Heavy on Bears Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore didn't hold back when criticizing his team's play calling against the Commanders.
The Chicago Bears locker room and fan base remain in a state of disbelief after the team unraveled during the final minutes of its Week 8 loss to the Washington Commanders.
Of course, it was the Hail Mary from Commanders QB Jayden Daniels to wide receiver Noah Brown that sealed the deal, and Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson deserves much of the blame for that as the play developed for several seconds while he was busy taunting fans in the Washington crowd.
However, multiple decisions from Chicago’s coaching staff leading up to that play became the object of ire from prominent players inside the locker room. Chief among those calls was the blundering decision by offensive coordinator Shane Waldron to hand the football to backup center Doug Kramer on the goal line during the fourth quarter with the Bears trailing 12-7.
That play resulted in a fumble at the one-yard line and a loss of possession. Wide receiver DJ Moore appeared on the Monday, October 28 edition of the “Mully & Haugh Show” and expressed his disbelief that the play ever happened.
“I don’t know the reason behind the play call,” Moore said. “It’s been up for a few weeks, but I didn’t think we were actually getting it called in a game like this. When I came out of the tent and just seen him running, I was just like, ‘What the hell happened?'”
Multiple Bears Players Joined DJ Moore in Questioning Coaching Decisions After Loss to Washington
GettyChicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus talks to safety Kevin Byard.
There has been some criticism of the Bears’ play calling on the Hail Mary pass itself. However, the defensive call on the play prior — which resulted in a 13-yard gain that put the Commanders in position for the last-second heave — has actually drawn more heat.
Courtney Cronin of ESPN appeared on the Monday edition of “Around the Horn” and reported that Bears safety Kevin Byard called out head coach Matt Eberflus for the decision to play such a soft set.
“And then, of course, the play before the Hail Mary when the Bears don’t pressure, when they don’t try to stop [Commanders receiver] Terry McLaurin from getting to the sideline,” Cronin explained, setting the scene.” Kevin Byard, a veteran safety who’s been in this league a very long time, said that he had a conversation with Matt Eberflus about that play — maybe [cornerbacks] could have pressed up, maybe they could have sent pressure.”
ESPN analyst Mike Greenberg ripped Eberflus for saying after the game that the 13-yard gain Chicago surrendered on that play “doesn’t really matter.”
Bears Face Tough Task in Rebounding Against Cardinals
GettyWide receiver DJ Moore of the Chicago Bears.
The Bears, now 4-3 and winless away from Soldier Field, must endure a week of scrutiny before they can rinse the taste of Sunday’s loss out of their mouths via a trip to the desert to play the Arizona Cardinals (4-4) on November 3.
That contest has become incredibly important as Chicago moves into the second half of its schedule, which projects as vastly more challenging than the first. The Bears’ four wins this year have come against teams with a combined record of 7-23 through Week 8.
Players and coaches face the doubly difficult task of both letting go of a gut-wrenching defeat and getting back on the same page with one another in terms of communication and trust so as not to let one bad quarter ruin what has been a promising season thus far.
