D.J. Moore Finds Consolation in Wins Over Private Stats

LAKE FOREST, In poor health. — Earlier than calling his first recreation because the coach of the Chicago Bears, Ben Johnson peeled again the curtain on his course of as a playcaller and the way sharing the wealth on offense consumes his ideas.

“That is what retains me up at night time, is attempting to ensure that all of our horses are fed,” Johnson stated on Sept. 3. “They’re tremendous proficient gamers, and we simply have to get them just a little area and the ball of their fingers, they usually could make massive issues occur.”

DJ Moore has been making massive issues occur all through his eight years within the NFL. However he had only one catch for -4 yards throughout Sunday’s 28-21 loss on the Inexperienced Bay Packers, the worst receiving output of his profession. Despite the fact that Johnson known as the performs, even he was stunned. With Rome Odunze sidelined with a foot damage, Johnson anticipated Moore to be featured greater than some other participant on offense. In spite of everything, Moore was on the sphere for 56 of Chicago’s 68 performs, essentially the most of any non-offensive lineman or quarterback Caleb Williams.

“I believed we had him on the market as the first for numerous situations and we simply could not discover a technique to get him the ball, whether or not that is protection dictated or different issues that go on inside a play,” Johnson stated. “So, do I wish to get DJ Moore going? Completely. Do I wish to get all these guys the ball? Completely. They’ve all earned that proper, and I believe it makes us a greater, extra well-rounded offense when now we have all these guys contributing at that stage.”

Moore was the centerpiece of the haul the Bears received again from the Carolina Panthers in change for the No. 1 decide in 2023, and he supplied Chicago with an instantaneous return on funding with 1,364 receiving yards through the 2023 season. That earned him a four-year, $110 million contract extension forward of the 2024 season, which made him the highest-paid participant on offense.

Since then, his manufacturing has dipped. Moore is on tempo for the worst statistical season of his profession regardless of being the staff’s second-leading receiver. By way of 13 video games, Moore has 39 catches for 498 yards and three touchdowns.

Whereas his 2025 output has sparked dialog about his position and his future throughout the Bears offense, Moore is targeted on engaging in one thing he has by no means accomplished in his profession: going to the playoffs and ending the 12 months on a staff with a profitable document.

“It does not trouble me,” Moore stated of his workload. “I would somewhat win than have all these wonderful stats, and we have been doing that.”

Because the Bears (9-4) strive to determine find out how to get him extra concerned after they host the Cleveland Browns this Sunday (1 p.m. ET, Fox), it is vital to level out the explanations behind Moore’s position shift and statistical decline.

Not as many targets

When the Bears added tight finish Colston Loveland with the No. 10 decide and got here again a day later to draft vast receiver Luther Burden III thirty ninth, it foreshadowed a distinct workload for Moore.

In 2023, Moore was the clear-cut No. 1 with 645 extra receiving yards and 23 extra targets than the following participant, tight finish Cole Kmet. Throughout Williams’ rookie season in 2024, Moore led the Bears with 140 targets, which he changed into 98 catches for 966 yards and 6 touchdowns.

Moore has not logged a 100-yard receiving recreation this season and noticed his most targets (seven) within the Bears’ win over the Steelers (5 catches, 64 yards, two TDs) and their loss to the Ravens (4 catches, 73 yards). Towards Inexperienced Bay, Moore was focused thrice, which was tied for his fewest in a recreation in 2025.

At Lambeau Area, Burden was focused six instances, which resulted in 4 catches for 67 yards. Loveland had 5 targets and 4 receptions for 29 yards and a landing.

“I can not be mad when the entire group is consuming,” Moore stated. “So it’s what it’s.”

Moore has accounted for 16% of the Bears’ complete targets this season, which remains to be the second most on the staff behind Odunze. That determine was 27% in 2024, which marked the best on the staff and seventh highest within the NFL.

A job change

Because it turned clear that Odunze, the ninth decide in 2024, was rising because the Bears’ No. 1 receiver this offseason, Johnson experimented with transferring Moore throughout offensive formations together with taking part in him within the backfield, the place he has been on 29 snaps. That is essentially the most motion he has seen again there since his rookie season in 2018 (35 snaps within the backfield).

The largest change in Johnson’s offense is how Moore is getting used much less within the short-to-intermediate recreation and is being reserved for deep throws. His common depth of goal went from 7.1 yards in 2024 to 10 yards this season.

“There’s quite a lot of weapons in our offense,” offensive coordinator Declan Doyle stated. “We attempt to transfer them throughout. There’s quite a lot of guys that we’re attempting to focus on, and so he will get moved round just a little bit.

“He is a sensible participant, so we really feel actually comfy transferring him to totally different spots and so that may be a unfavourable or a power relying on the place we’re attempting to go along with the ball. However I simply would say about DJ, he is accomplished an excellent job of doing precisely what we have requested of him and he continues to take action.”

Final season, Moore led the Bears with 116 targets thrown 14 or fewer yards down area, which was 25 greater than the next-closest Bears participant (Keenan Allen) and seventh most within the NFL. In 2025, that quantity has plummeted to 41. That is third most on the staff behind Odunze (53) and fellow wideout Olamide Zaccheaus (52).

Moore has additionally seen fewer screens thrown his means with 9 after being the goal on 29 display screen passes in 2024.

“I really feel like my position adjustments week to week,” Moore stated. “Generally I’m going deep, typically I am intermediate, typically I am quick. I imply, it actually simply is dependent upon who we taking part in and the way we see the sport plan.”

The reference to Williams

Moore’s chemistry with Williams has been beneath a microscope for 2 years largely as a result of his numbers have not risen to the extent he loved in Carolina with three straight 1,100-yard seasons (2019 to 2021).

By way of 13 video games this season, 25% of Moore’s targets have been tracked by ESPN Analysis as both an overthrow or underthrow, which is the sixth highest among the many 70 gamers who’ve had no less than 60 targets. Odunze has the best proportion at 30%.

A part of that has to do with Moore getting fewer quick throws than final 12 months. The opposite might be attributed to Williams’ accuracy struggles. The 24-year-old quarterback ranks thirty third within the NFL in completion proportion (57.8%) and has been off track on 22% of his passes (worst within the NFL).

Williams has thrown three touchdowns and nil interceptions whereas concentrating on Moore. He threw 9 TDs and 4 picks when concentrating on all different vast receivers.

“I believe Caleb’s doing an excellent job of doing what we’re asking him to do throughout the idea,” Doyle stated. “You already know, we’re attempting to construct these performs to feed all people. And you recognize it simply so occurs like Ben has talked about it earlier than, there’s performs in each recreation for all of our guys, and typically he is the first and the protection does not dictate that the ball goes there. And so each these guys are doing a great job of staying the course, and they will proceed to take action.”