As the midway point of the Carolina Panthers' season looms, rookie wide receiver D.J. Moore has begun to produce in the way that everyone in the Carolinas was hoping for.

In Week Eight against the Baltimore Ravens, Moore got his biggest opportunity yet to make a difference for the Panthers when he received a total of 71 percent of snaps on offense (46) due to the absence of Torrey Smith, who missed the game due to an injury, Moore responded with the best game of his career, catching five passes for 90 yards with a long reception of 33 yards and running the ball twice for 39 yards for a total of 129 yards from scrimmage.

Given that level of production on an increased snap count, Panthers head coach Ron Rivera was asked Wednesday if Moore had earned a greater deal of opportunities on offense moving forward. Rivera responded with the words that Panthers fans have been waiting to hear.

"I think so," said Rivera. "It's always about growth. We've got some young guys that just need to be on the football field. That's the only way they get better is by playing, but at the same time you don't want to forsake the opportunity to win. D.J.'s proven that he can be part of winning, he can be part of the reason why we win."

Though Rivera conceded that it was important not to get to a point where the Panthers have to rely on one specific player to win for them all the time, he stated that it was a good thing for his team to have players that they know can win games for them.

In that same vein, Rivera also stated that the Panthers need to find ways to give Curtis Samuel, a very similar player to Moore, more opportunities in the offense.

"Curtis has been great for us every chance he's got," said Rivera. "So (we need to try) to find opportunities to play him more."

With that being said, Rivera did not commit to the idea of Moore starting in Week Nine against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, stating that he would leave whether or not Moore started to what personnel grouping offensive coordinator Norv Turner decided to utilize at the start of the game. "We're just gonna do as Coach sees fit as far as our offense is concerned," said Rivera.

The introduction of Moore and the emergence of Samuel has helped the Panthers' wide receiving corps become leaps and bounds more balanced and dynamic than it has been in the past. With three players the Panthers have drafted (Moore, Samuel, and Devin Funchess), two veteran free agent pickups (Smith & Jarius Wright), and a former undrafted free agent find in Damiere Byrd, Rivera stated that the Panthers' personnel moves over the past several seasons have been fortunate.

"We're in a good spot," said Rivera of his team's receiving corps. "We're very fortunate."