From surprise contenders to a two–game losing skid, the Chicago Bears find themselves in a different direction after Sunday‘s 29-9 defeat to the Arizona Cardinals. The latest defeat did not only affect their standing but also added to the injury worries of the team, which included a scare to the star wide receiver DJ Moore.
DJ Moore Suffers Injury (or Frustration) Scare Mid-Play
Moore was seen limping off the field mid-play early in the first quarter during a scramble by rookie quarterback Caleb Williams. The sudden exit also raised concern for Bears fans and his teammates as he made his way over to the bench. Bears reporter Nicholas Moreano noticed the unusual exit: “Didn’t notice this live, but on this extended scramble play that ended in OPI on Keenan Allen, DJ Moore took himself off the field with what looks like some kind of injury. He limped off at the end and sat on the bench.”
Never seen this before. DJ Moore, a team captain, walks off the field mid play and doesn’t even watch the rest of the play. The Bears are a complete mess right now. pic.twitter.com/VTDrCJc21o
— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) November 4, 2024
Fortunately, Moore returned to the field later in the game, ending with four catches for 33 yards on nine targets. He played the rest of the game but had the production severely limited, which goes to show it was a tough outing for him and the Bears offense in general.
A Struggling Bears Offense
The Bears’ woes didn‘t end with Moore‘s injury; promising rookie quarterback Caleb Williams seemed to pick one up during the game. Moore himself had limited production, adding to the woes of the team, while the Bears managed to put up only nine points by the end of the game.
In response to the offensive struggles, Moore took a
cool-headed approach with his post-game comments to the media. When asked if a change in play-calling was needed, Moore opted for a veteran-like tone to dismiss the idea and said, “I don’t think that will happen. We just got to go back to the drawing board and start putting people in different positions to be able to move the ball and stay on the same page and stick together.”Head Coach Matt Eberflus Takes Accountability
After the game, Bears head coach Matt Eberflus spoke about the tough night his offense had. He took some of the blame on himself, and he did say it was about setting up the run game and using it as a foundation.
“[I take] full responsibility for that,” Eberflus said. “We’ll work with the offensive staff tomorrow morning as we watch this tape tonight and find answers. Find answers for running the ball first. Making sure you do that and setting everything off of that. Then, we will make sure we have good actions off of that to start on first and second down.”
Looking Ahead
The Bears have much work to do before heading into their next game, which will see them go against the New England Patriots. But Moore is toughing it out through injury, and Eberflus seems set on finding ways, so this team does hope for a rebound to recapture some of the momentum they had earlier on in this season. For now, Bears fans can only hope the Moore injury scare won‘t translate into more missed time and an offense with its arsenal of weapons will begin to fire on all cylinders soon.
Also Read: The Most Iconic NFL Rivalries: What Makes These Matchups Unforgettable Every Season
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