You’ll never see a funnier Hail Mary gone wrong. Usually the Cleveland Browns are the team who vomits all over themselves in scenarios like this.
Instead, we have Chicago Bears wideout Darnell Mooney going from hero to absolute zero quicker than you can celebrate what would’ve been one of the greatest walk-off touchdowns in NFL history.
The literal NFL Twitter account can only say, “HOLY OH MY GOD” to what you just did, Darnell Mooney. Congratulations on that. How do you let your legs get in the way of securing a catch that’s in your hands. I’m so perplexed and pissed off by this.
Not only because a Bears win would’ve helped my Bengals in the AFC playoff picture, but because Justin Fields once again got shafted as hard as you can possibly be shafted.
Justin Fields isn’t without his faults. He often holds the ball too long. He struggles to throw with legitimate anticipation. Seeing the field in general is a challenge for him. What’s also true is that the Bears haven’t done jack sh*t to surround him with anything good other than DJ Moore. Their play-caller and offensive architect, Luke Getsy, is 85% an abomination to the profession and 15% creative sometimes.
Believe it or not, there was a time when the NFL world touted Mooney, a 173-pound former fifth-round pick out of Tulane, as the Bears’ potential future WR1. This is what Justin Fields has had to work with in the Windy City.
When the Bears do score, it’s more thanks to Fields’ insane athleticism than any masterful play design Getsy cooks up.
BUT. When Getsy does, in fact, come up with something good and schemes somebody wide-open — or Fields breaks from his typically piss-poor pass protection and makes something happen outside of structure — the dude on the receiving end is somebody who can’t get it done.
Not that Chicago was likely going to run it back with Fields under center in 2024 anyway. This loss and the gut-punching way in which it occurred just cemented his fate.
There’s no longer much of anything for the Bears to play for except pride and the job security of head coach Matt Eberflus.
To be fair, Flus’ defense has improved drastically since Montez Sweat arrived in a trade. However, the offense is so inept that even three interceptions of Joe Flacco and a pick-six by Tremaine Edmunds wasn’t ultimately enough for this team to get the win in Cleveland.
Praying for a fresh start for Justin Fields. Give him a competent coach, decent pass protection and someone who can actually, you know, develop QBs. I’ll still always wonder what could’ve been if the 49ers had drafted Fields over Trey Lance.
With Kyle Shanahan in his ear, can you imagine how much better off Fields would be? Then, combine that with his elite rushing ability in a Shanahan run game? DAMN. We were robbed. No shade to Brock Purdy at all. It’s just…interesting to think about.
