Chicago Bears receiver D.J. Moore nearly logged a career-high in receiving yards in the first half of Thursday night’s game as he helped his team build a 27-3 lead against the Washington Commanders at halftime. Here’s what you need to know:
- Moore had four catches for 126 yards and a touchdown in the first quarter and finished the half with 137 yards and two TDs. It placed him just 20 yards shy of the career-mark he set in 2018.
- Bears quarterback Justin Fields passed for 189 yards and three scores in the first half. Chicago outgained Washington 307 yards to 84 through two quarters.
- Commanders QB Sam Howell was 9-of-13 for 71 yards and an interception.
Moore dominating
Moore has looked every bit like the top-flight receiver the Bears hoped he’d be for quarterback Fields when he was added to the blockbuster trade with the Carolina Panthers for the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft.
In the first half against the Commanders, Moore has five catches for 137 yards and two touchdowns. His second was an impressive Randy Moss-like haul in the corner of the end zone over cornerback Kendall Fuller.
Moore is on the verge of surpassing his career high of 157 receiving yards, which he set during the 2018 season against the Detroit Lions. — Adam Jahns, Bears beat writer
Bears defense impressing
Fields and Moore are stealing the show, but credit the Bears’ defense for its best first-half performance of the season. They forced back-to-back three-and-outs for the first time since the first quarter in Week 1. They held Washington to a field goal on the Commanders’ lone successful drive, and then Greg Stroman — a Washington draft pick in 2018 — picked off Sam Howell, giving the Bears their first takeaway of the season that wasn’t from Chiefs backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert.
Matt Eberflus has dialed up some pressures, and Washington is only 2-for-5 on third down. Remember, this is a group without starting DBs Jaylon Johnson and Eddie Jackson, and it’s allowed only 84 yards — and 24 of those came on a meaningless play at the end of the half. — Kevin Fishbain, Bears beat writer
Required reading
(Photo: Greg Fiume / Getty Images)
