Thanks to Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson, we can finally put to rest the “DJ Moore was open!” angle when discussing the final offensive play of the Chicago Bears’ Week 14 loss to the Green Bay Packers
Let’s allow the Bears coach to take us through it (via The Athletic):
“I didn’t see him as being the answer in that time. I think he came open more after the ball was released from Caleb. Nixon was man-to-man with DJ and was trailing him and ended up falling off and making a play on Cole there.
It was a good play by Nixon and yet I still don’t think if we get the spacing right and all that, and a good ball, that he’s gonna be able to cover both of those players like that.”
If your stomach can take it, here is another look at that last play:
KEISEAN CALLED GAME#ProBowlVote + Keisean Nixon?: FOX pic.twitter.com/NO7h37ZCzt
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) December 8, 2025MORE BEARS: What Happened on Caleb’s Throw? | Ben Johnson Has Me Believing
For what it’s worth, the constant conversation led me to rewatch the play countless times. I wanted to know if what Ben Johnson saw was similar to what I had in my notes. This is my line of thinking of the play as it unfolds upon my final rewatch:
OK, I see where people believe DJ Moore was wide open. You can see Moore trailing the play, which is important to underscore that he is trailing the play because it should serve as a reminder that he is not a primary target on this particular pattern. If you slow the play down, you will notice that quarterback Caleb Williams is already at the left hash and on the move while Moore hasn’t even reached the right hash and isn not in the QB’s line of progression. Next, I found myself finding where Moore was when Williams starts his throwing motion. Not only is he surrounded by Packers defenders, he is still behind the line-to-gain for the first down. Perhaps there is a scenario in which Caleb contorts his body and wings a sidearm pass to DJ. But there is probably a scenario in which one of those three Green Bay defenders in the immediate vicinity bat the ball down and stop the play dead in its tracks.CHECK OUT EPISODE NO. 12 OF THE BN BEARS PODCAST: Apple | Spotify | YouTube
There was a point during my watching of this play in super slow-mo where I thought that maybe Caleb Williams could’ve run it. But it’s not as if the defenders in those frames are static. They are on the move and headed in the direction of where Williams would try to get the first down. But with 3-4 defenders in the area, that seems like an impossible ask. Had the spacing been different? Sure. But as it unfolded in that moment? I dunno. It seems highly unlikely that QB1 gets the first on the ground. I think what fuels the “DJ WAS OPEN!” discourse was that FOX’s cameras were able to capture the disappointment and frustration on DJ Moore’s face when he made it back to the sideline. That was a tremendous piece of production from the NFL on FOX crew. Clearly, the production team thought that Moore was open, too. Otherwise, it would not have pivoted to capture that moment. I’m glad Ben Johnson sorted things out with his breakdown. Dec 7, 2025; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Ben Johnson looks on during the second quarter against the Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn ImagesOther notable Ben Johnson quotes from Monday
Ben Johnson on clock management regarding that final offensive drive:
“I don’t know a better way to do it. The entire offense knew that we were looking to milk that clock down. … We were all on the same page and I thought we handled that situation as beautifully as we could, minus the execution on 3rd-and-1.” “The first thing we needed to do was score a touchdown. But the last thing we wanted to do, as well, was give them enough time to respond because of how dangerous they had been on offense. The best-case scenario would have been scoring a touchdown with under 30 seconds there, and then letting our defense hold down the fort there for the very end to win the game.”What’s up with the slow offensive starts? Ben Johnson discusses more:
“Offensively, we need to start faster than what we did. Obviously, 71 yards in the first half wasn’t good enough. Only three points on five possessions. … We dug ourselves into a hole. Credit to the guys that came through. Made it a game there in the second half, but just wasn’t enough when you’re facing a good team on the road.”Ben Johnson chimes in on defense and special teams issues:
“Defensively, gave up too many explosives. And then special teams-wise, I didn’t feel like our kickoff or kickoff return units played like they’re capable of doing.”Ben Johnson’s full press conference:
I’m so glad the Bears and Packers won’t have to wait long to renew their rivalry, because the discourse surrounding the final play would have driven this fanbase to the brink of insanity. Thankfully, it will not get to that point because the Ben Johnson talked reporters through the moment during Monday’s press briefing. This isn’t to say that the conversations surrounding the play will stop. They won’t. This joins the ever-growing list of random Bears-Packers debates that future generations will have to endure.
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