Chicago Bears wide receiver Darnell Mooney was not happy with his team’s offensive performance in its 20-17 loss to the Cleveland Browns this past Sunday.
The Bears held a 17-7 lead over the Browns in the third quarter, only to see it evaporate as Chicago failed to score a point the rest of the way.
“I didn’t like how we felt comfortable in the third quarter. Just lackadaisical and just conservative,” Mooney said, via Courtney Cronin of ESPN. “Everybody just happy that we were winning, and just got to be aggressive and continue to put their foot on the pedal and just go out there and punch them. Can’t get too comfortable in the third quarter. That’s what kind of bit us. Tried to switch gears in the fourth quarter once they scored. It’s hard to do that.”
Mooney logged two catches for 14 yards on eight targets in the loss. On the season overall, he has caught 29 passes for 409 yards and a touchdown.
The 26-year-old, who played his collegiate football at Tulane, was selected by Chicago in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
He played in every game during his rookie campaign and was impressive, finishing with 61 grabs for 631 yards and four touchdowns. Then, the following year, Mooney broke out, hauling in 81 receptions for 1,055 yards and four scores.
Mooney took a significant step back last season, as he was limited to just 12 games and snared 40 balls for 493 yards while reaching the end zone twice.
This year, his role has decreased even further.
Mooney is set to be a free agent this coming offseason, so he may very well be playing out his final days in the Windy City over these next several weeks.
The Bears fell to 5-9 with their loss to the Browns and will take on the Arizona Cardinals next weekend. They will then face the Atlanta Falcons and Green Bay Packers to conclude the regular season.
Want the latest NFL analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click here. Interested in reading storylines and analysis about the NBA? Check out our partner NBA Analysis Network.
