The Chicago Bears offense has looks much better from where it was last season. Nobody would dare call it an elite unit, but the progress made in the past two weeks alone is promising. Part of the reason for this is the ascent of young players. Rome Odunze is maturing into a star, leading the team with four touchdowns. Luther Burden had a breakout game against Dallas with 101 yards and a touchdown. Colston Loveland had a 31-yard reception. Amidst all this, it’s easy to forget the Bears still have a really good veteran who hasn’t had his moment yet. Is it coming for DJ Moore?
ESPN believes it is. Their analytics department believes the receiver has quietly had a strong start to the season, even if the numbers aren’t quite there yet. Sunday’s game in Las Vegas against the Raiders presents the perfect opportunity to get him going. The reason stems from his likely matchup.
ESPN’s receiver scores returned this week, and Moore was surprisingly the No. 1 player. It was a surprise considering Moore’s start to the season has been relatively pedestrian: 12 receptions for 135 yards and a touchdown. But the open score indicates Moore (and perhaps the scheme) has been doing its job, so there could be a whole lot more yards in his future.
The spike could start as soon as this week. Though Moore moves around in his alignment, he plays as an outside receiver on the left side more than anywhere else. That should match him up against Raiders cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly, who has allowed 1.5 yards per coverage snap, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. That is not only much higher than average for an outside corner, but it’s also the highest among Raiders defenders with at least 75 coverage snaps this season.
It isn’t an incorrect assessment.
Blu Kelly has been targeted 17 times this season. Quarterbacks are 12-of-17 for 218 yards and a touchdown. The cornerback is tough and physical, but seems prone to getting beat down the field. Moore’s underrated speed and ability to run routes make him one of the toughest matchups he’s faced yet.
DJ Moore has a strong history against Pete Carroll.
In two games between 2018 and 2019, the receiver had 16 catches for 204 yards. The last time he faced Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, he caught eight of the nine passes thrown his way. It was fortunate that DJ Moore was catching them from a rookie Tyson Bagent at the time. This is by far the best quarterback and head coach combination he’s had in years. If Ben Johnson uses him in the same ways he has over the past three weeks, it feels like the windows will be there. All Williams has to do is hit them when they appear. Much of that depends on the protection. Slowing down Maxx Crosby is undoubtedly central to the game plan. If it goes that way, the prediction could prove true.
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It is worth remembering Moore is at his most dangerous in domes. In 30 indoor games, he has 2,087 yards and 13 touchdowns. That is an average of 69.56 yards. Eclipsing that number should be the minimum expectation.
