The union of Justin Fields and DJ Moore has had Bears fans excited about the team’s revamped passing attack for months, and now it’s starting to receive some national attention. On Monday, NFL.com ranked Fields and Moore the No. 5 new veteran QB-WR duo.
That’s admittedly a pretty specific recognition, but the point remains, folks are looking forward to seeing what Fields and Moore can do together.
“Even after a robust payday last offseason, Moore remains an underrated playmaker nationally,” wrote Kevin Petra. “He owns the ability to make contested catches and the power and afterburners to gain chunk yards after the catch. Moore put up three 1,000-yard seasons in a mostly dysfunctional Panthers offense. He's a legit No. 1 threat defenses must account for on every play.”
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A legit No. 1 wide receiver is something Fields didn’t have last season. The Bears tried running their passing attack through Darnell Mooney, but he was slow to get going and never logged a 100-yard game. Ryan Poles traded for Chase Claypool midseason, but just when it seemed Claypool was getting comfortable in the Bears offense he got hurt. The Bears finished the season with the fewest passing yards in the league.
It’s not just that Moore brings more talent to the Bears' passing attack, it’s the type of talent that he brings that intrigues Petra.
“Moore's ability to win off the line of scrimmage will immediately boost Fields. Last season, the Bears quarterback routinely had to wait a while for his receivers to come openー and yes, sometimes he took too long to process. Moore provides a target that'll be available from hut.”
Fields and Moore have developed a quick chemistry over OTAs, especially in situational parts of practice like two-minute drills. But it’s a little early to declare them a dynamic duo. The Bears haven’t put shells on at practice, let alone pads, and contact isn’t allowed on the field yet. This is the time of year when offenses typically look better than defenses, because defenses can’t play any type of physical ball. We’ll see if the early connection between Fields and Moore translates to live practice in training camp, the preseason and beyond.
Bears News
The new veteran QB-WR duos ranked ahead of Fields and Moore are Aaron Rodgers and Garrett Wilson, Lamar Jackson and Odell Beckham Jr., Trevor Lawrence and Calvin Ridley, and Derek Carr and Chris Olave.