Chicago Bears: Williams admits struggles in building on-field connection with Moore in 2024

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams admitted that he and wide receiver D.J. Moore have not been able to connect and that has been a big part of the offensive struggles in 2024.

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams recently acknowledged his struggles connecting on the field with star wide receiver D.J. Moore this season. Despite high expectations following Williams’ arrival and Moore’s reputation as a dynamic playmaker, their chemistry has yet to fully materialize, creating frustration among the fans and the team.

Williams noted that timing has been a major factor in the disconnect, with route adjustments and reads often slightly off target. He explained that the Bears’ complex offensive system has a steep learning curve, and quickly adapting has been challenging. The Bears had hoped Williams’ arm strength and accuracy combined with Moore’s great route-running and versatility would generate big plays downfield, but inconsistent execution has limited their impact.

WIlliams spoke on that situation recently. He said that Moore was a special receiver and not being able to connect with him is frustrating to both of them. If is frustrating to the coaches and the fans as well.

Caleb Williams on his connection with DJ Moore: “It’s not in a place where we would like it. Both of us, it’s frustrating. You’ve got a guy so special and not being able to connect and hit on certain passes is frustrating for myself and frustrating for him.”

— Sean Hammond (@sean_hammond) November 6, 2024

Reporters asked Moore about his relationship with Williams. He said it came down to knowing the matchups that will be there depending on the opponent. He also spoke on how things were different between him and Williams compared to last year’s starting quarterback, Justin Fields.

Knowing who we’re going against and the one-on-one matchups we might get, and then understanding on the back end the reads, where we’re at in situations when Williams is going through the read, and how fast or slow I have to be to stay in his vision…Just reps. Justin had more reps when I got here than me and Caleb have. It’s just him being a rookie quarterback, and Justin wasn’t a rookie quarterback last year.

Moore was in his first season with the Chicago Bears when he and Fields developed good chemistry. You can tell the difference between the Moore/Fields connection after eight games last season and this season with Williams.

	Targets	Catches	Catch Percentage	Yards	Touchdowns
Fields	57	44	77.2	691	5
Williams	60	37	61.7	374	3

You can see the drastic difference between 2023 and 2024. We can just imagine how the Chicago Bears offense would succeed if the Moore/Williams connection was effective.

There are several factors that go into the lack of chemistry between Williams and Moore. Williams’ inexperience is one. He only has eight games under his belt. He is still learning on the fly. Once he has more experience he will know what the right play should be.

We saw that in the Chicago Bears’ Week 9 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. The Bears were in the red zone and Williams went to Keenan Allen on a fade route in the end zone. However, he had Moore wide open. Had he gotten the ball to Moore he had an easy walk-in touchdown.

Speaking of Allen, perhaps having so many weapons has hindered the Williams-Moore relationship. Chicago Bears General Manager Ryan Poles made it a point to add a number of weapons for Williams to have. WIlliams has Moore, Allen, and rookie Rome Odunze at his disposal. He also has running back D’Andre Swift, who is an effective pass-catcher.

Throw in tight ends Cole Kmet and Gerald Everett and Williams (as well as new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron) has a lot of choices to go through. It could take a while to learn how to go through those choices quickly.

While Williams has to go through his choices quickly, the Chicago Bears’ offensive line is not helping. The unit has struggled with pass protection, which has often forced Williams to release the ball under pressure or scramble, making it harder to establish a rhythm with Moore.

A rookie quarterback’s mental speed to adjust to the speed of the NFL in a normal situation takes time. When the offensive line struggles to protect him, it makes matters worse. The Chicago Bears have to figure out a way to put some money and effort into improving that unit.

Williams tends to try to do more than he should. When the offensive line struggles he feels he has to do something big. We have seen too many moments when he held onto the ball too long, looking for the big play. He took unnecessary sacks that either stalled drives or took the Chicago Bears out of field goal range.

Williams and Moore have reportedly been putting in extra hours after practice, focusing on timing and route precision. Williams has taken accountability for the missed connections, acknowledging the need to improve his timing and accuracy. He expressed optimism, though.

Williams believes their connection will improve over the season, pointing to glimpses of success in recent games as a sign that they are close to turning a corner. Look at what happened last season. The Chicago Bears were 2-6 after eight games in 2023. Then the offense started clicking later in the season and finished 7-10.

This season the Chicago Bears are 4-4. The offense has shown glimpses. If Williams and Moore start to click, we could look back on these struggles as a speed bump as the Bears start to win games with Williams and Moore leading the way.

Bears head coach Matt Eberflus remains patient, emphasizing the importance of giving Williams and Moore time to work through the learning process. Eberflus stated that the offensive struggles reflect a wider issue with the team’s need for better cohesion, not just the Williams-Moore connection.

Eberflus expressed confidence that as Williams grows more comfortable in the system, the chemistry with Moore will fall into place. Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron echoed Eberflus’ sentiments, saying that he’s encouraged by the efforts both players are putting in to improve their synergy.

The fans have voiced concerns about the lack of explosive plays in the Chicago Bears’ passing game. Many hoped the arrival of Williams would lead to a high-powered offense, especially with Moore’s reputation as a playmaker. However, the Bears are urging patience.

Williams and Moore may have to figure something out quickly. They face the struggling New England Patriots. However, after that, they face the gauntlet of games against NFC North foes. They face division teams in six of their final eight games. Their other two games are against the NFC Champion San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks.

While Williams and Moore are struggling at the moment, both players are motivated to prove their partnership can be as potent as fans expected, and they know that consistent big plays will be essential to turning around the Bears’ season. They, and the Chicago Bears brass, feel optimistic that things will turn around. They feel that patience is the key.

For a fanbase that has seen so much struggle over the past several decades, though, patience can be in short supply.

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