Bear Digest

What DJ Moore Sees Ahead for Chicago Bears Passing Attack

With his best day yardage-wise since Caleb Williams became quarterback, wide receiver DJ Moore can project big things ahead for the passing attack.
Gene Chamberlain|
DJ Moore makes a catch and turns it upfield against the Vikings in Sunday's 30-27 Bears loss.
DJ Moore makes a catch and turns it upfield against the Vikings in Sunday's 30-27 Bears loss. | Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

DJ Moore's best day for passing yards since being teamed up with Caleb Williams failed to result Sunday in a win.

It did create hope for the future, which is more important considering the state of this Bears season.

"Yeah, what we did in the second half, well mainly the fourth quarter, if we could do that the first three quarters it's going to be amazing to see what we put up in points and how many games we win," Moore said Monday at Halas Hall.

Moore had more receiving yards than in any game this season with 106. He has had more catches than the seven he had Sunday six times with the Bears but only once since Justin Fields left.

His 27-yard catch to set up the overtime-forcing field goal was probably the throw to be most excited about on his end. Williams had to throw it to space between a group of defenders and trust Williams would get there.

He did.

"It was a pretty good layered throw that he had," Moore said. "I mean, I don't know many that can make it but he made it that day and at that time. I mean, the rest is history."

The 340 yards passing by Williams and two games with 7.2 and 7.5 yards per attempt against good Green Bay and Minnesota defenses only served to show more how the Bears have taken to the way new offensive coordinator Thomas Brown gets his plan across on game day and during the practice week.

"He's definitely different," Moore said. "He definitely speaks and motivates you and everything.

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"When he's up in front of the offense, we want to go out there and play our best football for him. He's going to call the game and we've just got to go out there and execute."

The play-calling difference also is easily noticed.

"Just the plays that we got stacked on top of each other have been better," Moore said. "The flow of the game has been better.

"So I know it's a collaboration that's going on between him and all our offensive coaches so that's been good.'

It's meant 571 yards passing in two weeks but no wins.

"You could be frustrated, but you've still got to play the next week, and it's any given Sunday and I feel our Sundays lately have been in the favor of the other team, which we need to turn that around on this short week," Moore said. "So that's all I'm looking forward to."

Nevertheless, the 4-7 season saps the strength of players more than when they're 7-4 or 8-3.

"It takes a toll," Moore said. "You never want to go on a losing slump and once you get out of it, you never want to get off that high of winning.

"So we've got to figure out a way to win."

Doing it against possibly the league's best team on Thanksgiving will not be easy even if the passing attack clicks like it has for two weeks.

"We've just got to be professionals right now, can't dwell on this loss because we've got Detroit and they're going to bring their A-game, so we've got to be ready to bring ours on a short week."

Twitter: BearsOnSI

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.