When Christian McCaffrey was declared out for at least 4-6 weeks due to a high ankle sprain, it seemed extremely unlikely that any Carolina Panthers running back would be able to replicate his All-Pro production.
After all, McCaffrey became just the third player in the long history of the NFL last season to rush and receive for at least 1,000 yards.
Yet, after head coach Matt Rhule and the Panthers coaching staff praised running back Mike Davis all offseason as the perfect backup to McCaffrey, Davis has done everything asked and more in and has helped Carolina win three straight games in the process.
"I think he's running it with tremendous physicality," Rhule said. "He's not getting tackled by the first tackler. I think we found some runs that he feels really comfortable with and I think there's just great second effort, great yards after contact.
"That's the mark of a good back. He’s also doing a good job catching the football, great situational awareness, getting down, not going out of bounds at the end of the game. Mike’s a pro and he's playing like it."
In his three games as the starter, the six-year veteran has totaled 351 yards from scrimmage to go along with three touchdowns.
Prior to this season, he never had back-to-back games with 90-plus scrimmage yards. He's now done it three-straight weeks, including a career-high 149 total yards Sunday at Atlanta.
"I’m just really pissed off when I’m out there, I don’t know how to really explain it," Davis said. "I mean, I want it. I don’t know how to explain it but I love being on this team. I’m not just out there playing for myself, I’m also playing for teammates. So when I’m out there, I’m thinking about the guys and their stories and everything. So I’m not just playing for myself, I’m playing for a team."
That anger shows in how Davis runs and catches the football. He's third in the league in yards after the catch with 236.
On third down with less than a minute before halftime, Davis caught a screen pass from quarterback Teddy Bridgewater at the Panthers 48, ran by two defenders before shifting to run left towards Carolina’s sidelines. He then switched the ball from his right to left hand to protect the ball as three Falcons attempted to tackle him. All this while he pushed his way out of bounds to save the Panthers a timeout.
Rhule was amazed at the different aspects Davis showed on that one play.
"It was elite, physical attributes but also really, really good mental awareness of the situation right before the half," Rhule said.
Rhule listened to offensive coordinator Joe Brady and running backs coach Jeff Nixon this offseason on why Davis was the right guy to be McCaffrey's backup, but the way he fought threw tackles like he did against the Falcons was an aspect Rhule didn’t know Davis possessed because there weren’t any preseason games.
"When we see the physical nature of trying to punish defenders, carrying piles of defenders for an extra yard or two yards, those are the things you don't notice in the moment but they add up over time," Rhule said. "I don't know if I ever saw that, but I'm seeing it now."
Davis currently leads the NFL with 21 broken tackles.
"I know it’s frustrating for the defense, but man, it’s a relief for me when I can just go in and pound guys and run through them and break their will," Davis said. "That’s really what I’m trying to do. I’m really trying to break anybody that’s in my way."
Davis showed flashes of being real good during his time in Seattle, which led him to signing a two-year, $2 million contract with Chicago In 2019. But he didn't receive much playing time and began to be known just as a "power back."
When Bridgewater arrived in Carolina last offseason, he quickly saw that Davis was much more than that.
"You see him running routes and I started talking to him more and more and he was telling me that he was the guy in Seattle doing two-minute situations and saying, 'I was out of the backfield catching balls,' and it clicked," Bridgewater recalled. "He's added a huge spark to this offense and he's matching that tough mentality that we've talked about and putting it on display."
Davis has caught 30-of-33 targets for 216 yards and two touchdowns. That’s 7.2 yards per reception, showing he does much more than just run between the tackles.
Davis also has a 90.9 catch percentage, the highest in the NFL, and is third in the NFL for most receptions by a running back.
Sounds more and more like McCaffrey.
Moreover, McCaffrey has continues to show Davis his support and is one of his biggest fans.
"I don’t think people understand that C-Mac is a team-first guy. He really is," Davis said. "Like, I can go and check my phone after the game and C-Mac will be the first one to send me videos of my best runs and I hear him in the background cheering for me. It’s there, those types of things that I appreciate C-Mac a lot for."
It's still uncertain when McCaffrey will return, but when he does, Davis has at least made a strong case that he should be used more to help limit the wear-and-tear on McCaffrey. The star has been on the field for 92% of the team’s plays over the last two years.
So, when McCaffrey does return, Davis will once again be in a supporting role, and understands and accepts that.
"The same way I have always been taking the approach – take it on as if I were going to be starting in the case that anything happens," he said. "Other than that, I don’t really think too much about – I don’t want to say not playing, I guess. I just try to go out there and do what I do when it’s my turn."
