CANTON, Ohio — Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher, two of the NFL’s greatest linebackers, enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame this week. When their teams meet in Thursday night’s preseason opener, the game could very well honor them by being a defensive battle.
On one hand, the Chicago Bears are installing a new offense under first-year coach Matt Nagy. On the other side, few if any of the Baltimore Ravens’ starters at the offensive skill positions are likely to get much action.
So if this winds up 10-9 or something similar, well, the smiles on the faces of Lewis and Urlacher might get a bit broader.
Nagy has a second-year quarterback, Mitch Trubisky, who will be taking his first major steps running the new scheme Nagy brought from Kansas City. He seems unconcerned that the second overall pick in the 2017 draft will be overmatched – even though Trubisky has been an interception machine in practices.
“Our guys have picked up everything that we’ve asked them to do,” Nagy said. “There have been mistakes, but they’re way ahead of the learning curve. So that’s exciting and it tells me that once we get to the regular season we can do more than I initially thought. But we will be growing throughout the season.”
And the preseason.
As for the Ravens, don’t look for Joe Flacco in this one. The Hall of Fame game is an extra exhibition outing for the participants, and provides an opportunity for Coach John Harbaugh and his staff to look at first-round draft pick Lamar Jackson and veteran Robert Griffin III , who is attempting a comeback after not playing last year.
COWBOYS: Dallas activated defensive end Randy Gregory off the non-football injury list after a year away from football on a substance-abuse suspension.
Gregory has played in just two of the past 32 regular-season games because of multiple suspensions. Commissioner Roger Goodell reinstated him not long before the Cowboys reported to training camp in California.
The former Nebraska standout participated in a walkthrough practice for the first time Wednesday. Gregory wasn’t expected to participate in the padded practice in the afternoon. Coach Jason Garrett said Dallas is “still going to be very deliberate with him.”
JETS: Linebacker Dylan Donahue pleaded guilty to DWI charges in connection with a wrong-way crash in the Lincoln Tunnel.
As part of a plea deal, three other charges were dismissed. Donahue also will have to drive with an ignition interlock device for a year after his license is reinstated.
Police say Donahue was drunk when he drove the wrong way in the tunnel on Feb. 26 and collided with a jitney bus, injuring four of the 15 people on board. It was his second DUI.
COLTS: Jack Mewhort abruptly announced he was retiring after he kept trying to play through knee pain.
Mewhort, 26, came to Indianapolis as a second-round draft pick in 2014.
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