Earlier this season, it looked like Pittsburgh Steelers rookie wide receiver George Pickens had all but locked up the NFL’s catch of the year award, with this incredible effort against the Cleveland Browns.
Darnell Mooney submits his entry for the NFL’s Catch of the Year
Mooney’s twisting one-hander has to be seen to be believed
Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Mark Schofield is a former college quarterback and attorney covering the NFL and F1.
Someone forgot to tell Darnell Mooney.
It has been a rough start to the year for the Chicago Bears, with second-year quarterback Justin Fields struggling to find consistency in the passing game and the team trying everything imaginable to carve out a win over the New York Giants. But Mooney turned in an incredible catch against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, almost mirroring the effort from Pickens from back in Week 3:
Mooney makes an incredible adjustment to this throw from Fields, twisting and contorting his body to snare the football at the end of his vertical route. On this replay angle, you can see how the receiver channels both Pickens, and Odell Beckham Jr., securing the football with one hand before crashing to the turf:
The Bears capped off the drive with a touchdown run from David Montgomery to cut into Minnesota’s lead:
Shortly thereafter, the Bears shared this image of Mooney’s reception, encapsulating the incredible effort on the play:
Maybe the race for Catch of the Year is not over after all.
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