The Chicago Bears are 0-2 and have lost both games in a noteworthy fashion, but DJ Moore is not pushing the panic button just yet. Moreover, Moore does not believe such a mindset is warranted.
Not two weeks into the regular season.
The Bears still have 15 games to go, starting with the Dallas Cowboys in Week 3, and they hope for more in the postseason.
Bears WR DJ Moore Drops 1-Work Answer to Early Reactions
DJ Moore Not Panicking About Bears’ Slow Start
Moore is in his eighth NFL season. So, he has either experienced or witnessed a multitude of scenarios during his career. So, it is hardly surprising to hear the former Carolina Panthers star take the results of the first two weeks of this season with a grain of salt.
That is not to suggest Moore is taking the situation lightly. However, when asked whether or not the outside reactions to the Bears were overblown, Moore offered a simple one-word answer.
“Yes,” Moore told Clocker Sports after practice on Thursday, repeating it for good measure.
When pressed on whether he pays attention to the noise, Moore said he typically does not, but sometimes the naysayers tag him on social media to lobby their complaints. Unfortunately for Moore, the situation has become somewhat of a common occurrence, especially in Chicago.
The Bears have started the season 0-2 in two of Moore’s three seasons with the organization, which acquired him as part of a trade package for the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2023.
Moore had three such seasons in his five seasons with the Panthers.
DJ Moore ‘Wants’ 100-Yard Game
The biggest difference between this season and Moore’s previous experiences is that he is not having the same individual success that he has enjoyed in recent seasons. This year, Moore has eight receptions for 114 yards.
He has six straight seasons of at least 888 yards, and is on track for 969 yards this season. That would be his fifth-most, slightly besting his 2024 campaign. His 57.0 yards per game are a slight improvement over last season (56.8), and both seasons are only ahead of the former No. 24 overall pick’s (2018) rookie and 2022 season with the Panthers.
The easy answer is that Moore has taken a back seat amid Rome Odunze’s emergence.
Odunze has a 13-165-3 line through two weeks, and he has been the only one of the Bears’ pass catchers who has consistent chemistry with quarterback Caleb Williams. But Moore is not stressing over who is where in the pecking order.
“Of course, everybody wants their 100-yard game. But at the same time, whoever’s going off, you just gotta feed off their energy. When your number gets called, you just gotta do it. His [Odunze’s] number was called a lot, and he made the plays when they was there,” Moore told reporters.
“I don’t think I ever was like, ‘Throw me the ball. Give me the ball.’ Anything like that. But it is what it is. Like I said, whoever’s hot that day, keep feeding them.”
Moore said when whoever has it going needs a break, others “gotta step up and make a play.”
Bears Looking to Spread the Wealth on Offense Under Ben Johnson
The Bears have used Moore in the backfield, which takes him out of the passing game to an extent. But the bigger thing is the pendulum that could swing back in Moore’s favor. The Bears will play the hot hand from week to week under head coach Ben Johnson. Teams will also adjust to Odunze, opening up 1-on-1 opportunities for Moore and others.
That could help Moore, who notably has a career-high 72% catch rate this season and tied his previous mark (70%) last season, get back to making the explosive plays he typically does.
Moore and the Bears’ other playmakers just have to “step up and make a play.”