Ask The Old Guy: Thanks for nothing, Ravens

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Hi Darin! Happy Holidays! Thanks for the merchandise (the Friend Of The Mailbag shirt is sweet).

Will the Panthers ever beat an opponent with a winning record again? It’s been a year, at least, since that happened. The Panthers offense really stinks, I mean bad. Besides the obvious sore spot (QB), this team lacks a true game-changing WR1, no TE, and a really non-creative game plan week in and week out. The Panthers need more weaponry sorely.

Also, why do the Panthers CBs always give so much cushion on passing downs? The secondary, mostly the CB room, was a supposed strength, but that’s far from the case. It’s Jaycee Horn, and that’s it. Anyways, enjoy your turkey, or whatever is on the menu later this week! — Jeff, Henderson , NV

I love that Jeff led with the note of gratitude before he started taking a flamethrower to the rest of the place. You’re welcome Jeff; wear it in good health. Also, yeeesh.

Yeah, they’re struggling with the whole “offense” part at the moment, and a lot of that stems from the lack of stability at quarterback. They’ve been looking for someone to provide league-average play at the position for a few years now, and they haven’t gotten it.

But Jeff also hits on the less-often discussed part of the equation. They haven’t gotten nearly enough out of DJ Moore, and suffice it to say the tight end position hasn’t blossomed as part of the passing game.

Moore’s clearly off this year, stuck at 502 yards after 11 games. There are six left, and he’s capable of big games at any time. But I mean, the fact he had 152 of those yards in Atlanta also suggests a problem since 350 in the other 10 games isn’t what they paid him for. I suspect that’s part of the reason Wilks aired him out a little bit publicly on Monday (and there’s no reason to believe he didn’t do it privately as well).

Moore’s one of two receivers in the NFL with three straight years of 1,100 receiving yards (along with Buffalo’s Stefon Diggs). That streak seems seriously unlikely to continue unless he gets really hot over the last six games.

And in fairness to Moore, this isn’t all his fault. This quarterback situation isn’t ideal, but he’s never known anything else at the position in college or here, and he’s always performed. Wilks is going to hold guys to high standards, and he needs his best players to play better if they’re to have a chance.

Also, the cornerback thing is a fair concern. Donte Jackson getting hurt was a bigger…