Another Bears star seems unsatisfied with coaching
Through two weeks, not much of anything has gone right for the Chicago Bears, and now, their shiny new wide receiver, DJ Moore, appears to be feeling discouraged already.
Moore had an interesting exchange with Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Devin White on Sunday, hinting that he's not particularly happy with how things are going. During a timeout, a mic'd-up White told Moore the Bears were misusing him, to which the wideout responded, "Tell me about it," before walking away.
Looking at Moore's stats from Week 2 (six catches, 104 yards), it might seem like the usual diva-like behavior fans have come to expect from wide receivers. However, taking a deeper look, Moore's frustrations come to light.
Bears quarterback Justin Fields targeted Moore on two of his first three pass attempts on Sunday, accounting for 64 yards. However, Moore wasn't part of the team's game plan after the Bears' opening drive, receiving only five targets the rest of the contest despite Fields throwing the ball 26 more times.
Moore must be feeling some deja vu, as he was in a similar situation last season, adjusting to a new quarterback in Baker Mayfield with the Carolina Panthers. Through the first two weeks of the 2022 campaign, Moore struggled, seeing only 12 targets while catching only half for 88 yards and a touchdown.
Moore's comments came to light a day after Fields seemed to blame coaching for his "robotic" play.
"I definitely felt like I was robotic and not playing like myself [in a Week 2 loss against Tampa Bay]," Fields said. "You know, could be coaching, I think."
If there's a silver lining, the Bears are using Moore to stretch the field, something the Panthers weren't doing. Through Weeks 1 and 2 last year, Moore averaged only 7.17 yards per target, which has doubled in two games with the Bears to 14.33 yards. If that trend continues, and Fields can find his game, Moore's number could make a jump.
Brought in via trade to be the weapon Fields needed to take the next step in his maturation, Moore has yet to deliver. It's hard to produce when you're tied for third on the team in targets with a rookie running back, but Moore simply has to do more if he's going to live up to all the preseason hype.
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