Johnson Defends Late Scoring as Ravens, Chiefs Assess Injuries
Johnson Defends Late Scoring as Ravens, Chiefs Assess Injuries
Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson defended his team's decision to keep scoring in the fourth quarter of a 59-37 rout of the Carolina Panthers, saying the game remained competitive too late for his offense to ease off. Elsewhere in the league, the Baltimore Ravens are bracing for a lengthy absence from rookie receiver Ja'Kobi Lane, while the Kansas City Chiefs received encouraging news on cornerback Mansoor Delane's shoulder injury.
The Bears posted their highest-scoring performance in franchise history in Week 1, and Johnson said Chicago never felt safe enough to slow down, even after building a 45-31 lead in the third 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. He added that Carolina's history of fourth-quarter comebacks last season shaped Chicago's approach: "We went into the game with a lot of respect for how well they could play in the fourth quarter... We knew we couldn't let off the gas." The Bears host the Minnesota Vikings in their home opener Sunday, a divisional matchup that will offer an early measure of the offense's consistency. mexico liga abe
In Baltimore, rookie wideout Ja'Kobi Lane is expected to undergo surgery as soon as Wednesday for a fractured wrist, a procedure that could keep him out for close to a month, according to a CBS Sports report. The team has reportedly not ruled out placing him on injured reserve. Lane's injury deepens an already depleted receiver room after Zay Flowers was sidelined by a hamstring issue, pushing Rashod Bateman, Chris Moore and Elijah Sarratt further up the depth chart. Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken - referred to as Minter in game-week comments - said Flowers was "probably a little bit more like in the day-to-day range," while indicating Lane could be out longer. Lane, a third-round pick out of USC who caught 99 passes for 1,363 yards and 18 touchdowns over three college seasons, had been slotted as Baltimore's No. 2 receiver before his NFL debut was cut short in Week 1 against Indianapolis. A month-long recovery would put his return in range for Baltimore's October game against Atlanta, following matchups against New Orleans, Dallas and Tennessee.
Kansas City's outlook is brighter. Cornerback Mansoor Delane, the No. 6 overall pick, 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 returning clean; an MRI was still pending. Delane appeared to aggravate a shoulder issue that first surfaced during the offseason program and training camp, but still delivered his first career interception on just his third defensive snap, ending an early Denver possession before an awkward landing forced him out of the game. With no long-term issue currently expected, the Chiefs will look for Delane to return quickly as Kansas City hosts the Indianapolis Colts in a Sunday night Week 2 matchup.
