Bears WR DJ Moore sent a strong message with his bounce back game and Ben Johnson is hoping it’s a sign of things to come
The Bears will need this version of DJ Moore.
Chicago Bears veteran wide receiver DJ Moore was faced with a lot of attention going into Week 15 coming off the worst game of his professional career with a lot of eyes looking his direction.
During the week leading up to Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns, Bears head coach Ben Johnson and offensive coordinator Declan Doyle had full faith when asked about Moore’s impact and role in the offense that they could eventually get Moore going again.
On Sunday, Moore finished the game with four receptions for 69 yards and two touchdowns on six targets during the team’s 31-3 win. It was the kind of performance many expect to see out of the team’s highest-paid offensive player and a much needed bounce back moment after last week.
“Man about (expletive) time,” Moore said in the locker room after receiving one of the two game balls. “I think I said ‘I ain’t fall off’ man. I’ve been appreciating y’all. First time with 10 wins, man is fun as hell. I appreciate y’all.”
Moore helped make the biggest play of the game during the third quarter when quarterback Caleb Williams rolled out to his right on the play and fired back across his body to Moore on a “Hero Post” (an ill-advised throw for nearly any other QB). Moore was able to beat his guy across the field and catch the ball in the back of the end zone.
“We’ve repped this so many times that we got so much faith and belief and trust,” Williams explained. “Coach made a great call and DJ ran a great route. Just put the ball in the back of the end zone and let DJ go get it.”
That touchdown was Moore’s second of the game and his second game this season with multiple touchdowns. It’s not that he just forgot to play football or the Bears forgot how to use him either, something Johnson noted earlier in the week after seeing Moore’s final stat line from Week 14.
“He’s been playing this way every week,” Johnson said Sunday after the win. “It’s just we haven’t been able to get him the ball or get the ball in his hands. We’re able to target him a few more times and he came through with some big plays for us.”
It’s the DJ Moore everyone expected to see with Rome Odunze out of the lineup and something the Bears are hoping to continue getting in the weeks to come after this bounce back performance.
Bears are really going to need that version of DJ Moore in the final stretch
“Sometimes these things come in bunches,” Johnson added. “You kinda have a dry spell and then all of a sudden he can come on hot here over the next three games and just really take off. That’s the way it tends to happen, which would be a good thing for us.”
Especially considering the current state of the team’s wide receiver room. During pregame warmups, Odunze suffered a setback with his stress fracture in his foot and was ruled out before kickoff. Johnson didn’t provide any updates to his status until getting a better look at it on Monday.
Then, the Bears lost rookie wide receiver Luther Burden III during the game with an ankle injury after having a team-high six receptions for 84 yards. Again, Johnson did not provide any further context.
We’ll see how both players look throughout the week but if either player is forced to miss further team going into Saturday, Moore is going to have to show he can live up to his top dollar like he was able to do on Sunday.
Chicago Bears News
Bears take care of business in Week 15 and put themselves back where they want to be going into a defining final stretch of the season
The Bears are closing in on a playoff spot.
