Carolina Panthers: Can Sam Darnold Keep the Panthers Rolling Without McCaffrey?

It looked grim for a little bit on Thursday night for the now 3-0 Carolina Panthers. Christian McCaffrey left early with a hamstring injury and Carolina failed to convert a fourth down inside the 10, and only had a 7-6 lead at halftime against the lowly Texans. 

However, quarterback Sam Darnold settled in in the second half, finishing the night with 304 passing yards and two rushing touchdowns. 

The Panthers are undefeated, taking advantage of a soft schedule, but didn’t leave the Lone Star State without some battle wounds. First round pick Jaycee Horn reportedly broke his foot on Thursday in addition to CMC’s hamstring injury. 

Can Darnold lead the Panthers to the postseason after the hot start even without McCaffrey? I think so, with a few things trending in their direction.

Schedule

The Panthers took care of business against two bottom feeders in the Jets and Texans, but also got a home underdog win against the Saints. The schedule remains favorable for the foreseeable future.

The team travels to Dallas to take on the Cowboys, who are coming off a short week, before taking on the Eagles at home. If Carolina can even split those two, they are looking at a 4-1 start with two games on tap against the Falcons, the Giants, among other middling opponents like the Dolphins and Football Team. 

The end of the season schedule is very difficult with their final four games going: at Buffalo, Tampa Bay, at New Orleans, and at Tampa Bay, but there is a case to be made that Carolina is at 9-5 before that final stretch. Not to mention, the Bucs may be resting starters in that final game. 

Defense

Darnold is going to need to make plays to keep the offense afloat, but this has been a dominant defense that is young and improving.

While the loss of the rookie Horn is a brutal blow, there are still playmakers all over, including Brian Burns and Jeremy Chinn. Burns has three sacks through as many games as the anchor for the Panthers pass rush. 

The defense has allowed a total of 30 points this season, and now gets 10 days to prepare for a Dallas offense that is one of the most explosive in the league. 

No more New York

Darnold may not be elite, but it's clear that offensive coordinator Joe Brady knows how to put him in situations to succeed and get the ball to playmakers like D.J. Moore (8 receptions, 126 yards on Thursday).

The offensive line is a bit concerning, but Darnold has shown flashes and I love Brady's offense. This Panthers team is trending up and can lean on an elite defense and a soft schedule to keep them afloat until McCaffrey gets back on the field.

Think the Panthers can make a run without Christian McCaffrey? Make your pick now on WynnBET!