The NFL’s opening week produced a franchise scoring record in Chicago and a fresh round of injury concerns for two other clubs, as teams turned their attention Tuesday to Week 2.
The Bears posted the highest-scoring Week 1 performance in franchise history, beating the Carolina Panthers 59-37. Head coach Ben Johnson said Monday that his team never considered easing off, even after building a 45-31 lead following a third-quarter touchdown run by Kyle Monangai. Chicago added two more scores in the fourth quarter.
“Anytime you’re still within a couple of scores there in the fourth quarter, the game is still on, and so we needed that,” Johnson said, according to a transcript released by 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 pointed to Carolina’s history of fourth-quarter comebacks last season as a factor in Chicago’s approach.
“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 face the Minnesota Vikings, their NFC North rival, in their home opener Sunday.
Baltimore’s receiver room thins out
The Ravens’ pass-catching corps took a hit after rookie wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane suffered a fractured wrist. Lane is expected to undergo surgery as soon as Wednesday, a procedure that could keep him out for close to a month, according to a CBS Sports report. Baltimore has reportedly not ruled out placing him on injured reserve.
Lane’s injury adds to an already depleted receiver group after Zay Flowers went down with a hamstring injury, moving 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, adding Monday that he expected Lane to be out “maybe a little bit longer.”
Lane, a 21-year-old third-round pick out of USC, had been lined up as the No. 2 receiver behind Flowers before his NFL debut was cut short in Week 1 against the Indianapolis Colts. Over three seasons at USC he caught 99 passes for 1,363 yards and 18 touchdowns. A month-long absence could see him return for Baltimore’s October matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, following games against the New Orleans Saints, Dallas Cowboys and Tennessee Titans.
Better news for Kansas City rookie
Chiefs rookie cornerback Mansoor Delane, the No. 6 overall pick, appears to have avoided a long-term injury after landing awkwardly on his shoulder during Monday night’s win over the Denver Broncos, according to NFL Network. X-rays and CT scans reportedly came back clean, though Delane was still set to undergo an MRI.
Delane had aggravated a shoulder issue dating back to the offseason program and training camp, but still made an impact, recording his first career interception on his third career defensive snap to end Denver’s opening possession before exiting the game. The Chiefs host the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night in Week 2.
