Bear Digest

Caleb Williams Tries to Solve Case of the Vanishing Receivers

DJ Moore left the field and it seems he and Cole Kmet have left the offense and it's up to Bears QB Caleb Williams to relocate them.

Gene Chamberlain

DJ Moore hauls in a pass against Washington in the Bears' 18-15 loss. Moore has had 33 yards or less in receiving yards four of the last five games.
DJ Moore hauls in a pass against Washington in the Bears' 18-15 loss. Moore has had 33 yards or less in receiving yards four of the last five games. / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
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The great mystery over DJ Moore suddenly vanishing from the field during the middle of a pass play Sunday has been solved.

Now if the Bears could only solve why Moore and also tight end Cole Kmet both have figuratively vanished from the offense.

Moore was along the sidelines on pass play Sunday and left the field because of an ankle injury. He said he "tweaked" his ankle but he did return and play later.

"I was coming back because I'd seen Caleb was scrambling," Moore said. "My ankle went in and out. I was already–couldn't stop so my momentum–took me out of bounds, and then I just walked off."

The replay of it on social media led many to conclude Moore quit on the play.

"The noise, I hear it, seen it," Moore said. "Really didn't care. It is what it is.

"They (fans, media) could take it how they want to. They (did) without even knowing what happened mid-play. Can't stop y'all from doing what y'all want to do."

The replay didn't necessarily show Moore limping off badly but he was limping over to the bench while the play was running.

"The initial roll of the ankle was hurting bad, so that's why I, like, hobbled off and sat down," Moore said. "I came back in and was kind of like ... how do you say it–reindeering? I don't know, whatever it's called, however you do it–just down the middle of the field. But, I mean, I didn't stop playing the game. I didn't not go back in the game. That's what it was."

Such incidents become an issue with a  team struggling to cope with the aftermath of Tyrique Stevenson's penalty for his mistake against Washington's Hail Mary pass. Actually, they become more like striking a raw nerve.

With Moore not getting the ball much or when he does, not being in position to do anything with it, the passing game has struggle.

Moore has had 33 receiving yards or less in four of his last five games, following a 2023 season when he had 1,364 yards receiving.

"It's frustrating because you've got a guy that's so special and not being able to connect and hit on certain passes is frustrating for myself and I know it's frustrating for him because as a wide receiver, especially, you only get but so many chances, so many times the ball comes your way in a game and things like that," Williams said. "I wouldn't put it past him that it's frustrating, but we've got to figure it out.

"That's the whole point about football is figuring out why things are certain ways and finding ways to overcome or get better at them."

Kmet's situation is perplexing, as well. He wasn't been targeted in the last game and only once for a 14-yard catch in the previous game.

"I obviously want to be involved in the offense and make plays where I can, but sometimes it's just how the game flows here and there," Kmet said. "I know that it's not a conscious effort to not get me the football. Sometimes it's just how things play out.

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"It takes all 11 from that standpoint. It kind of is what it is. I try not to get frustrated with that stuff because I know there's a lot that goes into it. Just being ready for it. If it's not getting a target for a while, it's always important to keep your head in the game. The moment you get frustrated with things, the ball does come your way and bad things happen if you take your head out of it. So, it's important to stay locked in."

Moore has been targeted a team-high 60 times but has 37 catches and only 10 catches the last three games.

Kmet has 27 catches in 30 targets for a career-high 90% completion/targets ratio.

While Kmet's contributions haven't dropped a drastic amount on a yearly basis from the 70 catches he had last season, Moore's has.

One huge obvious difference has been the quarterback change, obviously. Moore speculated the quarterback's rookie status has something to do with it because when he arrived in Chicago he had a veteran, Justin Fields, throwing to him in the second year of an offense.

"I mean, just reps? You can say Justin had more reps when I got here than me and Caleb have, just him being a rookie quarterback and Justin wasn't a rookie quarterback last year," Moore said.

Whatever happened before and whatever the situation is now, the Bears offense has reached a point of desperation.

"We've just gotta get back to scoring," Moore said. "We just had a game where (kicker) Cairo (Santos) had all the points and that leaves us all with a sour taste in our mouth.

"We want to go out there and score touchdowns for the team, the fans, the organization, which we need to do at any cost, whether it's throwing the ball, running the ball, defensive touchdowns. Somebody's gotta score some touchdowns."

Twitter: BearsOnSI

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.