Ben Johnson didn't mince words after the Chicago Bears' loss in Detroit to the Lions. When you get beat 52-21, everything went wrong. The head coach didn't dodge responsibility for some of the problems that bedeviled the team. However, this marked the second time the team endured an ugly second-half collapse. This stuff was happening even before Johnson arrived. That tells you it is a player problem. He indicated during a recent presser that some guys were on notice due to their overall lack of effort.
That immediately led to speculation about who he was referencing. His specific wording indicated an offensive skill guy. Bill Zimmerman of Windy City Gridiron revealed who the likely culprit is.
But after Sunday’s debacle in Detroit, Ben Johnson called out players for their lack of effort. He used the phrase “when the ball isn’t in their hands,” which immediately narrows it down to the offensive skill position players. It doesn’t take too big a leap to suspect that the main person he’s pointing his finger at is DJ Moore.
No block, no rock.
Is it FAFO time for Moore? We will have to see how Ben Johnson handles this moving forward. If there is a standard being set in the locker room, how a coach handles situations like this is critical to making sure the team all stays on the same page.
Moore is no stranger to issues. He had personality concerns during his time in Carolina, though nothing explosive. Johnson already spoke to him about body language problems going into this season. It appears Moore hasn't respond well to not being the primary target in the passing game through the first two weeks.
Ben Johnson likely doesn't respond well to pouting.
Nobody disputes that Moore is a good player. He wants the ball, as any receiver would. However, Ben Johnson is tasked with crafting the best game plan to win games. Sometimes that might involve distributing the ball to other options. Last Sunday was a perfect example. Detroit had no answers for Rome Odunze, who went for 128 yards and two touchdowns. Even so, Moore still had six targets. He didn't do much with them. His blocking, on the other hand, didn't earn great reviews. PFF gave him a 53 grade, which is not flattering.
Meanwhile, Olamide Zaccheaus had an 85.6. He is four inches shorter and 17 lbs lighter than Moore. Ben Johnson won't cut him out of the offense for one game. However, it sounds like the leash is getting shorter.
