Here at Cat Scratch Reader we have counted down the final 100 days leading up to the Carolina Panthers season opener by for at least the past ten years. We’ve always done this by highlighting the current player on the roster whose jersey number matches the day on the countdown. This year, we decided to change that up a bit by counting down our own list of the Top 100 Panthers of all time. This does not correspond to jersey number, does not need to be somebody who wore a jersey, and will in no way be controversial.
#81: QB Matt Moore
Matt Moore joined the Panthers after being signed as an undrafted free agent by the Dallas Cowboys in 2007. Moore didn’t make the final 53 man roster, so he was waived and was claimed by the Panthers in September of that season. He played sparingly in 2007 following Jake Delhomme’s unfortunate elbow injury, finishing with a 2-1 record as a starter and managing an offensive rookie of the month award for December.
Moore stuck around in 2008, however between a very good Jake Delhomme season and leg injuries keeping him out, Moore didn’t need to play in that year. 2009 became a famous season for him, as he started 5 games and won 4 of them for a Panthers squad that was reeling from a struggling Jake Delhomme and injuries at the quarterback position. Moore’s best game of the season and one that will always remain in my memory, was a 26-7 upset victory over the Minnesota Vikings, led by Brett Favre and very much trying to push for Super Bowl glory again. Moore completed 21 of 33 passes for 299 yards and 3 TDs in that effort as a Panthers team many expected to lose handily won in one of the more wild upsets in the franchise’s existence to that point.
That late season surge by Moore saw him as the de-facto starter in 2010. However, as we all remember, that season was not fun and Moore got one of the two Panthers wins that year in only 5 games started. Moore eventually moved on to greener pastures and played 8 more seasons in the NFL, 7 as a Dolphin and his final year as a Chief.
Full disclosure, we had someone else pegged for this spot when making the countdown, but their off field issues ultimately trumped multiple years of successful play and I personally felt Matt Moore deserved a spot on this countdown. It isn’t often you find a quarterback like Moore as a UDFA off waivers in their rookie year who spins off the type of career he had. And that Vikings game plus several games of what I would call plus production for a guy who was meant to hold a clipboard, that pretty much embodies what the Carolina Panthers have been all about since their inception. Many of their best players in history were guys people would never have given that opportunity to, such as his running mate at times in Jake Delhomme.
Share your favorite memories of Matt Moore in the comments!
