MINNEAPOLIS — Add this to the list of unbelievable aspects of Sunday’s 33-27 win against the Vikings: of all the Bears’ points, only six came through the air.
Receiver Darnell Mooney caught an 11-yard pass for the Bears’ first touchdown about six minutes into the game. It came one play after Allen Robinson made the best catch of the day, a 24-yard toe-tapper down the right sideline on third-and-8.
Mooney has caught two touchdown catches the last two games after posting two in his first 12. At the start of the season, Mooney said, defenders respected his speed. Then they started to respect his route techniques. Now, he said, he can do both.
“I put it all together and use my quickness and my speed at the same time,” he said.
Mooney’s four catches — for 49 yards — gave him 46 for the season, breaking Harlon Hill’s rookie record of 45, set in 1954.
Sunday’s win felt good, particularly given the offense’s struggles to start the season.
“That was the biggest part of getting through the hassle of the beginning of the season, just not being able to get anything to click,” Mooney said. “Now we have everything clicking, we can definitely be better … but it’s good to be on the positive part on the offensive side.”
