Bears get clarity on Darnell Wright’s status heading into the weekend, allowing Ben Johnson to lean into his biggest strength
The Chicago Bears final injury report going into Week 2 is a green light all across the board, and it’s even bigger news for Ben Johnson’s offense going up against the Minnesota Vikings.
The Chicago Bears released the final injury report after Friday’s practice going into the weekend and it’s a green light for all 10 players that were listed on the report this week. Everyone fully participated and will be ready for Sunday’s game.
That’s especially great news for right tackle Darnell Wright and this Bears’ rushing attack. Wright went from DNP, to limited, to full this week while dealing with a knee injury but does not have a final injury designation. The same goes for both of Chicago’s running backs in D’Andre Swift (ankle/knee) and Kyle Monanagai (hamstring), who were both limited on Wednesday and Thursday.
With all three players fully cleared, head coach Ben Johnson can fully lean into the strength of his offense on Sunday against Brian Flores’ defense.
Bears can lean into the right-heavy run game against the Vikings in Week 2
Wright popping up on the injury report earlier in this week brought a lot of initial concern. This offense literally runs through Wright on the right side. It’s a very right-heavy rushing attack and he’s turned into one of the most physical offensive tackles in this league.
Last season, the Bears led the NFL with 210 attempts, 1,146 rushing yards, and 70 first downs on runs that were to the right outside or to the right off tackle. In Week 1, the Bears again led the NFL with 116 rushing yards on such attempts. There’s a reason why the Bears love running that direction.
“Jonah (Jackson) and Darnell are two very powerful athletes,” Johnson said on Wednesday. “I think it’s very difficult to stonewall (them).”
Wright getting cleared means that is something the Bears can continue to lean into on Sunday. Even with Wright back in the fold though, the Bears still have one player highlighted on Minnesota’s defensive front that could present a challenge.
“Now I think we’ll have a big test this week,” Johnson added. “(Jalen) Redmond for them, I think he’s one of the better defensive linemen in this league. He’s flying under the radar. Just seeing his growth over the years, he’s a force to be reckoned with.”
Last week, Redmond recorded two tackles and one stop in the run game against the Green Bay Packers with two pressures as a pass rusher. The entire Vikings defense as a whole totaled 14 stops in the run game. It’ll be a battle of strength vs. strength on that right side.
Other injury notes
The Bears will be fully healthy in the secondary this week as well with Xavier Woods (groin) cleared to play after missing last week’s season opener. With Woods back at safety, the Bears can decide who to play at nickel between Cam Lewis and rookie Malik Muhammad. Muhammad is also an option the Bears could explore playing on the outside.
One more piece of good news, offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo was a full participant on Friday for the first time. However, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune said Friday’s session was a short practice in shells and shorts, not full pads. Still, it’s another step forward for Trapilo, however Braxton Jones will still be in line to start at left tackle on Sunday.
