The Chicago Bears had one of the worst passing attacks in the NFL last season. They ranked dead last with an average of only 130.5 yards per game, which is down from 2021 when it was 188.6 yards per game. That was still the third-worst passing attack in the NFL that season.
Justin Fields had a breakout season but that was mostly due to what he did on the ground. Fields used his legs, rushing for over 1,000 yards. The biggest area of concern for most people heading into this season is that they need to see Fields' passing numbers improve. There is a reason for many people to believe that this will happen as the Bears front office has given Fields a ton of talent to work with.
The Chicago Bears added Chase Claypool
This move is still up in the air for plenty of Chicago Bears fans as Chase Claypool didn’t have a great half-season with the team. Only playing in seven games, Claypool finished with 14 receptions and 140 receiving yards with no touchdowns. That isn’t a great way to start your time with your new team. But the hope is that a full offseason under his belt to truly get a grasp of the playbook and to build more chemistry with Fields is going to bring him back to his career average of over 800 receiving yards per season. That production would be a massive upgrade for the team.
The Chicago Bears added D.J. Moore
When the Chicago Bears ended the season with the first overall pick, many assumed they were going to trade back and acquire more picks to help fill some of the needs of the team, which they did. But what many didn’t think would happen is they would receive the draft capital they did and get a top-20 wideout thrown in the mix too. D.J. Moore has been called a perfect fit for Fields because he is an effective target who has been one of the highest-volume intermediate pass catchers over the last couple of years.
Not only is Moore a perfect fit for Fields but Fields is a perfect fit for Moore. D.J. Moore has had a stable option at QB through his first five seasons. Last year alone he had Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, P.J Walker and, Jacob Eason and throwing him the ball at some point. In 2021, he also had three different QBs throwing his way. Moore and Fields have already made their presence felt during mini-camp and we should see Moore get over 1,000 yards if not set his single-season record.
The pairing of Darnell Mooney and Tyler Scott
Darnell Mooney is coming off the worst season of his career, but he is also coming off an injury that ended his 2022 season. Fields and Mooney have an already built-in connection from Fields' rookie season and many thought that the pair's second season was going to be a lot better than what it was. With both guys now in their second season in Luke Getsy’s offense, they should be getting back to the way they played when Fields was a rookie.
Tyler Scott fills a very similar type of role as Mooney. Both guys can line up outside and blow by their defender or be used out of the slot for the quick pass game. This is going to be very useful. Scott will need to learn how to play in the NFL and putting him as a rotational guy in the spot Mooney would normally play is going to be great for his development. Getting the ball in his hands and letting him do the rest of the work should be the main selling point for this season with Scott.
The Chicago Bears improved the offensive line
With all the upgrades to the passing game in terms of weapons, the Chicago Bears also upgraded the offensive line, this should give Justin Fields a lot more time to work with. Nate Davis and Darnell Wright are going to be big upgrades. If both Braxton Jones and Teven Jenkins can continue to improve, that offensive line will look miles different from the one that gave up the most sacks this season.
Expectations
With all the new pieces to the team, you should see the Bears passing numbers go up. Expect Moore to lead the team in yards with Mooney second, Claypool third, and Scott fourth. Here are my projections.
- D.J. Moore: 1,200 yards
- Darnell Mooney: 1,000 yards
- Chase Claypool: 850 yards
- Tyler Scott: 450 yards
- Rest of Roster: 600 yards
Total Passing Yards: 4,100
Average Yards per Game: 241
If the Bears can achieve this that would give them a top-10 offense in terms of passing numbers.