DJ Moore and D'Onta Foreman Face Their Former Team

One would think that storylines in a week ten game between teams with three combined wins would be few and far between. Thankfully, Carolina at Chicago on Thursday night has storylines abound.

These two franchises will be linked for the foreseeable future following the March 10th trade between the two teams that sent DJ Moore and a haul of draft picks to the Windy City and the ability to draft Bryce Young with the number one overall pick back to the Queen City.

In addition, the Panthers entered the 2021 NFL draft with the eighth overall pick and a huge need at quarterback. Instead of selecting Justin Fields, who should return from a thumb injury to play quarterback for the Bears on Thursday night, Carolina selected Jaycee Horn. Since that night, the trajectory of Fields’ career has been of interest to fans of both teams.

The links between the 2023 Chicago Bears and the 2020s Panthers run deep, and two current members of the Bears offense are members of last year’s Panthers team that many wish were still around.

The aforementioned DJ Moore is exactly the kind of player that the Panthers could use. Moore accrued 5,201 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns in his time with the Panthers. He is a talented receiver that can win in a multitude of ways. For a Panthers team that’s receivers have struggled with creating separation all season, Moore’s route-running and athleticism would bring a dynamic the team sorely needs.

Moore has had an up and down season in Chicago. A mix of schematic, offensive line, and quarterback issues have limited his impact, but Moore has still hauled in 735 receiving yards and five touchdowns. Moore’s banner game of the season came on a Thursday night against the Commanders when he lit Washington ablaze for 210 yards and three of his five touchdowns.

The other member of the Bears offense that Carolina is missing is D'Onta Foreman. For most of the season the Panthers’ rush offense might as well be on the side of a milk carton because it has been MIA. Foreman was the spearhead of a Carolina rushing offense that took the league by storm in the closing stretch that almost drug the 2022 Panthers to the playoffs.

Foreman entered the season without much of a role, but injuries to Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson have paved the way for Foreman to carve out a role and he’s taken that role and ran (no pun intended).

One of the biggest sticking points amongst Panthers fans this season has been the lack of a power running game specifically. For a franchise that has seen Jonathan Steward, DeShaun Foster, and Mike Tolbert tote the rock, a backfield of more finesse runners in Chuba Hubbard, Miles Sanders, and Raheem Blackshear is a vibe switch that fans didn't expect.

For a Carolina offense that has struggled for momentum all season, seeing Foreman and Moore on the home sideline in Chicago will be difficult for Panthers fans. I can say without a shadow of a doubt that many Panthers fans watching the game on Thursday night will be feeling like the wolverine meme where he’s staring longingly at a picture of what once was.

Spread & Over/Under Predictions for Panthers at Bears

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