Let’s be honest. The media being down on the Chicago Bears offense is nothing new. They have every reason to feel that way. As a unit, it hasn’t had a top 10 finish in total yards for close to a decade now and only finished top 10 in scoring in 2018 because the defense had 36 takeaways. This franchise has made it impossible to trust they know how to forge a cohesive offense, especially in the passing game. Hence why all national experts say they have the worst receiving corps in the NFL. Meanwhile, fans continue to ask why Darnell Mooney is getting so disrespected.
Maybe it’s his humble beginnings as a 5th round pick. Perhaps it’s playing with four different quarterbacks since the start of the 2020 season. Neither is a good excuse. He broke the Bears rookie record for receptions despite a limited offseason because of COVID. Then he cracked 1,000 yards last year with three different QBs throwing him the ball. There isn’t much else the guy could’ve done to prove he’s a legitimate receiver in this league.
So saying the Bears have nothing is wrong.
At least one person made it clear he’s ready to buy stock in the Mooney Exchange. Sports Illustrated columnist Conor Orr hasn’t made many fans in Chicago lately. It started by encouraging Justin Fields to consider asking for a trade out of town. Then he predicted in his recent article that the Bears would be in the running for the 1st overall pick in next year’s draft. However, his tune changes when the subject of Mooney comes up. In that same article, he set the expectations for the third-year receiver sky high.
“Darnell Mooney will finish the season as a household name.
I recognize the hypocrisy of this statement given how harsh I’ve been on the Bears and how they’re building around Justin Fields. But they can still put together a struggling offense and have one capable wide receiver who puts up monstrous numbers.”
He is basically saying that the rest of the Bears receiving corps will be bad enough to where Fields force-feeds Mooney at every opportunity. Sort of a Davante Adams-in-Green Bay situation. Adams was targeted 169 times by Aaron Rodgers last season. Considering Mooney’s numbers from last year, he would’ve ended up with 1,273 yards last season. That was in Matt Nagy’s useless offensive system and a rookie at quarterback. Overall efficiency figures to be much better this year.
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Darnell Mooney has the confidence of Fields.
That much is obvious. The two had evident chemistry when they started working together after the quarterback took over the starting job. It’s a natural fit. Fields loves to throw deep, and Mooney is not only fast but proficient at creating separation down the field. Since the offseason began, they’ve been locked at the hip, putting in tons of extra hours preparing for this season. When this usually happens, stats follow.
It was true of Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison, Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson, and Rodgers and Adams. If a quarterback trusts his wide receiver enough, he will often look for him in key situations regardless of the play call. Darnell Mooney appears to have reached that point. So what Orr says isn’t wrong.
If health permits, this should be a big year for him.
Truth be told, the rhetoric against the Bears receiving corps feels overblown. Byron Pringle is a solid slot receiver and proved it in Kansas City despite limited targets. Velus Jones is a 3rd round pick with legitimate game-breaking speed. What they lack in name-value they make up for in upside. Mooney drawing more attention figures to help them get established.
