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.
Ben Johnson Explains Bears’ Fourth-Quarter Push
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 at the end.”
Johnson also noted how frequently Carolina’s offense had rallied from behind a season ago, adding that history stuck with the Bears’ coaching staff when preparing for the Panthers.
“It’s a credit to Carolina more than anything. We went into the game with a lot of respect for how well they could play in the fourth quarter. They had a number of games a year ago where the quarterback and the offense found a way to come back and win from behind; that was just something that was on our mind going into the game. We knew we couldn’t let off the gas.”
The Bears’ offense will get an early test in their home opener against NFC North division rival, the Minnesota Vikings, on Sunday.
Baltimore’s receiving corps just got thinner.
Rookie wideout Ja’Kobi Lane is expected to undergo surgery for a fractured wrist as soon as Wednesday, a procedure that could sideline him for close to a month, according to a CBS Sports report. The Ravens have reportedly not ruled out an injured reserve designation.
Lane’s absence compounds an already banged-up receiver room after Zay Flowers went down with a hamstring injury, pushing Rashod Bateman, Chris Moore and Elijah Sarratt up the depth chart.
“Zay’s probably a little bit more like in the day-to-day range. You know, feel pretty good about where that’s at. We’ll see how the week goes,” Minter said about Flowers before adding he expected Lane to be out, “maybe a little bit longer,” Monday.
The 21-year-old third-round pick out of USC was expected to be a red-zone weapon alongside Flowers after a standout college career, but his NFL debut was cut short in Week 1 against the Colts. Lane arrived in Baltimore with plenty of hype after a three-season run at USC that produced 99 catches, 1,363 yards and 18 touchdowns, and he’d lined up as the No. 2 behind Flowers before the injury.
A month-long absence could see Lane return for Baltimore’s game against the Falcons in October, after matchups with the New Orleans Saints, Dallas Cowboys and Tennessee Titans.
There’s encouraging news on the injury front for one of Kansas City’s top rookies.
Cornerback Mansoor Delane is believed to have suffered only a short-term shoulder injury during Monday night’s win over Denver, according to NFL Network, with X-rays and CT scans reportedly coming back clean. Delane was still set to undergo an MRI.
The No. 6 overall pick appeared to have aggravated a shoulder issue that dated back to the offseason program and training camp. He made an instant impact anyway, hauling in his first career interception on his third career snap to end Denver’s opening possession, but he landed awkwardly on the shoulder during the play and didn’t return.
With the early word pointing to a short-term issue rather than a long-term absence, the Chiefs will be hopeful their top corner can be back in the mix quickly as the secondary settles into the regular season.
The Chiefs host the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night in Week 2.
