan Smoker Sr. survived the fall and McCaffrey has developed a friendship with him and his family. He even plans to invite the Smokers to a Panthers home game this season.
"When you see something like that, you have a better appreciation for life and take every moment in," McCaffrey said. "We had a decompression moment after that. You look at life and realize it can be gone in any split second." A pair of two-homer performances. A bases-loaded triple Justin Hardy Jersey , followed by another triple. So many unusual things went into Chicago’s biggest comeback of the season that even the White Sox had trouble keeping track.
No matter. They’ll take it.
Daniel Palka and Avisail Garcia each homered twice, and Yoan Moncada tripled with the bases loaded in the 12th inning as the White Sox pulled off their biggest comeback and beat the Cincinnati Reds 12-8 on Tuesday night.
”Well, a lot going on today,” manager Rick Renteria said.
It was a night of non-stop offense, right from the outset.
Trailing 7-2 after five innings, the White Sox pulled even in the ninth on Garcia’s solo homer off Raisel Iglesias, then pulled it out with the help of a couple of Reds errors.
”That last inning was tough,” said Reds second baseman Scooter Gennett, whose error opened the way.
The White Sox loaded the bases with a walk and two errors. Moncada’s opposite-field triple off Jackson Stephens (2-1) broke the tie, and Yolmer Sanchez followed with another triple.
Hector Santiago (3-3) fanned six in two innings as the White Sox extended their domination in the interleague series. They’re 17-5 all-time against the Reds Nick Vannett Jersey , including 11-3 in Cincinnati.
”Surreal,” said Chicago starter Lucas Giolito, who gave up three homers but wound up on the winning side. ”From my perspective, I didn’t get the job done. It’s an awesome feeling that these guys play hard behind you.”
Jim Riggleman was ejected by plate umpire Eric Cooper during Chicago’s winning rally, his first ejection as the Reds’ interim manager. They had words as Riggleman was signaling from the dugout for an intentional walk.
”Then he made some comment that I didn’t like,” Riggleman said. ”That’s kind of how the whole game went.”
The Reds got the better of a free-swinging game early on, surging ahead 4-0 before Giolito could record an out. Jose Peraza opened with a triple, Gennett hit his 14th homer , Joey Votto walked, and Eugenio Suarez followed with his 17th homer . Suarez performed a salsa dance with Votto after he crossed the plate.
Adam Duvall added a three-run shot into the upper deck in left field in the fifth inning off Giolito for a 7-2 lead Harrison Butker Jersey , the second time in his career that the right-hander has allowed three homers in a game.
Anthony DeSclafani also gave up a career-high three homers – two by Palka and one by Garcia, who went 3 for 6 and extended his hitting streak to a career-high 13 games.
INTERLEAGUE
The White Sox are 4-10 in interleague play this season. The Reds are 7-2. The loss snapped their streak of six straight wins against the AL.
LONG TIME COMING
The last time the White Sox and Reds played an extra-inning game was Game 6 of the ”Black Sox” World Series in 1919. Chicago won that game 5-4 in 10 innings at Crosley Field.
HOMECOMING
Giolito started the Futures Game as part of the All-Star festivities at Great American Ball Park in 2015 and pitched two scoreless innings .
SLOPPY, SLOPPY
The Reds committed a season-high four errors – two by Suarez at third, one by Peraza at shortstop and one by Gennett at second base.
ROBBED … SORT OF
Sanchez’s triple in the 12th came on a weird play. Right fielder Brandon Dixon stretched above the wall and grabbed the fly ball – robbing Sanchez of a homer – but the glove flipped off his hand as he hit the wall and the ball deflected back onto the field.
TRAINER’S ROOM
White Sox: Jose Abreu was out of the lineup a day after he fouled a pitch off his left ankle. X-rays were negative. Abreu pinch hit in the 11th inning and grounded out.
Reds: Homer Bailey threw 103 pitches in 6 2/3 innings of a rehab appearance for Triple-A Louisville on Tuesday night, giving up one run and seven hits while fanning eight. Bailey has been sidelined since June 2 by a sore right knee.
UP NEXT
White Sox: Dylan Covey (3-3) is 0-1 with a 12.71 ERA in his last three starts, walking 12 in 11 1/3 innings and giving up 16 runs.
Reds: Sal Romano (4-8) went 1-2 with a 3.90 ERA in five June starts. He’s been limited to five innings in four of his last six starts.
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17.09.2018 09:32
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