DJ Moore and Cole Kmet send a very important message to their teammates as the Bears start training camp

A big part of team success in the NFL is having guys who will speak up and send the right message when its needed most.

Fortunately, the Chicago Bears have several guys who do just that, including star wideout, D.J. Moore, and star tight end, Cole Kmet.

And, both guys had a very important message for their teammates when they spoke with reporters on Friday. They know that the Bears can't afford another slow start like they experienced last year. Especially considering all of the improvements the team has made over the offseason.

Therefore, it's imperative everyone is on the same page when it comes to Week 1's -and beyond's- expectations.

"We just all have to come together as quickly as possible," Moore told reporters. "We all do different things - the receiving room [and] the tight ends do a bunch of different things. [We have] a new quarterback. The running backs, [we] added [D'Andre Swift] added in there with Roschon [Johnson] and Khalil [Herbert]. So everybody just has to start to mesh, and they have to start it tomorrow, while we're on the field."

"The urgency's [there], we have to get this thing going quickly," said Kmet. "There's not going to be time to meander through this thing. We have to get this thing going quickly, here. So. we have to operate at a high level. We have to really take advantage of our walkthroughs when we get these things at night. And the better we are through those things, the faster we'll be able to execute, you know, on game day. But yeah, it's got to happen quickly."

The Bears' 2024 schedule is considered third-easiest when adjusting for Vegas' win total projections. However, the first five games of the season aren't gimmes, by any means. The Tennessee Titans come to Solider Field in Week 1 and then the Bears play the Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, and Los Angeles Rams, with the Texans and Colts on the road. We all know the perception surrounding the Texans. The Colts were on the verge of making the playoffs, last year, and the Rams should be right near the top of the NFC, as long as Matthew Stafford stays healthy.

A 1-3 start wouldn't be killer, by any means, as Chicago then plays the Panthers, Jags, Commanders, Cardinals, and Patriots, but the point still stands: a slow start can't happen.

And that's because the Bears have realistic playoff expectations for the first time in years. A slow start would put them behind the 8-ball and we all know how you don't want to force yourself into an uphill climb in the NFL. Because, even though there's that soft stretch of games above, guess what comes right after the Patriots?

Matchups against the Packers, Vikings, Lions, 49ers, Vikings, Lions, Seahawks, and Packers. Yep, all six of the Bears' divisional games are played in the last eight contests of the year and the Bears have to go out West and play the 49ers after coming off a road contest against the Lions.

A slow start, just to "even out" before the key stretch of the season could easily derail playoff expectations. And that's exactly why the Bears need to listen to Moore and Kmet.

The best part? They'll do just that.