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Courtney Cronin, ESPN writer
LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The chemistry between Caleb Williams and DJ Moore is not what Chicago Bears teammates say they expected it to be after eight games.
“Obviously, he’s not at a place (in recent games) where we would like him to be,” Williams said Wednesday. “Both. It’s frustrating because you have a guy who is so special, and not being able to hit and hit on certain throws is frustrating for me, and I know it’s frustrating for him because, as a wide receiver, especially, “You only have so many opportunities, so many times the ball comes to you in a game and things like that.
Moore, a seven-year NFL veteran coming off a career year in Chicago, recorded a 100-yard performance in 2024 (five catches for 105 yards, 2 touchdowns in Week 5). In consecutive losses at Washington and Arizona, the star receiver totaled six receptions for 60 yards while being targeted 11 times.
Between five seasons in Carolina and two in Chicago after being the centerpiece of the Panthers’ trade for the No. 1 pick in 2023, Moore has played with 13 quarterbacks, including Williams. He posted four 1,000-yard seasons in 2019-21 and 2023.
During his first season with the Bears, Moore finished with 1,364 yards and eight touchdowns while catching passes from former Chicago quarterback Justin Fields and backup Tyson Bagent.
When asked Wednesday why his connection with Williams had taken longer to come together than the one he built with Fields, Moore struggled for an answer.
“I couldn’t tell you,” Moore said. “I mean, just reps? Justin arguably had more reps when I got here than Caleb and I, it’s just that he was a rookie quarterback and Justin wasn’t a rookie quarterback last year.”
Since his 105-yard performance against the Panthers, Moore has 80 combined receiving yards and zero touchdowns in three games.
Williams said the key to getting on track with the 27-year-old receiver is stronger communication in games.
“I think talking a little bit more and communicating a little bit more about the specific details of the ways that I see it and the ways that he sees it, the ways that he sees it, and then moving forward from there,” the rookie.
After Williams threw a behind-the-shoulder pass in Arizona when Moore expected something completely different, the receiver said communicating specific details will help the two solidify their connection.
“Just knowing who we’re facing, the one-on-one matchups we might have throughout the game and then understanding the finish, the reads and where we are in situations, where the read is going and how quick I have to be or how slow I have to be to stay in his vision,” Moore said. “Those are the little details I can think of.”
Before Chicago’s most recent victory, a 35-16 victory against the Jaguars in London on Oct. 13, Moore praised his quarterback’s assertiveness and command of the offense. The fact that Williams was “bossy,” according to the receiver, was the key to the Bears’ offense finding an identity while also being able to involve their best playmakers.
Including the Jaguars game, the Bears totaled 10 touchdowns before their Week 7 bye, and have scored 24 points since.
“We just have to get back to scoring,” Moore said. “We just had a game where [kicker] Cairo [Santos] He had all the points, and that leaves us all with a bitter taste in our mouths. We want to go out and score touchdowns for the team, the fans, the organization, which we have to do at any cost, whether it’s throwing the ball, running the ball or defensive touchdowns. “Somebody’s got to score some touchdowns.”
Moore also addressed his brief exit from the Cardinals game when he left the field in the first quarter while a play was still in progress.
“He sprained his ankle,” Moore said. “I was coming back because I had seen Caleb struggling. My ankle was going in and out. I was just… I couldn’t stop, so my momentum took me out of bounds and then I just walked away. The noise, Hearing it, seeing it. I really didn’t I cared.
