The Chicago Bears suffered yet another painful 4th quarter collapse on Sunday, this time throwing away a 17-7 lead to lose 20-17. Joe Flacco threw for 212 yards in the quarter, including a 51-yard touchdown. While the defense can’t escape blame for something like that, much of the rage from fans is directed at the Bears offense. They mustered only ten points the entire game, and seven of those were gifted to them by an interception by the defense that set them up deep inside Browns territory. There was plenty of blame to go around, but it appears Darnell Mooney has serious heat after the debacle.
Once again, the receiver was a non-factor for most of the game, making two catches for 14 yards. This continues a miserable season for him, but the 4th quarter in Cleveland was his low point. Two plays stood out. First was an ugly missed blocking assignment on 4th and 1 that would’ve given Justin Fields an easy first down. Then, of course, there was the dropped Hail Mary in the end zone that would’ve won the game for Chicago.
A source told SM that teammates grew frustrated with Mooney after the game, accusing him of being checked out and having one foot already out the door. It’s no secret the receiver is a free agent next off-season, and his poor play, combined with the team’s losing record, appears to have impacted him.
Darnell Mooney only has himself to blame.
It’s not like the Bears haven’t tried to get him going this season. Fields has targeted him 57 times across 14 games. The problem is Mooney has only caught 29 of those passes, including three drops. It is by far the worst catch percentage of his career. Nobody can say he doesn’t work hard. It has always been evident that Mooney puts in the time. Still, recent evidence speaks for itself. He has cracked 50 yards receiving only once in his last ten games. You can’t put all of the blame on bad throws from Fields for that. Seven of those games involved four targets or more.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
The harsh truth is Darnell Mooney isn’t making plays. Maybe it’s the frustration of no contract extension or his lack of respect for the coaching staff. He likely won’t offer any insight on that until he’s gone. Either way, it appears teammates aren’t happy with him. His chances of staying in Chicago are all but dead. It isn’t only because of what happened in Cleveland. That was merely the final nail in the coffin. Mooney hasn’t answered the bell most of the season. The Bears are almost sure to let him walk while searching for help elsewhere.
