DJ Moore is known for his even-keeled demeanor.
That’s partly why the Chicago Bears wide receiver felt the need to explain why he looked so frustrated at multiple points during the team’s Week 2 loss to the Houston Texans on “Sunday Night Football.”
Moore’s response to one play in particular drew the attention of fans at home watching. Down by two scores late in the fourth quarter with just over 3:00 remaining, Moore and Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams failed to connect on a third down pass. Cameras captured the Bears wideout looking more than a tad annoyed after the play failed.
“I shouldn’t have shown as much,” Moore said on September 18 when asked about the incident. “But it’s a part of the game. Like I said, we were one play away from the game changing. And we just couldn’t connect, nobody on offense could connect with the one play or get the one play started to get us on track and go up. It’s football. Everybody is going to have their ups and downs and frustrations.”
Bears WR DJ Moore Says His Frustrations vs. Texans Were Amplified By the Cameras
Moore also noted that his straight-faced and mega-serious demeanor on the sidelines was pretty much the status quo for him, adding he was slightly baffled by the decisions made by the camera crew working the game.
“Every chance the camera got they caught that angle,” Moore said. “I usually sit on the bench like that anyway, so I don’t know what that’s about.”
Moore has 11 catches for 89 yards on the season. He’s off to a slow start, but so is the offense, and that’s to be expected with a rookie signal-caller and a first-year offensive coordinator.
The 27-year-old WR inked a four-year, $110 million extension with the team this offseason after finishing with career highs in catches (96), receiving yards (1,364 yards), and touchdown receptions (8) in 2023.
Bears Offense Still Has Time to Figure it Out
In his first game with the Bears in 2023, Moore caught just 2 passes on 2 targets for 25 yards. He responded the following week by hauling in 6 receptions on 7 targets for 104 yards. It’s only a matter of time before he breaks out and has a 100-yard game. The same should be true of the entire Bears offense, which is still struggling to find an identity under first-year OC Shane Waldron.
Williams has struggled early, completing 56.1% of his passes for 267 yards, no touchdowns and 2 interceptions, also getting sacked nine times. Moore says the entire unit has to step things up to help its rookie QB.
“We’ve just got to be on it. Know our calls, know our protection, know when we’re hot just to help Caleb out,” Moore noted. “I know we’ve got to nip that in the bud because it’s a copycat league and other teams are going to try to bring the house at him.”
“I think he’s been great,” Moore added, in reference to Williams. “He hasn’t been vocally frustrated or anything. He’s been coming in and still learning. So, waiting to see how he bounces back this week.”
We’ll see how Moore fares when the Bears visit the Indianapolis Colts Week 3, and whether those frustrations linger.
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