Numbers don’t lie. Ask Christian McCaffrey.
The 2019 regular season was the year Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey created a legacy and made history. As an avid football viewer, it’s impossible to deny the impact McCaffrey’s versatility has had on the game. It was shocking for me during Super Bowl LIV game week coverage that Max Kellerman on ESPN’s First Take referenced CMC simply as “Saquon Barkley Jr.,” when comparing the two backs. There’s no denying that the New York Giants running back is one of the best in the game, but is Barkley good enough to reject McCaffrey of his own name and to ignore his broken records? Let’s compare.
Barkley is noted as being a complete running back. He was drafted No. 2 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft by the Giants after an impressive career at Penn State. Barkley’s first NFL campaign, he surpassed the 2,000 total yard mark, becoming the third rookie running back to have such a feat. Last season was a different story. A high-ankle sprain would keep Barkley from suiting up in three games. His return was less than exciting following some his worst games in his young career. Barkley had a drought of seven games without gaining 100 yards. Perhaps injury contributed to the disappointing season. Others blamed quarterback play and the lack of offensive rhythm to his poor showing. Eli Manning and Daniel Jones are two different quarterbacks. Manning preferred check-down passes whereas Jones stretches the field more.
Similar to Barkley, McCaffrey was a top running back pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. The Panthers selected him with the No. 8 overall pick. At Stanford, McCaffrey saw success and even broke the NCAA record for all-purpose yards in a season. McCaffrey’s rookie season was far from quiet on the stat sheet, setting him up for a breakout 2018 season. Since his first NFL campaign, McCaffrey has broken numerous league and franchise records, including becoming the third member of the 1,000-1,000 club in 2019. What makes McCaffrey’s record season in 2019 more impressive is that he did it without star quarterback Cam Newton. In fact, McCaffrey saw three different quarterbacks in one season and still managed to make history.
Size wise, Barkley has the slight advantage. Barkley back is 6 feet tall and weighs 233 pounds, whereas McCaffrey sits at 5 feet 11 inches and 202 pounds, Barkley’s speed is also tough to match. Both running backs have gotten nods at the Pro Bowl (although McCaffrey declined his invitation).
Comparing both backs’ 2019 season in terms of receiving and rushing yards is a bit skewed due to the three games Barkley missed with injury. On average last season, Barkley saw 4.2 true yards per carry while McCaffrey averaged 4.4. On yards per touch, Barkley averaged 5.4 and McCaffrey averaged 5.9. Since his rookie season, McCaffrey has more than tripled his rushing yards in a season and has nearly doubled his receiving yards. Between Barkley’s rookie and second pro season, his numbers significantly dropped.
Both the Giants and Panthers had quarterback issues in the regular season. The key difference? McCaffrey didn’t slow down despite who was behind center. McCaffrey commanded a majority of snaps, gathering 98.4 percent of the team’s snap shares. Barkley on the other hand saw 88.1 percent of the snap shares. McCaffrey had a whopping 66 red zone touches versus Barkley’s 35.
Barkley may have the speed but McCaffrey has the versatility. McCaffrey is just as much of a threat at catching as he is rushing. McCaffrey not only torched the other running backs at targets through the air (catching 116 of his 142 targets), but he also had the eighth-most in the league. His 116 receptions marked the second most in the NFL. McCaffrey also dominated at first down conversions, leading the NFL with 115.
There’s no denying Barkley is one of the best running backs to come through in recent years. But the comparison to McCaffrey when talking numbers and reliability is unmatched. Although Barkley is closer to being the back he was in his rookie campaign versus last season, McCaffrey’s ceiling continues to rise.
