10 quick thoughts from the Panthers win vs. Buccaneers in Week 7
By Dean Jones
What were some quick thoughts to take from the Carolina Panthers’ win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 7 at Bank of America Stadium?
After another week of big changes across the Carolina Panthers, they were heavy underdogs for their Week 7 clash against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Talk of tanking was dismissed by general manager Scott Fitterer during his media availability after trading Christian McCaffrey, but it’s clear those in power are looking ahead rather than banking on success coming in 2022.
That won’t matter much to interim head coach Steve Wilks and his players. Everyone is fighting for their futures with a new regime set to enter the fold next year, so whatever positive impression can be left over the remaining games will do their chances a significant amount of good.
The Buccaneers haven’t been in the best form under new head coach Todd Bowles. As it turned out, Carolina was able to dig deep and secure a comfortable victory to put them within one game of first in the NFC South.
With this in mind, here are ten quick thoughts from Carolina’s win versus the Buccaneers in Week 7.
Quick Thought No. 1
Carolina Panthers finally got D.J. Moore going
With Robbie Anderson and Christian McCaffrey traded this week, the Carolina Panthers needed to get D.J. Moore going in the worst possible way. The wide receiver’s been underutilized this season so far, but that all changed in Week 7 during his best performance of the campaign.
Moore was targeted 10 times, bringing in seven receptions for 69 receiving yards. There was also a notable touchdown from a P.J. Walker laser to put Carolina ahead heading into the break.
This was a step in the right direction for Moore. If the Panthers want to salvage anything from 2022, they’ll need the former first-round selection to build on this showing.