What does Norv Turner expect in Year Two?

[Sir Purr]

The Dynamic Trio


Christian McCaffrey, DJ Moore and Curtis Samuel. Just saying the names gets people excited – and for good reason after what we saw last year.


McCaffrey emerged as one of the best running backs in the league, rushing for 1,098 yards to go along with 107 catches for 867 yards.


“People are going to put more emphasis on slowing Christian down, and if they do, that should open up opportunities for others,” Turner said. “We have a very multiple offense. I think Christian will have great production and he’ll get his, but he’ll also give us an opportunity to spread it around.”


Spread it around to playmakers like Moore and Samuel. Both are primed for big-time production in 2019.


“DJ, to me, had a typical rookie year. There were ups and downs, and then the second half I thought it was real strong,” Turner said. “I’m really proud of what Curtis did. His training camp was rough. The injuries slowed him. He didn’t get up to real good conditioning until the last third of preseason practices. He fought through some difficulty, and sometimes when you do that, it makes things a little bit better. You appreciate it a little more.”


Going forward, one of the big questions people have about Moore and Samuel is what position they’ll operate out of.


Moore had great success in the slot, posting 26 catches on 30 targets for 313 yards, resulting in a 121.2 QB rating. Samuel was at his best on the outside, posting 31 catches on 48 targets for 398 yards and five touchdowns, resulting in a 125.2 QB rating.


Moore racked up 471 yards when he was lined up outside, with 28 catches coming on 50 targets (67.9 QB rating). Samuel had just eight catches on 16 targets from the slot. (h/t to @JodySmithNFL with the info).


Turner has seen the stats. He knows it has generated conversation. Here’s his take:


“Our system has always been about moving people around and they’re always going to move around,” Turner said. “I see all these different stats about this guy in this spot or that spot – there is not a large enough sample size to make judgements.


“I always tell the players, the more things they do well, the more opportunities they’ll have to contribute.”