The Carolina Panthers make their plans for a rebuild very obvious when they decided to trade Christian McCaffrey to the 49ers.
Carolina got a nice haul of draft picks back for the former all-pro, and the Panthers have even been competitive.
With a record of 2-6, the Panthers sit only two games out of first place in the NFC South.
One big reason for the success of the Panthers has been their run game.
Since trading McCaffrey before Week 7, the Panthers have been dominant on the ground the last two games.
They are averaging 171 rushing yards per game, and even pulled off an upset victory over the Buccaneers.
The lead back for the Panthers has been D’onta Foreman.
Foreman has 118 yards rushing in the last two weeks, and has scored three touchdowns.
It will be interesting to see if the Panthers can keep up their quality play post the trade deadline.
Playoff Bound?
The NFC South is one of the worst divisions in football this season.
The leader in the division is the Atlanta Falcons at 4-4.
While the Bucs and Saints are 3-5.
Carolina has the least talented roster in the division, yet head coach Matt Rhule has them playing well.
But, quarterback P.J Walker and the aforementioned run game of Foreman have brought a spark to the offense.
It would be a shock if the Panthers are a playoff team at the season’s end.
In Week 9, Carolina has a tough test against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The reigning AFC champion is a heavy favorite in this game.
If the Panthers can pull off another upset this week, maybe they will be able to compete for a playoff berth all season.
More must-reads: