Bears receiver DJ Moore appears to be fine after taking a nasty hit to the head Monday night.
Moore was hurt with 2:16 left in the game on a play in which the Vikings committed a roughing the passer penalty on Caleb Williams. Vikings safety Jay Ward knocked the ball out of Moore arms with his shoulder, a hit that officials said was legal. He was dazed and in pain after the game.
Coach Ben Johnson said Tuesday, however, that Moore said he was fine in text messages with him. He said the Bears emerged from Monday night’s loss to the Vikings without significant injuries.
They played the game, though, without three defensive starters. Slot cornerback Kyler Gordon was added to the injury list Sunday. Johnson said started to feel some tightness during the week but didn’t talk to the Bears trainers about it until Sunday.
Wright time
Two minutes into the third quarter, defensive coordinator Dennis Allen called his first blitz, bringing seven pass-rushers. His defensive backfield played Cover 0 — man coverage with no safety help. J.J. McCarthy threw a quick out route toward Justin Jefferson.
Knowing a throw would come quickly, cornerback Nahshon Wright jumped the route, intercepted the pass and returned it 74 yards for a touchdown.
“We definitely have clues that we look for,” he said. “Like [defensive backs coach] Al [Harris] says, ‘When stars align, when you see it, go get it.’
It was meaningful for Wright, who spent last year on the Vikings practice squad but was given a chance by Harris, his former coach with the Cowboys, this offseason.
“I always felt like I belonged,” he said. “Sometimes it comes down to opportunity.”
Nailed it
Quarterback Caleb Williams painting his nails is always a hot topic among Bears fans. Monday night, he tried to harness that attention for good. For National Suicide Prevention and Awareness month, he donned nails with teal and purple ribbons and with the phone number 988, the group’s hotline number.
“It’s important to me to be able to support, if this does help or affect anything towards anybody, or prevent somebody from doing something like that,” he said.