Tag: Darnell Mooney

Bears receivers back Justin Fields: ‘(He’s) the QB of the future’

Bears WRs DJ Moore and Darnell Mooney aren’t sure why people are questioning whether Justin Fields is the team’s franchise QB.

There’s been plenty of discussion about Bears quarterback Justin Fields’ future, especially as we ramp up the final month of the regular season.

With Chicago projected to have the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft (courtesy of the Carolina Panthers), general manager Ryan Poles has an important decision to make this offseason: Stick with Fields or draft a top rookie.

It’s a decision that won’t come easy to Poles, as Fields is making it easy with his improved play down this final stretch. But if you ask Bears wide receivers, the choice is simple: You roll it back with Fields in 2024.

“Justin is the quarterback of the future,” wide receiver Darnell Mooney said, via NBC Sports Chicago. “He’s the franchise quarterback. He’s been balling. I don’t understand why it’s anymore questions. Obviously, we have the [projected No. 1 pick] because of Carolina right now, but Justin is a dog. If he’s not here, he’ll be somewhere else balling. I’m not the guy that makes those decisions, but Justin is dog. Wherever he may be, if it’s not here, he’s still going to ball.”

Moore echoed the sentiment, especially as he and Fields have developed a nice rapport this season. So why are people questioning Fields’ future in Chicago?

“I don’t know,” Moore said. “Ya’ll asked me that last week. I’m still like, ‘Bruh, where are ya’ll seeing this? What makes him not the franchise quarterback for the Chicago Bears right now?'”

Poles will do his due diligence in the draft process, including the evaluation of the draft’s top quarterback prospects Caleb Williams and Drake Maye. But Moore isn’t entertaining the notion that they’re the better option.

“I get ya’ll got everybody coming out. What, there’s like two of them?” Moore said. “I don’t think they are better than Justin.”

Unfortunately, Moore isn’t the one making the final call. It’s up to Poles to determine the best course of direction for the Bears. After all, he will be defined by it.

Bears offense admits they got complacent in 3rd quarter vs. Browns

Darnell Mooney admitted he didn’t like how the Bears offense got “too comfortable” after jumping out to a 17-7 lead in the third quarter.

The Chicago Bears offense had a rough outing against the Cleveland Browns, where they totaled just 10 points, had eight three-and-outs and couldn’t find a rhythm.

The Bears did score 10 of their 17 points in the third quarter — but it wasn’t all because of the offense. Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds intercepted Browns quarterback Joe Flacco and returned it 45 yards for a touchdown to give Chicago a 14-7 lead.

On the offense’s only points of the third quarter, they drove 47 yards on nine plays only to stall on the Cleveland 23-yard line and settled for a Cairo Santos field goal.

Wide receiver Darnell Mooney admitted after the game that he didn’t like how the offense got “too comfortable” after the team jumped out to a 17-7 lead.

“I didn’t like how we felt comfortable in the third quarter,” Mooney said, via ESPN’s Courtney Cronin. “Just lackadaisical and just conservative. Everybody just happy that we were winning and just got to be aggressive and continue to put their foot on the pedal and just go out there and punch ‘em. Can’t get too comfortable in the third quarter. That’s what kind of bit us. Tried to switch gears in the fourth quarter once they scored. It’s hard to do that.”

Wide receiver DJ Moore agreed.

“I mean, yeah, it was kind of a lull in the third quarter,” Moore said, via Cronin. “We didn’t really have no explosive plays. I don’t even think we had more than four first downs. It was like a little lull and we can’t be like that going against a defense like that.”

After the Bears jumped out to that 17-7 lead, the Browns scored 10 unanswered points en route to their comeback victory. It was the third time this season that Chicago has blown a 10-plus point lead in the fourth quarter.

While the offense surely has confidence in their defense, which has been a dominant force in the past few weeks, there’s no excuse for them to let off the pedal against a team with a playoff spot on the line.

And, when you do, good teams tend to take advantage of that complacency.

Instant analysis of Bears’ 20-17 loss vs. Browns in Week 15

The Chicago Bears suffered a tough 20-17 defeat on the road against the Cleveland Browns. The game began as a defensive battle, with both teams exchanging punts early and often. However, in the second half, there was a momentum shift as Cleveland …

The Chicago Bears suffered a tough 20-17 defeat on the road against the Cleveland Browns. The game began as a defensive battle, with both teams exchanging punts early and often. However, in the second half, there was a momentum shift as Cleveland figured out ways to find the end zone, and Chicago’s offense could not get going when it mattered most.

The Browns wound up taking the late lead, and the game ended dramatically as Darnell Mooney dropped a potential game-winning touchdown on a 45-yard Hail Mary attempt. This loss brings Chicago’s record to a disappointing 5-9, crushing any slim playoff aspirations.

The Bears had a promising start on offense with an early touchdown by Cole Kmet following an interception by Eddie Jackson. Unfortunately, that was the high point for the group, which struggled throughout the game. As a team, the Bears averaged 3.3 yards per rush, and Justin Fields averaged 4.2 yards per pass while battling a tough Browns defense.

Poor weather influenced the Bears’ game plan. Still, their conservative and ineffective approach led to nine punts or turnovers on ten possessions. It was a masterclass in offensive ineptitude.

The Bears defense initially kept the Browns’ offense at bay, allowing just seven points in the first half. They forced three interceptions, including a pick-six by linebacker Tremaine Edmunds. Chicago also constantly pressured quarterback Joe Flacco, sacking him four times. But a critical error in the fourth quarter allowed Amari Cooper to score a 51-yard touchdown, tying the game at 17-17.

With three minutes remaining, this play shouldn’t have decided the game. Still, the Bears offense failed to respond, ultimately leading to their defeat in the end.

Sunday’s game in Cleveland highlighted a recurring issue for the Bears: the inability to play complementary football. The defense has been formidable, forcing 14 turnovers in the last four weeks and producing a +9 turnover differential. However, during this time, the offense has only averaged 20 points per game. The Bears are 2-2 during this four-game stretch of elite defensive play and fail to translate it into more wins.

Next up, the Bears will host the Arizona Cardinals (3-10) at Soldier Field. The game kicks off at 3:25 pm CT.

LG Teven Jenkins left the game in the second quarter due to a concussion.

The Bears nearly had a walk-off Hail Mary after the ball impossibly bounced off Darnell Mooney’s hands

How did Darnell Mooney not catch this???

Darnell Mooney’s going to be dreaming of this Hail Mary pass tonight.

On Sunday, the Chicago Bears lost to the Cleveland Browns 20-17 thanks to some late-game heroics from Joe Flacco to secure the game-winning field goal. After the Browns made the field goal to take the lead, the Bears did have about 30 seconds left to make a play and they almost did thanks to the arm of Justin Fields.

With no time left on the clock, Fields launched a Hail Mary down the field towards the end zone. Unlike with most Hail Mary passes, this one was nearly caught by Mooney in the end zone. In fact, Mooney had it in his hands, but the ball impossibly bounced off of his arms, ending up as a Browns’ interception to steal the win.

That was so close. Maybe the closest Hail Mary attempt we’ve seen this season. Mooney and the Bears will definitely be thinking about this play after that rough loss for sure.

NFL fans were just as devastated as Mooney after the Bears’ wide receiver dropped a game-winning Hail Mary against the Browns.

5 potential free agent fits for Patriots in 2024

Here are five possible free agent fits for the Patriots in 2024.

The New England Patriots are sitting at 3-10 and their playoff hopes are over. Even though there are still four game left on the regular season schedule, the groundwork for change is underway.

The Patriots will have all of their own draft picks, which are likely to fall in the top-five in each round. They have very few commitments locked up long-term, and they will potentially have upwards of $100 million in cap space. All of that is enticing for a new general manager and coach pairing, which is likely to happen.

The new regime will try and spend like the 2021 Patriots but get a better return on investment. Here are five potential free agent fits for the Patriots with the available cap space in 2024:

4 defensive keys for Vikings vs. Bears

For the Vikings to slow down Justin Fields and the Bears, they will have to follow these four defensive keys to victory.

The Minnesota Vikings have a chance to better their playoff chances before a much-needed bye week on Monday night against the Chicago Bears (7:20 p.m. CST, ESPN)

After dropping the Sunday night game against the Denver Broncos, Minnesota is still slated at sixth in the playoff race, but a win would give them an 82% chance to make the postseason.

Which, after a deflating 0-3 start, would be yet another testament to the resiliency of this team. To do that, they need to stop this Chicago offense that hasn’t been full-strength since their last meeting.

Justin Fields accounted for 273 yards of total offense in last week’s eventual collapse against the Detroit Lions. This was his first action back since leaving the first meeting against the Vikings with a dislocated thumb on his throwing hand.

The addition of Fields was felt immediately as the Bears were a Tyler Scott completion from salting away a huge upset win against Detroit. This offense cannot be overlooked, despite how well the Minnesota defense has looked recently.

If they want to stop this offense, they must follow these four keys to success on the defensive side.

5 Browns potential WR targets at the NFL trade deadline

The trade deadline is vastly approaching and the Browns are looking for a wide receiver…

The NFL trade deadline has arrived. Teams have until 4 PM EST today to get deals reported to the NFL office if they want to add talent to their rosters. The Cleveland Browns have been reported to be in the market for a wide receiver to add to their offense as they continue to attempt to jumpstart that side of the football. Could names like Jerry Jeudy of the Denver Broncos or Marquise Brown of the Arizona Cardinals be targets?

Amari Cooper has been Amari Cooper, but other than that the wide receiver unit has been a disappointment for the Browns. Elijah Moore has only recently gotten out of a gadget role, Donovan Peoples-Jones is one of the worst separators in the NFL and has disappeared this season, and third round picks David Bell and Cedric Tillman see the field sparingly.

As the Browns sit at 4-3 and just average quarterback play away from a much better record, here are five wide receiver targets that could help to push them over the top.

Six points with David Dorey

Friday’s quick look at six fantasy items to know

The trade deadline is next Tuesday, Halloween, at 4 p.m. EST. It is a time when a few players get to recharge their careers elsewhere and leave opportunities behind for someone else. Most of the moves are not fantasy-relevant but a few can be. Mecole Hardman is back at the Chiefs, though his prospects aren’t any better than the first time he was there.

Chase Claypool was sent to the Dolphins, and… No. I don’t know why, either. He was essentially free with the cost of swapping a sixth-round pick for a seventh. Cam Akers lands on the Vikings, where he’s probably going just to limit Alexander Mattison. Van Jefferson was sent to Atlanta, which is marginally better than being buried on the Rams depth chart.

What to watch on Sunday is for any different usage of a player – particularly under-using them to keep them healthy for a trade. It is time for bad teams to get some value for players who likely won’t be there next year.

Here are the Top-6 trade candidates I’d like to see moved.

  1. Derrick Henry – This appears to be a lock according to most pundits and every anonymous poster on X-Twitter. He won’t be back in Tennessee next year, and they could get something for him. The Titans are 2-4 and looking worse. 2024 will be a rebuilding year anyway. Henry turns 30 next year, and while he’s only been injured once of note, there are a lot of miles on those tires. He’s a perfect fit for a playoff-bound offense lacking talent in the backfield. The Ravens are expected to be interested, but the Bills and Buccaneers could use a boost when they run.
  2. Saquon Barkley –  He says he won’t move, and the Giants said they won’t move him. He is never going to play in a Superbowl for the Giants, and he turns 27 next year. Barkley has one more good contract left (probably), but he isn’t driving up his value by staying. He signed a one-year $10M to stay this year, but the Giants will not commit to him long-term anyway. I’d guess he’ll stay, but he would be a difference-maker. Imagine the Bills with the dual-threat Barkley. Or the Cowboys or Eagles.
  3. Darnell Mooney – He is in the final year of his rookie contract, and what little passing the Bears ends up with DJ Moore or Cole Kmet. At 5-11 and 173 pounds, he was miscast as a primary wideout in the past but makes a speedy complement (4.38 40-time). He turned in an 81-1055-4 stat line in 2021. The Chargers are a possibility since losing Mike Williams. The Chiefs would have been before taking Mecole Hardman back, and maybe are still a possibility since Mooney played with the Chiefs’ OC Matt Nagy. His fantasy value would skyrocket, swapping Justin Fields for Patrick Mahomes.
  4. Marquise Brown – It would seem a surprise to get rid of the Cardinals’ No. 1 wideout right when Kyler Murray is getting nearer to return. But the 1-6 Cardinals are already done, and the rebuild should be in full force next season. The Cardinals may not move him though, and his departure strips the receivers of talent for the rest of the year. But if the right deal were offered, Arizona would have to consider it. And there’s speculation that the Cards might end up with a new franchise quarterback from the 2024 NFL draft because they are headed to a very early pick – if not the No. 1 pick.
  5. Hunter Renfrow – The Raider slot receiver posted 103 catches for 1,038 yards and nine scores in 2021 when the Raiders ran out of receivers. For the two seasons with HC Josh McDaniels, Renfrow sees minimal use. But he’s only 27, and there is an out in his contract next year anyway. His relationship with McDaniels is described as “fractured.” One potential landing spot is with the Saints, where he could reunite with Derek Carr. He could also end up with the Bears as a replacement for Darnell Mooney if he was traded. Renfrow is too good and too young to waste away on a roster.
  6. Jerry Jeudy – He’s been rumored to be traded since the start of last summer, and the 2-5 Broncos will not be busy in January. The former first-round pick could net the Broncos a middle-round pick for a team that needs to refresh their roster. He’s rumored to be another possible add by the Chiefs, but several NFL teams could be willing to upgrade their receivers because Jeudy needs a change of scenery and system. The Broncos will accept less for him than last summer.

About last night…

Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

Buccaneers 18, Bills 24

The Buccaneers played tougher than expected, but the Bills also failed at the goal line in the first half and left with no points. Baker Mayfield ended with 237 yards and two scores between Chris Godwin (5-54, TD) and Mike Evans (3-39, TD), who caught his touchdown with only 2:44 left to play to salvage what had been an invisible game. Rachaad White didn’t score, but he ran for 39 yards on nine carries and led the receivers with seven catches for 70 yards in his best showing of the season. The Bucs still ended up with a Hail Mary pass into the end zone that somehow landed there without anyone touching it. Chris Godwin was the closest.

If the Buccaneers were to end up with Derrick Henry or another running back before the trade deadline, White would at least retain the third-down role. The 3-4 Buccaneers head to Houston for Week 9.

It was a standard night for Josh Allen. He ran for 41 yards and a touchdown on his seven rushes. He passed for 324 yards and two scores between Greg Davis (9-87, TD) and Dalton Kincaid (5-65, TD). Khalil Shakir almost doubled his 2023 stats when he led the team with 92 yards on six catches. Stefon Diggs started slowly but ended up with nine catches for 70 yards. The Bills never trailed, but the Bucs tied the score 10-10 in the second quarter before the Bills pulled away. They rise to 5-3 and head to Cincinnati for next week’s Sunday night game.

Six points with David Dorey

Friday’s quick look at six fantasy items to know

The NFL had a rash of injuries to quarterbacks last week, so let’s hope that’s just an aberration and not the start of even more players getting hurt. The scoring has been down overall, and the incidence of monster performances by fantasy players have also declined. That makes for less fantasy points to go around, and yet amplifies the impact for when a player can log multiple touchdowns or pile up the yardage.

One of the more important facets of Week 7 is that the looming trade deadline is 4 p.m.. on October 31st. – the Tuesday following the Week 8 games. We saw a number of trades last season and it feels like that will repeat, since several top-record teams still have glaring holes to fill if they want to do anything in January.

To start, let’s look at why waiting in defenses and kickers may seem hard for some, but it is reasonable. And kickers are the worst.

  1. How we did on fantasy defenses – The Top-5 are the difference makers and in a position that is typically the lowest scoring in most fantasy leagues, anything beyond those first five are not that different – usually a point or two per game overall. Here are how the Average Draft Position (ADP) shook out against the current Points Per Game (PPG) for the defense.
    ADP PPG Draft Rank PPG ADP Actual Rank
    1 14 49ers 1 11 Steelers
    2 9 Eagles 2 3 Cowboys
    3 2 Cowboys 3 4 Bills
    4 3 Bills 4 7 Jets
    5 30 Patriots 5 16 Seahawks
    6 10 Ravens 6 17 Bengals
    7 4 Jets 7 9 Saints
    8 11 Jaguars 8 20 Chargers
    9 7 Saints 9 2 Eagles
    10 20 Commanders 10 6 Ravens

    The Cowboys and Bills were the only two that have delivered so far, the Cowboys are starting to fall after the effect of their first three weeks starts to be watered down. Three of the Top-8 have delivered so far, but teams that reached for the 49ers a few rounds earlier than the rest should regret spending too much. That’s almost always the case for the first defense drafted each year.

  2. How we did on fantasy kickers –
    ADP PPG Draft Rank PPG ADP Actual Rank
    1 15 Justin Tucker 1 ND K. Fairbairn
    2 29 Daniel Carlson 2 11 Jake Elliott
    3 13 Tyler Bass 3 ND Brandon Aubrey
    4 24 Evan McPherson 4 ND Brett Maher
    5 5 Harrison Butker 5 5 Harrison Butker
    6 8 Jason Myers 6 10 Greg Zuerlein
    7 19 Cameron Dicker 7 ND Nick Folk
    8 28 Younghoe Koo 8 6 Jason Myers
    9 10 B McManus 9 14 Jake Moody
    10 6 Greg Zuerlein 10 9 B McManus

    Okay, so look at the above table – only Harrison Butker paid off commensurate with where he was taken. Those first four kickers taken in the Average Draft didn’t deliver as a fantasy starter, let alone yield any advantage. The Top-4 in current points-per-game were Jake Elliot taken as the 11th kicker drafted, and three other guys who were not drafted in most fantasy leagues.

  3. WR Mecole Hardman (KC) – The Chiefs swapped late round picks to bring Hardman back to Kansas City after logging just one catch for the Jets this year. Here’s what he did in the four seasons with the Chiefs:
    Year GMS Catch Yds YPR TDs Rush Yds TDs
    2022 8 25 297 11.9 4 4 31 2
    2021 17 59 693 11.7 2 8 46 0
    2020 16 41 560 13.7 4 4 31 0
    2019 16 26 538 20.7 6 4 17 0

    So the question is if Hardman can do what no other Chiefs’ wideout has this year – matter. As in provide consistent fantasy relevant stats. Hardman provided about 600 yards each season, though through 2021 Tyreek Hill was there, and Hardman had a season-ending groin tear in 2022. He’s only gained 100 yards in one game, but he should provide something has been missing – touchdowns. The Chiefs wideout combine for only four touchdowns in their six games but last year, Hardman alone scored four times in the first eight games prior to injury, including in all three of his final games. It is something to watch for because the Chiefs need to improve passing touchdowns.

  4. TE Michael Mayer (LV) – The Raiders spent their 2.03 pick on the receiving tight end that led all Notre Dame receivers last year.  At 6-5, 249-pounds and running a 4.7 40-time, Mayer has all the marks of an elite NFL tight end. He’s one to watch with the Raiders that have taken to spreading the ball around more (to the displeasure of Davante Adams) and Mayer led the team last week with five catches for 75 yards against the Patriots. His involvement at the Bears should indicate if he is ready for a bigger role or if last week was just the product of a specific matchup.
  5. WR Darnell Mooney (CHI) – The trade deadline is nearing, and Mooney getting traded seems like an ideal situation. The Bears have found their No. 1 wideout with DJ Moore, and the season is already over at 1-5. They can get draft capital for a player who hasn’t used much but who had a 1,000-yard season in 2021 and can offer a speedy field stretcher. And Mooney’s career has already peaked in Chicago, so a change in team can only be a positive.
  6. RB Derrick Henry (TEN) – The Titans’ long-time star running back is likely heading into free agency next spring and he turns 30 in January. The 2-4 Titans could get something for him in a trade and look like a team heading into a rebuilding mode next year, even if HC Mike Vrabel reaches his sixth season. The Buccaneers lead the NFC South and yet rank No. 32 in running backs. It would take a top team to be interested in a “win now at all costs” sort of deal, and Tampa Bay is the only such team that needs an upgrade in the backfield. The Ravens could be argued as needing one as well, but they’ve slogged along with a mediocre backfield for several years.

About last night…

Credit: Matthew Hinton-USA TODAY Sports

Jacksonville 31, New Orleans 24

The game was a slow affair for the first half that ended 17-6 thanks to two rushing scores by Travis Etienne. It seemed to be another low-scoring and sloppy Thursday night contest. But the Saints came back to tie it 24-24 with six minutes left to play, even compensating for a pick-six in the third quarter. But Christian Kirk  turned a short catch into a 44-yard touchdown with three minutes left to play, and the Saints marched down the field to reach the Jacksonville 6-yard line with 40 seconds left to play. Derek Carr threw four incompletions, one catchable in the end zone to Foster Moreau.

Trevor Lawrence passed for 204 yards and one touchdown thanks greatly to Christian Kirk’s (6-90, TD) 44-yard catch and run for a score. Evan Engram totaled five catches for 45 yards as the next best receiver while Calvin Ridley yet again flopped with only one catch for five yards. Lawrence may have been questionable with a sprained knee, but he led the Jags with 59 yards on eight rushes. Travis Etienne ran for 53 yards on 14 runs with the two scores, and caught three passes for 24 more yards. The 5-2 Jaguars maintain their lead in the AFC South and  head to Pittsburgh for Week 8.

Derek Carr threw for 301 yards and a score but it took 55 passes. Alvin Kamara led with 12 receptions for 91 yards and Chris Olave turned a team-high 15 targets into seven catches for 57 yards. Michael Thomas (3-42, TD) caught the rare touchdown. Kamara also ran for 62 yards on 17 carries for a total of 31 plays in the game. Taysom Hill ran for a score while Jamaal Williams (5-14) finally got back to the field.  The loss drops the Saints to 3-4 and they play at the Colts next week.

6 things to know ahead of Bears vs. Raiders in Week 7

The Bears are looking to get back in the win column when they host the Raiders in Week 7. Here’s what you need to know ahead of the game.

Pessimism regarding the Chicago Bears is at a season-high following last week’s disappointing loss to the rival Minnesota Vikings.

Not only did the team fail to match their offensive splendor that they displayed in Week 5, but the Bears also lost quarterback Justin Fields to a thumb injury that may keep him out a few weeks. Any hopes of a miraculous playoff run are all but dead, and questions are once again being raised about the future prospects of head coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, as well as Fields himself.

With so much ire polluting the air, it’ll be good to take a breath and look forward to next week’s matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. The two teams have a surprising amount of connective tissue, from both starting signal-callers having various injury issues to a blockbuster trade that fundamentally changed the direction of their respective franchises.

Here’s what you need to know ahead of Bears vs. Raiders in Week 7.