How can the Carolina Panthers put DJ Moore and Curtis Samuel in position to succeed?
The Panthers finally got over the hump in Week 3 and picked up their first win in 326 days and the first NFL victory for head coach Matt Rhule. Now, at 1-2, they’ll be heading into Week 4 with a more positive outlook than what it would have been had they started 0-3.
With a win, comes questions.
Let’s dive into this week’s mailbag:
@panther1gb89 asks: When do you expect Apple or Kirkwood to come off IR?
The NFL’s new roster rules allow players to return from injured reserve after missing three weeks. Both cornerback Eli Apple and wide receiver Keith Kirkwood went on IR before the season, so theoretically, they could return to practice any time now. Once the Panthers activate a player from IR, they have 21 days to return him to the active roster.
Apple was dealing with a number of nagging injuries from his hamstring to his foot, which didn’t appear too serious. Kirkwood, who suffered a clavicle injury, and was seen catching passes at a practice before he was placed on IR. It’s unclear when the Panthers will activate both.
But I don’t think they are in a rush.
Apple was supposed to be the No. 2 starting cornerback opposite of Donte Jackson before his injury. But Rasul Douglas, who the Panthers claimed off waivers earlier this month, has played well in Apple’s place. The Panthers will have to make room on the 53-man roster for Kirkwood and Apple; as of Tuesday afternoon, there were two open spots on the practice squad.
The more interesting thing to look at will be how both are factored into the lineups when they return. Do you bench Douglas in favor of Apple, who hasn’t played a snap this season?
I don’t think the Panthers have figured that out yet. But based on the way Douglas has played, I wouldn’t bench him.
@ceffious asks: Any chance Joey Slye can play LB?
They don’t call Joey Slye “swole” for no reason. The 5-foot-11, 213-pound kicker made a nice solo tackle on Chargers’ return specialist Joe Reed in the first quarter last Sunday. Slye joked that he was angry he didn’t kick it out of the end zone on the kickoff, so he took it out on Reed.
All jokes aside, I don’t think you want to see Slye at linebacker. Can you imagine him trying move side to side to chase down running backs? Or trying to guard pass-catching tight ends?
Let’s leave that up to Jeremy Chinn, Shaq Thompson and Tahir Whitehead.
@lovepirate77 asks: Are they going to keep trying to run the ball with Curtis Samuel with CMC out despite it clearly not working? Also, how do they get the ball to Moore more to take advantage of his big play ability?
I think the Panthers value Samuel’s versatility as a pass catcher and runner, and are trying to do everything they can to utilized his talents and get him involved. But yes, you’re right. The inside runs the Panthers ran Sunday with Samuel were not working at all. They almost felt forced.
Samuel had 7 yards rushing on four carries Sunday.
Samuel seems better suited for jet sweeps and outside runs than running in between the tackles.
For your second question about D.J. Moore, I think one of the biggest things I’ve noticed is Teddy Bridgewater has to be more accurate with his throws to Moore. While Moore hasn’t been perfect, either, I can recall at least two occasions where Bridgewater was off target on a throw to Moore. Moore also dropped two passes.
The quarterback and receiver often look out of sync with each other. Through three games, Moore has caught 53.8% of the passes thrown his way. By comparison, he caught 64.4% of the passes thrown his way in 2019 and 67.1% of the passes thrown his way in 2018.
The Panthers are utilizing Moore on deeper routes more often than they did in 2019. According to Pro Football Reference, Moore is averaging 15.8 yards before the catch, which means the pass is traveling on average 15.8 yards before it touches Moore’s hands. By comparison, in 2019, he averaged 9.1 yards before the catch.
And there lies one of the problems. Moore is at his best when he is out in space because of his ability to make defenders miss and break tackles. But his yards after the catch has decreased from 2019 to 2020 by 3.1 yards.
Moore hasn’t been utilized much this season is in the screen game, and that’s possibly an option as well.
@justatweeter69 asks: Could we see Hartsfield in the backfield this week without Christian?
I don’t see this happening. I think the Panthers will remain with Mike Davis as the starter. He did some good things, including his 13-yard touchdown catch. He also had 46 yards on 13 carries, which the Panthers hope will increase.
I think the Panthers would go with Reggie Bonnafon or Trent Cannon as a backup before using Myles Hartsfield.
Hartsfield, who is primarily a defensive back, will likely only be used at running back in emergency situations. Hartsfield played running back in high school, and Matt Rhule, who was once Temple’s coach, recruited Hartsfield. But Hartsfield chose Ole Miss and converted to a defensive back.
The Panthers experimented with him at running back in training camp, and knew he was an option there, if needed. But right now, they need him more at defensive back.
This story was originally published September 29, 2020 at 6:30 PM.
