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Bears' Moore gets less after penalty

D.J. Moore was in the midst of blitzing Donovan McNabb from the blind side when the 5-foot-9, 183-pound nickel back had a realization.

McNabb is a pretty big dude.

So even though Moore had an unimpeded shot at McNabb in the first quarter of a scoreless game at Soldier Field, he opted to run past him and aim for the ball held up in his right hand.

“No, I wasn't trying to take him down,” Moore said.

Moore didn't force the turnover like he wanted but things turned out even better than he imagined.

As he made contact with McNabb, the veteran quarterback tried to ditch the ball. That's where onrushing defensive end Israel Idonije came into play.

“He was about to throw it, looking straight at me,” Idonije said. “I put my hands up.”

Idonije knocked the ball into the air long enough for Moore to locate it, seize it and race 53 yards for the game's first score and the first score of his career.

“It was pretty much all Izzy,” Moore said.

Less than two quarters later, Moore almost earned another touchdown that was pretty much all him. With Washington backed up to its own 5-yard line, Moore intercepted McNabb's quick pass and breezed in for an 8-yard touchdown.

Alas, the glory barely lasted the split seconds it took to cross the goal line and celebrate the Bears' sudden 20-10 lead.

“(The receiver) came out and I thought it was an option route, so I took off,” Moore said. “I really couldn't even see the quarterback. So when I saw the ball, I just put my hands out and ran in the end zone.

“I came out and just saw everyone standing around. I was like, ‘Aw, man, this can't be good because ain't nobody really jumping up.'”

Washington's delay-of-game penalty, which wasn't noticed by the players until Moore made the interception, caused his second pick-6 to be waved off.

Moore had to settle for just 1 interception (his team-high third of the year) and the Bears' first interception return for a score since Charles Tillman's against Cleveland last November.

Yet the loquacious Moore entertained wave after wave of reporters with exchanges such as this:

Q: Ever seen a game like that?

A: “No, except on Madden when I played Madden a couple of times.”