DJ Moore has been everything the Bears wanted when the team traded the No. 1 overall pick to Carolina last season. He’s been a deep threat, a precise route-runner in the middle of the field and a security blanket on third down. The Bears have used him all over the field, in practically every concept they have installed– including run concepts– and he’s delivered.
Moore has been the WR1 the team has needed since Allen Robinson’s dropoff in the 2020 season. On Sunday, he set the tone for a big offensive day with a 32-yard catch on the Bears’ first offensive play.
“Just being aggressive,” said head coach Matt Eberflus. “Your opening series you want to feed your best player. I think that’s important to do and you let the other team know that he’s here and you’ve gotta cover him.”
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Moore provided the bookend to that opening drive with another equally impressive catch in the back corner of the endzone. He was well covered by Falcons star safety Jessie Bates, but maintained concentration to cradle a catch with a hand in his face, then get both feet inbounds for a score.
One could argue that his best play came later in the first quarter, though. Moore raced down the Panthers sideline, tilted his head back to track a Fields deep pass and made the catch in stride for another 32-yard gain.
“That was a crazy catch, I’m not going to lie to you,” said Justin Fields.
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It’s even crazier, when you learn that Moore couldn’t see the ball.
“The snow kinda got in my way, so I had to track it then blind catch it,” Moore said. “I was like, ‘Thank goodness I caught this.’… I was like, ‘I just have to trust myself to catch this,’ and I really did it.”
That type of talent is a game changer for the offense. It gives the team a go-to option when they need a big play. It also gives Fields a reliable target that he can trust nearly any situation. That’s huge for a quarterback.
“Any time I see DJ one-on-one, I’m most likely throwing it up,” Fields said. “He’s a helluva player and a helluva teammate. I’m glad to have him here for sure.
“He’s made my job easier. Just the way he came in, adjusted to this offense, learned this offense, I remember him having maybe two mistakes in training camp. So just the way he’s dedicated his time to this team and learning the playbook and making plays like he has, it’s been great for us. I love him here.”
Turns out the Bears have been good for Moore, too. With his 159 receiving yards on the day, Moore not only crossed the 1,200-yard threshold for the first time in his career, he cracked 1,300 yards too. He wasn’t shy about his excitement after the game.
“Hell yeah,” Moore said. “To have five years in Carolina, and then to come here and in year one surpass that is amazing.”
The Bears are a team on the upswing, but there are still plenty of questions about the team heading into the offseason. Securing the No. 1 overall pick for a second year in a row gives GM Ryan Poles an incredible amount of flexibility to shape the team to his liking in year three. But one thing we already know is that Moore has cemented himself as a cornerstone in the Bears offense.