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 ceaselessly 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 a number of respect for a way effectively they might play within the fourth quarter. They’d plenty of video games a 12 months in the past the place the quarterback and the offense discovered a technique 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 check of their dwelling opener in opposition to NFC North division rival, the Minnesota Vikings, on Sunday.
Baltimore’s receiving corps simply bought thinner.
Rookie wideout Ja’Kobi Lane is expected to undergo surgery for a fractured wrist as quickly as Wednesday, a process that might 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 just a little bit extra like within the day-to-day vary. You understand, really feel fairly good about the place that is at. We’ll see how the week goes,” Minter stated about Flowers earlier than including he anticipated Lane to be out, “perhaps just a little 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 faculty profession, however his NFL debut was reduce quick 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 every of Kansas Metropolis’s prime 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 total choose appeared to have aggravated a shoulder subject that dated again to the offseason program and coaching camp. He made an prompt influence 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 throughout the play and did not return.
With the early phrase pointing to a short-term subject relatively than a long-term absence, the Chiefs will likely be hopeful their prime nook could be again within the combine rapidly because the secondary settles into the common season.
The Chiefs host the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night time in Week 2.
