Chicago Bears Offensive MVP: Darnell Mooney
Despite Chicago’s win, the offense struggled to find its groove. After Andy Dalton led the offense on a 75-yard touchdown drive to open the game, the Bears were only able to add a pair of field goals and finished the game with only 206 yards of total offense.
There wasn’t really a standout performance from anyone on the Bears offense, but wide receiver Darnell Mooney accounted for over half of the team’s receiving yards. Mooney was great for the Bears in the short pass game and led the team in both receiving yards (66) catches (6).
The Bears are hopeful Mooney’s role in the offense will expand in year two
Mooney continues to be an asset in the short pass game and after the catch, but the Bears still haven’t been able to make him the big-play machine he was back in college.
In order for Mooney to take the next step in 2021, he will need to be utilized more in the deep pass game. The Bears’ offense primarily consists of short, quick passes, and they will need to put more of an emphasis on a vertical attack to take advantage of Mooney’s elite speed.