Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson is all-but-certain to make his season debut Sunday after being a full participant in Thursday’s practice for the second-straight day.
“I’ll be good,” he said Thursday.
Johnson suffered a severe groin injury while preparing for training camp and didn’t practice for the first time until last week. He developed calf tightness last week, presumably while compensating for the other injury.
Johnson went through pregame warmups Monday but said the intent was never to face the Vikings. Sunday, though, will be different.
“I feel pretty good just getting that extra week of reps, extra week of conditioning,” he said. “Going through things really, just getting up to speed in the playbook, being able to do walk-throughs, things like that, is really beneficial for me.”
Defensive backs coach Al Harris can’t wait.
“When you got all your [players] it definitely helps with certain calls,” he said. “It gives defensive coordinators, position coaches, a little more confidence.”
Kickoff question
Using punter Tory Taylor to kick off and boot the ball through the back of the end zone late in the game Monday was never an option, special teams coordinator Richard Hightower said. Instead, the team trusted kicker Cairo Santos to boot a touchback and prevent the clock running past the two-minute warning. He could not; the ball was returned, costing the Bears at least 45 seconds in their quest to get the ball back when down by three.
“He just didn’t hit it as flush as he wanted to hit it,” Hightower said.
Coach Ben Johnson said earlier this week he should have told Santos to kick the ball out of bounds.
Notes
• The Bears practiced without two defensive starters — cornerback Kyler Gordon (hamstring) and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett (knee). Cornerback Josh Blackwell (groin), running back Roschon Johnson (foot) and receiver Jahdae Walker (ankle) remain limited.
• Doyle, who worked with Lions head coach Campbell for two years with the Saints, believes the secret to his success is his personality.
“He wears his heart on his sleeve, and it makes players really want to play for him,” he said. “It makes people love to be around him.”
• Lions tackle Taylor Decker, who has started 127 games over 10 years, missed his second-straight practice because of a shoulder problem.
• Hightower wouldn’t say if he’d replace safety Elijah Hicks at the wing position after he missed a block on Vikings linebacker Eric Wilson that resulted in a blocked punt.
