CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Perhaps you can chalk Sunday's loss up as a learning experience for new Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady, who didn't get the ball to the NFL’s best all-around running back when he faced a fourth-and-1 late in the fourth quarter of the season opener against the Las Vegas Raiders.
It’s not like Christian McCaffrey is a secret, although he appeared to be on more than one occasion in Sunday’s 34-30 loss.
With five minutes left in the third quarter, McCaffrey had only 10 touches and the Carolina offense was floundering, down 27-15.
It wasn’t until Brady went to McCaffrey repeatedly during a 17-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that the offense flourished. He had 11 touches on the drive. After a Raiders punt, the Panthers hit on a long pass play to Robby Anderson on the next drive, and suddenly the Panthers were ahead 30-27 with 8:41 to play.
The Raiders re-took the lead, but with 1:23 remaining and the Panthers needing a foot on fourth down to continue a potential go-ahead drive from the Las Vegas 46, the call went to fullback Alex Armah, who was stopped for no gain.
So why did the carry go to Armah, who had only one yard on one carry previously, instead of McCaffrey, who finished with 96 yards on 23 carries?
“It’s a great question," coach Matt Rhule said. “I’m not second-guessing anyone. That’s a head coach-type thing. To me, that’s something I have to think about walking away from this."
It was a chance for Rhule to make a statement in his first game as an NFL coach. He had a chance to walk away with a victory, to give a young roster and staff the confidence it takes to win.
To his credit, he didn’t throw the blame on the NFL’s youngest offensive coordinator calling his first game on any level. He also didn’t have a great explanation for why the 30-year-old Brady called Armah’s number.
“When you write up who to blame for that, the only person you can blame is the head coach," Rhule said.
Brady might go on to become the genius many predict for him as a playcaller. What he did at LSU last season, helping quarterback Joe Burrow win the Heisman Trophy with 60 touchdown passes, made him a hot commodity.
What will make him a winning coach will be showcasing the ability of star players like McCaffrey.
Brady himself recently said McCaffrey was better than he anticipated and would be the focal point of the offense. But for almost three quarters, McCaffrey felt like an afterthought.
Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater said his communication with Brady went better than he anticipated, and yet even he didn’t have a great reason for why McCaffrey didn’t get the ball on the critical call.
“The more we can limit the what-ifs and just move forward, we’ll have a good football team," he said.
McCaffrey didn’t have a good explanation, either.
"I don't think it matters if I was surprised or not," he said. “It is what it is. Maybe they make an adjustment or don't. All I know is we have to move on."