After going four starts without a touchdown, Carolina Panthers wide receiver D.J. Moore exploded on the scene Sunday, tallying 93 receiving yards and scoring his first touchdown of the year in Carolina’s 23-16 victory over the Atlanta Falcons.
Moore’s offensive explosion comes on the heels of a rough week four, in which the Philadelphia native only recorded 49 yards on only four receptions. The former Maryland standout took advantage of his opportunities this past Sunday, nearly doubling his total yardage and adding a touchdown on just four receptions.
The bulk of Moore’s offensive output came on an explosive 57-yard touchdown reception towards the end of the first half, giving the Panthers a lead they would not give up for the remainder of the game.
Moore been in in his bag, respect @idjmoore | #KeepPounding pic.twitter.com/6UFsWLdoPm
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) October 11, 2020
The 57-yard touchdown also marks the longest gain in a reception for Moore since his rookie campaign back in 2018.
It seems that Moore hasn’t lost a step since his days in College Park, as the Carolina Panthers pointed out the next day. His run through the tunnel offered a great parallel to “Forrest Gump.”
ʀᴜɴ, ᴅᴊ, ʀᴜɴ pic.twitter.com/f7y9ZRjKwY
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) October 13, 2020
In addition to his quickness, Moore’s ability to efficiently produce offense could be a sign of dangerous things to come from the third year wideout. In Sunday’s game Moore was targeted just five times, while teammates Mike Davis and Robby Anderson were targeted 10 times and 15 times, respectively.
With the Panthers’ next matchup being against the Bears on October 18, it will be interesting to see how D.J. Moore fares against a tough Chicago secondary featuring Kyle Fuller and Eddie Jackson.
Other Performers
- The Buffalo Bills faced the Tennessee Titans on Tuesday, after the game was postponed following a COVID-19 outbreak within the Titans organization, however Buffalo wide receiver Stefon Diggs didn’t seemed too bothered by the delay come game time. The Maryland alum reeled in 106 receiving yards off of 10 receptions in Tuesday’s 42-16 loss against the Tennessee Titans. Following his third 100+ yard game of the season, Diggs now has 509 total receiving yards, trailing only DeAndre Hopkins (528) of the Arizona Cardinals for the league lead.
- Minnesota Vikings defensive end Yannick Ngakoue’s sole tackle in the Sunday night 27-26 loss to the Seattle Seahawks came in the form of a sack on quarterback Russell Wilson. Following this week’s performance, Ngakoue is tied for the third-most sacks in the league with five, and has now recorded a sack in four consecutive starts.
- Pittsburgh Steelers running back Anthony McFarland Jr. recorded just six yards on three carries in the win over the Philadelphia Eagles. Pittsburgh defensive back and fellow Maryland alum Sean Davis didn’t fare much better in the game, failing to record any stats.
- Despite the team’s defensive woes, Bills defensive lineman Quinton Jefferson had a solid outing in Tuesday’s contest against the Tennessee Titan’s, recording two solo tackles and one assist off the bench.
- New York Jets running back Ty Johnson’s debut with the team delayed yet again, as he was declared inactive before Sunday’s game. But, the team announced the release of running back Le’Veon Bell on Tuesday night, possibly opening the door to more opportunities for the second-year back.
- Chicago Bears linebacker Josh Wood and Carolina Panthers linebacker Jermaine Carter Jr. both failed to record any stats during their respective games.
- JC Jackson, Byron Cowart and Darnell Savage Jr. did not play due to the New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers observing their bye weeks.