Carolina Panthers: Injuries poison studs and duds from win over Texans

Carolina Panthers Stud vs. Texans: D.J. Moore, WR

Knowing that the Houston secondary was quite vulnerable and short-handed as well, Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady saw fit to pepper the team’s top wide receiver, D.J. Moore, with passes throughout the game. Moore was targeted 12 times and delivered the goods. He finished the night with eight receptions for 126 yards.

Moore was open virtually every time he ran a route and consistently made plays. In fact, he could’ve had a bigger night if one Sam Darnold pass had been a bit more on-target and if Darnold had seen the fourth-year player wide-open down the sidelines early in the game.

Still, Moore has been quietly establishing himself as one of the best young wide receivers in the NFL and this game did nothing to lessen that.

Carolina Panthers Dud vs. Texans: Offensive Line

While Carolina might not have the best offensive line in the league, they had performed decently through the first two weeks of the season. So as they matched up against a Texans defensive front that, plainly, isn’t scaring much of anyone, most fans figured that the Panthers would be able to deliver solid protection on the night.

That was not the case, however. Darnold saw a ton of pressure throughout the night and, to his credit, he played well in that situation. However, for a quarterback that Carolina is trying to ultimately rehabilitate after a rough tenure with the Jets, problems in the trenches aren’t going to make that journey any easier. Thus, they need to shore that up in a big way.