December 2010 4for4 Player News Articles

Broncos Coach Studesville said he "wants and expects" RB Knowshon Moreno to start vs. Chargers.

Pierre Thomas added to Saints injury report as questionable. Was limited in team drills Fri. after appearing to tweak ankle during practice.

Ravens Todd Heap (hamstring) is "looking good" for Sunday against the Bengals.

In a puzzling move out of Kansas City, Chiefs offensive coordinator Charlie Weis is believed to be leaving the team to accept the same job at the University of Florida.

Bengals WR Chad Ochocinco (ankle) has officially been declared out for Week 17.

RB Darren McFadden (turf toe) did not participate in Raiders practice on Friday, and is considered a game-time decision for Oakland's Week 17 tilt with the Chiefs.

The Texans are planning to retain head coach Gary Kubiak this offseason, and to name former Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips as their next defensive coordinator.

The Panthers have officially announced that long-time head coach John Fox will not be back with the team in 2011.

OL Dan Connolly (concussion), DL Ron Brace (elbow), TE Aaron Hernandez (hip) & DL Mike Wright (concussion) not spotted at start of practice.

Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick is not practicing for the third straight day.

Signed a day apart in late November, Michael Clayton and Devin Thomas have been with the Giants for five games, and if you told either of them heading into the regular-season finale they wouldn't have a single reception, they would have been, well, more than surprised.

"I'm definitely hungry, waiting for my first one, we'll see what happens on Sunday," Clayton said.

It's been a long wait for both receivers, but at least one of them figures to be needed against the Redskins. Hakeem Nicks (broken toe) joins Steve Smith (knee) and can't play this weekend, leaving Mario Manningham and Derek Hagan as the fill-in starters. If the Giants need a third receiver, Clayton or Thomas gets the call.

Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker plans to play in Sunday's meaningless regular season finale against the Dolphins.

This is a prospect that should strike fear in the hearts of all Patriots fans. The last time Welker started a meaningless game it ended with him crumpled on the field against the Houston Texans. Welker tore both the ACL and the MCL in his left knee and was carted off the field. His absence in the 2009 playoffs was a significant factor in the Patriots' failure to advance.

Welker says his catastrophic injury has not changed his thinking on the topic. “Not at all,” Welker said yesterday. “I’m here to play football and that’s what I prepare to do every single week. That’s my game plan going into this week. Whatever coach Belichick has in stor

Hakeem Nicks (toe) did not participate in Giants practice on Friday. He is very unlikely to be active on Sunday.

Lions Calvin Johnson and Chris Houston still not practicing. CJ will probably try to play, Houston probably won't. He's facing offseason surgery.

Browns RB Peyton Hillis (ribs) will miss practice again today. Mangini feels "pretty good" he'll be able to play Sunday vs. Pittsburgh.

Texans Jacoby Jones, who had five catches for 115 yards at Denver, should start again in place of the injured Andre Johnson.

Ravens WR Derrick Mason needs 2 catches to join Tony Gonzalez (13) and Jerry Rice (11) as only players w 60+ catches in 11 straight seasons.

The Jaguars have officially placed quarterback David Garrard (hand) on injured reserve.

WR Brandon Marshall offered Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne a lukewarm endorsement for the 2011 season on Thursday

Saints WR Marques Colston's knee operation was on his right knee.

Darren McFadden has turf toe and although he hopes to face the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday, it’s not a slam dunk.

“It might be a game time decision,’’ coach Tom Cable said. “He’s feeling much better, so we’re not trying to chance it right now and see what he can do tomorrow.’’

McFadden said the condition is not nearly as bad as his rookie year, when turf toe on both feet essentially wrecked his season. Behind the scenes, there were those in McFadden’s camp that felt the Raiders mishandled the injury and should have shut him down earlier. He even sought medical opinions outside the organization.

McFadden said he went out and “ran around’’ at practice, but on the official report he was listed as not having practiced.

“I have full intentions of going out and playing so I’ll see how it goes,’’ McFadden said.

TE Antonio Gates has no concerns that he'll be limited next season by the torn plantar fascia in his right foot that placed him on IR Thursday. "Once you rest and it heals, it's like you never had it," Gates said. "My doctors said that on a scale of one to 10, this is like a one."

Denver interim coach Eric Studesville said cornerback Champ Bailey will likely be a game-time decision Sunday vs. San Diego with an ankle injury that has kept him out of practice this week. Bailey will be a free agent at the end of the season and this could be his final game in Denver.

Bailey told reporters in Denver that he has thought that this could be the end of his time with the Broncos.

“Yes, it has crossed my mind a few times,” Bailey said. “I am still optimistic that I can get something done here, but obviously I do not hold all the cards in that decision. It is just one of those things that I have to wait and see. If it happens, it happens. If this is my last game, then it is my last game, and so be it. I am not going to act like it is my last game. I am going to go play like I always play -- if I can play. I am not going to treat it any differently.”

Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick (knee) missed practice again Thursday. We'll have an official status on Fitzpatrick Friday, but as of now he appears to be inline to start despite the missed practice.

Broncos QB Tim Tebow (ankle) took full practice reps again Thursday. Tebow will start again this weekend.

Cowboys QB Jon Kitna (abdomen) missed practice again Thursday. Stephen McGee is likely to draw his first NFL start this week against an Eagles team that will be resting many of its starters.

Jets QB Mark Sanchez (right shoulder) was limited at practice again Thursday. Sanchez will draw the start, but could be pulled early in the contest.

Eagles QB Michael Vick (thigh) is not expected to play in week 17. Kevin Kolb will likely get the start with the Eagles aiming to get healthy for the playoffs. DeSean Jackson (foot) is also expected to get the day off. LeSean McCoy and Jeremy Maclin could see limited playing time. Look for Jerome Harrison, Jason Avant & Riley Cooper to get extensive playing time.

Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck (hip) missed practice again Thursday. Charlie Whitehurst is likely to draw the start Sunday despite Hasselbeck's desires to play in a game for all the marbles. Avoid all Seahawks.

Jaguars QB David Garrard (right finger) has been ruled out for week 17. Trent Edwards will get the start for the Jaguars. While Edwards would not normally be a fantasy option, the Jaguars are playing the leagues worst secondary in the Texans, allowing 277 passing yards per contest. A big day is not out of the question.

Vikings QB Brett Favre (concussion, neck, right shoulder) missed practice again Thursday. Favre still has yet to pass his concussion tests, something he will need to do in order to have a shot at playing against the Lions in week 17.

Patriots QB Tom Brady (right shoulder, foot) was limited at practice again Thursday. Brady is likely to be pulled at some point during week 17 with the Patriots already having locked down the #1 seed in the AFC.

Panthers RB Jonathan Stewart (foot) returned to limited practice Thursday. Stewart is no stranger to missed practice time. Expect him to play, but the matchup with the Falcons isn't great.

Browns RB Peyton Hillis (ribs) missed practice again Thursday. Hillis has been slowed of late and faces the worst possible matchup with the Steelers. He's expected to play, but shouldn't be considered a fantasy option.

Vikings RB Adrian Peterson (knee) returned to full practice Thursday. Peterson looked good last week and looks to be full go for a great matchup with the Lions.

Broncos RB Knowshon Moreno (ribs) returned to limited practice Thursday. Moreno only received 7 carries last week as the Broncos elected to ride the hot hand. Moreno shouldn't be trusted in week 17. Correll Buckhalter could just as easily have the more productive day.

Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew (knee) missed practice again Thursday. Drew is expected to require surgery on the knee after the season. Rashad Jennings will likely draw the start in another good matchup with the Texans. Don't dismiss Jennings as a fantasy option because of an underwhelming week 16 performance.

Jets RB LaDainian Tomlinson could be rested for the entire game Sunday. With the Jets content to give plenty of rest to their stars in week 17, Joe McKnight could see extensive action.

Giants RB Ahmad Bradshaw (ankle) returned to limited practice Thursday. Expect Bradshaw to suit up Sunday in a game the Giants must win in order to have any hope of a playoff birth.

Raiders RB Darren McFadden (toe) missed practice again Thursday. McFadden is dealing with turf toe and will likely be a game-time decision in week 17.

Chargers RB Mike Tolbert (neck, shoulder) missed practice again Thursday. Tolbert will not play in week 17. Expect a big day for Ryan Mathews in a great matchup with the Broncos.

Redskins RB Ryan Torain (ribs) took full practice reps again Thursday.

Lions RB Jahvid Best (toe) was limited at practice again Thursday.

Saints RB Reggie Bush (chest) returned to full practice reps Thursday.

Steelers RB Mewelde Moore (knee) missed practice again Thursday. Jonathan Dwyer could see his first gameday action if Moore is out.

Saints RB Chris Ivory (hamstring) returned to full practice reps Thursday. Ivory could return this week, but will be running behind Pierre Thomas.

Cardinals RB LaRod Stephens-Howling (hamstring) was limited at practice again Thursday.

Buccaneers RB Earnest Graham (neck) has been ruled out for week 17.

Chargers RB Jacob Hester (knee) missed practice again Thursday.

Bengals RB Bernard Scott (toe) returned to limited practice Thursday.

Colts RB Mike Hart (ankle) took full practice reps again Thursday. Hart could be active Sunday, but is buried on the depth chart behind at least Joseph Addai and Donald Brown.

Lions WR Calvin Johnson (ankle) missed practice again Thursday. We'll know more on Johnson later in the week, but as of now the Lions are hoping he will play.

Texans WR Andre Johnson (ankle) missed practice again Thursday. HC Gary Kubiak said that Johnson will be evaluated Friday to see if he can play. He didn't go last week and we wouldn't count on him in a meaningless week 17 game.

Falcons WR Roddy White (knee) missed practice again Thursday. We expect Roddy to practice on Friday and be good to go for a Sunday matchup with the Panthers for the #1 seed in the NFC.

Panthers WR Steve L Smith (calf) was limited at practice Thursday. Smith appeared to injure the calf in practice today and looks likely to sit out week 17. Smith wasn't on the fantasy radar regardless.

Saints WR Marques Colston (knee) missed practice again Thursday. Colston underwent a minor knee surgery on Tuesday to clean up the knee. Colston is expected to be available for the playoffs but will likely miss week 17.

Chargers WR Malcom Floyd (hamstring) returned to full practice reps Thursday. An upgrade to full practice is a great sign for Floyd's chances of going in week 17. Teammate Patrick Crayton (wrist) missed practice Thursday and looks unlikely to return.

Bengals WR Chad Ochocinco (ankle) missed practice again Thursday. Ochocinco indicated today that he will not play in week 17. Jerome Simpson, Andre Caldwell & Jordan Shipley will fill in and helped Carson Palmer to his best game of the year last week.

Giants WR Hakeem Nicks (toe) missed practice again Thursday. Nicks has a broken big toe and is doubtful to play this week. Expect Mario Manningham and Derek Hagan to start for the Giants with Michael Clayton & Devin Thomas in the mix. Eli Manning becomes a risky play despite a great matchup with the Redskins.

Vikings WR Sidney Rice (concussion) missed practice again Thursday. Rice sustained a concussion last week and is likely out this week. Bernard Berrian would start opposite Percy Harvin, with Harvin being the solid fantasy option.

Saints WR Robert Meachem (toe) took full practice reps again Thursday. After a career high 10 catch night on Monday Night Football, and with the Saints #1 wideout Marques Colston likely out this week, Robert Meachem returns to fantasy relevance.

Bears WR Earl Bennett (ankle) missed practice again Thursday. We wouldn't expect Bennett suit up with the Bears likely having nothing to gain in week 17. The only way the Bears would be playing to improve their seed would be if the Falcons managed to lose to the Panthers - unlikely.

Ravens WR Derrick Mason (ankle) took full practice reps again Thursday.

Patriots WR Deion Branch (knee) was limited at practice again Thursday.

Cowboys WR Roy Williams (groin) took limited reps again Thursday. Williams was ineffective in his return last week, obviously not 100% from the groin. Don't count on him with Stephen McGee likely under center. Teammate Sam Hurd (head) missed practice again Thursday.

Jaguars WR Mike Sims-Walker (ankle) returned to limited practice Thursday. Walker played a limited role last week, with Jason Hill getting the start. Even in a great matchup, don't count on much from Walker, especially with Trent Edwards under center.

Broncos WR Eddie Royal (groin) took full practice reps again Thursday.

Jets WR Santonio Holmes (quadricep) took full practice reps again Thursday. We wouldn't count on any Jets offensive players for production as Rex Ryan will most certainly be resting starters at some point in the game.

Bills WRs Donald Jones (head) and David Nelson (ribs) missed practice again Thursday. Naaman Roosevelt could start across from Steve Johnson.

Chargers TE Antonio Gates (toe, foot) has been placed on season ending IR and will not play in week 17.

Patriots TE Aaron Hernandez (hip) was limited at practice again Thursday. Hernandez could suit up this week, but we don't anticipate him receiving significant playing time in a meaningless game for the Patriots.

Texans TE Owen Daniels (knee) returned to full practice reps Thursday after sitting out Wednesday.

Raiders TE Zach Miller (foot) took full practice reps again Thursday.

Buccaneers TE Kellen Winslow (knee) took full practice reps again Thursday.

Ravens TE Todd Heap (thigh) took full practice reps again Thursday. Heap could return to game action this week, but we wouldn't trust him in a fantasy lineup.

Bengals TE Jermaine Gresham (knee) missed practice again Thursday. We'll have a status on Gresham Friday.

Dolphins TE Anthony Fasano (knee) missed practice again Thursday. Fasano shouldn't be an option Sunday with the knee.

Browns TE Ben Watson (ankle) was limited at practice Thursday. Watson should play, but has been a streaky performer all season.

Saints TE Jeremy Shockey (groin) missed practice again Thursday. We'll look to see if Shockey returns to practice later in the week, but Jimmy Graham is the TE to own in New Orleans.

Browns TE Robert Royal (shoulder) was limited at practice again Thursday.

Texans K Neil Rackers (right hamstring) missed practice again Thursday.

Titans K Rob Bironas (right groin) returned to full practice reps Thursday.

Raiders coach Tom Cable said RB Darren McFadden (turf toe) may be game-time decision on Sunday.

Bills coach Chan Gailey to reporters after practice: "Ryan Fitzpatrick's knee is bothering him enough that he couldn't practice today, we'll see how he feels tomorrow."

Brian Brohm would get the start of Fitz can't play this week. He'll play a Jets defense that's likely to rest some starters.

Q: Will Fitzgerald be forced to take a concussion test at some point this week?

A: No. He is fine.

The San Diego Chargers announced that seven-time Pro Bowl tight end Antonio Gates has been placed on injured reserve.

Gates has missed the last three weeks with a painful foot injury that was expected to sideline for the remainder of the regular season, and perhaps post-season, had the Chargers advanced.

San Diego was eliminated from playoff contention when they lost to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.

Limited to 10 games this season, Gates caught 50 passes for 782 yards and 10 touchdowns, earning a starting assignment in the 2011 Pro Bowl.

Fullback Billy Latsko has been signed to replace Gates on the 53-man roster.

Jets Rex Ryan said QB Marc Sanchez will start vs. the Bills. How long he plays will depend how the game goes.

Earlier in the week Ryan said Sanchez had been playing well and he didn't want to disrupt his rhythm, so it makes sense Sanchez goes through about as normal of a week as possible and plays a quarter or half.

DE Shaun Ellis could be rested Sunday. Head coach Rex Ryan also says resting RB LaDainian Tomlinson could be a possibility.

Joe McKnight could be in line for a lot of time, because it would also makes sense to rest Shonn Greene as well. Greene has looked better than LT lately, as LT continues to show his age a bit after being used heavily earlier in the season. Continue to monitor the situation leading up to Sunday.

Saints Sean Payton said WR Marques Colston had an arthroscopic procedure on his knee on Tuesday and did not practice. He's listed as questionable.

He's listed as questionable but it seems unlikely that he'd play. As you know, the Saints have plenty of targets like Robert Meachem, Lance Moore and Devery Henderson. All become okay plays if Colston doesn't play. The Saints take on the Bucs in Week 17.

There’s a better-than-average chance that when the Ravens take a peek at the scoreboard during the second half of their contest with the Cincinnati Bengals Wednesday, the 11-4 Pittsburgh Steelers could have an insurmountable lead against the 5-10 Cleveland Browns.

Even if that’s the case, coach John Harbaugh reiterated his stance on Monday that he’s not likely to pull his starters from Sunday’s game.

“I hate to get into that because I don’t think you ever know,” he said Wednesday. “No, I won’t do that based on Pittsburgh’s score. We’ll just play it like we always play it, and we’ll try to win.”

Eleven-time Pro Bowl linebacker Ray Lewis said he didn’t think Harbaugh would do that nor would such a move pay dividends.

“I think that would be hard to do that because you wonder if you’re going to put somebody else at risk,” Lewis said. “We’re at a very sensitive stage in the season to where everybody’s nursing something, and if you take somebody out, then you’re just putting more pressure on somebody else. The easiest thing to do is just go in and play the game out as a full team. Finish the game and see what happens after that.”

Vikings WR Sidney Rice can take the impact test now but it's "a little dicey" to get back from a concussion on short week.

No big scoop/surprise here, but Eagles QB Michael Vick will not play Sunday against the Cowboys and Kevin Kolb will start, per team sources.

As the story says, not a real big surprise considering how the Eagles and Vick came out of Week 16 after a loss to Minny. Vick is a bit banged up and continues to take hit after hit whether he stays in the pocket or runs. The Eagles will most likely use Week 17 as their bye week, since they are locked into the 3rd seed win or lose this week. Kolb makes a decent start in Week 17 against a Cowboys secondary that has given up points. Kolb will likely work a lot with Jermone Harrison at RB and Jason Avant and Riley Cooper at WR.

Five Bengals did not practice Wednesday: wide receiver Chad Ochocinco (ankle), tight end Jermaine Gresham (knee), cornerback Johnathan Joseph (ankle), running back Bernard Scott (toe) and linebacker Dan Skuta (back).

Ochocinco was inactive last week against San Diego and it is likely he will sit out Sunday's game against the Ravens.

on Kitna was optimistic Wednesday, but then again, the Dallas Cowboys' game vs. the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday was still 96 hours away.

The injured quarterback said he is still hopeful he can play Sunday, but if the game had been Wednesday, there was no way. Kitna's left oblique muscles were strained in the second quarter of the 27-26 loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday, and Kitna said he was still sore, when he did not practice with the team.

"We're still a ways away from the game, so we'll just see," Kitna said. "It's one of those things where it could be feeling really bad for three or four days and then the next day it could just be gone. Hopefully, that's the case."

Kitna, 38, said anything that involves movement hurts.

"There's no pain just standing here or anything like that," Kitna said. "There's just a dull sensation to it. Certain movements, you feel like you have a knife in your side."

If Kitna cannot play, Stephen McGee will get his first start as a pro. McGee relieved Kitna on Saturday and completed 11 of 17 passes for 111 yards and one touchdown.

First- round rookie receiver Demaryius Thomas will be healthy enough to play Sunday after missing four games with an ankle injury. Running back Knowshon Moreno (ribs) is iffy.

At one point in Sunday's game against the Washington Redskins, Jaguars quarterback David Garrard remembers picking yellow paint off the fingers on his throwing hand.

By then, the damage was already done.

Garrard will have surgery in Jacksonville today to repair a torn ligament in the middle finger of his right hand. He will miss Sunday's season finale in Houston and any playoff games should the Jaguars make the postseason. Trent Edwards will start in Garrard's place.

"I feel confident in him. I know he'll do a fine job," Garrard said. "I thought actually it would be a simple, quick process and be out rehabbing it in a couple weeks. But it's actually quite a lengthy process."

Garrard said the rehab on his finger will take about two months.

The quarterback was one of four Jaguars players who didn't practice Wednesday. Running back Maurice Jones-Drew, linebacker Justin Durant and receiver Mike Sims-Walker missed practice as well. Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said of those four, Sims-Walker is the "most likely" to return.

Vikings quarterback Brett Favre took the baseline neurological test late Wednesday afternoon but still has yet to pass, according to NFL sources.

Vikings interim coach Leslie Frazier said Wednesday that Favre had last taken the baseline exam about three or four days ago. Despite Joe Webb's performance in the Vikings' victory at Philadelphia on Tuesday, Favre will get the start on Sunday against Detroit in the regular-season finale if he can go.

Favre, who suffered a concussion a week ago Monday against Chicago, was given his latest test after Frazier's news conference.

Favre, 41, has said this will be the final game of his 20-year career, although the fact he has retired twice before and then returned has left some skeptical. Frazier said after Tuesday's game and again Wednesday that Favre will be under center on Sunday if he's able.

For the second season in a row, Fred Jackson enters the season finale needing more than 100 yards to reach the 1,000-yard mark for the season. The fourth-year back needs 108 yards Sunday against the New York Jets.

Rushing for that many yards Sunday will be no easy task against a Jets run defense that only allowed its first individual 100-yard rusher of the season this past week against Chicago. But Jackson needed 150 in last year’s finale against Indianapolis to reach 1,000, and ran for a career-high 212.

In a season where team accomplishments had to be re-evaluated by midseason, getting Jackson to the millennium mark has become a team goal.

Jackson has 209 carries for 892 yards and five touchdowns this season, and is the NFL’s sixth-leading rusher in the second half of the season (579 yards). What makes those numbers even more impressive is that Jackson has 20 or more carries in a game just five times this season, and has recorded 12 or fewer carries in a game eight times.

This is usually good news for fantasy owners because it should mean Jackson will get a lot of touches and chances against a Jets team that's locked into their playoff spot and will likely rest so guys, even if it's in the second half. Jackson's value gets a little bump up this week as a result of this and it looks like he's a decent option in week with a lot of question marks.

Bears HC Lovie Smith indicated Wednesday that he will not be resting any of his regular players despite the Bears having nothing to gain in week 17. "We're playing to win the game," Smith said. Still there is some risk in playing any player on a team heading into the playoffs with nothing to play for.

Eagles QB Michael Vick (thigh) is not expected to play in week 17. Though not yet official, Kevin Kolb will likely get the start with the Eagles aiming to get healthy for the playoffs. DeSean Jackson (foot) is also expected to get the day off.

Vikings QB Brett Favre (concussion, neck, right shoulder doubtful) has yet to pass his concussion tests. HC Leslie Frazier has indicated that Favre will get the start if he's healthy. Never count Favre out, but at this point we expect to see Joe Webb under center against the Lions in week 17.

Jaguars QB David Garrard (right finger) did not practice Wednesday. Garrard is undergoing surgery on his finger. Trent Edwards will start. The matchup is great, but no Jaguars are safe with Edwards under center.

Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck (hip) missed practice Wednesday. Charlie Whitehurst is likely to draw the start Sunday. Avoid all Seahawks.

Jets QB Mark Sanchez (shoulder) took limited reps Wednesday. HC Rex Ryan is still deciding how much (if any) Sanchez will play. He has indicated that Mark Brunell will play at least a quarter if not more.

Cowboys QB Jon Kitna (abdomen) did not practice Wednesday. Stephen McGee is expected to draw the week 17 start against the Eagles.

Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick (knee) did not practice Wednesday. Fitzpatrick is expected to start week 17.

49ers QB Alex Smith will get the start in week 17.

Lions QB Shaun Hill will get the start again this week against the Vikings.

Broncos QB Tim Tebow (ankle) took full practice reps Wednesday. Tebow will start again in week 17.

Patriots QB Tom Brady (right shoulder, foot) was limited at practice Wednesday. Brady is likely to be pulled at some point during week 17 with the Patriots already having locked down the #1 seed in the AFC.

Giants RB Ahmad Bradshaw (ankle) missed practice Wednesday. We'll look for Bradshaw to return to practice later in the week. Missing practice is nothing new for Bradshaw.

Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew (knee) did not practice Wednesday. Jones-Drew needs surgery, but is holding out hopes that the Jaguars sneak into the playoffs. He's not expected to play in week 17.

Broncos RB Knowshon Moreno (ribs) missed practice Wednesday. Moreno only received 7 carries last week as the Broncos elected to ride the hot hand. Moreno shouldn't be trusted in week 17. Correll Buckhalter could just as easily have the more productive day.

Redskins RB Ryan Torain (ribs) took full practice reps Wednesday.

Panthers RB Jonathan Stewart (foot) did not practice Wednesday. We'll check back in later in the week. The matchup isn't great against the Falcons.

Browns RB Peyton Hillis (ribs) did not practice Wednesday. Hillis has been slowed of late and faces the worst possible matchup with the Steelers.

Raiders RB Darren McFadden (toe) did not practice Wednesday. We'll look to see if McFadden returns to practice later in the week.

Lions RB Jahvid Best (toe) was limited at practice Wednesday.

Saints RB Reggie Bush (chest) was limited at practice Wednesday.

Saints RB Chris Ivory (hamstring) was limited at practice Wednesday. Ivory could return to action this week, but is a fantasy afterthought with Pierre Thomas back getting the majority of the work.

Steelers RB Mewelde Moore (knee) did not practice Wednesday. Jonathan Dwyer could see his first gameday action if Moore is out.

Buccaneers RB Earnest Graham (neck) has been ruled out for week 17.

Cardinals RB LaRod Stephens-Howling (hamstring) was limited at practice Wednesday.

Bengals RB Bernard Scott (toe) did not practice Wednesday.

Colts RB Mike Hart (ankle) took full practice reps Wednesday. With Joseph Addai now back in the mix, there is no upside for Mike Hart.

Chargers WR Malcom Floyd (hamstring) returned to practice Wednesday. Floyd is no lock to play in week 17.

Texans WR Andre Johnson (ankle) did not practice Wednesday. HC Gary Kubiak said that Johnson will be evaluated Friday to see if he can play. He didn't go last week and we wouldn't count on him in a meaningless week 17 game.

Giants WR Hakeem Nicks (toe) did not practice Wednesday. Nicks has a broken big toe and is doubtful to play this week. Expect Mario Manningham and Derek Hagan to start for the Giants with Michael Clayton & Devin Thomas in the mix. Eli Manning becomes a risky play despite a great matchup with the Redskins.

Lions WR Calvin Johnson (ankle) did not practice Wednesday after aggravating the ankle late in the Lions week 16 victory. We'll know more on Johnson later in the week, but as of now the Lions are hoping he will play.

Bucs WR Arrelious Benn (knee) has been placed on season ending IR.

Bills WR Donald Jones (head) did not practice Wednesday but appears more likely to play in week 17 than WR David Nelson (ribs) who also missed practice.

Bears WR Earl Bennett (ankle) did not practice Wednesday. Bennett could likely be held out of week 17 with the Bears essentially playing for nothing.

Jets WR Santonio Holmes (quadricep) took practice reps Wednesday. We wouldn't count on any Jets offensive players for production as Rex Ryan will most certainly be resting starters at some point in the game.

Jaguars WR Mike Sims-Walker (ankle) missed practice Wednesday. Walker played a limited role last week, with Jason Hill getting the start. Don't count on anything from Walker, especially with Trent Edwards under center.

Bengals WR Chad Ochocinco (ankle) did not practice Wednesday. Ochocinco could be held out again in week 17 with a youth movement at WR leading to Carson Palmer's best game of the season. Jerome Simpson, Andre Caldwell & Jordan Shipley will fill in if Ochocinco can't go.

Saints WR Marques Colston (knee) did not practice Wednesday. We'll look for Colston to get back to practice later in the week after a disappointing 2 catch performance Monday Night.

Cowboys WR Roy Williams (groin) was limited at practice Wednesday. Williams was ineffective in his return last week. Don't count on him with Stephen McGee likely under center.

Patriots WR Deion Branch (knee) was limited at practice Wednesday. Don't be surprised if Branch is limited or held out of a meaningless week 17 game for the Patriots.

Ravens WR Derrick Mason (ankle) took full practice reps Wednesday.

Broncos WR Eddie Royal (groin) took full practice reps Wednesday.

Saints WR Robert Meachem (toe) took full practice reps Wednesday. Meachem caught a career high 10 passes Monday Night. Don't bank on that being a trend with the notoriously streaky WR.

Patriots TE Aaron Hernandez (hip) took limited practice Wednesday. Hernandez missed last week, and we don't expect him to play in a meaningless week 17 game.

Texans TE Owen Daniels (knee) did not practice Wednesday. Daniels has finally returned to 2009 form, scoring his first TD of the season last week. We'll look for him to return to practice later in the week.

Dolphins TE Anthony Fasano (knee) did not practice Wednesday.

Saints TE Jeremy Shockey (groin) did not practice Wednesday. Shockey's days as the Saints TE of choice are done. The baton has been passed to Jimmy Graham.

Ravens TE Todd Heap (thigh) returned to full practice Wednesday. Heap could return this week, but we wouldn't count on it.

Raiders TE Zach Miller (foot) took full practice reps Wednesday.

Buccaneers TE Kellen Winslow (knee) took full practice reps Wednesday.

Bengals TE Jermaine Gresham (knee) did not practice Wednesday.

Browns TE Ben Watson (ankle) was limited at practice Wednesday.

Browns TE Robert Royal (shoulder) was limited at practice Wednesday.

Texans K Neil Rackers (right hamstring) did not practice Wednesday.

Titans K Rob Bironas (right groin) did not practice Wednesday.

Broncos Knowshon Moreno missed Wednesday's practice due to his sore ribs.

Cardinals Larry Fitzgerald may have suffered a concussion in last Saturday's game against the Cowboys. The receiver recalls little of the game.

Rams wide receiver Donnie Avery tweets that he's playing basketball and running just three months removed from surgery to repair his torn right ACL.

Maurice Jones-Drew's right knee will likely require offseason surgery. He missed practice on Wednesday and seems questionable for Sunday's game against the Texans.

RB Darren McFadden (ankle) sat out of Raiders practice on Wednesday.

Patrick Willis has 2nd surgery on broken right hand, will miss first game of NFL career.

Jets Rex Ryan says QB Mark Sanchez definitely won't play entire gm. But he hasn't definitively decided how much he'll play.

49ers Interim coach Jim Tomsula says Alex Smith will start Sunday vs Arizona.

Head coach Andy Reid reports that DeSean Jackson's sore foot is still bothering the wide receiver.

Clinton Portis isn't sure if he will be back with the Redskins in 2011. "If they want to keep me, of course they got first option. If they want to let me go, then I'm OK with it." Portis says he understands the business side of the NFL and why the Redskins may choose to let him go. He also believes that he can still play, and he recently explained that he is ahead of schedule in his rehab of a torn abdominal muscle.

Jags QB David Garrard will miss Week 17 due to a finger injury.

Steven Jackson, who recently earned his third Pro Bowl berth, leads the NFL with 361 touches and is about to play in all 16 games for just the second time in his career. He has fought through a groin injury and a broken finger this season. "He's battled through some injuries like only he can do," according to head coach Steve Spagnuolo. "We've all grown to appreciate that with Steven."

Giants RB Ahmad Bradshaw is on the Wednesday pre-practice injury report due to a sprained ankle.

Browns RB Peyton Hillis (back) will sit out practice on Wednesday.

Giants WR Hakeem Nicks has a broken big toe on his left foot. That's got to hurt. Not sure of his availability this week.

NON-FANTASY FOOTBALL: NFL will announce a Brett Favre decision on Jenn Sterger case within next 48 hours. He is expected to be disciplined.

Cardinals Head coach Ken Whisenhunt says that Steve Breaston's knee problems are the reason why his snaps were reduced in Week 16. Breaston underwent right knee surgery on September 28. "He'll go through the cycle of being in pain all week and then make it to the game and then it starts all over again." "You never get a break. So we were just trying to take some reps off of him in practice and in games so he would still have that speed to get downfield for us."

Lions Head coach Jim Schwartz is hopeful that Calvin Johnson (ankle) will be able to play in Week 17 against the Vikings.. Johnson will miss practice time this week. "He's been playing through that for a couple weeks now," Schwartz explains.

Broncos Interim head coach Eric Studesville says that Knowshon Moreno (ribs) could have returned during the second half of Week 16, but he stuck with the hot hand in Correll Buckhalter. "You kind of roll in your guys who are feeling it at that point in time."

Michael Vick suffered a quad contusion on the first play from scrimmage on Tuesday night, it's "all but certain" that he won't play in Week 17.

Eagles Inactives
Stewart Bradley MLB
Jorrick Calvin DB
Austin Howard T
Brandon Hughes CB
Mike Kafka QB
Gerard Lawson DB
Daniel Te'o-Nesheim DE
Reggie Wells G

Vikings Inactives
Hank Baskett WR
Rhett Bomar QB
Fred Evans DT
Brett Favre QB
Tyrell Johnson SS
Greg Lewis WR
Thomas Welch OT
Madieu Williams FS

Joe Webb sill start at QB for a concussed Brett Favre. Adrian Peterson will get the start at RB, but may very well be spelled by Toby Gerhart.

An MRI of Reggie Bush's collarbone has come back negative.

Brett Favre (concussion) "remains doubtful" to play on Tuesday night against the Eagles. He has yet to pass the first part of his two-part concussion test.

Shaun Hill is expected to be the Lions' Week 17 starter at quarterback.

Saints WR Robert Meachem says the injury he suffered in New Orleans' Monday night win over the Falcons is not serious.

OL Russell Okung is expected to play in Seattle's winner-take-all Week 17 showdown with the Rams despite re-injuring his ankle against the Bucs on Sunday.

Corboys: Roy Williams struggles: During the Cowboys' 27-26 loss to the Cardinals, wide receiver Roy Williams was targeted twice and didn't record a reception. When asked if Williams' lack of productivity was result of the groin injury he suffered earlier this month, Garrett didn't give a direct answer and said the team will continue to follow his progress.

"He was working his way through it," Garrett said. "We'll see how it goes."

Matt Hasselbeck might be able to play in Sunday night’s game against the Rams at Qwest Field. But to elevate that uncertainty, the Seahawks will prepare as if backup QB Charlie Whitehurst will start.

Upon further review, Jets coach Rex Ryan is leaning heavily toward playing Mark Sanchez in Sunday's regular-season finale against the Bills at the Meadowlands
This about-face from Ryan came yesterday, just hours after he said he planned to rest Sanchez and his sore shoulder in the last game since the Jets were already in the playoff tournament.

Two months after undergoing a fifth operation on his left knee, Rams wide receiver Danario Alexander is getting a progressively heavier workload.

The former Mizzou record-setter was on the field for 43 of the Rams' 66 plays in Sunday's 25-17 win over San Francisco at the Edward Jones Dome. He responded with a personal-best outing: six catches for 99 yards, including an acrobatic 46-yard grab that set up the Rams' last touchdown.

The Chiefs’ first-round playoff game will also be played at home Jan. 8 or 9.

Asked about the possibility of resting some starters against Oakland, Haley said, “We’re going to do what we think gives us the best chance to win.”

That would appear to imply that Matt Cassel would get the call at quarterback. He had an appendectomy on Dec. 8, missing a beatdown by the Chargers in which Brodie Croyle flopped, but Cassel has looked healthy and played well in two wins since his return.

Lions Receiver Calvin Johnson injured his right ankle in the fourth quarter against Miami and wasn't on the field during the team's late comeback victory.

Schwartz wouldn't comment on the severity of the injury. He did say, though, that it could be a situation where Johnson doesn't practice during the week but still plays on Sunday.

The day after the last week of NFL games is usually called Black Monday because it is the day when the axe falls on coaches in the NFL. In addition to the four in season firings, we believe there could be another 8 openings next week.

Here is the rundown on which teams may have openings:

Miami Dolphins: Tony Sparano is definitely in trouble particularly after Sunday's loss and the apparent anger of owner Stephen Ross who has done a lot to enhance the home game experience. a 1-7 home record doesn't help that experience.

Carolina Panthers: It is a foregone conclusion that John Fox is gone in Carolina. The only question is whether GM Marty Hurney will also hit the road.

Houston Texans: Gary Kubiak's tenure is undoubtedly coming to a close after the Texans have taken a nosedive.

Tennessee Titans: The longest tenured coach in the NFL might be on the open market. Jeff Fisher or Vince Young? Bud Adams wants the two to work it out and neither seems inclined to do so. With the Titans struggling down the stretch, Fisher could really be in trouble.

Cincinnati Bengals: The contract of head coach Marvin Lews expires after this season. One year after being named NFL coach of the year, Lewis is likely to be out of a job.

Cleveland Browns: Eric Mangini is in his second year with the Browns. Unlike last season where the Browns streaked to a strong finish, they are on a three game losing streak and Mike Holmgren may be inclined to bring in one of his guys to run the show.

New York Giants: After their epic collapse against the Eagles, the Giants looked undisciplined against the Packers. The New York media has their hatchets out and with an uninspired loss against the Redskins, the Giants may just pull the trigger.

Oakland Raiders: We throw Tom Cable into the mix because with Al Davis, you never know what will happen despite the fact the Raiders have made strides this season.

David Nelson says he might be ready to play against the New York Jets, but Bills coach Chan Gailey said that would take "a true miracle" for the rookie receiver to recover by game time.

Nelson suffered a rib injury during the first half of Sunday's loss against New England and didn't return. Nelson fully extended to make a catch and was hit in the rib cage by a helmet.

During his postgame news conference, Gailey said Nelson would miss the Jets game.

After scoring a third quarter touchdown that cut the Arizona Cardinals' lead to 21-20, Cowboys running back Marion Barber was penalized for excessive celebration for taking his helmet off as he ran toward the sidelines.

It's the third time this season that's the Cowboys have been flagged for excessive celebration, and interim coach Jason Garrett said he was disappointed in what Barber did, considering it's happened to Marc Colombo and Sam Hurd.

Garrett, however, said it will not happen again and didn't think about benching Barber for his act during the game.

"Well, one of the things we wanted to do was address it immediately," Garrett said. "He obviously made a heck of a good run. He’s a very emotional player. But you have to channel those emotions. And he was excited about making that play for us in the game and how it could contribute to our success going forward in the game and he just made a poor decision. He let his emotions get the best of him and he came over and probably apologized 50 times before I even came close to him. And he knew what he did and he knew it was a mistake."

Antonio Gates doesn’t have to care what anyone thinks, only about the truth as he knows it.

He is close enough to Canton, has played again and again through so much pain, has set so many standards and has made so much money that he is entitled.

He doesn’t brandish this right like a weapon. He wears it elegantly, like a crown.

Gates didn’t play Sunday in Cincinnati, hasn’t played since the first week of December and won’t play until next season. It doesn’t matter. He was there, has been there and will be there for some time.

What Dean Spanos can do that many of his football team’s fans can’t do, is remember. It doesn’t take much for the Chargers president to recall the not-so-long-ago, when he was boss of the worst team in the NFL, when even he admits his organization lacked organization.

It was a loser.

So, when Spanos, who has been in charge of the franchise since father Alex handed him the wheel in 1994, says head coach Norv Turner and General Manager A.J. Smith will return in 2011, he almost seems incredulous, amazed that he has to be asked.

Public opinion aside, it’s his team to run. Turner and Smith will return. This is not an election ticket. One vote matters.

The Chargers will see some changes in the offseason but we know Phillip Rivers is a stud at QB and will be at least a top-5 player at the position next year in fantasy. Antonio Gates, when healthy, is the top TE and RB Ryan Mathews has looked great, when he's healthy, while Mike Tolbert is a nice compliment. With guys Floyd, Clatyton, Naanee, VJax and 'Tutu' among others catching passes this year it goes to show they won't need a lot of big names at the position. But, if there is any way management can make up with Vincent Jackson and resign him it can only make them better.

New Orleans Saints tailback Chris Ivory is inactive for tonight's game against the Atlanta Falcons.

Apparently the team did not feel like his hamstring injury had recovered enough to take the field.

But Ivory did make the trip and is getting closer to a return after practicing on a limited basis all week.

The running game was held to under 100 yards for the second consecutive week; the Jaguars have not been held under 100 yards in three consecutive games since 2001. Del Rio, however, did not blame the poor performance of the running game on the absence of Maurice Jones-Drew.

His replacement, Rashad Jennings, was praised for his play on Sunday.

“I don’t think he had much of a chance,” Del Rio said of Jennings, who rushed for just 32 yards on 15 carries. “He saved us on a play or two (in pass-blocking); on Mike Thomas’ touchdown, he saved the day. I think he was ready to go. We just didn’t give him much space.”

Q: Percentage they start their 1st stringers Sunday?

A: A few select will be out, maybe Wes Welker.

Wide receiver Andre Johnson was inactive on Sunday in Denver due to a lingering ankle injury. Johnson, who sprained his ankle during a Week 2 victory at Washington, missed the Week 4 contest at Oakland, but played in every other game in 2010.

Johnson’s absence was no surprise to quarterback Matt Schaub, who said after that the team “knew all week that he wasn’t going to play.”

284 yards shy of a third consecutive season with more than 1,500 yards receiving, Johnson said on Sunday after the loss that he’s not ruled out for the season finale at home against Jacksonville.

The Texans obviously didn't consider fantasy owners playing in their Super Bowls this week as Johnson became a late scratch Sunday afternoon, causing owners to look for another option.

Studesville said Knowshon was banged up yesterday. Could have gone back in the game, but "Buck was rolling."

Broncos QB Tim Tebow will start the season finale against San Diego.

It seems pretty clear that the Bears aren't going to take a preseason approach Sunday in the season finale against the Green Bay Packers. Bears coach Lovie Smith, running back Matt Forte and safety Chris Harris all offered reasons why the game will matter, beyond the obvious fact that it's against the team's top rival.

So even if the Minnesota Vikings upset the Philadelphia Eagles Tuesday, wrapping up at least the No. 2 seed in the NFC for the Bears, Chicago's football team will still have plenty to play for.

Smith talked about the chance to wrap up a perfect season within the NFC North. Harris talked about the chance to knock the always dangerous Packers -- who can most easily secure a spot by winning Sunday -- out of the postseason. And Forte talked about wanting to get the 22 rushing yards he needs to get to 1,000.

"There's a lot of things for us to play for," Smith said. "We realize some things could happen and we could have the bye before then. We're not thinking that way.

"We feel like we have to beat the Packers, to accomplish our regular season goals, and that's what we're going to go to work to do."

WR Steve Breaston's decreased playing time last week was strictly a function of Breaston struggling with knee soreness. Breaston, who was not on the injury report last week, split time with rookie Andre Roberts and did not have a catch in a game for the first time in just more than a year. Breaston is in the last year of his contract, and the team has not made a move to re-sign him.

Brett Favre has two extra days to recover from his concussion thanks to the winter storm that hit Philadelphia on Sunday but the two-day reprieve is unlikely to make it possible for the quarterback to play Tuesday night for the Minnesota Vikings against the Eagles.

Favre has not passed a concussion test and a team official told ESPN's Sal Paolantonio on Monday no test is planned before the game, meaning it is unlikely Favre will be cleared to play.

The extra 48 hours of rest is making it more likely Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, who has a bruised thigh, will play on Tuesday.

Darren McFadden was limited after an ankle injury late in the third quarter. Cable called it turf toe, McFadden said he rolled an ankle.

“I don’t think it was anything they were doing,’’ McFadden said. “We just kind of got away from it when we got down. It was kind of off and on and we couldn’t stay on the field long enough to help the defense. It was frustrating.’’

Adrian Peterson (bruised thigh and knee) said he will play Tuesday night and that the extra two days off "helps a lot."

For those waiting on Peterson your gamble payed off. With Joe Webb the starting QB, expect AP to get a lot of work - perhaps the only shot the Vikings have is controlling the clock and keeping Mike Vick and the Birds offense off the field as much as possible. However, the Eagles have done a pretty good job this year shutting down opponents rushing games and have held some big-name backs in check this season.

James Starks needs to compete to get on 45 man. Dmitri Nance and him competing and Nance is doing a better job in preparation and practice.

Rex Ryan doesn't definitely say that Mark Sanchez will sit out Sunday vs. Bills because, "he's in such a groove right now."

Jets Rex Ryan says Santonio Holmes has a couple of nagging injuries: hip, turf toe. Factor into him not returning punts, team also likes Cotchery.

WR Arrelious Benn is headed to injured reserve with a knee injury. Earnest Graham is week-to-week with a neck injury. No concussion.

The Cowboys will sign quarterback Chris Greisen to the practice squad later today and quickly try to bring him up to speed.

Even though Tony Romo went down with a fractured collarbone in late October, the club banked on its ability to make it through the rest of the season with Jon Kitna and Stephen McGee. The odds of doing that diminished when Kitna missed the second half of Saturday's loss to Arizona with a strained oblique.

It appears McGee will get his first NFL start in the final regular season game against Philadelphia. Even if Kitna could take the field in a backup role, does the team really want to put the 38-year-old quarterback in that position?

Not really. The club will prepare Greisen to be the backup for Sunday's finale.

Leslie Frazier says Brett Favre has not passed even his initial post-concussion test, remains doubtful for Tuesday's game.

Bucs rookie WR Arrelious Benn injured a knee in the second quarter, the severity of which wasn't clear. Benn, after catching his only pass, turned up the field for a 16-yard gain but was upended by two defenders, one of which appeared to hit the side of Benn's knee with a helmet.

"Right now I have to figure out what's wrong and then go to the next thing," Benn said.

Asked what happened on the play, he said, "I have no idea. I don't even want to know."

Benn will be evaluated further today. On a day the Bucs were already shorthanded at receiver with Sammie Stroughter out with a hamstring injury, Benn was replaced by Maurice Stovall. Preston Parker and Dezmon Briscoe appeared, each catching at least one pass.

The Lions played without Johnson for the entire fourth quarter. He aggravated an ankle injury trying to reach back for a pass that was underthrown on the first play of the final quarter.

"It's been real tender," he said. "It got landed on and that kind of put it over right there. It had been bothering me pretty much all game."

It had bothered him all week, and he was limited in practice. Schwartz said the only way Johnson would have gone back in was if the Lions were still trailing and needed to run a fade route.

"Calvin went as long as he could," Schwartz said. "We will see where he is (next week)."

Sunday afternoon, Cowboys front office officials were at Valley Ranch are discussing what to do with the quarterback position.

Last week the team placed starter Tony Romo on injured reserve, ending his season because of a broken left collarbone. Saturday night, Jon Kitna, Romo's backup, suffered a left oblique muscle injury in Saturday's loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said the team most likely will get a quarterback if Kitna is unable to play.

Stephen McGee will start Sunday's regular season finale at Philadelphia in place of Kitna. Finding a backup for McGee is another issue.

It was the kind of gory numbers unfamiliar to Redskins tight end Chris Cooley, a player who expects to catch every pass he gets a paw on.

Times targeted: Five.

Catches: One for 10 yards.

Drops: Four, including a touchdown.

After the Redskins’ 20-17 overtime win over Jacksonville, Cooley said he never played a half like that in his seven-year NFL career. In fact, through the first half of the season, Cooley was unofficially credited with just two drops.

Cooley rebounded in the second half to finish with five catches for 48 yards. He was targeted a team-high 11 times by quarterback Rex Grossman.

“It’s never hard for me to bounce back,” Cooley said. “I’m still mad about it and I’ll be mad about it all week.”

One of those 90-and-muggy August practices had just ended when Delhomme began raving about Brian Robiskie.

People don’t realize how good this kid is at adjusting to the ball when it is in the air, the old quarterback said.

Then Robiskie went back into the cave where he lived as a 2009 rookie.

Through 10 regular-season games, the 36th pick of the 2009 draft caught nine passes for 81 yards.

On Sunday, however, the former Ohio State Buckeye made one of the best touchdown catches you’ll ever see at the end of a once-in-a-blue-moon gadget.

Colt McCoy went to the bench for a play, replaced by Seneca Wallace. After a complicated pre-snap shift, Wallace made a simple handoff to Peyton Hillis, who pitched to wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi, who took a few steps, straightened up, and let fly a pass to the corner of the end zone. Cornerback Chris Carr seemed to have the best chance at the high floater. Robiskie took a hustling, arcing path to the ball, while Carr dropped out of the picture. Even then, the ball seemed uncatchable, even if it hadn’t been such a cold day.

Robiskie dove. His arms were nearly on the ground when he looked the ball into his outstretched palms. He quickly curled it into his right bicep and tucked it into his body as he thudded in front of the Dawg Pound.

On Sunday, C.J. Spiller experienced the peaks and valleys of an NFL rookie.

He had his most productive day of the season on offense, rushing for 30 yards on six carries and catching two passes for 54 yards, but it was overshadowed by two lost fumbles that contributed to the Bills' 34-3 loss to the Patriots.

"That was probably my worst game that I ever played," he said. "Putting the ball on the ground three times, losing two of them and putting the team in bad situations. Tough day out there today."

It has been a tough year for Spiller. Expectations were high for the ninth overall pick in this year's draft. Maybe too high for some people.

Spiller revealed he has been the recipient of hate e-mails from those who aren't happy that he hasn't made a bigger impact.

"Yeah, I get a couple," he said. "I always do after a bad game."

Spiller downplayed it, saying the criticism comes with the territory. And besides, no one was harder on Spiller than himself after the game.

Mike Singletary made a name for himself as a coach with that bold "I want winners!" declaration more than two years ago.

Ultimately, he didn't produce enough victories to save his job.

The Hall of Fame linebacker was fired by the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night after two disappointing seasons, including a 5-10 showing this year for a franchise that expected to win the NFC West.

The team made the announcement upon returning to the Bay Area late Sunday, several hours after San Francisco was eliminated from playoff contention with a 25-17 loss at St. Louis. Defensive line coach Jim Tomsula was promoted to interim coach and will run the team in the season finale at home against Arizona. He was to be formally introduced in a news conference Monday.

Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck will not practice this week after suffering an "unusual" hip injury while crossing the goal line on his touchdown run during a 38-15 road defeat to the Tampa Bay Bucs.

The team will prepare Charlie Whitehurst to start the game. A decision on Hasselbeck will not be made until the end of the week.

In perhaps the most closely watched line on the Saints injury report, running back Chris Ivory (hamstring) was listed as questionable after being limited at practice all week. Ivory himself has given somewhat conflicting comments on whether he thinks he will be ready to play.

Tight end David Thomas (knee) is out, Payton said.

As dejected and distracted as they were after their season was ended, teammates expressed concern following Sunday’s 34-20 loss for running back Mike Tolbert.

Some were still unaware that Tolbert was walking around, having been diagnosed with a sprained neck and bruised shoulder following a scary first-quarter collision that saw him carted off the field with his head immobilized.

“I wanted to (get up), but they were being cautious,” Tolbert said after the game, his left arm in a sling, “Whenever you get in the head and the neck area, the shoulders, stuff like that, it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

Veteran cornerback Champ Bailey (heel), right, and second-year running back Know- shon Moreno (ribs) left Sunday's game because of injuries and were unable to return. They are questionable for the Broncos' season finale against San Diego next Sunday in Denver.

It took a rare Sunday off for the Carolina Panthers to finally win something big this season -- the No. 1 overall draft pick.

The Panthers are on the clock for April's draft and potentially in position to take Stanford star quarterback Andrew Luck after wins by Cincinnati and Denver allowed Carolina to clinch the league's worst record.

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The Broncos (4-11) rallied with 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to beat Houston 24-23, while the Bengals (4-11) got four touchdown passes from Carson Palmer to beat San Diego 34-20 in the snow for their second straight win.

That meant with one week left in the season, nobody can match Carolina (2-13) for futility in the NFL this season.

The only other time the Panthers have had the No. 1 pick -- before their inaugural season in 1995 -- they traded it away for more picks.

Now the question is: Will Luck leave school early?

Most draft analysts say the 6-foot-4 junior is the best prospect in the potential draft pool. He's completed 70.2 percent of his passes this season for 3,051 yards, 28 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Luck, who will lead the Cardinal (11-1) against Virginia Tech (11-2) in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 3, has not revealed his intentions.

San Diego Chargers running back Mike Tolbert sprained his neck and shoulder on a scary hit against the Cincinnati Bengals, but is expected to fully recover.

Tolbert put his head down and ran into the chest of safety Reggie Nelson during the first quarter of a 34-20 loss on Sunday. Tolbert fumbled and stayed face-down on the field, motionless for several minutes.

Doctors carefully rolled him onto a backboard, strapped him down and wheeled him off the field. He raised his right forearm and gave a thumbs-up sign to the applauding crowd.

Teammates said Tolbert was walking around the locker room after the game.

"He's doing fine," coach Norv Turner said. "He has a sprained shoulder and neck. He's got all the feeling back in his hands. He'll be all right."

Don't expect Tolbert to suit up next week.

Bucs Inactives
Rudy Carpenter QB
Dominique Harris DB
George Johnson DE
DJ Johnson CB
James Lee T
Kregg Lumpkin RB
Nathan Overbay TE
Sammie Stroughter WR

Seahawks Inactives
Stacy Andrews G
Marcus Brown DB
Paul Fanaika G
Breno Giacomini T
Will Herring OLB
J.P. Losman QB
Ruvell Martin WR
Will Robinson T

Packers Inactives
Diyral Briggs LB
Josh Gordy DB
Graham Harrell QB
Cullen Jenkins DE
Nick McDonald G
Marshall Newhouse T
James Starks RB
Frank Zombo OLB

Giants Inactives
Jake Ballard TE
Will Beatty OT
Will Blackmon DB
Duke Calhoun WR
Jamon Meredith T
Mitch Petrus G
Darius Reynaud WR
Dave Tollefson DE

Raiders Inactives
Bruce Campbell G
Bruce Davis LB
Johnnie Lee Higgins WR
Walter McFadden DB
J.T. O'Sullivan QB
Langston Walker T
Jeremy Ware DB

Colts Inactives
Al Afalava DB
Mike Hart RB
Kelvin Hayden CB
Javarris James RB
Jacques McClendon G
Daniel Muir DT
Clint Session OLB
Jaimie Thomas G

Joseph Addai is set to start, but his workload remains to be seen. Donald Brown takes a big hit.

Broncos Inactives
Jeff Byers C
Stanley Daniels G
Chevis Jackson DB
Laurence Maroney RB
Darcel McBath SAF
Eric Olsen G
Kyle Orton QB
Demaryius Thomas WR

Bengals Inactives
Victor Adeyanju DE
Chase Coffman TE
Dan LeFevour QB
Brian Leonard RB
Garrett Mills TE
Chad Ochocinco WR
Terrell Owens WR
Reggie Stephens C
Jonathan Wade CB

Andre Caldwell, Jerome Simpson & Jordan Shipley will fill in at WR.

Chargers Inactives
Tyrone Carter DB
Stephen Cooper ILB
Patrick Crayton WR
Malcom Floyd WR
Antonio Gates TE
Tyronne Green G
Travis Johnson DE
Darrell Stuckey DB

Randy McMichael will start for Gates. Legedu Naanee and Vincent Jackson will start at wideout. Expect a lot of Vincent Jackson in the passing game.

Texans Inactives
Jarvis Green DE
Anthony Hill TE
Andre Johnson WR
Matt Leinart QB
Brice McCain CB
DeMario Pressley DT
Shelley Smith G

Kevin Walter and Jacoby Jones will start for the Texans. Expect a lot of Arian Foster.

The Houston Texans are reporting Andre Johnson will not play today.

Jacoby Jones & Kevin Walter will start. Expect a heavy dose of Arian Foster.

The Eagles' matchup against the Vikings in Philadelphia has been postponed until to 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday due to a blizzard, the Eagles announced Sunday.

The blizzard is expected to dump up to 20 inches of snow in Philadelphia, where the Vikings were scheduled to play the Eagles on Sunday night.

According to Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, a winter storm warning is in effect until 1 p.m. ET Monday. A state of emergency will go into effect Sunday in Philadelphia at 2 p.m. ET, about six hours before the original scheduled kickoff.

This isn't the first time the Vikings have been impacted by weather this season. The team's Week 14 game against the New York Giants had to be moved to Detroit after heavy snow forced the Metrodome roof to leak, then collapse. The Vikings then had to play their next game, a Monday night meeting with the Chicago Bears, at the University of Minnesota's TCF Bank Stadium.

For those relying on Joe Webb, he becomes a considerably more risky start on Tuesday, with Brett Favre given 2 more days to get healthy. Adrian Peterson becomes less risky, but could still be a game-time decision. Percy Harvin & Sidney Rice would be better options if Favre starts, but even with Favre that's not a sure thing.

All Eagles become safer plays with the game postponed until the weather clears - DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, LeSean McCoy & Michael Vick.

Fantasy owners playing in the championship game this week will have their nerves shot, with many games hinging on outcomes we wont know until Tuesday night.

Eagles QB Michael Vick could have a field day on deep pass plays with safeties Madieu Williams and Tyrell Johnson both out. Another rookie, Kurt Coleman, starts for FS Nate Allen, who tore the patellar tendon in his right knee against the Giants.

Chargers QB Philip Rivers is 20-1 as a starter in December. Interesting stat: The Bengals have had 16 defensive backs play at least one snap this season while Rivers has had at least 17 different receivers catch a pass this season.

Raiders RB Darren McFadden needs 183 rushing yards to pass Napoleon Kaufman (1,294 in 1997) for the second-highest single-season total in franchise history. Hall of Famer Marcus Allen’s 1,759 yards in 1985 is the club record. McFadden has 339 rushing yards in the past three games. The Colts held Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew to 46 rushing yards last week, but he was hurting.

It may come down to a game-time decision on Jets QB Mark Sanchez, who has a slight cartilage tear in his throwing shoulder. During the week, he was throwing at about 80 percent of full velocity. The Jets sound like they will start Sanchez, but if he’s ineffective they will quickly insert 40-year-old Mark Brunell.

QB Ryan Fitzpatrick has thrown a TD pass in 15 straight games. He now has 23 TDs and 12 INTs on the season. Fitzpatrick is only three games behind Jim Kelly’s club record of 18 straight games with a TD pass.

The Seahawks will have a plan to contain Blount after facing a similar, physical runner in Atlanta’s Michael Turner last week. Seattle held the Falcons to 98 rushing yards. “He’s a brute,” Seattle defensive coordinator Gus Bradley said of Blount. “I mean, he’s playing really hard, breaking tackles. It’d be interesting to know his yards after contact – he’s that type of runner. Guys are hitting him at the line of scrimmage, but he’s breaking tackles.”

The Bucs are hurting on defense (allowing 136 yards rushing per game), so look for Seattle QB Matt Hasselbeck to run an up-tempo game, hoping to keep the Bucs’ defensive specialists off the field. Buccaneers CB E.J. Biggers, who has one interception, must be able to stop Seahawks WR Mike Williams. Biggers is filling in for Tampa Bay's top corner, Aqib Talib, who’s out for the season with a hip injury. Bucs QB Josh Freeman should attack with a short passing offense and then go over the top to TE Kellen Winslow and rookies Mike Williams and Arrelious Benn.

The Giants have allowed only 15 sacks, tying them with the Colts for the NFL lead, while the defense has collected 42 sacks, two behind the Chargers and Steelers for the NFL lead. The Giants could become the first team to have the highest sack total on defense and allow the fewest sacks on offense since the 1992 Saints, who gave up only 15 sacks while recording 57 sacks on defense.

The Giants’ offensive line must be prepared to deal with LB Clay Matthews and LB A.J. Hawk. Matthews has 12-1/2 sacks and must be chipped by running backs and tight ends. Hawk has been the Packers’ most reliable tackler against the run. Look for defensive coordinator Dom Capers to roll the dice with run blitzes and other exotic stunts to crash the line and stuff Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw before they find an opening. It that works, it will force Eli Manning into throwing mode. The Packers have been victimized by tight ends this season, so look for Manning to zero in on Boss. On paper, the Giants have the best offensive and defensive lines in this game.

I believed Lions QB Shaun Hill was going to play last week, but when he tested his finger in warm-ups the Detroit coaches didn’t like his velocity. Today, Drew Stanton has a shoulder bruise and Hill makes the most sense, although the Lions say they will wait until this morning to make a final decision.

The Lions are planning to see a full dose of the wildcat formation this week because of Miami QB Chad Henne’s horrible play of late. Miami runs it better than everybody else, and they do change formations from week to week. Of course, Lions defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham has threatened to come after Dolphins RB Ricky Williams if he throws an illegal low block on any of his defenders. The key to the wildcat is not to overreact.

After missing four weeks with a hamstring injury, RB Ryan Torain has run for 225 yards in his past two starts. His effectiveness is undoubtedly Washington’s best chance of winning and also keeping its defense off the field. Redskins WR Santana Moss had three touchdowns in his last visit here, and Jaguars CB Rashean Mathis and Derek Cox must jam him at the line and not allow him to run free on quick slants.

Washington allowed more than 400 yards for the fifth time this year during last Sunday’s loss to the Cowboys in Dallas, and the defense is now allowing an average of 397.6 yards a game. Only nine teams in NFL history – just two since 1983 – have surrendered more yards per game during the course of a full season. And because of injuries, the Redskins will be starting six backups on defense. The good news for them is that Jacksonville will be without RB Maurice Jones-Drew, whose right knee remains swollen. But that doesn’t mean the Jaguars will abandon their running game. They have confidence in Rashad Jennings and Deji Karim, the two reserves.

The 49ers are starting QB Troy Smith because he beat the Rams earlier in the season when he passed for 356 yards, the most by a San Francisco quarterback since 2004. If he doesn’t produce in what is essentially a playoff game for both teams, the 49ers can always return to Alex Smith, who probably is playing his final games in San Francisco.

Indianapolis running back Mike Hart (ankle), cornerback Kelvin Hayden (neck), defensive tackle Dan Muir (chest), and linebacker Clint Session (elbow) did not travel with the rest of the Colts to Oakland for tomorrow's clash with the Raiders.

The New England Patriots need a victory against the Buffalo Bills tomorrow to secure the AFC East title and home-field in the playoffs, but that task may be a little bit tougher.

The Patriots have announced that tight end Aaron Hernandez (hip), linebacker/defensive end Jermaine Cunningham (calf), defensive lineman Brandon Deaderick (shoulder/flu) and offensive lineman Dan Connolly (concussion) will not play tomorrow.

Defensive linemen Myron Pryor (back) and Mike Wright (concusion), who have missed a few games already, also will be out.

It means another game with a thin defensive line for the Patriots with Deaderick joining Pryor and Wright as unable to play. In the Patriots' final injury report of the week on Friday, defensive lineman Ron Brace (concussion) was listed as questionable after being limited at practice all week.

The other players who remain questionable for tomorrow are linebacker Tully Banta-Cain (groin) and safety James Sanders (flu).

The loss of Hernandez upgrades Rob Gronkowski's outlook considerably. Gronkowski and Hernandez have been taking turns as New England's most productive tight end, and now Gronkowski will get extra looks and he should be able to take advantage of them.

Cowboys Inactives
Alex Barron T
Phil Costa G
Kenwin Cummings LB
Manuel Johnson WR
Lonyae Miller RB
Jermey Parnell OT
Andrew Sendejo DB
Teddy Williams WR

Tashard Choice becomes a much riskier play with Marion Barber active despite a good matchup. Felix Jones is the lead back, but could also lose a couple of touches to a 3-man attack. Roy Williams shouldn't be played.

Arizona Cardinals linebacker Joey Porter and kick returner LaRod Stephens-Howling are inactive for tonight's game against the Dallas Cowboys. Porter, sidelined by a triceps injury, will be replaced by rookie O'Brien Schofield. Andre Roberts will handle kick return duties.

The rest of the Cardinals' inactives include cornerbacks A.J. Jefferson and Marshay Green, linebackers Gerald Hayes and Curtis Gatewood, and center Ben Claxton. Derek Anderson will serve as Arizona's third quarterback.

Injury Report for Monday Night - Saints @ Falcons

New Orleans Saints

Out:

TE Dave Thomas

Questionable:

RB Chris Ivory

Probable:

LB Danny Clark
DT Sedrick Ellis
CB Jabari Greer
DT Tony Hargrove
WR Robert Meachem
LB Kawika Mitchell
WR Courtney Roby
LB Jonathan Vilma
DT Remi Ayodele
OT Charles Brown

Atlanta Falcons

Questionable:

DE John Abraham
DT Jonathan Babineaux
LB Curtis Lofton
FB Ovie Mughelli
WR Eric Weems
WR Roddy White

There is no indication at all that White will miss Monday night's game. Plan on starting him as you normally would, but if you have a roster spot to spare, it wouldn't be a bad idea to add one of the secondary Atlanta or New Orleans receivers just in case.

Cardinals Inactives
Derek Anderson QB
Ben Claxton C
Curtis Gatewood OLB
Marshay Green CB
Gerald Hayes ILB
A.J. Jefferson CB
Joey Porter OLB
LaRod Stephens-Howling RB

The Minnesota Vikings defense will have a difficult time slowing down Michael Vick, but perhaps they can get an assist from the weather.

A winter storm watch is in effect in Philadelphia for Sunday night. Snow accumulations of six inches or more are possible, along with bad visibility. Winds are expected to be 20-30 MPH with gusts reaching even higher. The winter storm watch is in effect until Monday morning.

Bad weather and the Vikings are going together like peanut butter and jelly. Despite the conditions, the normal fantasy starters from both teams (Adrian Peterson, LeSean McCoy, Jeremy Maclin, Michael Vick, and DeSean Jackson) should be in your lineup.

Buffalo Bills starting center Geoff Hangartner may dress for Sunday’s game.

Hangartner practiced for a second straight day Friday doing a little more than he did the day before. Bills head coach Chan Gailey said there’s a chance he’ll be active for Sunday’s game against the Patriots.

Eric Wood is going to start at center on Sunday regardless of whether Hangartner dresses for the game or not. If he does dress it’s expected that Hangartner would serve in a backup role.

Arizona Cardinals outside linebacker Joey Porter (triceps) is unlikely to play Saturday night against the Dallas Cowboys.

The Kansas City Chiefs' general health has improved greatly over the past week.

Only one player has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Tennessee Titans: safety Donald Washington (ankle).

Washington Redskins defensive end Kedric Golston on Friday confirmed he is done for the season because of elbow and groin injuries.

Golston will become the third defensive lineman this week the Redskins have had to put on season-ending injured reserves, joining Phillip Daniels and Maake Kemoateu.

A five-year veteran, Golston started all 13 games in which he played at right end this season, Washington's first in a base 3-4 defense after many years in a 4-3 scheme. The hard-working Golston, a solid defensive tackle in the Redskins' previous defense, was expected to back up two-time all-pro Albert Haynesworth on the right side.

Haynesworth, however, never fully adapted to the 3-4. Citing conduct detrimental to the club, the Redskins suspended Haynesworth without pay for the final four games of the season.

The Redskins are expected to promote someone from the practice squad to replace Golston.

Atlanta Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez admits to thinking about retirement after this season, but is still uncertain about his future plans.

He's under contract for next season, but wide receiver Roddy White is worried that Gonzalez will retire if the team won the Super Bowl.

"I would be lying if I didn't tell you that I didn't think about it," Gonzalez said of retiring. "I'd be a fool if I didn't think about it; just trying to be prepared a little bit. But you think about it and then you detach from it."

Gonzalez, who turns 35 in February, doesn’t appear to be slowing down. Last week, he became the first player in league history to catch 60 or more passes in 12 consecutive seasons. He has 62 catches for 591 yards and five touchdowns this season.

"Right now, I feel great, though," Gonzalez said. "I can tell you if it came down to coming back next year, I could do it easily from a physical standpoint."

Gonzalez isn't the fantasy superstar he used to be, but generally remains safer than most. If you've had him in a keeper league for awhile, it is time to start grooming a younger tight end.

If there was any lingering doubt about Mark Sanchez's status for Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears, it's gone now.

The New York Jets' quarterback, coming off a Friday practice in which he pushed his sore throwing shoulder, didn't suffer any significant setbacks and is clear to start the potential playoff-clinching game in Chicago.

On Friday, New York head coach Rex Ryan expressed confidence that Sanchez would start, indicating the only potential snag would be if the quarterback's right shoulder responded poorly overnight after the final practice of the week. That apparently didn't happen.

There never was serious doubt about Sanchez's status for the game, but Ryan created a mini-panic Thursday by stating there was an 80 percent chance Sanchez would start - down from 99 percent the previous day.

Sanchez's teammates never doubted him. Even offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer indicated Thursday that he expected Sanchez to play.

Sanchez underwent an MRI exam Monday after taking a hard hit to the shoulder in last Sunday's win at the Pittsburgh Steelers. The MRI was negative, according to the Jets, but there was some small cartilage damage. Doctors believe that damage was caused by cumulative wear and tear over the years.

When his back tightened in the game against Atlanta last Sunday, Seattle Seahawks cornerback Marcus Trufant immediately feared it was the same kind of injury that cost him six games last season.

But less than a week later, he’s back on the field and expected to be at full speed when the Hawks meet the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Florida tomorrow.

Trufant called the injury "kind of a fluky thing." He said that getting it twisted the wrong way caused spasms to tighten his back.

Trufant’s injury left the Hawks playing little-used reserve Kennard Cox against the talented receiving corps of the Falcons.

His health will be critical again this week, as Buccaneers rookie Mike Williams averages 15.2 yards per reception and has eight touchdown catches.

Is there a possibility the Broncos might part company with quarterback Kyle Orton during the offseason?

Orton has already been benched. Tim Tebow is expected to start the final two games.

And the Broncos have just six picks in the 2011 draft and exponentially more needs than that to fill. They have their own first-rounder, two picks in the second round, a third-round pick and two sixth-round picks.

That's not nearly enough and shows just how bare the cupboard is at the moment. And Orton would be one of a thin roster's most valuable assets in a trade.

He could secure the Broncos some much-needed picks in the draft, and that is the most likely scenario at the moment.

Certainly the Vikings, Cardinals, Titans, 49ers and Seahawks are just the start of a list of those teams that will be searching for quarterback help this offseason, and all could be potential suitors for Orton. With so many potential coaching changes still to come, some others may be looking to retool as well.

Orton has proven he can be a decent fantasy quarterback if he's in the right situation. He doesn't have any value the rest of the way in 2010 barring a Tebow injury, but he could easily end up back on the fantasy radar in the future if everything breaks right.

Less than a week after being elevated from the practice squad to the active 53-man roster, Washington Redskins linebacker Rob Jackson will find himself in the starting lineup Sunday.

The 6-foot-4, 255-pound Jackson has played in eight NFL games, recording a single tackle in the 2008 season. Drafted as a defensive lineman, he's been converted to linebacker in defensive coordinator Jim Haslett's 3-4 scheme, just like the man he's replacing, Pro Bowler Brian Orakpo, who sustained hamstring and groin injuries last week in Dallas.

Asked to compare himself to Orakpo, Jackson said he is less of a power rusher, instead relying on his hands and working the edges.

The NFL did not fine 49ers defensive end Justin Smith after he was ejected from a game last week in San Diego for making physical contact with a game official, a league spokesman said Friday.

Smith, a 10-year veteran, was ejected after he was penalized for the incident involving umpire Garth DeFelice, who has officiated 13 NFL seasons. Smith will play Sunday in the 49ers' key NFC West game against the St. Louis Rams.

Oakland Raiders defensive tackle Richard Seymour will be a game time decision and right tackle Langston Walker is two-thirds of the way to being cleared to play Sunday against Indianapolis.

The good news for the Raiders is that cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha participated fully in practice and is as healthy as he’s been in three weeks.

You certainly shouldn't bench any of your Colts receivers because Asomugha is healthy, but he could give them some trouble.

Four days before Dave Rayner kicked game-tying and game-winning field goals to snap the Lions' NFL-record 26-game road losing streak, the Lions trotted out his potential replacement.

But after watching veteran kicker Kris Brown work out last Wednesday, the Lions decided to stick with Rayner for the balance of the year.

Rayner, who has played six games as an injury replacement for Jason Hanson, booted field goals of 41, 28 and 34 yards last Sunday against the Buccaneers. The 28-yarder came as time expired in regulation, and the 34-yard proved to be the game-winner on the first possession of overtime.

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers (concussion probable) has been cleared to play and took full practice for the 3rd straight day Friday. HC Mike McCarthy said he has "zero concerns about Aaron Rodgers" in regards to his health. Expect Rodgers back under center in a must win game against the Giants Sunday. Start Rodgers and Greg Jennings as you normally would, with a slight concern that a top Giants pass rush could be on Rodgers early and often.

Vikings QB Brett Favre (concussion, neck, right shoulder doubtful) missed practice again Friday and is officially doubtful for Sunday Night. Owners obviously shouldn't be counting in Favre, who has yet to pass his concussion tests, but if last week taught us anything it's to never rule Favre out… even when he has been, well, ruled out. HC Leslie Frazier said that if Favre doesn't pass his concussion tests Saturday, he wont play Sunday. Joe Webb is expected to start in Favre's place.

Jets QB Mark Sanchez (right shoulder probable) took limited reps again Friday and is probable for week 16. Sanchez reportedly looked good in practice Friday and is expected to start barring a setback. Still, Sanchez did suffer a cartilage tear in his throwing shoulder and could be limited on what throws he can make Sunday. He's not a fantasy option and threatens to drag his receivers down with him. Mark Brunell would start if Sanchez can't go.

Lions QB Shaun Hill (right finger questionable) took limited reps Friday and is questionable. Hill took the first team practice reps while Drew Stanton (left shoulder questionable) rotated in second. Shaun Hill seems to be the favorite to start this week, but we likely wont know until game-time. Neither should be considered a fantasy option against a good Dolphins defense and less than 100%.

Titans QB Kerry Collins (right finger probable) took full practice reps again Friday. Collins is expected to start this week, but after a nice matchup play last week against the Texans, should be left on fantasy benches against the Chiefs.

Patriots QB Tom Brady (right shoulder, foot probable) took limited practice Friday and will start week 16 as usual.

Browns QB Colt McCoy (illness probable) took full practice again Friday and is probable for Sunday. McCoy was out with the flu but is fully expected to start this weekend.

Cardinals QB Derek Anderson (head, illness probable) returned to full practice Friday. However, John Skelton is expected to continue starting - good news for Larry Fitzgerald who caught a season high 90% of his targets last week.

Broncos QB Kyle Orton (ribs questionable) took limited reps Friday. Tim Tebow will finish out the season for the Broncos.

Texans QB Matt Schaub (right elbow Probable) took full practice reps Friday and is Probable for week 16.

Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew (knee doubtful) missed practice again Friday and has been listed as doubtful for week 16. Jay Glazier reports that sources say Jones-Drew is OUT for Sunday barring a "miraculous turnaround."

Rashad Jennings should make for a great play against a terrible Redskins defense. Grab him now, even if just to keep him away from your opponent. Jennings is a top 10 RB play in the updated Friday rankings. Deji Karim is worth consideration in return yardage leagues.

Vikings RB Adrian Peterson (knee questionable) took limited reps again Friday and is questionable for Sunday Night. Peterson himself said earlier this week that he expects to play on Sunday. HC Leslie Frazier said Friday "I think he’ll probably make it. It seems like we’re headed in the right direction.” Peterson will likely be a game-time decision again this week. After what Peterson put his owners through last week, it may simply be too risky to wait on AP for a Sunday Night start against the Eagles. Expect Toby Gerhart to see an increased role even if Peterson is active.

Browns RB Peyton Hillis (knee probable) took limited reps again Friday and is probable for Sunday. Hillis has carried the ball 252 times and added 48 receptions through 14 games. His previous season high was 68 carries from the Broncos in 2008. He is showing some signs of wearing down, but is still the focal point of the Browns offense. The upside is that he will get the bulk of the carries and also be involved heavily in the passing game. The downside is that the Ravens are focused on shutting him down. A solid fantasy day is entirely possible, but don't expect a repeat of week 3's 180 total yards and a TD against these same Ravens. For what it's worth, Hillis said he feels great and was just getting some rest.

Broncos RB Knowshon Moreno (ribs questionable) took limited reps Friday. Moreno is still sore but has shown improvement this week, and HC Eric Studesville believes Moreno will play this week. The matchup is good if Moreno can suit up, but it may be hard for owners to trust Moreno to be full go after what we saw last week. The Broncos have nothing to play for. Lance Ball and Correll Buckhalter will carry the load if Moreno can't go, but neither were effective against the Raiders last week.

Cowboys RB Felix Jones (shin probable) returned to full practice Friday and is probable for Saturday. HC Jason Garrett said he simply wanted to keep Jones fresh on a short week. Marion Barber (calf probable) took full practice reps again Friday and it looks as if he will return to the lineup this week. Tashard Choice has rushed well in Barber's absence and appears likely to retain his job as the #2 back in what looks to be a three-back committee. Jones or Choice could have a nice game in a great matchup, but the situation is crowded which adds considerable risk to a Christmas Day matchup.

49ers RB Anthony Dixon (ankle questionable) took limited reps Friday and is questionable for week 16. Dixon was seen walking with a limp but expects to be able to play through it. He shouldn't be a fantasy option. Brian Westbrook will see an increased workload against the Rams.

Colts RB Joseph Addai (neck questionable) took full practice for the third straight day Friday and is questionable for week 16. Addai says he has "a great chance" to play on Sunday. While Addai could play, his role remains to be seen and Addai shouldn't be played. Donald Brown's value will take a big hit if Addai is active. Mike Hart (ankle questionable) took limited reps again Friday and is questionable, but don't expect Hart back in the lineup this week.

Texans RB Arian Foster (hip probable) practiced fully again Friday. HC Gary Kubiak indicated that Foster is fine and practiced well. Foster remains a top option in a great matchup with the Broncos.

Chargers RB Ryan Mathews (illness probable) took full practice Friday and is probable for week 16. Mathews should play, but loses goal-line looks to Mike Tolbert.

Saints RB Chris Ivory (hamstring) took limited reps Friday. Ivory said he still felt "a little grab" during practice Thursday and said he "can't really open up" like he would like too. It's obvious he's not 100%, but says he is around 90%. Ivory wont be a good play Monday Night but could take away some touches from Pierre Thomas if he suits up.

Lions RB Maurice Morris (chest probable) took limited reps again Friday and is probable for week 16. Morris will likely be the lead back again this week, but don't expect much against a tough Dolphins run defense. Jahvid Best (toe probable) also took limited reps.

Bengals RB Bernard Scott (toe questionable) took limited reps again Friday and is questionable for Sunday. Brian Leonard (ankle out) remains out. Cedric Benson will continue to receive the bulk of the workload.

Rams RB Kenneth Darby (chest probable) returned to full practice Friday and is expected to return for the Rams this week.

Cardinals RB LaRod Stephens-Howling (hamstring doubtful) did not practice Friday and is doubtful to play Saturday Night.

Texans WR Andre Johnson (ankle questionable) missed practice again Friday and is questionable for week 16. Unlike previous weeks, it actually sounds as if there's a decent chance Johnson could miss this week. Johnson sustained a new injury to the achilles area last week and says, “When I run now, I feel more pain than before. I’ve been getting a shot the past few games, but I can still feel pain. There’s only so much you can numb up, and they can’t numb the joint, and that’s what’s really starting to bother me really bad.”

HC Gary Kubiak said Johnson will test the ankle in pre-game warmups, "If he can take a shot, and he feels like he can run and play, then he’s going to play.” This puts fantasy owners in a serious bind with the Texans not kicking off until 4PM. Owners will need to make sure they have a backup plan going in 4PM or later games to be safe.

Giants WR Mario Manningham (heel probable) took full practice again Friday and is probable for week 16. Manningham had a huge bounce-back game last week, catching 8 balls for 113 yards and a pair of TDs on 12 targets. This week the Giants face a tough Packers pass defense.

Jaguars WR Mike Sims-Walker (ankle questionable) took full practice reps Friday but is questionable for Sunday. Even if Sims-Walker suits up, Jason Hill is expected to start across from Mike Thomas. The matchup is good, but Sims-Walker can't be trusted on a bum ankle even if active.

Patriots WR Deion Branch (knee probable) returned to limited practice Friday and is probable for Sunday. Branch has had some great games this season but they have come when he was healthy. When he was dealing with the hamstring and now the knee, Branch hasn't delivered.

Bengals WR Chad Ochocinco (ankle questionable) took limited reps Friday. Ochocinco is in considerable pain and it sounds like he will be limited Sunday even if he goes. HC Marvin Lewis called Ocho "iffy." With Terrell Owens on IR, the Bengals will likely go to a run heavy attack against a solid Chargers defense. Look for Jerome Simpson, Andre Caldwell and Jordan Shipley to see expanded roles, but all are fringe fantasy options.

Jets WR Santonio Holmes (toe probable) took limited reps again Friday and is probable for week 16. Holmes is dealing with a turf toe injury, never a good sign for a WR. Of further concern is that QB Mark Sanchez (shoulder) may be limited in what passes he can throw Sunday. This is a situation to avoid.

Chargers WR Malcom Floyd (hamstring doubtful) did not practice Friday and is doubtful for week 16. Patrick Crayton (wrist doubtful) missed practice Friday is also doubtful, unlikely to return to the lineup. Legedu Naanee is expected to start opposite Vincent Jackson, but is hard to trust after his zero catch performance last week. Kelley Washington (hip probable) will be the 3rd WR, but his 2-49 statline last week was rather flukey. Vincent Jackson is the only safe play here.

Lions WR Calvin Johnson (ankle probable) took limited reps again Friday and is probable for week 16. Calvin is a must-start but does face a tough matchup with the Dolphins and CB Vontae Davis.

Eagles WR DeSean Jackson (foot probable) took limited reps again Friday and is probable for week 16. Jackson is expected to be full go Sunday.

Saints WR Robert Meachem (toe) was upgraded to a full participant Friday. Meachem is a streaky fantasy performer and the toe injury is enough to keep him off of fantasy rosters if you were considering rolling the dice.

Cowboys WR Roy Williams (groin questionable) took limited reps again Friday and is questionable for week 16. Williams could return to the lineup this week against the Cardinals but has caught more than 2 passes only once in his last 9 games. For what it's worth, Roy said, "I'm feeling pretty good."

Falcons WR Roddy White (knee) returned to full practice Friday. The early week missed practice was simply rest for the Falcons stud. Expect White to be full go Monday Night.

Ravens WR Derrick Mason (ankle probable) returned to full practice Friday and is probable for week 16. Expect Mason to be full go.

Bears WR Earl Bennett (ankle probable) returned to take full practice reps Friday but isn't a fantasy option at less than 100%.

Broncos WR Eddie Royal (back Probable) took full practice reps Friday and is Probable for week 16.

Broncos WR Demaryius Thomas (ankle Questionable) was limited at practice Friday and is Questionable for week 16.

Browns WR Josh Cribbs (foot Probable) took full practice reps Friday and is Probable for week 16.

Browns WR Chansi Stuckey (thigh Probable) took full practice reps Friday and is Probable for week 16.

49ers WR Josh Morgan (shoulder Probable) took full practice reps Friday and is Probable for week 16.

Chargers TE Antonio Gates (foot out) has been ruled out for week 16. Randy McMichael will start in his place.

Ravens TE Todd Heap (thigh questionable) took limited reps Friday and is questionable for week 16. Heap said he felt "very good," but he will be a game-time decision. Owners should look elsewhere for fantasy production in a crucial week 16.

Bucs TE Kellen Winslow (knee probable) took full practice again Friday will play week 16. Winslow routinely misses early week practice.

Patriots TE Aaron Hernandez (hip questionable) returned to limited practice Friday and is questionable. Hernandez was questionable last week and played, catching 4 passes for 31 yards and 2 TDs. Rob Gronkowski has been seeing more snaps and is fully healthy, but it's hard to gauge which Patriot TE will be featured in the game-plan from week to week. Either could be in store for a big game against a Bills team weak at defending the tight end.

Browns TE Robert Royal (shoulder doubtful) missed practice again Friday and is doubtful for week 16. With backup Evan Moore (hip out) placed on IR and Robert Royal hurting, there should be no competition for targets for starter Ben Watson. Watson has been an inconsistent performer all season, but looks like a good play this weekend.

Raiders TE Zach Miller (foot Probable) took full practice reps Friday and is Probable for week 16.

Broncos K Matt Prater (right groin out) has been placed on season ending IR after suffering a setback in practice. Steven Hauschka will handle kicking duties for the final two games.

Texans K Neil Rackers (right hamstring Probable) did not practice Friday but is expected to handle kicking duties this week.

Titans K Rob Bironas (right groin Probable) took full practice reps Friday and is Probable for week 16.

Tight end Antonio Gates (toe/foot) and defensive captain Stephen Cooper (knee) officially have been declared out of Sunday's game at Cincinnati. Also not participating in the final workout Friday were wide receivers Malcom Floyd (hamstring) and Patrick Crayton (wrist), each of whom has been listed as doubtful.

Questionable is the Sunday status of linebacker Larry English and offensive lineman Scott Mruczkowski. Returning from a foot injury sustained Dec. 12, English took part in practice on a limited basis.

Listed as probable are right guard Louis Vasquez, running back Ryan Mathews, fullback Jacob Hester, linebackers Antwan Applewhite and Brandon Siler and wide receiver Kelley Washington.

With Floyd and Crayton likely out, look for another big day out of Vincent Jackson with Legedu Naanee and Kelley Washington filling in.

Although he is doing everything he can to play against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, there is a good chance receiver Andre Johnson will miss his second game of the season because of an ankle injury.

Johnson disclosed after practice Friday that an MRI this week showed new damage to the high ankle sprain he suffered in the second game of the season.

Johnson, who needs to average 142 yards in the last two games against Denver and Jacksonville to become the first receiver in history to have at least 1,500 in three consecutive seasons, will be a game-time decision.

“I’m trying to do everything I can to make sure I’m out there, pretty much like I have been for weeks,” he said. “I’ve been banging it up for 10 or 11 weeks, and it’s kind of taken a toll.

“I had something happen to it in the Baltimore game. We didn’t think it could get any worse, but it has. I had an MRI, and things weren’t the same. The past few MRIs were the same, but we found some change in this one.”

If Johnson can’t play, he’ll be replaced in the lineup by Jacoby Jones (41 catches, 377 yards, three touchdowns), who would start opposite Kevin Walter (47 for 553 and five). Rookie Dorin Dickerson will become the third receiver.

“I had the high ankle sprain, and it was in the front part of my ankle,” Johnson said. “When I got tackled in the Baltimore game, my joint got jammed up, and it’s affecting me in the back now, kind of like around the Achilles area.

“When I run now, I feel more pain than before. I’ve been getting a shot the past few games, but I can still feel pain. There’s only so much you can numb up, and they can’t numb the joint, and that’s what’s really starting to bother me really bad.”

“He jogged around a little bit today,” coach Gary Kubiak said. “We’ll bring him in early (Saturday) and move him around a little bit and see if he (can) go. I’ll listen to him.

“We had 80-something plays (in a Monday game) against Baltimore, and then we went to Tennessee six days later. I think that stuff has caught up with him. If he can take a shot, and he feels like he can run and play, then he’s going to play.”

With Andre Johnson and the Texans not set to kick off until 4PM, this becomes a very risky situation for managers vying for a fantasy championship. The injury has gotten worse and it sounds as if there is a real chance that Johnson could miss Sunday. Still, he has been putting up big numbers with the ankle all season long. Kubiak says if he can go he will. Owners should have a backup plan going in a 4PM or later game to be safe.

Sources say Maurice Jones-Drew is OUT this weekend, barring a miraculous turnaround. Jags plan is to rest him as knee is still swollen.

Rashad Jennings should make for a great play against a terrible Redskins defense. Grab him now, even if just to keep him away from your opponent. Jennings is a top 10 RB play in the updated Friday rankings. Deji Karim is worth consideration in return yardage leagues.

WR Earl Bennett (ankle) took part in Bears practice on Friday.

QB Brett Favre (concussion) did not participate in Vikings practice on Friday afternoon.

WR DeSean Jackson (foot) fully participated in Eagles practice on Friday, and is listed as probable for Sunday against the Vikings.

RB Adrian Peterson (ankle) participated in Vikings practice for the second straight day on Friday.

Knowshon Moreno is still sore, but has improved the last two days, and Studesville believes he can play Sunday.

WR Mike Sims-Walker (ankle) was finally back at Jaguars practice on Friday.

Updating an earlier item, Mark Sanchez (shoulder) reportedly took all of the Jets' first team reps at quarterback on Friday.

LIONS: Looks like Shaun Hill will get the start, though that is not official. He took the first-team reps today.

Texans Andre Johnson jogged around this morning but didn't practice. Kubiak said if he can take a shot Sun and feel good enough to play, he'll play.

Browns Eric Mangini "RB Peyton Hillis will do significantly more' today than he did Thursday and should be fine for the Ravens Sunday."

Maurice Jones-Drew was not at practice. No player who's missed Friday has played Sunday this year for the Jaguars.

WEATHER: It is supposed to be "chilly and wet" when the Buccaneers take on the Seahawks at home this weekend.

Cowboys RB Felix Jones has notched double-digit carries in all six of the games coached by interim Cowboys head man Jason Garrett. Previously in his career, Jones tallied double-digit carries in just seven of a possible 28 games.

It's a bit of a he-said, he-said situation, but with two games to go in a 3-11 season, Broncos interim head coach Eric Studesville disagreed with Kyle Orton's assessment that the organization has decided to start Tim Tebow in the final two games.

Orton said this week he had been told Tebow would close out the season as the starting quarterback, but Studesville tempered that Thursday.

"The only place we are is this week, and we're looking at the Houston Texans," Studesville said. "I'm taking it week by week. I'm not taking it any further than that."

The potential for Peyton Hillis to wear down because of his increased workload has been a hot topic as of late. Do the Browns need to develop a productive backup running back? Mike Bell has compiled 19 carries for 30 yards (1.6 average) since joining the Browns in Week 6 after he was traded from the Philadelphia Eagles.

''I think what you'd like to be able to do is have two or three backs where you could interchange them all the time,'' Mangini said. ''You could play them in all different spots. Mike Bell's done a good job when he's been called on. It's just that Peyton has had such a good season and provides so much to our offense. It's hard to make the case to take him off the field.''

For the second day in a row, Ravens tight end Todd Heap practiced on a limited basis.

Barring a setback, he's expected to return Sunday after missing the past two games with a pulled right hamstring.

Bengals Chad Ochocinco has bone spurs in his right ankle that will require surgery in the offseason. He was limited in his playing time in last Sunday's 19-17 win against Cleveland.

Ochocinco has not practiced the last two days, giving the impression that he will not play in Sunday's home finale against San Diego.

Browns Joshua Cribbs is trying to push through. If only he could push off.

Cribbs was on the verge of helping the Browns to a thrilling year when he galloped toward the goal line on a catch and run. As he came down at the 5-yard line after a 37-yard game, he dislocated some toes, effectively dislocating the Browns’ season.

More than a month later, Cribbs said he still has moments of “excruciating pain.”

He missed just one game and has played in the last four, never looking remotely like the dynamo who has gone to two Pro Bowls.

“Sometimes,” he said, “I think I’m 100 percent. Then I’ll make a move and it’ll remind me, no, you can’t do that.”

Although head coach Rex Ryan is "99 percent sure" Mark Sanchez's shoulder won't keep him out on Sunday against the Bears, he remains a game-time decision.

Q: Is Floyd going to play Sunday?

Kevin Acee: I'd say almost certain that he won't.

This continues to spell good news for Vincent Jackson owners. Vincent is our third-best WR option this week.

Panthers Inactives
Gerald Alexander FS
Armanti Edwards WR
Tony Fiammetta FB
Chris Gamble CB
Ed Johnson DT
Chris Morris C
Keith Null QB
R.J. Stanford CB

Steelers Inactives
Charlie Batch QB
Arnaz Battle WR
Jonathan Dwyer RB
Tony Hills T
Steve McLendon DT
Troy Polamalu SS
Chris Scott T
Aaron Smith DE

Jets QB Mark Sanchez (right shoulder) took limited reps Thursday. Sanchez only did some soft tossing and handoffs for the portion of practice open to the media. It has been learned that Sanchez suffered a cartilage tear in his throwing shoulder last week. Sanchez reportedly can't do further damage to the injury, but it could come down to a game-time decision between Sanchez and veteran Mark Brunell. Neither is a viable fantasy option for week 16 and threaten to take their receivers down with them. If you needed more reason to sit Sanchez, Santonio Holmes is battling with a turf toe injury.

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers (concussion) has been cleared to play and took full practice for the 2nd straight day Thursday. HC Mike McCarthy said he has "zero concerns about Aaron Rodgers" in regards to his health. Expect Rodgers back under center in a must win game against the Giants Sunday. Start Rodgers and Greg Jennings as you normally would, with a slight concern that a top Giants pass rush could be on Rodgers early and often.

Lions QB Shaun Hill (right finger) took limited reps again Thursday. Drew Stanton (left shoulder) took the first reps with the 1st team with Shaun Hill rotating in second. Shaun Hill seems to be the favorite to start this week, but we likely wont know until game-time. Neither should be considered a fantasy option against a good Dolphins defense and less than 100%.

Browns QB Colt McCoy (illness) returned to full practice Thursday. McCoy was out with the flu, but is fully expected to start this weekend.

49ers QB Troy Smith has been named the week 16 starter, but it should be noted that Mike Singletary has hinted that he could use both quarterbacks. In general, avoid the 49ers passing game in week 16. The lone bright spot may be Vernon Davis offering some TE upside.

Vikings QB Brett Favre (concussion, neck, right shoulder) did not practice Thursday. Favre has not yet passed his concussion tests, and the Vikings are preparing as if Joe Webb will be their starter on Sunday. However, never rule out Brett Favre. Even when officially ruled out, Brett has shown he can still play.

Titans QB Kerry Collins (right finger) returned to full practice Thursday. Collins is expected to start this week, but after a nice matchup play last week against the Texans, should be left on fantasy benches against the Chiefs.

Cardinals QB Derek Anderson (head) missed practice again Thursday despite being medically cleared. John Skelton is expected to continue starting - good news for Larry Fitzgerald who caught a season high 90% of his targets last week.

Broncos QB Kyle Orton (ribs) was limited at practice Thursday. Tim Tebow will finish out the season for the Broncos.

Patriots QB Tom Brady (right shoulder, foot) returned to limited practice Thursday.

Texans QB Matt Schaub (right elbow) took full practice reps Thursday.

Browns RB Peyton Hillis (knee) returned to limited practice Thursday. Hillis has carried the ball 252 times and added 48 receptions through 14 games. His previous season high was 68 carries from the Broncos in 2008. He is showing some signs of wearing down, but is still the focal point of the Browns offense. The upside is that he will get the bulk of the carries and also be involved heavily in the passing game. The downside is that the Ravens are focused on shutting him down. A solid fantasy day is entirely possible, but don't expect a repeat of week 3's 180 total yards and a TD against these same Ravens. For what it's worth, Hillis said he feels great and was just getting some rest.

Cowboys RB Felix Jones (shin) returned to limited practice Thursday. HC Jason Garrett said he simply wanted to keep Jones fresh on a short week. Marion Barber (calf) took full practice reps Friday and it looks as if he will return to the lineup this week. Tashard Choice has rushed well in Barber's absence and appears likely to retain his job as the #2 back in what looks to be a three-back committee. Jones or Choice could have a nice game in a great matchup, but the situation is crowded which adds considerable risk to a Christmas Day matchup.

Texans RB Arian Foster (hip) practiced fully again Thursday. HC Gary Kubiak indicated that Foster is fine and practiced well. Foster remains a top option in a great matchup with the Broncos.

Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew (knee) missed practice again Thursday. MJD played through an injury last week but was not productive, gaining only 46 rushing yards in a great matchup with the Colts. HC Jack Del Rio hopes MJD has not regressed and can play this week. Expect more of Rashad Jennings either way in a nice matchup with the Redskins. We'll have a status on Drew Friday.

Vikings RB Adrian Peterson (knee) returned to limited practice Thursday. Peterson himself said earlier this week that he expects to play on Sunday. HC Leslie Frazier was less optimistic saying of Peterson, "Very, very sore, lots of pain and makes it difficult to turn, twist and do the things Adrian Peterson does." Peterson will likely be a game-time decision again this week. After what Peterson put his owners through last week, it may simply be too risky to wait on AP for a Sunday Night start against the Eagles. Expect Toby Gerhart to see an increased role even if Peterson is active.

Lions RB Maurice Morris (chest) returned to limited practice Thursday. Morris will likely be the lead back again this week, but don't expect much against a tough Dolphins run defense. Jahvid Best (toe) also took limited reps.

Colts RB Joseph Addai (neck) took full practice for the second straight day Thursday. Addai says he has "a great chance" to play on Sunday. While Addai could play, his role remains to be seen and Addai shouldn't be played. Donald Brown's value will take a big hit if Addai is active. Mike Hart (ankle) took limited reps again Thursday. Don't expect Hart back in the lineup this week.

Broncos RB Knowshon Moreno (ribs) returned to limited practice Thursday. Moreno is still sore, but returning to practice is a great sign. We'll look to see what he can do Friday. The matchup is good if Moreno can suit up, but it may be hard for owners to trust Moreno to be full go after what we saw last week. The Broncos have nothing to play for.

Saints RB Chris Ivory (hamstring) took limited reps Thursday. Ivory said he still felt "a little grab" during practice Thursday and said he "can't really open up" like he would like too. It's obvious he's not 100%, but says he is around 90%. Ivory wont be a good play this week but could take away some touches from Pierre Thomas if he suits up.

49ers RB Anthony Dixon (ankle) returned to take limited practice reps Thursday. Dixon was seen walking with a limp but expects to be able to play through it. He shouldn't be a fantasy option. Brian Westbrook may see an increased workload against the Rams.

Bengals RB Bernard Scott (toe) returned to limited practice Thursday. Brian Leonard (ankle) remains out.

Cardinals RB LaRod Stephens-Howling (hamstring) did not practice Thursday. Howling is in danger of missing Sunday.

Rams RB Kenneth Darby (chest) was limited at practice Thursday.

Texans WR Andre Johnson (ankle) missed practice again Thursday. Johnson is dealing with the same ankle injury that has nagged him all season. HC Gary Kubiak indicated Johnson will be a game-time decision, but also indicated his concern is about the same as it has been in previous weeks. Johnson continues to play and play well. It should be noted he faces Champ Bailey in week 16.

Jets WR Santonio Holmes (toe) returned to limited practice Thursday. Holmes is dealing with a turf toe injury, never a good sign for a WR. Of further concern is that QB Mark Sanchez (shoulder) may be limited in what passes he can throw Sunday. This is a situation to avoid.

Lions WR Calvin Johnson (ankle) returned to limited practice Thursday. Calvin is a must-start but does face a tough matchup with the Dolphins and CB Vontae Davis.

Patriots WR Deion Branch (knee) missed practice again Thursday. Branch has had some great games this season but they have come when he was healthy. When he was dealing with the hamstring and now the knee, Branch hasn't delivered. We recommend looking elsewhere for fantasy production, even if Branch returns to practice and plays this week.

Chargers WR Malcom Floyd (hamstring) missed practice Thursday after being unable to go last week. The Chargers are optimistic Floyd will be available this week, while they are targeting a week 17 return for Patrick Crayton (wrist). Floyd appears too risky to play this week, while Vincent Jackson should again see a lot of looks.

Giants WR Mario Manningham (heel) returned to full practice Thursday. Manningham had a huge bounce-back game last week, catching 8 balls for 113 yards and a pair of TDs on 12 targets. This week the Giants face a tough Packers pass defense.

Jaguars WR Mike Sims-Walker (ankle) missed practice again Thursday. Walker has been battling an ankle injury for several weeks, although he managed to catch a pair of short TDs last week. MSW would generally be a solid play against the Redskins but is hard to trust at less than 100%. We'll have a status on Walker Friday. He could be a game-time decision.

Bengals WR Chad Ochocinco (ankle) missed practice again Thursday. Ochocinco is in considerable pain and it sounds like he will be limited Sunday even if he goes. With Terrell Owens on IR, the Bengals will likely go to a run heavy attack against a solid Chargers defense. Look for Jerome Simpson, Andre Caldwell and Jordan Shipley to see expanded roles, but all are fringe fantasy options.

Cowboys WR Roy Williams (groin) took limited reps again Thursday. Williams could return to the lineup this week against the Cardinals but has caught more than 2 passes only once in his last 9 games. For what it's worth, Roy said, "I'm feeling pretty good."

Falcons WR Roddy White (knee) missed practice again Thursday. The Falcons are simply resting their stud. Expect him to be full go against the Saints this weekend.

Eagles WR DeSean Jackson (foot) took limited reps Thursday after being full go Wednesday. Jackson is expected to be fine for Sunday Night.

Ravens WR Derrick Mason (ankle) took limited reps Wednesday. Look for Mason to return to full practice later in the week.

Saints WR Robert Meachem (toe) took limited reps Thursday. Meachem is a streaky fantasy performer and shouldn't be trusted with a recurrence of the toe injury.

Bears WR Earl Bennett (ankle) missed practice Thursday. Bennett isn't a fantasy option at less than 100%.