Following a disappointing 29-9 loss to the Arizona Cardinals last Sunday, Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore has seemingly become the embodiment of the frustration and disappointment that surrounds this team. Not only did Moore make very telling comments about whether Bears coach Matt Eberflus had lost the locker room, his commitment has been called into question, thanks in large part to one particular play from that blowout loss.
This play, which took place well before the Cardinals started their rout of the Bears, made the rounds on social media immediately following the game. It was so prevalent that even Matt Eberflus had to explain why Moore walked off the field mid-play.
On Wednesday, DJ Moore himself weighed in and detailed what caused him to walk to the sideline while Caleb Williams was still scrambling and attempting to find a receiver downfield.
“Tweaked the ankle,” Moore said, per Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times. “I was coming back [toward the quarterback] because I’d seen Caleb was scrambling. My ankle went in and out. I couldn’t stop, so my momentum took me out of bounds, and then I just walked off.”
Watch the video closely enough, and it's clear that Moore isn't lying. He's clearly limping as he makes his way toward the Bears bench. But given how the Bears season has progressed, it's understandable why a play like this one has been magnified to such a degree.
After a 4-2 start, Chicago has dropped two games in a row and now faces a must-win against the New England Patriots this Sunday if they have any hope of making a run to the postseason with a gauntlet of a schedule remaining. It doesn't help matters that DJ Moore, who put forth a career-best campaign last year in his first season with the Bears, has slumped to start the 2024 season.
DJ Moore, through eight games in 2024 – 37 receptions for 374 yards, 10.1 yards per catch, and three touchdowns
DJ Moore, through eight games in 2023 – 44 receptions for 691 yards, 15.7 yards per catch, and five touchdowns
Frustration builds as Bears season starts to spiral
With expectations so high coming into the 2024 season, a subpar season was going to be cataclysmic to anyone in Chi-Town, even if Caleb Williams exceeded expectations. Thus far, Williams hasn't reached those lofty expectations, and a lack of chemistry with DJ Moore could be a big reason why.
On Wednesday, Williams addressed those concerns, saying, “obviously, it's not in a place where we would like it.” That same day, Moore weighed in on what the duo could be doing better.
“Just knowing who we’re up against, the one-on-one matchups that we might have throughout the game,” Moore said, “and then understanding on the back end, the reads and where we’re at in situations — where he’s going through the read and how fast I’ve got to be or how slow I’ve got to be to stay in his vision.”
Playing behind a subpar offensive line that has been deteriorated by injuries has certainly not helped Caleb Williams' development, but no amount of completely legitimate excuses is going to be enough to quiet the noise.
“The noise — I hear it, seen it. Really don’t care. It is what it is,” Moore said. “They could take it how they want to. They [did] without even knowing what happened mid-play. Can’t stop y’all from doing what y’all want to do.”
The only way to quiet the noise is for the Bears to start winning and for Williams and Moore to start building that chemistry.
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