One manner for the Chicago Bears to get extra out of their passing recreation, which has been extra productive this season with the arrival of DJ Moore, might be to get Darnell Mooney extra concerned over the ultimate 5 video games.
Mooney has principally been ignored within the passing recreation, a truth overshadowed to a big diploma by the efficiency of Moore, who has 70 receptions for 1,003 yards and 6 touchdowns, placing him on tempo to affix Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery amongst among the finest seasons in franchise historical past.
Moore has an opportunity to affix Marshall (twice, document 118 in 2012), Allen Robinson, Marty Booker and Matt Forte as the one gamers in Bears historical past to catch 100 passes in a season. He additionally has a shot at eclipsing Marshall’s team-best 1,508 yards from 2012.
In no manner ought to the Bears ought to shift focus away from getting Moore as concerned as attainable. He has been each bit the distinction maker the group hoped — possibly extra — since he was acquired in March within the commerce with the Carolina Panthers for the No. 1 choose in March. The Bears have a 117.8 passer ranking when focusing on Moore, however they’ve topped 222 internet passing yards in solely two video games, so numerous substantial performs have been missed.
What the Bears lack is constant manufacturing from WR2, which most often has been Darnell Mooney, the fourth-year participant who has been on the sphere for 73% of offensive snaps. At one level the go-to goal for quarterback Justin Fields and offense’s de issue No. 1 receiver, Mooney is never seeing the ball, one purpose why tight finish Cole Kmet has 56 receptions, 4 off his profession excessive of 60 from 2021.
Entering Week 14, Mooney has 42 targets, 25 receptions for 351 yards (14 yards per catch) and one landing. He has been focused greater than 4 occasions in three video games — two of them begins by undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent — and has two touches or fewer in eight of 12 video games, together with the final three. He has been focused 23 occasions in eight begins (2.9 common) by Fields two years after he was focused 140 occasions and had 81 receptions for 1,055 yards.
To put the dearth of manufacturing from a second receiver in context, solely three groups have gotten fewer than 25 receptions from their WR2: the Atlanta Falcons, Kansas City Chiefs and New York Jets. One of those is just not just like the others. The Chiefs’ manufacturing with quarterback Patrick Mahomes throwing to tight finish Travis Kelce and an uninspiring group of receivers solely highlights his uncommon capability.
The predicament has executed nothing to spice up Mooney’s inventory as he seems to be forward to free company after the season.
“I don’t want to really be a distraction to myself or within the team so I just try to be as original as I can,” Mooney stated. “Obviously there is frustration within wanting to be me and play and perform like I can. As long as we’re winning, it’s fine. If we’re not, it’s not fine at all.”
I informed Mooney he all the time has struck me as the other of a diva extensive receiver, the sort of participant who when issues aren’t coming his manner will make a scene on the sphere, on the sideline or with a public airing of dissatisfaction.
“I’ve seen it when you have guys that act that way,” he stated. “They get what they want out of it for sure. Definitely I have that in my mind at times but I just don’t have the energy to do that. I just let the chips fall where they call and play the cards that I’ve got. I’ve got to perform and take advantage of the opportunities I get. It doesn’t matter how small or how big they are.”
Mooney is averaging 8.4 yards per goal, a profession greatest, and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy highlighted the 10-yard acquire he had on a third-down play within the fourth quarter of the Week 12 win at Minnesota.
“It’s honestly more of cracks at the at-bat,” Getsy stated when requested concerning the goal quantity and Mooney having solely 25 receptions. “What’s Cole have? 56 catches. That a part of it’s completely different. He hasn’t that a lot success thus far. You have DJ, who has 70 catches. It’s not like we’re giving it so (another WR2). It’s not due to Mooney, I promise you that.
“He’s doing a great job. He’s getting open. He’s doing what he does and sometimes it’s the fact that we have a guy who can run and make plays, extend it. It’s unfortunate because (against Minnesota), Justin just barely missed him when he extended on that third-and-long (in the second quarter). Mooney did a great job reacting. Came back to him later in the game on that third-and-4 and they all all-out pressured and Mooney makes the big conversion. Unfortunately we fumbled it two plays later.”
It’s raises an attention-grabbing query. If the Bears are contemplating protecting Fields and constructing round him with their bounty of draft capital, how a lot distinction would Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. make within the offense?
Harrison is undoubtedly a superior expertise to Mooney. He could be higher than Moore from Day 1. But if Fields and the Bears can solely marginally contain their second receiver now, what sort of general impression would having two elite extensive receivers create?
In that state of affairs — and who is aware of how the offseason will unfold — maybe the Bears deem Harrison too good to move up and select him anyway with Fields because the quarterback. But except Fields’ recreation modifications considerably, it’s troublesome to check Moore and Harrison each being superior producers when watching Mooney go recreation after recreation barely seeing the ball.
“He’s like a forgotten piece,” one longtime scout who has watched the Bears this season stated of Mooney. “And he’s been open a lot.”
Two different professional scouts who’ve executed experiences on the Bears this season stated Fields’ inconsistency shifting from his main learn to Nos. 2 and three has created this example.
“DJ has been great for him, but Mooney just doesn’t see the ball,” one stated. “And I’ve got a lot of love for Mooney.”
“Fields sticks on his primary read,” the opposite scout texted. “And waits for him to uncover. Most of the time that’s Moore. Did the same thing at Ohio State.”
Of late, except the Bears are calling a designed play for Mooney similar to a brief display screen move, the ball is never going to him.
Fortunately, he has taken a diminished function in stride, and with 5 video games remaining possibly Mooney will begin seeing the ball with a little bit extra regularity. Opportunities are there, particularly with most opponents aware of Moore, particularly in clear passing conditions.
But you really want to pause and ask if one other WR2 — or perhaps a second WR1 — would dramatically change this passing offense as at present constructed.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com