4 Panthers that must step up in NFC South title showdown at Bucs

D.J. Moore – Carolina Panthers WR

I just said that the superstar of the defense has to come through and that is no different for a suddenly potent Carolina Panthers offense. D.J. Moore is that guy.

Moore is the last star standing from what was once a stacked offensive group at the skill positions. This has shown at points, with Steve Wilks moving to a run-first mentality something else that’s impacted the former first-round pick out of Maryland.

I’ve spoken at length about the need for a running mate alongside the No. 1 wideout and it seems to have finally come with the emergence of Terrace Marshall Jr. But with that said, that alone is not enough.

If the Panthers want to win this game, they have to balance out the rush with a passing attack to keep the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on their toes. As I already stated when speaking on Sam Darnold, the other half of that equation is Moore.

Moore has to step up and take over this game, give Darnold someone a reliable target without having to force it into dangerous windows. The wide receiver is more than capable of doing just that, with his outstanding contribution in Week 16 another big step in the right direction.

With both starting cornerbacks getting banged up this weekend, it could very well be the perfect opportunity for Moore to remind the league just how elite he can be. Even if this season hasn’t gone exactly the way that the young receiver anticipated.

But that’s just it, the rest of the season doesn’t matter.

All that counts is the here and now.

Moore has to be the superstar we all know he can be. If the player can produce the goods paired with Carolina’s rushing attack, it could be just what the doctor ordered.

Who knows, it might even be enough for one of the most shocking division winners in NFL history.