LAKE FOREST, Ill. – The Bears had a third down deep in Cardinals territory when DJ Moore dragged across the field going to his left. Rome Odunze’s route set something of a pick for Moore, who was wide open with room to snag and score.

Quarterback Caleb Williams threw to Keenan Allen in the back of the end zone instead, on a lower-percentage attempt that fell incomplete. The Bears settled for a field on the next play, ending their only trip into the red zone with three points instead of seven.

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“You can never go wrong going to (No.) 13. He just didn’t catch the ball,” Moore said in his Wednesday press conference. “If Caleb wanted to not throw to Keenan, I mean, I was right there for the touchdown. It’s all based on where Caleb puts the ball.”

Williams and Moore have made some quality connections this season, but the overall chemistry between rookie quarterback and star receiver hasn’t been great.

“Obviously, it’s not in a place — from the past games —  where we would like it,” Williams said. “It’s frustrating for both of us, because you’ve got a guy that’s so special and not being able to connect and hit on certain passes is frustrating for myself and I know it’s frustrating for him. Because, as a wide receiver especially, you only get but so many chances, so many times the ball comes your way in a game. I wouldn’t put it past him that it’s frustrating, but we’ve got to figure it out.”

It was slow going at the start, but things seemed to be in lockstep during a Week 5 contest against Carolina. Moore had five catches for 105 yards and two touchdowns that day, when the passes were perfectly place and the receiver was reliably at the right place at the right time.

Moore has just 80 yards and no scores in the three games since that time. A sign that things aren’t quite right: Williams is just 10-for-18 when throwing to Moore in that span, where the duo is averaging just 4.4 yards per target.

Williams and Moore said it’s the little details that are a bit off, and it’s something the pair is committed to working through.

“Just knowing who we’re going against, the one-on-one matchups that we might have throughout the game and then understanding on the back end, the reads and where we’re at in situations, where he’s going through the read and how fast I’ve got to be or how slow I’ve got to be to stay in his vision.”

Moore had a solid connection with Justin Fields last season, but said reps will continue to help him strengthen the on-field bond with Williams. The two are friends off the field, and both believe they’ll find greater sync as time progresses. Both guys will be here a long time, so forging that connection will be important for years to come.

“I think it comes down to talking and communicating more,” Williams said. “We talk all the time, we laugh and joke all the time and things like that but I think talking a little bit more and communicating a little bit more about specifics of ways I see it and the ways he sees it, ways he’s seeing it and then keep going from there.”