Despite the controversial loss to the Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales didn’t blame the referees. And he was pleased that his team was still in the playoffs. Furthermore, the team made a move at the wide receiver position ahead of the Wild Card game against the Rams.
The Panthers dropped a veteran and added a different one, according to a post on X by Tom Pelissero.
“The Panthers waived WR Hunter Renfrow and activated WR David Moore from IR.”
Moore is an eight-year veteran who has appeared in six playoff games. He played for the Seahawks and the Buccaneers in the postseason, totaling six catches for 135 yards and a touchdown.
Panthers Dave Canales putting together plans to face Rams
The Panthers surprised the Rams 31-28 in their regular-season meeting. Moore didn’t play in that game and has only one catch for five yards on the season. But the Panthers liked the 30-year-old Moore better than the 30-year-old Renfrow, who had 15 catches for 89 yards and a pair of touchdowns this season.
It may seem like a curious roster decision based on the numbers, but Canales has pulled the right strings at times this season. The Panthers finished 8-9, but won the NFC South title on a three-way tiebreaker with the Falcons and Buccaneers.
Canales said he’s not concerned about his team being a 10.5-point underdog, according to ESPN.
“I'm sure they have algorithms for us,” Canales said Monday of the odds. “We've just got to worry about playing our best football. That's been the pursuit.”
Canales said he hopes to get a boost from a fan base that has been starved for a playoff game.
“That's why I'm so excited about us bringing football back to Bank of America Stadium,” Canales said of the Panthers' first playoff game since 2017. “Our fans … they've caused some issues for offenses communicating: false starts, delay of games, different things like that. That is a real advantage.”
