Caleb Williams tries to solve the case of the disappearing receivers

The big mystery about DJ Moore suddenly disappearing from the field in the middle of a pass play on Sunday has been solved.

Now if only the Bears could solve why Moore and also tight end Cole Kmet have both figuratively disappeared from the offense.

Moore was on the sideline during pass play on Sunday and left the field due to an ankle injury. He said he “tweaked” his ankle, but he did return and play later.

“I came back because I noticed Caleb was scrambling,” Moore said. “My ankle was going in and out. I already couldn’t stop, so my momentum took me out of bounds, and then I just walked away.”

Its repetition on social media led many to conclude that Moore was quitting the play.

“The noise, I hear it, I saw it,” Moore said. ‘It really didn’t matter to me. It is what it is.

“They (fans, media) could take it any way they wanted. They did it without even knowing what happened halfway through the game. I can’t stop you from doing what you want to do.”

The replay didn’t necessarily show that Moore was limping badly, but he was limping toward the bench as the play was running.

“The first roll of the ankle was really painful, so that’s why I hobbled away and sat down,” Moore said. “I came back and I was like… how do you say: reindeer? I don’t know, whatever it’s called, whatever you do – just in the middle of the field. But I mean, I didn’t stop playing the game, I didn’t go back in the game.’

Such incidents are becoming a problem for a team struggling with the aftermath of Tyrique Stevenson’s penalty for his foul against Washington’s Hail Mary pass. Actually, they are more like hitting a raw nerve.

Because Moore doesn’t get the ball much or when he does, and isn’t in a position to do anything with it, the passing game struggles.

Moore had 33 receiving yards or fewer in four of his last five games, following a 2023 season when he had 1,364 receiving yards.

“It’s frustrating because you have a guy who is so special and not being able to connect and hit certain passes is frustrating for myself and I know it’s frustrating for him because as a wide receiver you only get so many opportunities. So often the ball comes your way in a game and things like that,” Williams said. “I don’t want to put it past him that it’s frustrating, but we have to figure it out.

“That’s the whole point of football: figuring out why things go certain ways and finding ways to overcome them or get better at them.”

Kmet’s situation is also confusing. He was not targeted in the last game and only once for a 14-yard catch in the previous game.

“Obviously I want to be involved in the offense and make plays where I can, but sometimes it’s just how the game flows here and there,” Kmet said. “I know it’s not a conscious effort to not get me the football. Sometimes it’s just how things work out.

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“From that standpoint, all 11 of them are needed. It’s kind of what it is. I try not to get frustrated with things like that because I know there’s a lot that goes into it. Just be ready for it. If there’s no goal for is achieved It is always important to keep your head in the game. The moment you get frustrated with things, the ball comes your way and bad things happen when you take your head out of it.”

Moore has been targeted a team-high 60 times, but has 37 catches and just 10 catches in the last three games.

Kmet has 27 catches in 30 targets for a career-high 90% completion-to-targets ratio.

While Kmet’s contributions haven’t dropped drastically on the year from the 70 catches he had last season, Moore’s has.

A hugely obvious difference is of course the quarterback change. Moore speculated that the quarterback’s rookie status has something to do with it because when he arrived in Chicago, he had a veteran, Justin Fields, throwing to him in the second year of an offense.

“I mean, just reps? You can say Justin had more reps when I got here than me and Caleb, just that he was a starting quarterback and Justin wasn’t a starting quarterback last year,” Moore said.

Whatever happened and whatever the situation is now, the Bears’ offense has reached a point of desperation.

“We just have to start scoring again,” Moore said. “We just had a game where (kicker) Cairo (Santos) had all the points and that leaves us all with a sour taste in our mouths.

“We want to go out there and score touchdowns for the team, the fans, the organization, which we have to do at all costs, whether it’s throwing the ball, running the ball, defensive touchdowns. Somebody’s got to score some touchdowns.”

Twitter: BearsOnSI