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Did D.J. Moore give up on Bears final interception in NFL Playoffs loss to Rams?

Did D.J. Moore give up on Bears final interception in NFL Playoffs loss to Rams?

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The Chicago Bears were closing in on field goal range in overtime of the Divisional Round of the 2026 NFL Playoffs when Caleb Williams tried to take a shot down field. On 2nd-and-8 from the Los Angeles 48-yard-line, Williams threw the ball about 25 yards down the right sideline looking for D.J. Moore. Rams cornerback Kamren Curl jumped the route and intercepted the pass, and it would be the last Bears offensive play of the season.

The Rams marched down the field and kicked a 42-yard field goal to win the game, 20-17, in overtime. It ends a magical season for the Bears that saw them pull out so many miracle wins on their final possession. The Rams now go on to face the Seattle Seahawks on the road in the NFC Championship Game next week.

Williams made one of the greatest throws in recent NFL history to send the game to overtime when he somehow found Cole Kmet in the back of the end zone after retreating to midfield with 18 seconds left in the fourth quarter. The Bears didn’t need another miracle after they got a stop on the first LA possession of overtime, they just needed a solid drive and a good kick. Instead, Williams threw his third interception of the game, and the Rams took control from there.

The discussion in Chicago after the game centered on Moore’s effort on Williams’ final pick. Could Moore have prevented the interception by running hard through the end of the play? Does it look like he quit on the play? Judge for yourself.

Moore has had a reputation for quitting on routes since last season. When he’s not the primary read or doesn’t think he has a chance to catch the ball, he has a tendency to pull up and start jogging. It does look like that happened here. If Moore gives great effect, it’s possible he could caught the ball and put the Bears in easy field goal range for the game-winner. It’s also a questionable play call because Chicago didn’t have to get so aggressive in that situation.

Moore should have kept running, and maybe the pass doesn’t get intercepted if he does. That’s also not the sole reason the Bears lost the game. Chicago’s offense had so many chances to put the game away and couldn’t do it.

Moore caught Williams’ first touchdown pass of the night, and ended the game with five catches for 52 yards and the one score. Moore also caught the game-winning touchdown against the Packers in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs, and hauled in Williams’ walk-off laser to stun the Packers in Week 16.

Still, when there’s questionable effort with the game on the line, a lot of people are going to be talking about it. Hall of Fame wide receiver Terrell Owens seemed to think the interception was Moore’s fault, not Williams’.

Bears fans were not happy with Moore:

Williams said it was a miscommunication between him and Moore and didn’t blame his effort level.

I tend to think the ball was just a little too far out in front of Moore even if he did give max effort on the final interception. With the season on the line, though, why not run out the play?

The Bears should go into the offseason with their head held high. They had a great year, highlighted by Williams’ many miracles. Chicago will be one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl next season, but it really needs to improve its pass rush.

What a tough way to lose. The Bears won’t forget any of it all through the spring and summer.

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Cherie DeVaux made history on Saturday by becoming the first female trainer to win the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. However, with a horde of media surrounding her at her backside stable Sunday morning, she was quick to give the credit to jockey Jose Ortiz.

“It’s almost as if he could script it,” she said.

With an entry that’s known for being a closer, DeVaux said she did not mind Golden Tempo drawing an outside post. He got the 19th gate in the draw, but after scratches, he moved into the 16th. While a ways away from the rail, it helped the colt avoid much of the bumping between horses at the start as they work to get inside position.

DeVaux said she’s not one to give her riders many instructions before a race. She kept it simple: “Don’t overthink it. If you can get out, just get a clear path and make a run.”

Mission accomplished, even if the horse doesn’t quite live up to his name.

“Golden Tempo doesn’t really give Jose any help by just falling back so far,” she added.

While the early front-runners posted blazing quarter times, Golden Tempo ran last in the field for the first three-quarters of a mile. However, as the speed faded, Ortiz had an easy route to the outside, and down the final stretch, he chased down Renegade, the bettors’ second choice, to win by a neck.

Another issue that may have been in Golden Tempo’s favor was not having to load into the gate a second time. That’s something several horses had to do after racing officials scratched Great White at the last minute for dumping jockey Alex Achard and falling over backward while being led to the gate.

“It was a rough trip, everybody was all over the place,” said Luis Saez, who rode seventh-place finisher Commandment. “He ran pretty well and made a nice move, but it was just a tough race.”

Commandment, one of two Derby horses trained by Brad Cox, was the co-second choice in the morning line. At post time, he ended up being the fourth choice at 6-1. Cox’s other horse, Further Ado, ended up the slight favorite over Renegade, with both breaking at 5-1.

Renegade was the morning-line favorite, despite drawing the inside post – a position that had not produced a winner in 40 years. However, the Todd Pletcher-trained colt and Irad Ortiz Jr., Jose’s brother, did everything they could to make some history of their own.

“He got a little roughed and got pushed out of his position,” Pletcher said. “But he kept on going and made his run. He just didn’t get there today.”

With the Kentucky Derby having the largest field of any U.S. thoroughbred race, longshots often find their way to the winner’s circle. Since 2019, the lowest payout for a $2 win ticket was Sovereignty last year, and his bettors still won $17.96.

One of the other big surprises Saturday was the bettors’ interest in So Happy. While he and jockey Mike Smith won the Santa Anita Derby, the colt was given morning line odds of 15-1. That was due primarily to his being sired by Runhappy, who was an excellent sprinter.

Bettors made him the third choice at 5-1.

So Happy stayed among the front pack for the first mile but faded down the stretch to finish ninth.

“He just did too much early on, and we went too fast,” Smith said.

#Cherie #DeVaux #History #Kentucky #Derby #Win #Churchill #Downs #Deadspin.com">Cherie DeVaux Makes History with Kentucky Derby Win at Churchill Downs | Deadspin.com Cherie DeVaux made history on Saturday by becoming the first female trainer to win the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. However, with a horde of media surrounding her at her backside stable Sunday morning, she was quick to give the credit to jockey Jose Ortiz.“It’s almost as if he could script it,” she said.With an entry that’s known for being a closer, DeVaux said she did not mind Golden Tempo drawing an outside post. He got the 19th gate in the draw, but after scratches, he moved into the 16th. While a ways away from the rail, it helped the colt avoid much of the bumping between horses at the start as they work to get inside position.DeVaux said she’s not one to give her riders many instructions before a race. She kept it simple: “Don’t overthink it. If you can get out, just get a clear path and make a run.”Mission accomplished, even if the horse doesn’t quite live up to his name.“Golden Tempo doesn’t really give Jose any help by just falling back so far,” she added.While the early front-runners posted blazing quarter times, Golden Tempo ran last in the field for the first three-quarters of a mile. However, as the speed faded, Ortiz had an easy route to the outside, and down the final stretch, he chased down Renegade, the bettors’ second choice, to win by a neck.Another issue that may have been in Golden Tempo’s favor was not having to load into the gate a second time. That’s something several horses had to do after racing officials scratched Great White at the last minute for dumping jockey Alex Achard and falling over backward while being led to the gate.“It was a rough trip, everybody was all over the place,” said Luis Saez, who rode seventh-place finisher Commandment. “He ran pretty well and made a nice move, but it was just a tough race.”Commandment, one of two Derby horses trained by Brad Cox, was the co-second choice in the morning line. At post time, he ended up being the fourth choice at 6-1. Cox’s other horse, Further Ado, ended up the slight favorite over Renegade, with both breaking at 5-1.Renegade was the morning-line favorite, despite drawing the inside post – a position that had not produced a winner in 40 years. However, the Todd Pletcher-trained colt and Irad Ortiz Jr., Jose’s brother, did everything they could to make some history of their own.“He got a little roughed and got pushed out of his position,” Pletcher said. “But he kept on going and made his run. He just didn’t get there today.”With the Kentucky Derby having the largest field of any U.S. thoroughbred race, longshots often find their way to the winner’s circle. Since 2019, the lowest payout for a win ticket was Sovereignty last year, and his bettors still won .96.One of the other big surprises Saturday was the bettors’ interest in So Happy. While he and jockey Mike Smith won the Santa Anita Derby, the colt was given morning line odds of 15-1. That was due primarily to his being sired by Runhappy, who was an excellent sprinter.Bettors made him the third choice at 5-1.So Happy stayed among the front pack for the first mile but faded down the stretch to finish ninth.“He just did too much early on, and we went too fast,” Smith said. #Cherie #DeVaux #History #Kentucky #Derby #Win #Churchill #Downs #Deadspin.com

the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. However, with a horde of media surrounding her at her backside stable Sunday morning, she was quick to give the credit to jockey Jose Ortiz.

“It’s almost as if he could script it,” she said.

With an entry that’s known for being a closer, DeVaux said she did not mind Golden Tempo drawing an outside post. He got the 19th gate in the draw, but after scratches, he moved into the 16th. While a ways away from the rail, it helped the colt avoid much of the bumping between horses at the start as they work to get inside position.

DeVaux said she’s not one to give her riders many instructions before a race. She kept it simple: “Don’t overthink it. If you can get out, just get a clear path and make a run.”

Mission accomplished, even if the horse doesn’t quite live up to his name.

“Golden Tempo doesn’t really give Jose any help by just falling back so far,” she added.

While the early front-runners posted blazing quarter times, Golden Tempo ran last in the field for the first three-quarters of a mile. However, as the speed faded, Ortiz had an easy route to the outside, and down the final stretch, he chased down Renegade, the bettors’ second choice, to win by a neck.

Another issue that may have been in Golden Tempo’s favor was not having to load into the gate a second time. That’s something several horses had to do after racing officials scratched Great White at the last minute for dumping jockey Alex Achard and falling over backward while being led to the gate.

“It was a rough trip, everybody was all over the place,” said Luis Saez, who rode seventh-place finisher Commandment. “He ran pretty well and made a nice move, but it was just a tough race.”

Commandment, one of two Derby horses trained by Brad Cox, was the co-second choice in the morning line. At post time, he ended up being the fourth choice at 6-1. Cox’s other horse, Further Ado, ended up the slight favorite over Renegade, with both breaking at 5-1.

Renegade was the morning-line favorite, despite drawing the inside post – a position that had not produced a winner in 40 years. However, the Todd Pletcher-trained colt and Irad Ortiz Jr., Jose’s brother, did everything they could to make some history of their own.

“He got a little roughed and got pushed out of his position,” Pletcher said. “But he kept on going and made his run. He just didn’t get there today.”

With the Kentucky Derby having the largest field of any U.S. thoroughbred race, longshots often find their way to the winner’s circle. Since 2019, the lowest payout for a $2 win ticket was Sovereignty last year, and his bettors still won $17.96.

One of the other big surprises Saturday was the bettors’ interest in So Happy. While he and jockey Mike Smith won the Santa Anita Derby, the colt was given morning line odds of 15-1. That was due primarily to his being sired by Runhappy, who was an excellent sprinter.

Bettors made him the third choice at 5-1.

So Happy stayed among the front pack for the first mile but faded down the stretch to finish ninth.

“He just did too much early on, and we went too fast,” Smith said.

#Cherie #DeVaux #History #Kentucky #Derby #Win #Churchill #Downs #Deadspin.com">Cherie DeVaux Makes History with Kentucky Derby Win at Churchill Downs | Deadspin.com

Cherie DeVaux made history on Saturday by becoming the first female trainer to win the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. However, with a horde of media surrounding her at her backside stable Sunday morning, she was quick to give the credit to jockey Jose Ortiz.

“It’s almost as if he could script it,” she said.

With an entry that’s known for being a closer, DeVaux said she did not mind Golden Tempo drawing an outside post. He got the 19th gate in the draw, but after scratches, he moved into the 16th. While a ways away from the rail, it helped the colt avoid much of the bumping between horses at the start as they work to get inside position.

DeVaux said she’s not one to give her riders many instructions before a race. She kept it simple: “Don’t overthink it. If you can get out, just get a clear path and make a run.”

Mission accomplished, even if the horse doesn’t quite live up to his name.

“Golden Tempo doesn’t really give Jose any help by just falling back so far,” she added.

While the early front-runners posted blazing quarter times, Golden Tempo ran last in the field for the first three-quarters of a mile. However, as the speed faded, Ortiz had an easy route to the outside, and down the final stretch, he chased down Renegade, the bettors’ second choice, to win by a neck.

Another issue that may have been in Golden Tempo’s favor was not having to load into the gate a second time. That’s something several horses had to do after racing officials scratched Great White at the last minute for dumping jockey Alex Achard and falling over backward while being led to the gate.

“It was a rough trip, everybody was all over the place,” said Luis Saez, who rode seventh-place finisher Commandment. “He ran pretty well and made a nice move, but it was just a tough race.”

Commandment, one of two Derby horses trained by Brad Cox, was the co-second choice in the morning line. At post time, he ended up being the fourth choice at 6-1. Cox’s other horse, Further Ado, ended up the slight favorite over Renegade, with both breaking at 5-1.

Renegade was the morning-line favorite, despite drawing the inside post – a position that had not produced a winner in 40 years. However, the Todd Pletcher-trained colt and Irad Ortiz Jr., Jose’s brother, did everything they could to make some history of their own.

“He got a little roughed and got pushed out of his position,” Pletcher said. “But he kept on going and made his run. He just didn’t get there today.”

With the Kentucky Derby having the largest field of any U.S. thoroughbred race, longshots often find their way to the winner’s circle. Since 2019, the lowest payout for a $2 win ticket was Sovereignty last year, and his bettors still won $17.96.

One of the other big surprises Saturday was the bettors’ interest in So Happy. While he and jockey Mike Smith won the Santa Anita Derby, the colt was given morning line odds of 15-1. That was due primarily to his being sired by Runhappy, who was an excellent sprinter.

Bettors made him the third choice at 5-1.

So Happy stayed among the front pack for the first mile but faded down the stretch to finish ninth.

“He just did too much early on, and we went too fast,” Smith said.

#Cherie #DeVaux #History #Kentucky #Derby #Win #Churchill #Downs #Deadspin.com

But that frustration worsened Sunday morning, when Hadjar was disqualified from qualifying following a post-session inspection.

During the post-qualifying scrutineering, race stewards found that the floor on Hadjar’s RB22 was protruding approximately two millimeters beyond the specifications allowed for in the 2026 F1 technical regulations. Hadjar and a Red Bull representative were summoned to a hearing with race officials, set for early Sunday morning.

Following the hearing, Hadjar was disqualified from qualifying.

In the report from race stewards, they noted that Red Bull “did not dispute the findings of the Technical Delegate that portions of the LHS and RHS floor boards were protruding 2mm out of the reference volume RV-FLOOR BOARD.”

Race officials imposed the standard penalty for a breach of the technical regulations, which is a disqualification from the session. Red Bull then requested that Hadjar be permitted to start the race, despite being disqualified from qualifying, and race officials granted that request.

Hadjar will line up 22nd on the grid, at the back of the field.

Speaking after qualifying, Hadjar outlined his frustration with the upgrades, and his performance during the hour.

“The car was very hard to drive, it was very fast. In Q3 I just couldn’t put it all together and on the other side we have no straight line speed,” Hadjar said after qualifying.

“I think it’s a very tricky track, very low grip with high track temperature. So nothing to do with what we had in the first three rounds. It’s not a very fluid racing track with good grip.

“It’s completely different and Max is very good at adapting to these conditions. In the corners I can tell you I’ve made big progress compared to yesterday. I just couldn’t tidy up like he did and on top of that I’m missing in every straight.”

Now he’ll have to make up significant ground on the track, in what is expected to be a very wet Miami Grand Prix.

#Isack #Hadjars #qualifying #disqualification #Miami #explained">Isack Hadjar’s qualifying disqualification at the Miami GP, explained Red Bull brought a series of upgrades to the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix, hoping to unlock improved performance in the RB22. The decision seemed to pay immediate dividends for Max Verstappen, who put his RB22 on the front row during qualifying, and he will start second alongside pole-sitter Kimi Antonelli later today.However, Isack Hadjar qualified ninth — 0.825 seconds behind Verstappen — which was frustrating enough for the Red Bull driver.But that frustration worsened Sunday morning, when Hadjar was disqualified from qualifying following a post-session inspection.During the post-qualifying scrutineering, race stewards found that the floor on Hadjar’s RB22 was protruding approximately two millimeters beyond the specifications allowed for in the 2026 F1 technical regulations. Hadjar and a Red Bull representative were summoned to a hearing with race officials, set for early Sunday morning.Following the hearing, Hadjar was disqualified from qualifying.In the report from race stewards, they noted that Red Bull “did not dispute the findings of the Technical Delegate that portions of the LHS and RHS floor boards were protruding 2mm out of the reference volume RV-FLOOR BOARD.”Race officials imposed the standard penalty for a breach of the technical regulations, which is a disqualification from the session. Red Bull then requested that Hadjar be permitted to start the race, despite being disqualified from qualifying, and race officials granted that request.Hadjar will line up 22nd on the grid, at the back of the field.Speaking after qualifying, Hadjar outlined his frustration with the upgrades, and his performance during the hour.“The car was very hard to drive, it was very fast. In Q3 I just couldn’t put it all together and on the other side we have no straight line speed,” Hadjar said after qualifying.“I think it’s a very tricky track, very low grip with high track temperature. So nothing to do with what we had in the first three rounds. It’s not a very fluid racing track with good grip.“It’s completely different and Max is very good at adapting to these conditions. In the corners I can tell you I’ve made big progress compared to yesterday. I just couldn’t tidy up like he did and on top of that I’m missing in every straight.”Now he’ll have to make up significant ground on the track, in what is expected to be a very wet Miami Grand Prix. #Isack #Hadjars #qualifying #disqualification #Miami #explained

disqualified from qualifying following a post-session inspection.

During the post-qualifying scrutineering, race stewards found that the floor on Hadjar’s RB22 was protruding approximately two millimeters beyond the specifications allowed for in the 2026 F1 technical regulations. Hadjar and a Red Bull representative were summoned to a hearing with race officials, set for early Sunday morning.

Following the hearing, Hadjar was disqualified from qualifying.

In the report from race stewards, they noted that Red Bull “did not dispute the findings of the Technical Delegate that portions of the LHS and RHS floor boards were protruding 2mm out of the reference volume RV-FLOOR BOARD.”

Race officials imposed the standard penalty for a breach of the technical regulations, which is a disqualification from the session. Red Bull then requested that Hadjar be permitted to start the race, despite being disqualified from qualifying, and race officials granted that request.

Hadjar will line up 22nd on the grid, at the back of the field.

Speaking after qualifying, Hadjar outlined his frustration with the upgrades, and his performance during the hour.

“The car was very hard to drive, it was very fast. In Q3 I just couldn’t put it all together and on the other side we have no straight line speed,” Hadjar said after qualifying.

“I think it’s a very tricky track, very low grip with high track temperature. So nothing to do with what we had in the first three rounds. It’s not a very fluid racing track with good grip.

“It’s completely different and Max is very good at adapting to these conditions. In the corners I can tell you I’ve made big progress compared to yesterday. I just couldn’t tidy up like he did and on top of that I’m missing in every straight.”

Now he’ll have to make up significant ground on the track, in what is expected to be a very wet Miami Grand Prix.

#Isack #Hadjars #qualifying #disqualification #Miami #explained">Isack Hadjar’s qualifying disqualification at the Miami GP, explained

Red Bull brought a series of upgrades to the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix, hoping to unlock improved performance in the RB22. The decision seemed to pay immediate dividends for Max Verstappen, who put his RB22 on the front row during qualifying, and he will start second alongside pole-sitter Kimi Antonelli later today.

However, Isack Hadjar qualified ninth — 0.825 seconds behind Verstappen — which was frustrating enough for the Red Bull driver.

But that frustration worsened Sunday morning, when Hadjar was disqualified from qualifying following a post-session inspection.

During the post-qualifying scrutineering, race stewards found that the floor on Hadjar’s RB22 was protruding approximately two millimeters beyond the specifications allowed for in the 2026 F1 technical regulations. Hadjar and a Red Bull representative were summoned to a hearing with race officials, set for early Sunday morning.

Following the hearing, Hadjar was disqualified from qualifying.

In the report from race stewards, they noted that Red Bull “did not dispute the findings of the Technical Delegate that portions of the LHS and RHS floor boards were protruding 2mm out of the reference volume RV-FLOOR BOARD.”

Race officials imposed the standard penalty for a breach of the technical regulations, which is a disqualification from the session. Red Bull then requested that Hadjar be permitted to start the race, despite being disqualified from qualifying, and race officials granted that request.

Hadjar will line up 22nd on the grid, at the back of the field.

Speaking after qualifying, Hadjar outlined his frustration with the upgrades, and his performance during the hour.

“The car was very hard to drive, it was very fast. In Q3 I just couldn’t put it all together and on the other side we have no straight line speed,” Hadjar said after qualifying.

“I think it’s a very tricky track, very low grip with high track temperature. So nothing to do with what we had in the first three rounds. It’s not a very fluid racing track with good grip.

“It’s completely different and Max is very good at adapting to these conditions. In the corners I can tell you I’ve made big progress compared to yesterday. I just couldn’t tidy up like he did and on top of that I’m missing in every straight.”

Now he’ll have to make up significant ground on the track, in what is expected to be a very wet Miami Grand Prix.

#Isack #Hadjars #qualifying #disqualification #Miami #explained
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