Bears
Bears WR Rome Odunze spoke about where his head is halfway into his second season in Chicago and is still chasing the team’s records for receiving.
“I think I’ve continued to have a similar mindset,” Odunze said in an exclusive interview with Bears Wire. “Honestly, I feel like I’m a great option on any given play, and I feel like my talents and abilities continue to display that. But at the end of the day, it’s a team game. I want the wide receiver core and the offense to eat as a whole. So I think I can facilitate that, but I’m an advocate for the plan that they put together each and every week.”
“Anytime you step out there, you’re trying to make some history,” Odunze added. “Going into the season, [the touchdown record] was not something that was particularly harped on. But I think it just comes with locking in and being an asset for this team. I feel like those things will definitely come. We still have a good bit of season left. Hopefully I can stack some up here and go get a record for myself.”
Lions
The Lions’ offensive identity recently has gone through their offensive line and run game, but this year they have new starting guards in Christian Mahogany and Tate Ratledge. Detroit HC Dan Campbell credited C Graham Glasgow (who started at guard last year) for his consistent play in between the two.
“Graham has been an ultimate pro, man, he’s a smart guy,” Campbell said, via Jeff Risdon of the Lions Wire. “He’s headsy, he’s played a lot of ball. He’s thick in there, he can anchor. I feel like he’s kind of calmed us down in there. I think he’s really helped those two young guys, and so has Decker and Sewell. They’ve helped Mahogany and Ratledge.”
He also talked about their expectations to perform since they are no longer considered young players.
“I go back to this, I mentioned this to those young guys too, speaking of the guards. They’re not young anymore. I told them that, that’s done. We’re at the halfway point here, they’re veterans now. And they’re expected to play good ball, and even better every week. And they are improving. Graham’s been great, that was a good move getting him in there. He’s helped stabilize us in there in the middle.”
Vikings
Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy said that he’s hit the reset button and is looking forward to proving why he was a high draft choice after missing significant time to start his career.
“There’s a reset button, essentially, just being six weeks down,” McCarthy said, via Around The NFL. “I feel like there’s a lot I learned just about playing the game of football at the next level. This is my second year. I’m still learning so much, and all that time is not time that’s wasted.”
McCarthy said he feels great as he returns to the starting lineup.
“I feel like it was just the allotted amount of time to where I feel like I can do everything on the football field, pain-free. A little bit of limitations here and there, but that’s how high ankles work,” he said. “I’m going to be feeling this thing for a little bit here from here on out.”
Vikings QB Carson Wentz, who is expected to undergo season-ending surgery this week, said that continuing to play wouldn’t further damage his shoulder.
“This isn’t my first rodeo. I’m not an idiot. I know what I was signing up for, going out there. Nobody was forcing me, pressuring me, any of those things,” Wentz said. “The communication has been phenomenal from coaches, trainers, all the things, and so we knew what we were doing all along.”
- Tom Pelissero reports that Vikings RB Aaron Jones suffered an AC joint sprain, which is believed to be minor and not expected to keep him out next week.
- Vikings LB Blake Cashman was fined $23,186 for use of the helmet, and LB Dallas Turner was fined $19,907 for a launch.
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