Why Bears love the versatility that wide receiver Mooney provides
There's little doubt that the most difficult position in pro football is the quarterback.
And forget about all the chaos that happens on the field for a moment - that's tough enough.
But each QB must know what every player is doing on every play, how to adjust protections, what the hot reads are ... and on and on.
For the most part, every other player just needs to understand the responsibilities of his position.
On rare occasions, though, coaches recognize that some wide receivers can handle more - and that's exactly the case with the Bears' Darnell Mooney.
"He probably had the second-most difficult job of anybody on offense," said Tyke Tolbert, the Bears' WR coach and passing game coordinator. "At any point in time, depending on the personnel we call, he could be 'X', 'F' or 'Z'. And all of that in the same drive.
"So when we call a certain kind of personnel he's got to put himself in that particular position."
In other words, most NFL wideouts stick to one of those three spots:
• The 'F' is the slot receiver, who normally runs interior routes.
• The 'Z' is the outside guy who is in motion more than anyone else.
• The 'X' is by himself on one side or the other in three-receiver sets.
Mooney plays all three, and has done so over the past two seasons.
This flexibility is gold to an offensive coordinator like Luke Getsy because it allows him to utilize all of Mooney's intangibles.
For instance, not all wideouts are comfortable in the slot, where there's a lot more traffic as you run routes. Putting Mooney in motion also allows Getsy to take advantage of matchups.
There are so many different route combinations that Mooney can run that it makes it difficult for defensive coordinators and defenders to know what's coming.
That translated into impressive results in 2021 as Mooney hauled in 81 receptions for 1,055 yards and 4 TDs.
Things aren't exactly clicking the same way this season, but some of that's because Mooney and Justin Fields have needed time to adjust to Getsy's system.
In Mooney's case, he has lined up wrong or run the wrong route on occasion. Sometimes that's because he misheard the play call.
Other times it's because his brain reverted to the 2021 playbook - similar call, but a slightly different route needed to be run.
"I've had that happen with a lot of receivers over my career," Tolbert said. "I understand it, but it's not excusable. You've got to perform your job, so he has to be better with that.
"And I can help him be better at that by making sure (to be) repping him at different spots."
Mooney agreed.
"You have to know what's going on in all areas. Like all training camp and throughout OTAs I never played 'Z'. Then during a preseason game (Getsy) told Justin in the headset, 'Tell Mooney to go to 'Z.'" "That's an easier position more than the other ones. I kind of thought about what that position had for that play, ran the route and everything worked out."
Things weren't working out at all for Mooney during the Bears' first three games as he managed just 4 catches for 27 yards. He's picked it up considerably since, however, and had a season-high 7 catches (on 12 targets) for 68 yards against Washington in Week 6.
Mooney's most impressive grab came the week before when he leapt and snared the ball with one hand for a 39-yard gain at Minnesota. It set the Bears up at the 11-yard line and helped spearhead a comeback from a 21-3 deficit.
"'Oh my God," thought David Montgomery when he realized Mooney came down with the ball. "He's disgusting."
And talented. And intelligent. And versatile.
All the things that help an offense succeed and thrive. Sure, the Bears aren't there yet, but if they do get there under Getsy, one has to believe Mooney will be around for the ride.
"He's a smart guy. He went to Tulane," Tolbert said with a wide smile. "He can handle everything we've given him. ... It's difficult for a lot of people because a lot of people can't do that, so we don't put that on them. But Mooney, he can handle it."