Tag: D.j. moore

Panthers rule out D.J. Moore, Shaq Thompson for Week 17 vs. Saints

The New Orleans Saints will face the Carolina Panthers in Week 17 without top wide receiver D.J. Moore or starting linebacker Shaq Thompson.

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The Carolina Panthers preemptively ruled out two players ahead of their Week 17 regular season finale against the New Orleans Saints: wide receiver D.J. Moore and linebacker Shaq Thompson. Additionally, Panthers cornerback Corn Elder and linebacker/defensive end Marquis Haynes are questionable to play. Elder is battling an illness, while Haynes is dealing with a knee injury. This injury news was first reported by the Charlotte Observer’s Alaina Getzenberg.

Moore, who has been sidelined by a concussion, is an especially significant loss considering the success he had against the Saints in their last meeting. He caught six passes to gain 126 receiving yards, including two long touchdown catches, feasting against a New Orleans secondary that was overmatched without top cornerback Marshon Lattimore. Though Lattimore is back in the saddle and playing well, Moore would have expected to run against the same cornerback he fried last time (P.J. Williams, likely starting in place of Eli Apple).

Thompson is another big loss. He signed a four-year, $54.2 million contract extension (with bonuses raising its value to as high as $57 million) just three weeks ago, but he won’t be able to play against the Saints after sustaining late-season foot and shoulder injuries. Without him in the lineup, things could project well for Saints running back Alvin Kamara to continue building on the momentum he gained in last week’s big win over the Tennessee Titans — Kamara finally looked like his old self, running for 80 yards (and scoring twice) while catching six of his seven targets for 30 yards through the air.

We’ll learn more when the Saints and Panthers release their final injury report later on Friday. For now, it looks like the Saints are getting healthier, while the Panthers are getting close to throwing in the towel.

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Panthers injury updates: D.J. Moore, Shaq Thompson ruled out Week 17

According to team reporter Max Henson, wide receiver D.J. Moore and linebacker Shaq Thompson have both been ruled out this week.

In addition to being 12.5-point underdogs, the Panthers will be playing without two key pieces on Sunday against the Saints. According to team reporter Max Henson, wide receiver D.J. Moore and linebacker Shaq Thompson have both been ruled out this week. Thompson has been dealing with an ankle injury since the Seattle game but he also underwent shoulder surgery yesterday.

2018 fifth-round pick Jermaine Carter Jr. will take Thompson’s place next to Luke Kuechly. This will be his sixth career start.

As for Moore, he’s still in the concussion protocol. He did make some progress though and was working off to the side at Friday’s practice.

With Moore out we should expect to see more of Chris Hogan. He missed the middle of the season on injured reserve but was recently activated. Hogan has posted six catches for 53 yards. He’s also been working as a punt returner, totaling 16 yards on two attempts so far.

In related news, defensive end Marquis Haynes is listed as questionable with a knee injury. Cornerback Corn Elder (illness) is also questionable.

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Panthers Week 17 injury report: WR D.J. Moore (concussion) still out

Here’s how the Week 17 report is shaping up.

The Panthers have dealt with injuries all season, so it’s fitting that their last injury report of the year is as long as it is.

Here’s how the Week 17 report is shaping up.

Player Injury Wed Thu Fri Status
WR D.J. Moore Concussion DNP DNP
LB Shaq Thompson Ankle/Foot DNP DNP Out
DT Gerald McCoy Knee DNP Full
DE Marquis Haynes Knee DNP DNP
LB Andre Smith Ankle DNP Full
TE Ian Thomas Ankle Limited Full
S Tre Boston Shoulder Limited Limited
DE Brian Burns Shoulder Limited Full
TE Greg Olsen Knee Limited Limited
DT Kyle Love Ankle Limited Full
DT Woodrow Hamilton Illness Full Full

There was no practice on Wednesday because of the holiday, so those are unofficial designations.

Assuming Moore doesn’t play, we should see more of wide receivers like Chris Hogan and Brandon Zylstra. Offensive coordinator Scott Turner told the media today replacing Moore will be a group effort.

We definitely won’t see Thompson, who has already been ruled out for Sunday’s game. That means Jermaine Carter Jr. should get another chance to prove himself against the Saints.

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Panthers injury updates: D.J. Moore, Shaq Thompson miss Christmas Eve practice

Panthers WR D.J. Moore, LB Shaq Thompson miss Christmas Eve practice

The Panthers held a light walk-through practice today. As has been the case practically all season, there were a few faces missing.

Wide receiver D.J. Moore and linebacker Shaq Thompson were not spotted on the practice field. If defensive tackle Vernon Butler is going to get released for his actions on Sunday, it hasn’t happened yet. He was in attendance, per the Charlotte Observer.

Moore suffered a concussion early in Sunday’s game against the Colts. He finished the afternoon with one catch and one yard before being ruled out.

Thompson missed this past week due to an ankle injury he suffered in the previous game against the Seahawks. Jermaine Carter Jr. started in his place and likely will again Week 17.

It makes no sense to rush Moore back at this point in the season, especially since it’s a concussion. If this is the end of his 2019 campaign, he finished with 87 catches, 1,175 receiving yards and four touchdowns. Moore saw 135 targets total from his quarterbacks, more than any other Carolina player. Christian McCaffrey needs just four to pass him, though.

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Panthers injury updates: WR D.J. Moore, S Eric Reid hurt vs. Colts

Panthers injury updates: WR D.J. Moore, S Eric Reid hurt vs. Colts

The Panthers are losing again and they’re also getting injured. Two players have already been hurt against the Colts.

First, wide receiver D.J. Moore has been on the sidelines since early in the game. It’s not clear when he took the hit, but Moore is currently in the locker room being evaluated for a concussion.

Also, safety Eric Reid appeared to suffer an ankle injury after he came down awkwardly biting on a fake throw by Jacoby Brissett. Cole Luke has taken his place next to Tre Boston in the defensive backfield.

The Colts lead 14-0 and the pain of this season will soon be over.

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5 Panthers the Colts must game plan for in Week 16

These Panthers must be accounted for.

The Indianapolis Colts (6-8), after being eliminated from playoff contention, look to put one in the win column for the first time in four weeks. They host a Carolina Panthers (5-9) team that has also struggled greatly in the second half of the season.

Carolina fired their longtime head coach Ron Rivera a few weeks ago, which has had a negative effect on the team. The Panthers players have shown signs of just giving up and are playing with little to no life.

While Carolina is a depleted football team, they are still a talented roster that can compete with many teams in the league. With a few additions in the offseason and some time to get healthy, Carolina can be right back in contention.

With a chance to turn things around going into next season, here are five Panthers the Colts must gameplan for in order to pick up a win:

RB Christian McCaffrey

As one of the league’s most dynamic playmakers, McCaffrey is a matchup nightmare for defenses. A dual-threat pass catcher and quick running back, he is dangerous every single play and can touch the ball any time.

With 1,307 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground this year, McCaffrey has been in the MVP conversation in 2019. While also totaling 814 receiving yards and four touchdowns through the air, McCaffrey has a real chance to go over 1,000 yards receiving and rushing.

Stopping No. 22 will be priority No. 1 for the Colts defense that has struggled to stop the run in recent weeks. Matt Eberflus must make sure to have a spy on McCaffery all game, preferable Darius Leonard who has the speed to stay with him.

LB Luke Kuechly 

As one of the best linebackers in the league for the past four seasons, Kuechly is still going strong with 131 tackles in 2019. This high number of total tackles leads the team and is fourth in the NFL.

Kuechly’s toughness and speed makes him a special talent and he can be a great run stopper. His coverage skills are somewhat underrated as well which makes him a serious threat to offensive production on Sunday. Kuechly will have to be picked up in blitz coverage as well which should be a real challenge for the interior of the offensive line and running backs.

WR D.J. Moore 

As the Panthers number one receiver this season, Moore has really broken out of his first-year struggles. With 1,174 receiving yards and four touchdowns on the season, Moore ranks third among all receivers in yards caught.

Moore is a speedy wideout that has found his fit in this Carolina system. Paired with other speedster Curtis Samuel, they combine for a solid one-two punch. This receiving corps is undersized but filled with talent.

Expect Rock Ya-Sin to be on Moore all game, which should be a great matchup for the two young players.

S Eric Reid

Reid is one of the NFL’s most underrated strong safeties. He came to Carolina in 2018 and has had a productive two years. He is the cornerstone of their secondary and can fly all around the field.

With 113 total tackles, four sacks, and two fumble recoveries this season, Reid has been an issue for opposing teams. He plays very similarly to Tyrann Mathieu and loves to fly off the edge on blitzes.

The Colts running backs will have to pick him up in pass coverage and keep him contained if they want to have success throwing the football.

DE Mario Addison 

Leading the team in sacks with 9.5, Addison has had a dominant season at defensive end. He also has 31 total tackles and two forced fumbles which shows he is good at getting after the quarterback.

Having a guy that can constantly provide pressure off the edge is so dangerous and the Colts offensive line will have their hands full Sunday. This will be a good test for Braden Smith and Mark Glowinski who struggled last week against New Orleans.

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll says Panthers have ‘a lot of fire-power’

Michael Bennett once compared the Panthers to an ‘attractive cousin’ for the Seahawks.

Michael Bennett once compared the Panthers to an ‘attractive cousin’ for the Seahawks. It was an interesting choice of words but illustrative of how similar the two teams are and how familiar they became over this last decade. This has mostly been a one-sided affair, though. Since Pete Carroll became head coach in 2010, Seattle has won seven of nine meetings between these non-division rivals.

Carroll’s teams have mostly out-matched Carolina’s from a talent perspective. The 2015 season was the exception to the rule. However, this current Panthers team does have a number of promising pieces, especially on offense. Here’s what Carroll says he sees on film this year, per the team website.

“Well, I see a lot of fire-power. A lot of special players – players with a lot of special dynamics. They run well, in general. They’re playmakers out there on both sides of the ball. So, they look very dangerous scheme wise. They do difficult stuff. Norv (Turner) has always been a really big factor in putting together good offenses.”

Carroll has it right. The combination of Christian McCaffrey and D.J. Moore in particular has been astoundingly productive. Together, they have totaled more scrimmage yards (3,037) than any RB/WR combo at this point in the season since Edgerrin James and Marvin Harrison in 2000.

James and Harrison of course had an all-time great quarterback that was just coming into his prime in Peyton Manning.

These young guns for the Panthers have considerably less help in that department and it’s the main reason the offense has fallen off this year. Moore and Curtis Samuel have suffered the most. Their catchable pass rates are both among the lowest in the league thanks to the accuracy and timing issues of backup QB Kyle Allen.

Carolina has another up-and-coming weapon in tight end Ian Thomas, who posted 57 yards and a touchdown last week against Atlanta with Greg Olsen ruled out. If Thomas can fix his issues with drops, he’ll be another very capable piece for the Panthers.

For those counting at home, that’s four young play-makers – plenty to field a competitive offense if the rest of the equation holds up.

Of course, this team was built to compete around a very different quarterback than Allen. If they are ever able to pair a 100% healthy Cam Newton with McCaffrey, Moore, Samuel, Thomas and especially a strong pass protecting offensive line – this could still be a special group.

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Panthers Highlights: WR D.J. Moore passes 1,000 yards for the season

Coming into today’s game against the Falcons, Panthers wide receiver D.J. Moore needed just 20 receiving yards to reach 1,000 for the season.

Coming into today’s game against the Falcons, Panthers wide receiver D.J. Moore needed just 20 receiving yards to reach 1,000 for the season. Moore passed that milestone on this 39-yard ball from Kyle Allen. Moore is the first Carolina player to reach the mark since tight end Greg Olsen in 2016 and the first wide receiver since Kelvin Benjamin in 2014.

The Panthers trail the Falcons 10-3 late in the second quarter.

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Panthers Highlights: D.J. Moore burns Washington’s ‘defense’ for another TD

The Panthers lead 14-0 and the first quarter isn’t close to over yet.

This Washington secondary is . . . not good. Watch Panthers receiver D.J. Moore score his team’s second touchdown of the day on a corner route that resulted in him being embarrassingly wide open.

Curtis Samuel is also flashing. Together, the two have combined for four catches, 60 yards and two touchdowns.

The Panthers lead 14-0 and the first quarter isn’t close to over yet.

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Norv Turner says D.J. Moore is ‘becoming a complete receiver’

Panthers fans who are feeling down about their team and are looking for things to be thankful about today should reflect on D.J. Moore.

Panthers fans who are feeling down about their team and are looking for things to be thankful about today should reflect on D.J. Moore.

About a month ago, Moore was having a mediocre second NFL season. Despite consistently moving the chains, he wasn’t making the kind of impact one usually expects from a top-notch prospect. Some people were openly wondering if Moore was really worth a first-round pick to begin with.

Over the last four games, Moore has utterly destroyed that idea with a string of fantastic performances.

Offensive coordinator Norv Turner told reporters today that he’s becoming a complete receiver, per Alaina Getzenberg at the Charlotte Observer.

On film, Moore’s improved route running is what jumps out most. The separation he’s getting is far better than it had been in his first season and a half in the NFL.

Here’s a look at what Moore has done over the last month.

Opponent Catches/Targets Yards Yards/catch Touchdowns
Titans 7/10 101 14.43 0
Packers 9/11 120 13.33 0
Falcons 8/15 95 11.88 0
Saints 6/9 126 21.00 2

Solid stuff. Moore is now up to No. 5 in the league in receiving yards.

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