LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Before pass catchers could envision catching touchdowns in Ben Johnson’s offense, the Bears’ skilled players needed to adopt a particular mindset. 

It’s one that Johnson implemented during his time as the offensive coordinator with the Detroit Lions and brought with him to Chicago. 

No block, no rock. 

Johnson has emphasized the importance of blocking when the football is not in a player’s hands. This requirement was established when Johnson started as the Bears’ head coach. 

Through the first eight weeks of the 2025 NFL season, there have been mixed results from players finishing reps when a teammate has had the ball. In the Bears’ 30-16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 8, DJ Moore and Olamide Zaccheaus showed what that effort looks like when executed correctly. 

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On the Bears’ second offensive drive of the game, Moore and Zaccheaus lined up to Caleb Williams’ left on a first-and-10 from the Baltimore 38-yard line. From the shotgun, Williams quickly threw to his left, and Zaccheaus caught the pass and used Moore’s block to pick up four yards on the play. 

Watch as Moore discusses his assignment on the play, what will get a player called out by his coaches and why he believes he can always make the first defender miss. 

Two plays later, Moore and Zaccheaus swapped roles. On third-and-7, Williams completed a pass to Moore, and the veteran wide receiver made the first defender miss. Zaccheaus and Rome Odunze provided downfield blocks to help Moore gain 10 yards to secure the first down.

Watch Zaccheaus break down both screen plays and highlight where he gets his mentality as a blocker.

The screen game is an important part of Johnson’s offense, and those types of plays require complete buy-in from every individual who doesn’t have the football. With the help of Moore and Zaccheaus, the offensive drive stayed alive and eventually ended with a 39-yard field goal from Cairo Santos.

To get more insight from Bears players on key plays during each game, make sure to check out the Marquee Sports Network app.