5 huge positives from Carolina Panthers dominant Week 7 win vs. Bucs
By Luke Gray
Carolina Panthers finally got D.J. Moore involved
With talks of a Carolina Panthers fire sale rife, it’s no surprise that D.J. Moore’s name was one garnering interest. The former Maryland star was coming off three straight seasons of more than 1,100 receiving yards but struggled to find any rhythm with 2022 starter Baker Mayfield.
Given Moore’s struggles, it was no surprise to see the vulture swoop and test the waters for a potential trade. Scott Fitterer called the wideout one of the building blocks of the franchise and his performance on Sunday showed why he is such an asset to this team.
Moore brought in seven of his 10 targets for 69 receiving yards and his second touchdown of the season. Benefitting significantly from an aggressive approach from offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo.
With the Panthers certainly having a new head coach and more than likely a new quarterback heading into 2023, starting a rookie with a legitimate wide receiver will be key to the young signal caller’s success. In the game where P.J. Walker threw 22 passes, 10 of them to Moore, underlying the trust between the pair.
Moving forward without Christian McCaffrey, Moore is the face of the offense. If the Panthers want to build on the offensive success they had in Week 7, it’s imperative that McAdoo gets the ball into his hands on a regular basis.