There isn’t a whole lot for the Chicago Bears or their fans to be feeling good about right now, which seems to be par for the course.
The team is just 1-4, and although it’s coming off a 40-20 win over the Washington Commanders in which quarterback Justin Fields threw four touchdown passes for the second straight game, its chances of making the playoffs are slim to none.
The Bears’ lone bright spot is wide receiver DJ Moore, who has an impressive 531 receiving yards and five touchdowns through five games. He ranks fifth in the NFL in receiving yards and is tied for first in receiving touchdowns, and he could be on his way to his first Pro Bowl selection.
Even better, according to Pro Football Focus, he leads everyone with a 93.7 receiving grade on contested targets.
Over the last few years, Moore has been one of the game’s most underrated wideouts. From 2019 to 2021, he put up over 1,150 receiving yards each season, and at age 26, he could be getting better before everyone’s eyes.
He had certainly made Fields’ life easier this season after Chicago traded the No. 1 pick in April’s draft for him. He had 230 yards and three touchdowns versus Washington after collecting 131 yards the previous week, and he has developed into something of a security blanket for the young quarterback.
If Fields is going to prove the doubters wrong and become a decent NFL signal-caller by the end of this season, it will happen in large part because of Moore’s help.
On the season, Fields has completed just 61.8 percent of his pass attempts and thrown for 1,143 yards and 11 touchdowns, but he also has five interceptions and has gotten sacked 20 times, which is third in the league. Ball security has been a concern for him after he had 21 picks in his first two seasons combined, but DJ Moore’s ability to make contested catches has alleviated that concern just a little.
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