With Week 1 officially over and Week 2 around the corner, Tuesday saw a mix of injury updates across the NFL as teams digested their season openers.
Kansas City Chiefs rookie cornerback Mansoor Delane appears to have avoided a long-term injury after making a big play against the Denver Broncos, while Baltimore Ravens wideout Ja’Kobi Lane could be facing a month-long absence.
In Chicago, Ben Johnson explained why his Bears continued to score in the fourth quarter during a blowout win over the Carolina Panthers, rather than taking their foot off the gas late.
Here’s the latest from around the NFL.
The Bears put up their highest-scoring Week 1 performance in franchise history Sunday, routing the Panthers 59-37, and head coach Ben Johnson made clear Monday that easing off wasn’t an option. Even with Chicago up 45-31 after a third-quarter touchdown run from Kyle Monangai, the offense tacked on two more scores in the fourth.
“Anytime you’re still within a couple of scores there in the fourth quarter, the game is still on, and so we needed that,” Ben Johnson said via transcript from the team. “I forget what time it was that we took the field for that last drive, and it was, ‘Guys, we want to finish the game with the ball’, and then ended up getting one to pop through, and [D’Andre Swift] ended up scoring there on the finish.”
Johnson additionally famous how continuously Carolina’s offense had rallied from behind a season in the past, including that historical past caught with the Bears’ teaching workers when making ready for the Panthers.
“It’s a credit score to Carolina greater than something. We went into the sport with loads of respect for a way properly they might play within the fourth quarter. They’d quite a few video games a yr in the past the place the quarterback and the offense discovered a solution to come again and win from behind; that was simply one thing that was on our thoughts going into the sport. We knew we couldn’t let off the gasoline.”
The Bears’ offense will get an early take a look at of their residence opener in opposition to NFC North division rival, the Minnesota Vikings, on Sunday.
Baltimore’s receiving corps simply acquired thinner.
Rookie wideout Ja’Kobi Lane is expected to undergo surgery for a fractured wrist as quickly as Wednesday, a process that would sideline him for near a month, according to a CBS Sports report. The Ravens have reportedly not dominated out an injured reserve designation.
Lane’s absence compounds an already banged-up receiver room after Zay Flowers went down with a hamstring damage, pushing Rashod Bateman, Chris Moore and Elijah Sarratt up the depth chart.
“Zay’s in all probability a bit of bit extra like within the day-to-day vary. You recognize, really feel fairly good about the place that is at. We’ll see how the week goes,” Minter mentioned about Flowers earlier than including he anticipated Lane to be out, “possibly a bit of bit longer,” Monday.
The 21-year-old third-round pick of USC was anticipated to be a red-zone weapon alongside Flowers after a standout school profession, however his NFL debut was lower brief in Week 1 in opposition to the Colts. Lane arrived in Baltimore with loads of hype after a three-season run at USC that produced 99 catches, 1,363 yards and 18 touchdowns, and he’d lined up because the No. 2 behind Flowers earlier than the damage.
A month-long absence might see Lane return for Baltimore’s sport in opposition to the Falcons in October, after matchups with the New Orleans Saints, Dallas Cowboys and Tennessee Titans.
There’s encouraging information on the damage entrance for one in all Kansas Metropolis’s high rookies.
Cornerback Mansoor Delane is believed to have suffered solely a short-term shoulder damage throughout Monday night time’s win over Denver, according to NFL Network, with X-rays and CT scans reportedly coming again clear. Delane was nonetheless set to bear an MRI.
The No. 6 general decide appeared to have aggravated a shoulder situation that dated again to the offseason program and coaching camp. He made an instantaneous affect anyway, hauling in his first profession interception on his third profession snap to finish Denver’s opening possession, however he landed awkwardly on the shoulder through the play and did not return.
With the early phrase pointing to a short-term situation quite than a long-term absence, the Chiefs shall be hopeful their high nook will be again within the combine shortly because the secondary settles into the common season.
The Chiefs host the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night time in Week 2.
