The Bears’ use of wide receiver DJ Moore at running back no longer is an experiment or a novelty. Nobody, including the Raiders on Sunday, will be surprised to see him in the backfield.
It’s now a regular part of the offense. Moore isn’t dabbling anymore; he’s playing two positions.
Moore called it simply part of his “daily routine” and said he’s happy to do what’s needed.
“I’m cool with it,” he said. “It gets everybody on the field and keeps the defense off balance.”
The role is partly because Moore is a savvy and talented runner, but also because coach Ben Johnson simply doesn’t have what he needs at the position. So in addition to being the Bears’ most accomplished receiver, he also has six carries for 15 yards.
Coming from the Lions, Johnson had Jahmyr Gibbs and former David Montgomery, nicknamed “Sonic” and “Knuckles,” respectively. The Bears have a speedy, shifty runner in lead back D’Andre Swift (5-8, 204 pounds), but there’s no bruiser to complement him.
The Bears hoped Roschon Johnson (6-foot, 227 pounds) could bring that to the table, but he has yet to play a snap on offense, let alone get the ball. Rookie Kyle Monangai, a seventh-round pick, is roughly the same size as Swift and has 13 rushes for 44 yards.
At 6-foot, 213 pounds, and with no reservations about taking contact head on, Moore has the body and skill for the job.
“I don’t think he would say, ‘Hey, I’m this physical, powerful, downhill, in-the-box runner,’ but he certainly can be when he needs to be,” offensive coordinator Declan Doyle said. “We love that element of his game.”
Having Moore in the backfield also sets the table for deception. Motioning him out to receiver is a given, but having him back there as an extra blocker is misdirection, as well. He also has thrown two career passes.
“You don’t really know what we’re going to do when he’s back there,” Doyle said. “It’s not like he’s a one-trick pony. We feel really comfortable with him doing a number of those running back jobs.”
The downside is the Bears risk wearing down their highest-paid offensive player, and no position on offense takes hits like a running back. Moore is on pace for 34 carries this season, compared to his previous career high of 14. Moore said he had no concerns about his durability.
Room for growth
Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson didn’t get off to a great start with new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, but Allen noticed a shift leading up to the Cowboys game after top corner Jaylon Johnson got hurt again.
Allen said Stevenson’s approach to the job had “been a little inconsistent,” but he saw “a little more focus” last week and this week.
“It’s really more about the mental part of the game,” Allen said. “That’s an area that he’s continued to strive and improve on, and I’ve seen improvement.”
Stevenson had his best game of the season with a strip for a fumble recovery and two pass breakups. Cowboys quarterbacks were 3-for-10 when throwing at him.
Trouble at tackle?
Ben Johnson already was watching closely in his ongoing evaluation of left tackle Braxton Jones, but now there’s an issue at right tackle. Darnell Wright hurt his right elbow against the Cowboys, and although he finished that game, he was out of practice Wednesday and Thursday.
That increases the likelihood that the Bears will start Jones on the left side and Theo Benedet on the right. Benedet was an undrafted rookie out of Canada last year and spent the season on the Bears’ practice squad. He has played 27 career snaps on offense.
Notes
Raiders coach Pete Carroll said of Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, “He’s very dangerous. The sooner you play him the better, because if you give him some more time, he’s going to really be an amazing player.
• Defensive tackle Grady Jarrett didn’t practice Wednesday or Thursday because of a knee injury, but he has been playing through it the last two games.
• Tight end Colston Loveland injured his hip against the Cowboys and has yet to practice this week.
