The Chicago Bears are 8-3 and riding a four-game win streak after their Week 12 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, while wide receiver DJ Moore got back to his resurgent ways following a two-week quiet spell. However, the former Carolina Panthers star could hear from the NFL later on this week, and likely after the Bears visit the Philadelphia Eagles on Black Friday.
For his part, Moore was somewhat mum about the situation after the game.
DJ Moore Addresses Fine-Worthy Play After Bears’ Win
Bears’ DJ Moore Pleads the Fifth
During the third quarter of Sunday’s contest, with the Bears trailing 21-17, but driving in Steelers territory at the plus-29-yard line, Moore caught a five-yard pass that saw him taken out of bounds by Pittsburgh’s Jalen Ramsey and James Pierre.
Moore threw the ball at Pierre, drawing an “unsportsmanlike conduct” penalty for “taunting,” costing the Bears 15 yards and, really, 20 yards, since it wiped out his reception.
Afterward, Moore delivered a wry smile and said “I don’t know” when asked what happened.
Asked if he was admitting to the taunting, Moore said “I plead the Fifth,” referencing the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which protects US citizens from self-incrimination. He scored the go-ahead TD, the second of his pair, two plays later on a 25-yard busted coverage. He chucked the ball into the stands.
“It was all set up for that, you know what I’m saying?” Moore told reporters postgame. “I had to back it up some.”
Per the NFL, taunting fines range from $11,593 for first infractions to $17,389 on the second.
Since this is Moore’s first penalty, he could face the lesser of the charges. However, the league has an entirely separate category under the “sportsmanship” umbrella. It is, quite literally, “Football Into Stands.”
It carries fines ranging from $8,114 for first offenses to $13,911 for the second.
“I was like, ‘Oh, well. Already got one. Might as well go for two [penalties],’” Moore said of his potentially costly celebration.
As it stands, Moore could face at least $19,707 in fines due to infractions committed in the Bears’ Week 12 against the Steelers. Moore is signed through 2028 on a four-year, $110 million contract.
The NFL typically announces fines for the previous week of games on the following Saturday.
DJ Moore Downplays Idea of Frustrations Over Offense
Moore had 64 yards and 2 touchdowns on five receptions in Week 12, snapping a two-game slump during which the Bears star had a combined 1-18-0 line on seven targets. That drought snapped a two-game resurgence. Then, he had eight grabs for 145 yards on 13 looks.
Moore is not alone, and Bears quarterback Caleb Williams has admitted to his accuracy woes.
The second-year QB has completed more than 60% of his passes in a game once since Week 3 against the Dallas Cowboys, with no instances in the Bears’ past four outings.
Still, Moore told Clocker Sports after the game that there is “no” frustration when their offense struggles. “We just go back to the drawing board every week and figure out something new to go into the game plan with, and execute it.”
Bears Face Reigning Champions on Black Friday
The Bears face yet another tough, but hardly insurmountable, test in Week 13 against the Eagles. Philadelphia is the reigning Super Bowl champion. Meanwhile, the Bears are a plucky up-and-comer.
The Bears must have greater command offensively to keep up with Jalen Hurts.
That is despite his and the Eagles’ inconsistency on that side, while facing the eighth-ranked scoring defense.
It is a formula the Bears have used to their benefit this season, albeit in an inverse way. The Bears’ offense ranks eighth in scoring and sixth overall, despite its struggles. Their defense, however, is 27th in both categories.