Carolina Panthers: 3 Standouts vs. Buccaneers in Week 2
3. WR D.J. Moore
He would prove to be Cam Newton’s favorite target on Thursday night against the Buccaneers. After putting up decent numbers in the Week 1 home loss to the Los Angeles Rams, second-year wide receiver D.J. Moore saw 14 passes thrown his way vs. Tampa Bay, more than any other player on the field.
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Moore finished with a game-high nine receptions, good for 89 yards albeit no touchdowns. In fact, the Panthers never found the end zone in the 20-14 loss to the Bucs.
Of course, it wasn’t exactly a banner evening for Moore’s teammate. With 8:31 remaining in the first quarter, this game was suspended due the weather. Prior to that, Newton had completed all four of his passes and McCaffrey touched the ball five times in the team’s nine plays.
But by evening’s end, the ninth-year signal-caller hit on less than 50 percent of his passes (24-of-50), was sacked three times and lost a fumble. It’s also worth noting that half of Moore’s targets (7) came in the final 15 minutes to play.
As a rookie, Moore finished second on the team with 55 receptions, good for 788 yards and two scores. After two games, he leads the club with 16 grabs, good for 165 yards, albeit without a touchdown. He’s off to a solid start in 2019 despite the club’s winless start.