I want to introduce the Blitz Sports Media readers to Extra Points, a semi-regular write-up of thoughts regarding all things NFL. I began Extra Points earlier this season and have decided to start sharing it among our BSM content.
Extra Points will be a collection of random thoughts regarding topical discussion, games, and just all-around NFL banter. If you like what you read, check out the links to some of my previous Extra Points posts at the bottom of the page.
Bryce Young’s Resurgence
At a certain point earlier this season, Bryce Young was benched. As the #1 overall pick just a year ago and on a team that clearly was going nowhere from the start – this still came as a surprise. His play was awful, the locker room was seemingly lost and it appeared it would be another one-and-done season for the latest Panthers Head Coach, Dave Canales.
Did anyone actually believe the benching would do any good? We’ve seen this countless times where the young QB is benched, started, benched again, and eventually moved on from permanently. Not often do they actually return to the lineup improved.
| Stat | Before Benching | After Benching |
| W-L Record | 0-2 | 2-3 |
| Passing YPG | 122.5 | 216.4 |
| TDs | 0 | 6 |
| INTs | 3 | 3 |
| Completion % | 55.3% | 60.3% |
Stats from Pro-Football-Reference
Now, Bryce Young and the Panthers are not setting the world on fire. This is still a bad football team and they have a long way to go to be competitive, but there is finally some hope. Carolina’s two wins are against bad football teams (N.O. & NYG), but in the last two weeks they have stood toe to toe with the Chiefs and Buccaneers, losing each by just 3 points.
The team seems to rally around Young, who amidst talks of being a bust, a benching, and even trade rumors – has not blinked. Nor has Head Coach Dave Canales, who appears to have won himself another year on the job, which is an accomplishment in itself with the unpredictable owner David Tepper calling the shots.
49ers Shut McCaffrey Down Too Late
I hypothesized that the San Francisco 49ers may shut down Christian McCaffrey given his injury-riddled season and their fading playoff hopes..
Well, the underwhelming NFC West kept the 49ers’ playoff hopes alive, but all was lost on a snowy night in Buffalo. Christian McCaffrey was hurt and placed on IR, which should essentially end his season.
When there’s still a fighting chance, I understand playing him. He’s the best player on the team and the best back in the NFL. What if the injury was much more serious? A blown-out ACL or even worse, an Achilles? It would absolutely affect the 49ers in the beginning of 2025.
I’m not lobbying for sitting healthy players, but I’m surprised it doesn’t happen more often. Most are competitors and want to play no matter the circumstances, but big business can get in the way of that. College football for example – how many “competitive” star players sit out of bowl games to reduce risking injury and draft status?
With ever-growing guaranteed contracts and injury clauses in the NFL, I wouldn’t be surprised to see it become more frequent in the coming years.
The Bell-cow RB is Back (and they’re winning)
The value of the running back in the NFL has been in steady decline for years. General Managers and coaches have opted to spend their salary cap elsewhere by transitioning to RB by committee or simply not awarding good running backs second contracts after their rookie deals expire.
There will always be a place and need for running the football in the NFL. Every coach and GM will say it, but not nearly as many believe in it. Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, and Derrick Henry were all sent packing by the teams that drafted them with little or no negotiation whatsoever.
There were still a few teams who valued a bell-cow running back. The Eagles, Packers, and Ravens saw the value of a strong running game and weren’t afraid to make big moves to secure some of the best backs in the NFL.
Barkley, Henry, and Jacobs are the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd leading rushers in the NFL this season. Barkley is on pace for 2,123 yards which would break the 40-year-old all-time rushing record set by Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson in 1984.
| Player | Attempts | Yards | TDs |
| Saquon Barkley | 246 | 1,499 | 11 |
| Derrick Henry | 240 | 1,407 | 13 |
| Josh Jacobs | 221 | 987 | 8 |
The Eagles, Ravens, and Packers enjoy a combined 27-10 record behind their dominant rushing attacks. The teams that let these talented backs walk? A combined record of 7-29. I’d say the bell-cow running back still carries plenty of value.
Click the links below to read Extra Points articles from earlier this football season.
- Extra Points 11/11 – NFL Europe is Back, The Cardinals Are Good, Historic Franchises Relocating
- Extra Points 11/5 – Look Out for the Chargers, Lions are the Best, Derrick Henry is an All-Time FA Signing
- Extra Points 10/29 – Morale Wins Games, We’re Over the Jets, Ball Finally Bouncing Commanders Way
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