Tag: 2023 NFL Week 5

D.J. Moore might have been in bounds on a Bears TD but even the replay was unclear

Where did D.J. Moore step out of bounds, and why wasn’t there a good replay???

The Chicago Bears rolled early Thursday night en route to a commanding (pun intended) 27-3 halftime lead. Justin Fields continued a hot streak with three first-half touchdown passes. And D.J. Moore racked up two touchdowns and over 100 yards receiving on just five catches in under 16 minutes of play. But soon, with one of the NFL’s worst defenses, Chicago was trying to stem the tide of a furious Washington Commanders rally. (Never mind that Ron Rivera seemed weirdly interested in helping Chicago out.)

After Washington brought the margin to 27-14, the Bears went to a familiar well — Moore, their No. 1 receiver. He beat Kendall Fuller on a short curl route and found himself with nothing but green grass in front of him. For a moment, it looked like he’d streak away for a decisive score.

Except the officials curiously blew the play dead. Why? They thought Moore stepped out of bounds. Uh … did he?

I know the initial camera angle isn’t entirely clear, but that felt like a pretty consequential play at the time. Is it really impossible to see another better view?

That wasn’t any better! There is someone literally standing in front of the camera at the key moment. Given that the Bears were trying to hold off the Commanders and this play grew in consequence as a result, it feels negligible that someone didn’t have another quality view of the play.

Fortunately for Moore, he’d later put the icing on the cake for the Bears in their first win of the 2023 season:

I suppose that’s what great players do, though: They erase all doubt when they get the opportunity. In this case, Moore had eight catches for 230 yards and three touchdowns. That’s how you make up for any poor perceived officiating.

NFL fans called out Ron Rivera for kicking a weak field goal when the Commanders had the Bears reeling

Ron Rivera bailed the desperate Bears out with this awful decision.

After a sparkling 27-3 first half, the Chicago Bears started to let the reins go a little bit against the Washington Commanders Thursday night. With nothing to lose at the start of the second stanza, Washington marched right down the field and captured a two-point conversion to narrow the margin to 27-11.

Then, with an opportunity to really make the Bears sweat, Washington found itself with a perfectly attainable fourth-and-short inside the 10-yard line at the end of the third quarter. Against one of the NFL’s worst defenses, the obvious logical decision was to go for it and try and make it a one-score game with time quickly ticking. Chicago clearly had no answer.

But Ron Rivera was interested in playing it way too safe. He kicked a field goal to make a two-possession game … a two-possession game.

That old “Riverboat Ron” nickname feels long dead and gone.

This just isn’t how a modern coach should approach football. You are never guaranteed red-zone trips. If there are just under 20 minutes left in the game, it’s time to put the foot on the gas. If the other team’s players are spiraling, that’s when you step on their throat.

No one evidently relayed this message along to Rivera. And it cost his team dearly.