Watching wide receiver Darnell Mooney in the locker room after the Chicago Bears’ narrow loss to Miami, the look written all over his face was unmistakable. It was a classic ‘I told you so’ expression. The young wide receiver warned everybody back in the summer that Justin Fields would show many people how good he is this season. There were plenty of skeptics. They saw how much he struggled as a rookie. The offensive line looked rough. His arsenal of weapons wasn’t great.
Mooney didn’t care. That is how much confidence he had in his quarterback. Three months later and the receiver was all smiles despite the frustrating loss to the Dolphins. Fields had just turned in one of the best performances a Bears QB has ever had in the Super Bowl era. He threw three touchdowns and ran for an NFL regular season record 178 yards and another score. Miami couldn’t stop him. Mooney didn’t even bother hiding his smugness when asked about it.
“He’s a dominant player. Everybody knows that. This is not a surprise that he [broke the record] today. He’s always running around, trying to make plays for our offense when things break down. He’s a great player.
He’s going to break a lot of records. So get ready.”
Darnell Mooney can see what is coming.
He understands what Fields’ ascent means for the organization. There is lots of winning around the corner. The team isn’t ready yet. They need an influx of talent at other positions. However, they have a quarterback that can carry the offense himself. Fields needs better blocking, a few more weapons, and a rebuilt defense. Once that happens, this team could become a force in the NFC. It is uncharted territory for an organization that hasn’t had a quarterback of this caliber in decades.
Jay Cutler was the closest, but he never overcame his turnover issues. Jim McMahon couldn’t stay healthy. Fields is a superior athlete to anybody the Bears have put under center, and he also might be among the most intelligent. Nobody outworks him. That might explain why Darnell Mooney and other teammates express so much confidence in the second-year QB. This thing is just getting started.
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Thomas J Cameron: Now it’s going to be the “A cloud of dust, and Fields emerges in the clear, ….” era.
I think JF1 just ended the Bears “3 yds and a cloud of dust” era.
After the draft I started saying ” Bears to the playoffs, Justin Fields top 10 quarterback ” and kept saying it till about the 4th game. Honestly, I kept thinking playoffs but it was taking longer for Justin to develop than I expected and his numbers were so low that I began to doubt he could be top 10 this year. But I mean come on if he keeps this up he could be top 5! He is blowing this out of the water and still has so much room to grow. And all these young hungry players are all… Read more »
Mooney’s gonna make a great slot receiver later this yr or next for sure