There Is One Tiny Silver Lining To The Darnell Mooney Injury
The Chicago Bears‘ chances of winning on Sunday in New York were low. Their roster is depleted of talent, and that was made worse by Justin Fields sitting out the game with a shoulder injury. Sadly the offense couldn’t escape the afternoon unscathed. Top receiver Darnell Mooney got rolled up in the second half, forcing him to exit with an ankle injury. It was revealed after the game that he’d suffered torn ligaments. Expectations are he will undergo surgery and miss the rest of the season. This is terrible news for Mooney and the Bears in almost every sense.
However, one must try to look on the bright side in these situations. One thing the team already knows is that Mooney is a good player. He’ll be part of the offense next season. His connection with Justin Fields is strong. His absence creates a void but also an opportunity. Chicago traded for Chase Claypool last month. Since then, he and Fields haven’t been able to connect many times, what with Mooney and Cole Kmet eating up most of the targets. Fields will need somebody else to step up with the former out of the picture. This situation should allow him and Claypool to link up more often, improving their chemistry going into 2023.
Darnell Mooney and Claypool can hit the ground running next year.
By then, the two should have well-established connections with their quarterback. Presuming the Bears are able to improve their leaky pass protection during the off-season, this passing attack can become much more fun. Claypool showed in the Jets game what he’s capable of when given opportunities. His size and hand-eye coordination make him a matchup problem against most cornerbacks. Fields needs to learn to trust him. It’s okay to throw the ball up there and give the guy chances to win 50/50 situations. Some young quarterbacks aren’t willing to make those throws for fear of interceptions.
Fields will have four or five more games to embrace that style. Claypool is somebody the Bears view as a big part of their future. That’s why they traded a 2nd round pick for him. Darnell Mooney is out of the picture now. That means he is by far the most proven wide receiver they have. Equanimeous St. Brown, Byron Pringle, N’Keal Harry, and Dante Pettis aren’t going to save the day. If the Bears want to keep the passing game semi-viable, they must facilitate that connection.