Chicago Bears: Fields/Moore Combination Becoming Special

When the Chicago Bears traded for DJ Moore, they felt that he and Justin Fields would make a special duo. So far this season, they have shown that to be true.

This has been another season filled with frustration for the Chicago Bears. They have just four wins to go with eight losses. While that is one more than what they had in 2022, they had opportunities to win more. The talent on this roster is much better, yet they are still among the bottom five among teams.

There are some bright spots, however. The brightest of them is the acquisition of wide receiver D.J. Moore. Moore is one of the top wide receivers in the NFL.

Coming from the Carolina Panthers, Moore knew about playing for a team with quarterback problems. Despite not having a stable quarterback situation there, he still managed to amass 5,201 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns. Additionally, he had three consecutive seasons in which he had over 1,100 receiving yards.

Acquiring Moore was huge for not only the Bears but also for quarterback Justin Fields. Last season, he did not have very many dependable targets. Darnell Mooney was dependable but went down with an injury and could not finish the season.

The Bears hoped that Moore would be the one target Fields could have total faith in. They hoped that Moore could help in Fields’ development.

After the start of training camp, the Bears were very high on the Fields/Moore duo. They talked about them creating a special bond and being in the zone together. This writer himself went to a training camp session and witnessed it firsthand.

Moore was catching everything Fields threw his way. In their first preseason game, Fields threw a screen to Moore and he took it to the house for a touchdown.

Things start slow but then heat up

Of course, what players do during training camp and the preseason sometimes doesn’t carry over to the regular season. In the case of Fields and Moore, however, it did.

There was a bump on the road in Week 1, however. He received just two targets. He caught them both for just 25 yards, though. That caused a huge uproar. He was the biggest acquisition in the offseason so he should get more than two targets.

In Week 2 things changed. His targets went up to seven. he caught six of them for 104 yards. While he only had 41 receiving yards against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 3, he did get his first touchdown catch.

Then Moore had an incredible two weeks. He had eight catches for 132 yards and another touchdown. Then, the next week, he went off the chart. He had eight more catches for an amazing 230 yards and three touchdowns.

Then Fields got injured and missed four games. In those games, Tyson Bagent had trouble finding Moore. Moore averaged about 97 yards per game with Fields as his quarterback. With Bagent, that total went down to 52.8 yards per game.

Now with Fields back, the duo is cooking again. Against the Detroit Lions in Week 11, he had 7 catches for 96 yards and a touchdown. And then on Monday night in Week 12, he had 11 catches for 114 yards. He caught the most important pass of the game, a 36-yard play that set up the game-winning field goal.

That last catch helped win the game and put Moore over the 1,000-yard mark again. He now has 1,003 receiving yards for the season. With five games remaining in the season, he has a great shot at setting new career highs in yards, catches, and touchdowns. All are within reach.

Do the Bears break up the duo?

There is speculation that the Chicago Bears could decide to part ways with Fields after this season. They could end up with two top-five picks in next year’s draft (they currently had the top pick and the fourth overall pick).

With big quarterback prospects Caleb Williams and Drake May, among others, available, Chicago could want to reset at quarterback and have him develop while the team continues to rebuild.

With Fields and Moore playing so well together, could the team imagine adding another top receiver and giving Fields two great targets?

Marvin Harrison Jr. could be available to the Bears in the draft. He is one of the most sought-after wide receiver prospects in quite some time. He could transform any receiving corps with his playmaking ability. Imagine having him learn from Moore.

Moore has already been working with rookie wide receiver Tyler Scott, trying to help him learn more about the route tree and disguising his routes. Having him give valuable lessons to Harrison Jr, would be incredible.

Having Fields throwing to Moore and Harrison Jr would definitely accelerate his development. Throw in a more experienced Scott next season and the Chicago Bears wide receiver group could be a very impressive one for seasons to come. That could be reason enough for the team to keep Fields. It will be another interesting offseason.