October 2015 4for4 Player News Articles

A significant sub-plot when the Jaguars return to practice Monday is receiver Marqise Lee.

When will he be available to play next Sunday against the New York Jets? Will he have a role?

To the first question, who knows. The Jaguars didn’t practice during their bye week and weren’t required to provide any information on Lee’s troublesome hamstring, which has kept him out of the lineup since the Week 3 loss at New England.

To the second question, general manager Dave Caldwell said there is absolutely room for Lee in a Jaguars offense that has two receivers (Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns) on pace for 1,000-yard years.

“Marqise, obviously, has a different dimension that we’re missing right now,” Caldwell said last week. “He has the ability to change the way defenses play us because he can stretch the field, he has dynamic speed and he can take a five-yard slant and take it 80 yards. He’ll be in there in terms of a rotation with [Robinson and Hurns] in some of our three-wide sets.”

The Jaguars have two more games before rookie slot receiver Rashad Greene is eligible to return from short-term injured reserve (thumb surgery).

The Jags are getting healthier at WR which should be good news for QB Blake Bortles. It sounds like if Lee can return and stay healthy, he'd play more on three-WR sets, but it's possible he cuts in on targets for Hurns and Robinson, too.

The Cowboys won’t have running back Joseph Randle on Sunday against the Seahawks, and it’s hard to know exactly when he’ll be back.

Clarence E. Hill, Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram explains that Randle remains absent from the team. He left the team abruptly on Wednesday, claiming to be worried about the safety of his girlfriend.

Meanwhile, the NFL continues to review Randle for potential discipline under the Personal Conduct Policy, arising from an offseason allegation of domestic violence.

“The NFL is reviewing at this time, as a matter of fact today, reviewing his issue he had last spring in Wichita that cleared the legal and cleared the law enforcement of Wichita, but still the NFL’s conduct policy has other aspects to it and so they’ve been reviewing that,” owner Jerry Jones said Friday on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, via Hill. “That could have some consequences.”

Randle’s absence gives Darren McFadden more opportunities to cement his position at the top of the depth chart, the story said, at least for the short term. McFadden rushed for 152 yards last Sunday in a loss to the Giants.

The Jets have activated running back Stevan Ridley from their Physically Unable to Perform list and have waived/injured wide receiver Chris Owusu.

Ridley, who has been rehabbing from a season-ending knee injury in New England's sixth game of last season, was eligible to come off of PUP last week against his former team but head coach Todd Bowles decided to go with Chris Ivory, Zac Stacy and fullback Tommy Bohanon in the backfield.

Bowles was asked after today's practice about Ridley's possible activation. "He's full speed," the coach said. "If we decide to do something with him, we'll be real comfortable."

Ivory is a bit banged up and Bilal Powell is out this week so the Jets may need Ridley's services. He'll be behind Ivory and Stacy.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS at CAROLINA PANTHERS
Colts

OUT
WR Phillip Dorsett (ankle), C Khaled Holmes (neck), LB Nate Irving (knee)

DOUBTFUL
S Winston Guy (shoulder)

PROBABLE
S Mike Adams (hamstring), S Clayton Geathers (knee)

Panthers (Carolina did not conduct a practice on Saturday. The Saturday practice report is an estimation.)

OUT
DE Mario Addison (shoulder), DT Dwan Edwards (ankle)

DOUBTFUL
C Ryan Kalil (ankle), LB Shaq Thompson (knee)

PROBABLE
LB Thomas Davis (not injury related), RB Mike Tolbert (not injury related), T Daryl Williams (knee)

Dorsett is out with the ankle injury as we knew after last week's game. Outside of that, there's not a lot of offensive fantasy impact players on the report.

Dez Bryant won't officially be active for the Dallas Cowboys until game time Sunday, but the optimism flowing from Valley Ranch is overwhelming.

Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones told KRLD-FM on Friday that the team "feels really good" about Bryant's availability against the Seattle Seahawks, but added that the team will monitor the receiver's snap count in his first action since Week 1.

"To say that he's full blast might be a stretch," Jones said, via the Dallas Morning News. "... I do think he's well enough that he can go in there and help us this weekend, and feel like he will do (that), barring any setbacks between now and the start of the game."

Earlier in the day Bryant was asked about whether the Cowboys could keep him on a 'pitch count' or 'snap count' if he dresses, "we'll just have to see about that," the wideout replied. Bryant is officially listed as questionable for Sunday's contest. "If I go out there, I'm not going out there to paint. I'm going out there to play football," he added later. Bryant doesn't sound to keen on being shuffled in and out of the lineup. However, Jason Garrett won't just toss his Pro Bowl receiver back into the deep end against the Legion of Boom, the story added. His likely use should at least come in the red zone which makes him a worthy start as a flex or WR3 option. But it is a tough matchup.

With the emergence of a rejuvenated Chris Johnson, Andre Ellington has been relegated to a minor role in the Arizona Cardinals' offense.

Things could begin to change Sunday versus the Cleveland Browns.
Every game, all season

Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said Friday there will be more in the gameplan for Ellington this week, per Darren Urban of the team's official website.

Ellington played 18 snaps in Monday night's win, but compiled just five rushes for 21 yards and three receptions. Since Week 5 -- when he returned from a knee injury suffered Week 1 -- Ellington has garnered just nine total carries in three games.

"I think BA (head coach Bruce Arians) has stuff for him and he didn't get to it, but I'm sure he'll get to it this week," offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin said of Ellington. "As you saw (Monday night), there was a series where I think he pretty much was in there the whole series because he (Arians) wanted to get him going.

"He's got fresh legs, obviously."

With Johnson's resurgence, the Cardinals could ease Ellington back into the rotation and keep him as a chance-of-pace back, which best suits his skill set, the story said. He could also be more involved in the passing game. The thought all along was that David Johnson's involvement would be the one to suffer from the return of Ellington.

Miami Dolphins rookie receiver DeVante Parker's surgically repaired left foot didn't suffer a set back in Thursday night's 36-7 loss to the New England Patriots.

Even though Parker left the game with what was diagnoses as a foot injury a more thorough evaluation of the foot he had surgically repaired for the second time this summer showed no significant damage was done.

"He’s fine," interim Dolphins coach Dan Campbell said on Friday when asked the the receiver Miami selected with the 14th overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft. "It doesn’t look like there’s anything that’s wrong there.”

It took Parker months to regain confidence in his surgically repaired left foot, which had a screw replaced in June. The rehab stalled the former Louisville standout's progress as an NFL rookie. He's sparingly contributed this season, catching four passes for 49 yards because of his initial setback.

Parker continues to make progress in Miami's offense, but he's firmly entrenched behind Jarvis Landry, Rishard Matthews and Kenny Stills on Miami's depth chart. The only chance he has of moving up the depth chart and earning playing time is to impress Miami's coaches during practice, the story said. Reports have always said he was very impressive in the offseason before the injury.

Vikings OC Norv Turner explains why Kyle Rudolph's targets are down:

"We’ve got a rookie [T.J. Clemmings] playing right tackle and every week it seems like we’re playing the best pass-rusher in the league," Turner said. "We’ve got another really good one this week. We can’t leave our linemen hanging and leave them out there by themselves. When you’re playing three wide receivers as much as we are, the tight end isn’t as big of a part on a lot of the routes. Right now, his contribution a lot of the time is making sure we’re solid there at the right tackle and then continuing on into his route. If you have to hit a guy or help or bang a guy, some of your routes get compromised, but we’re having success getting the ball to the other guys and that’s what we’re trying to accomplish."

Rudolph has 30 targets on 335 snaps for a target rate of 9.0%. As a comparison, Delanie Walker has been targeted on 17.4% of his snaps. At this point, Rudolph is too touchdown dependent to be used as an every-week starter.

Patriots Inactives

OT Marcus Cannon
DL Jabaal Sheard
WR Keshawn Martin
S Dewey McDonald
OG S. Mason
DE T. Flowers
S T. Wilson

Dolphins Inactives

TE Jake Stoneburner
OL Jeff Linkenbach
WR Matt Hazel
OL Sam Brenner
CB Brice McCain
DT AJ Francis
LB Chris McCain

Dion Lewis is active as expected. He should see a near-normal amount of touches, though he was underutilized in his last game against the Colts.

At a time the Cowboys are growing increasingly concerned about Joseph Randle, the Dallas running back is facing discipline for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy, according to multiple league sources.

Randle met with NFL investigators this summer and within the past week, the NFL determined he violated the league's personal conduct policy, which now will carry consequences. In a best-case scenario, Randle only will be fined. But more likely he will be suspended, quite possibly for multiple games, for a February incident in Wichita, Kansas, where Randle was arrested for unlawful possession of marijuana after police received a call for a domestic violence with a weapon after an incident with Randle and the mother of his son.

According to the police report, the mother of Randle's son said Randle broke a car window in an argument and threatened her with a gun with their son nearby. In April the charges were dropped, but while legally clear Randle faced sanctions from the NFL.

Randle has apparently been demoted and now faces a possible suspension from the league. If he's out, Christine Michael will only be a Darren McFadden injury away from starter's touches behind a good offensive line. For now, McFadden should be a solid RB2 as long as he stays healthy.

Receiver John Brown has played through hamstring injuries the last two weeks and missed Wednesday’s practice. There are indications the Cardinals are leaning toward holding him out this week.

“We’re trying to get him well instead of aggravating him,” HC Bruce Arians said.

If Brown sits, it's a boost for Michael Floyd and Jaron Brown, who would both see an increase in playing time and targets. The Cardinals play early on Sunday.

Miami Dolphins

QUESTIONABLE
CB Brice McCain (knee)

PROBABLE
CB Zackary Bowman (shoulder), CB Brent Grimes (knee, ribs), LB Chris McCain (not injury related), QB Matt Moore (nose), LB Spencer Paysinger (groin), DT Jordan Phillips (ankle), C Mike Pouncey (hip)

New England Patriots

OUT
T Marcus Cannon (toe), LB Rufus Johnson (illness), DE Jabaal Sheard (ankle)

QUESTIONABLE
RB Brandon Bolden (hamstring), RB Dion Lewis (abdomen), WR Keshawn Martin (hamstring), G Shaquille Mason (knee)

PROBABLE
DE Trey Flowers (knee, shoulder), LB Dont'a Hightower (ribs), G Josh Kline (shoulder)

Dion Lewis sat out last week but is tentatively expected to play this week. If he's out, James White and LeGarrette Blount would get a bump, but neither did much last week as the Patriots went pass-heavy.

Antonio Gates is keeping himself in the dark.

He is unsure the exact nature of his knee injury. And he likes it that way.

The Chargers tight end said Monday that he's foregone MRI testing on his left MCL sprain, which he suffered two Sundays ago in Green Bay. He prefers an old-school approach, listening to his body to determine when he can return to the field. As the chance that his MCL could sideline him multiple weeks seems to grow, he may have an MRI as early as this week if the knee doesn't progress as hoped, he said.

"I'm playing it by ear," Gates said. "I'll see how it feels on Wednesday, Thursday. If I still can't go, then I'm going to try to look at it to see what the root of the problem is, what really is going on. Right now, it's a feel thing. I know my body. (The athletic trainers) trust me to make the right choice."

It's an odd approach. Typically teams insist on having all the information when making a decision about a player's availability. We'll keep an eye on Gates's status this week, but for now we're assuming he's out for Week 8. With Gates sidelined, Ladarius Green is a bona fide TE1. He has averaged 10.0 FP (standard) in four games in which he's played and Gates has not.

Buccaneers WR Vincent Jackson, who injured his knee last Sunday, is not expected to play this week, source says.

With Jackson out, Mike Evans is going to see heavier usage while Jameis Winston loses a major weapon. Rookie Donteea Dye caught one pass, a seven-yard TD, filling in for Jackson (and Louis Murphy, who is done for the season). The Buccaneers are going to have to make a couple of moves at the position. They have three rookie receivers on the practice squad: Adam Humphries, Rannell Hall and Evan Spencer. They also reportedly signed Andre Davis, though he's not listed on the team's official website. Jackson's absence creates a great opportunity for TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins if he can get healthy enough to play.

Louis Murphy will finish the season on injured reserve for the second straight year, but this time around it's a more disappointing ending to his campaign.

Last year, Murphy missed only the last two games, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers out of playoff contention, and was quickly re-signed to a new contract in the subsequent offseason. This time, Murphy will miss 10 games and an opportunity to help the 2-4 Buccaneers get back into the postseason hunt. The team officially placed Murphy on injured reserve on Tuesday after he suffered a significant knee injury in Sunday's game at Washington.

Donteea Dye and Russell Shepard are next up on the depth chart for the Bucs.

Despite never being listed on the team’s injury report, there was rampant speculation on the local sports radio circuit that Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan must be injured.

On his weekly appearance on 680 The Fan, Ryan dismissed those concerns.

“I am healthy,” Ryan said.

He tracked all of his problems to execution of the new offense. He cited a tipped pass on one of his interceptions against the Titans and he wished he never made the throw on the screen pass in the 10-7 win over Tennessee.

Ryan also discussed his incompleted pass to Julio Jones on fourth down, which ended with them having an animated conversation on the sideline.

The normally accurate Ryan has thrown two interceptions in three games this season, and has completed less than 60 percent of his passes in two of the past three games after a stretch of 14 consecutive games where he completed 60 percent or better.

San Diego needs to get back to balance on offense. And it starts by handing the ball off to Melvin Gordon, Branden Oliver and Danny Woodhead early in the game.

"I still feel like it will take more work,” Oliver said about his expanded role Sunday. “We’ve just got to keep sticking together and keep going.”

Oliver played a season-high 33 snaps against the Raiders, finishing with 35 rushing yards while averaging 3.9 yards per carry. It was the first game Oliver got into any kind of rhythm since leading the Chargers with 582 rushing yards last season. Oliver looked good at times last year and is also capable of being involved in the passing game. With Melvin Gordon struggling and Danny Woodhead more of a change of pace back, the Bolts are looking for someone to step up and run the ball on early downs.

The first pick of the Ryan Pace era in Chicago likely won't see the field until the 2016 season.

In August, rookie wide receiver Kevin White underwent surgery to repair a stress fracture in his shin. The Bears placed White, the seventh overall pick in the draft, on the PUP list hoping he would be able to return late in the season. Now seven weeks into the season, White doesn't seem to be close to making his NFL debut.

While at a Bears community event Tuesday, White told reporters that he's "a long way off" from returning to the field.

The door isn't closed on this season, but all signs realistically point to 2016 for White's first game. It would be interesting to see what the Bears offense could do with a healthy White added to Alshon Jeffery, Jay Cutler and Matt Forte.

The New Orleans Saints have tried in the six weeks since C.J. Spiller returned from a preseason knee surgery to get their first-year running back more involved in the offense.

They did more of of that Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts, when Spiller finished with a season high 10 touches from scrimmage. Most of his six catches for 32 yards and four carries for 16 helped set a stage for Mark Ingram's big game.

"Like I told them Saturday night, they hadn't played a backfield like us yet," Spiller said Tuesday during an NFL Play60 event at J.C. Ellis Elementary in Metairie. "We wanted to go out there and showcase what we were able to do and fortunately we were able to do that."

The Saints' 36 carries for 183 yards were both season highs, as Khiry Robinson rushed for two touchdowns and Ingram for one, and the Saints beat the Colts 27-21. Spiller has been frustrating to fantasy owners who were counting on him being more involved in the passing game. He could finally be trending that way and may be worth an add in PPR leagues if you're hurting at the position.

The Jaguars haven’t had much luck with injuries this season, but appear to have caught a break Sunday.

Tight end Julius Thomas exited on the game-winning drive and wasn’t in the locker room when it was open to the media following the 34-31 win over Buffalo at London’s Wembley Stadium.

The Jaguars announced Tuesday that Thomas suffered a minor groin injury.

Thomas has the bye week to heal up before the Jaguars (2-5) travel to face the New York Jets (4-2) next Sunday. It sounds like he'll be OK for this Week 9 contest but we likely won't know a lot more until next week at this time.

The Houston Texans are done hearing excuses from Ryan Mallett. He's no longer on the team.

Mallett was released by the team Tuesday, NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported, according to a source informed of the Texans' plans. John McClain of the Houston Chronicle first reported the news.

That wraps up a tumultuous few days in Houston that included Mallett missing his team's charter flight for the game. Mallett subsequently blamed some Houston traffic -- which the Chronicle says was non-existent -- for his absence. Mallett also was late for a practice during training camp when he said his alarm clock broke.

The Mallett era will not be looked back upon fondly. The Texans acquired the former New England Patriots for practically nothing in a trade last season. He started two games for the team last season before tearing his pectoral muscle. Mallett was beat out by Brian Hoyer for the starting job this season, but took over for Hoyer late in the team's ugly Week 1 loss to Kansas City. Tom Savage is next up on the depth chart.

Jerry Jones said Sunday night that Dez Bryant has a "really good chance" of making his return this week against the Seattle Seahawks.

Bryant, who did rehabilitation work during last week's practices at Valley Ranch, was on the field working out before Sunday's game at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett said Monday that Bryant also had a "good workout" Monday.

"He had good results," Jones said Tuesday morning on 105.3 The Fan's Shan and RJ show [KRLD-FM]. "He had a good weekend of working out. He worked out real hard Sunday before the game. He didn't have any lingering effects yesterday. So that means we feel good about what he gets done today.

"We'll work him in and see how it goes this week and see if we can get him on the field."

The team has indicated Bryant will need to practice before playing in a game, but it seems like he's on track to do just that this week as he suffers no setbacks in his workouts.

Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin didn’t say it directly Tuesday, but all signs point to the Steelers using this week to prepare quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to play Sunday vs. the Bengals.

Roethlisberger has missed four games with a knee injury. He practiced on a limited basis last week and was listed as questionable last week before the Steelers made him a gameday inactive, and Tomlin told reporters Tuesday that he has “no reservations or limitations” about Roethlisberger’s return coming this week.

“We’re comfortable with where he is as far as his availability,” Tomlin said.

Tomlin said Michael Vick (hamstring) has a chance to be healthy enough to play this week. The new unofficial Steelers’ depth chart listed Landry Jones, who made his first career start last week with Vick out, as the No. 2 quarterback and Vick as the No. 3.

While making his weekly local radio appearance Tuesday morning, Roethlisberger said he’d “like to play” Sunday but said he understands that Tomlin ultimately will make the call. Last week, Roethlisberger said he was feeling better and “can deal with the pain.” The Steelers may be more inclined to go Ben after a loss to the Chiefs last week.

Orthopedic surgeons said the stress fracture 49ers running back Carlos Hyde has dealt with the last 2 1/2 games likely is one of two varieties common to football players.

It’s either a small break on the outside of the foot – often referred to as a Jones fracture – or to one of the small bones in the midfoot. Both can heal on their own in someone as young and healthy as Hyde, 24, but usually only if the patient avoids stress on the foot for an extended period.

The 49ers have not divulged the nature of the injury, but Hyde told CBS sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson before Thursday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks that it was a stress fracture, then said, “Something like that,” when asked to confirm the diagnosis after the game.

The story quoted an orthopedic surgeon who said a mid-foot fracture typically will heal on its own in young, healthy patients, especially if it is not displaced – Hyde’s fracture almost certainly is not displaced – and if the patient rests the foot. But the story added that rest apparently is not the plan with Hyde, who continued to play against the Giants and started the next two games. During the week, the 49ers mostly keep him off the foot by putting him on an exercise bike while the rest of the team practices. The orthopedists said even the smallest fractures can worsen if the stress continues and at some point surgery becomes necessary. Until then, it’s a question of pain tolerance. It's key information for fantasy owners to know as Hyde is not 100-percent and without rest he may not be the rest of this season.

The Cowboys will have a new starting running back this weekend.

The announcement came from owner Jerry Jones — who else? — during an appearance on 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday morning. Jones said that Darren McFadden will get his first start since signing with the team as a free agent during the offseason.

Two factors likely played a role in the move. The first is that Joseph Randle suffered an oblique injury against the Giants that could keep him out of the lineup against the Seahawks this weekend. The second is the way that McFadden performed against the Giants, often looking unstoppable. If Randle is indeed out, Christine Michael would likely see a bump in snaps behind McFadden.

Despite some optimism, Giants WR Victor Cruz is still not practicing. He meets with the doctors again on Thursday, hoping to hear some positive news on his calf.

There seems to be signs of optimism in this all-around unpleasant situation.

"There is no timetable set for me just yet," Cruz said during the premiere for his documentary on Monday night. "I meet with the doctors again this Thursday and take it from there.

"I feel better and I know that I'm progressing because the previous MRI showed the area of discomfort has gotten a lot smaller. Hopefully that trend continues and I'll be out there sooner or later."

First Cruz has to get cleared and make it through a practice. That didn't go so well last time around, when he lasted three plays and aggravated the calf injury on Sept. 30.

The Colts could use all hands on deck as they try to pull out of their season-long nosedive, but they won’t have the services of their 2015 first-round pick for a month or more.

Reports that wide receiver Phillip Dorsett suffered a fracture in his lower leg during Sunday’s loss to the Saints were confirmed on Monday. Dorsett will have surgery on Tuesday and said that it was a clean break that avoided any nerve or ligament damage, which leaves him to lament the timing of the injury.

“I was literally just starting to get in the flow and get in the game plan more,” Dorsett said, via the Indianapolis Star. “I was getting more involved and we had a lot more four-wide [sets] in. I was playing a little running back. Things happen. It’s football. But I don’t expect a drop-off when I get back.”

The timeline for his return is set at 4-6 weeks, which would get him back before the end of the regular season if all goes according to plan - late November or early December. Whether there will be much to play for at that point will come down to his teammates’ ability to find a high enough level of play to remain in front of the rest of an AFC South that may be won by a team with a losing record.

All signs point to quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's return to the Pittsburgh Steelers' lineup for an AFC North home game Sunday against unbeaten Cincinnati.

''In the end, we decided to go with the guys that had the practice reps,'' Tomlin said after Sunday's game. ''That was the appropriate thing to do. No second-guessing there, we'll move forward with Ben as we prepare for this week.''

Tomlin said he felt good about Roethlisberger's availability against Cincinnati, but cautioned that the Steelers' franchise quarterback still has to go through a week of practice.

Nothing has been made official, but Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said the two-time Super Bowl winner, who missed four games with a sprained knee and bruised leg, was `'close'' to starting the team's game at Kansas City.

Cardinals Inactives
Matt Barkley QB
Darren Fells TE
D.J. Humphries OT
Alex Okafor OLB
Shaquille Riddick LB
Earl Watford OT
Xavier Williams DT

John Brown will play tonight in a good matchup against a struggling Ravens secondary that's 31st in terms of giving up fantasy points to WRs.

Dallas Cowboys running back Joseph Randle left Sunday's Week 7, 27-20 loss to the New York Giants in the first quarter, and NFL Inside Randy Getlin has confirmed on Monday that Randle is dealing with an oblique injury.

This injury is similar to the one that caused Randle to miss time during the Cowboys' preseason and training camp.

In Randle's place, running back Darren McFadden had a breakout game against the Giants. He finished Week 7 with 29 carries for 152 yards and a touchdown. It was his first opportunity to operate as the team's lead back.

There has been no word on how much if any game time Randle might miss.

Chris Ivory was on and off the field early in the game against the New England Patriots on Sunday as it appeared he was dealing with a hamstring injury that hindered him in weeks prior. He didn't have his best game, rushing 17 times for 41 yards, and it's now clear why.

According to Todd Bowles, Ivory is dealing with "tightness in his quad." That would explain why he was on the training bike between drives, and it also is an indication as to why Ivory struggled throughout the game.

It's unclear if the injury will sideline Ivory at all, but it's unlikely since he was able to play through it on Sunday. If he does miss time, it won't be good for the Jets, who lost the only game Ivory missed this season. However, if he plays, he could be limited so it's something for owners to monitor.

Against the Bucs, for the third straight week, Alfred Morris could not get going running the football.

On Sunday he carried six times for five yards. That’s 0.8 yards per carry. That comes on the heels of rushing eight times for 11 yards against the Falcons (1.8 per carry) and 11 for 21 yards (1.9) against the Jets.

All offseason long, Jay Gruden talked about Morris remaining the “lead dog” at running back despite the addition of rookie Matt Jones and the emergence of Chris Thompson at the position.

If you go by number of carries, Morris remains the lead dog. He has 91 rushing attempts, more than Jones (63) and Thompson (19) combined. But the NFL is a “what have you done for me lately” league and Gruden can’t overlook Morris’ low production in the past few weeks.

“We've got to get Alfred going, no question about it,” he said. “He didn't get many good looks again yesterday and in the last three weeks it's been rough outings for him as far as the touches that he gets haven't been pretty.”

This continues to be a theme this season. Morris had a real nice Week 1 but since then he's lost work to Jones and Thompson. It’s hard to separate where Morris problems end and those of the entire running game begin. The Redskins have averaged 45 yards per game on the ground over the last three games so nobody has been very productive. So Gruden will continue to try to get carries for both Morris and Jones.

The Detroit Lions' ugly start to the season has inspired major changes to the coaching staff.

The team fired offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi on Monday, the team announced. The Lions also fired offensive line coaches Jeremiah Washburn and Terry Heffernan. Coach Jim Caldwell confirmed that Jim Bob Cooter will take over as offensive coordinator.

The grandson of Vince Lombardi, Joe arrived in Detroit without experience as an NFL coordinator. He spent seven seasons with the New Orleans, including five years as Drew Brees' quarterback coach. Lombardi's place in Detroit always felt like an awkward fit. He struggled to adapt a Saints-like offense in Detroit based on timing and precision. Matthew Stafford has never mastered the finer points of the position like Brees, and he regressed in an offense built around short passing.

The last straw for Lombardi came on Sunday when the Lions lost to the Minnesota Vikings to drop their record 1-6. Stafford and the team's offensive line has struggled to recognize where pressure is coming from all season.

Caldwell, who has an offensive background, has been under fire for not delivering on his promise to improve Stafford. Caldwell, who is a proven offensive coach from his days in Indianapolis and Baltimore, figures to take on a larger role constructing the offense. If he's going to get heat, he may as well do it with his style of offense, the story said. Caldwell was instrumental in Peyton Manning's career and getting the Colts to the Super Bowl in the 2009 season as their head coach. He was hired late in the 2013 season in Baltimore, turning the Ravens' offense around and helping Joe Flacco win a Super Bowl. With Lombardi as his offensive coordinator, he was unable to replicate that success in Detroit.

Whatever thought the Kansas City Chiefs gave to playing wide receiver Jeremy Maclin in Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers -- and there was thought since Maclin passed the NFL’s concussion protocol and returned to practice on Friday -- disappeared the morning of the game.

Coach Andy Reid and trainer Rick Burkholder are familiar with Maclin from their days together with the Philadelphia Eagles. That familiarity told them Maclin “wasn’t right,’’ in Reid’s words.

“Rick had kind of sensed it too,’’ Reid said. “We’ve been around him long enough. He’s new here, but we’ve known him for awhile. He just was off. Between the two of them, they kind of worked that out with the docs. Then I had a chance to talk to him and he wasn’t right.’’

Reid didn’t go into detail about how the Chiefs sensed Maclin shouldn’t play. But he indicated Maclin didn’t readily volunteer the information. We'll continue to monitor him for Week 8.

Aaron Rodgers might finally be able to throw deep again, as the Green Bay Packers' quarterback likely will have receiver Davante Adams back for Sunday's game against the Denver Broncos.

Coach Mike McCarthy said Monday that he expects Adams to play in the matchup of 6-0 teams. Adams missed the last three games because of a recurring sprained ankle that dates to Week 2 and includes the bye week.

When asked if Adams would play Sunday, McCarthy said, "I would think so."

That could be a significant addition to the Packers' offense, which has struggled to make plays down the field. Rodgers ranks just 18th in passing yards in part because the offense lacks a deep threat. Rodgers has completed just three passes that traveled more than 30 yards in the air this season, according to ESPN Stats & Information, the story said. Adams may put a dent in James Jones' production and would certainly seem to bump back Ty Montgomery and Jeff Janis.

The Buffalo Bills have lost three of their last four games, dropping them to 3-4 on the season. They're now last in the division after looking strong to start the year, and much of that is due to the bevy of injuries they've had to overcome.

One key injury, along with LeSean McCoy and Sammy Watkins, the Bills have had to endure is one to Tyrod Taylor. He's missed the past two games due to a sprained MCL and the offense has suffered greatly in his absence.

Fortunately, he's expected to be back for the team's next game. Rex Ryan said this after the game Sunday.

"I'm confident Tyrod Taylor will be back after the Week 8 bye," Ryan said. "We’ll see where he’s at after we come back from the bye."

E.J. Manuel had a rough outing against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London on Sunday, tossing two interceptions and losing a fumble on three consecutive possessions -- two of which went for defensive touchdowns.

Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford took a beating against the Minnesota Vikings, absorbing 13 hits and seven sacks. He'll inevitably be sore, but at least nothing is broken.

Stafford required X-rays on his non-throwing hand after the game, but they came back negative.

"In regard to Matthew, I'm sure some of you will ask about his hand," coach Jim Caldwell said to open his Monday press conference. "His hand was X-rayed and it was negative."

Eagles HC Chip Kelly told reporters today that he wasn’t considering replacing Sam Bradford with backup Mark Sanchez.

“I think our quarterback’s playing well,” Kelly said, via Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com.

Bradford was 26-of-45 for 205 yards and an interception, for a passer rating of 58.7. And with a pair of chances to tie the game last night, he failed to make anything of a pair of drives, either misfiring, taking sacks or watching receivers drop passes.

This would be the week to do it as the Birds have a Week 8 bye before taking on Dallas in Week 9. Much of the problem Sunday night was dropped passes, and his only interception was also the result of a dropped pass.

Eagles HC Chip Kelly said Monday that RB Ryan Mathews hurt his groin on a 22-yard run in the first half of the game. The injury wasn’t enough to sit him down for the rest of the night, but Kelly said that the team monitored his snaps closely the rest of the way as a result.

It answers the question, somewhat, as to why Mathews wasn't in the game as much despite again outproducing DeMarco Murray. Kelly, on a morning sports talk interview with 94 WIP, said RB coach Duce Staley was responsible for the RB rotations when asked why Mathews didn't play much after his long TD run. The Birds have a Week 8 bye before taking on the Cowboys in Week 9.

There was some hope Dez Bryant would return in Week 7, but he never practiced in the days leading up to the game. Bryant said he “felt real good” working out before his teammates faced the Giants and that he’s hopeful that he can take the next step when the Cowboys face the Seahawks next weekend.

“I don’t honestly think that it has to be all the way 100 percent for me to get back on the field,” Bryant said, via the Dallas Morning News. “That’s my choice, we’re going to see about it. If I can go, I’m going to go.”

The Cowboys resume their practice schedule on Wednesday and Bryant will likely have to be a participant in some or all of this week’s workouts before he gets the green light. Bryant was often seen running on the sideline during the game, including his spat with Greg Hardy.

Sources close to the situation said Eagles WR Jordan Matthews suffered a hand ligament injury three weeks ago that supposedly has resolved.

Fans who said on social media that they met Matthews at a recent appearance said his hand was swollen and he did not shake hands. Asked about a hand injury after the Carolina loss, Matthews hesitated, then denied an injury.

Matthews has been dropping passes every game and that continued against Carolina on Sunday night. He's the Eagles top receiving threat but has really struggled during his sophomore season. Right now, this is all speculation of course. Matthews had a key drop as far back as Week 1 against the Falcons.

Rhythm at running back has been an issue for me all season. Terrance West remains the back who’s had the most carries in a game, with 13 on opening day in Tampa Bay.

Only twice in the entire game did Antonio Andrews stay on the field after a carry, as he was typically replaced by Dexter McCluster.

A 15-yard gain? To the bench. A seven-yard conversion? To the bench. A 10-yard gain? Yield to McCluster.

Andrews was excellent as a single back, lined up eight yards deep. That’s how six of his runs started, and those produced 53 yards. His four carries with a tight end or fullback in front of him produced four yards.

It was a very good showing by Andrews.

The Titans had West on the inactive list, but Andrews could soon face a challenge from rookie David Cobb, another strong back. Cobb is eligible to return to play on Nov. 8 in New Orleans after spending time on injured reserve. Cobb very well may be the type of runner the Titans give the ball more to, and is worth an add if you're struggling at the position, but right now the Titans seem happy with a rotation.

The Baltimore Ravens said they won't trade wide receiver Steve L Smith, even though it's in the best interest of the team and the the five-time Pro Bowl player to do so if Smith does intend to retire at the end of the season.

A trade would give the one-win Ravens an additional draft pick that's needed to help rebuild the team, and Smith would play his final season for a Super Bowl contender.

So, why won't Baltimore deal Smith? Perhaps the Ravens believe Smith is wavering about this being his final season, and the next 10 weeks gives them a chance to persuade him to come back.

Last week, Smith told Baltimore reporters as well as Arizona reporters on a conference call that he remains "on schedule" for what he announced earlier this year. The fact that he doesn't even say the word "retirement" makes it sound like he's not as definitive as he was two months ago. If Smith wants to end speculation that he is contemplating delaying retirement for a season, all he has to say is he's definitely retiring at the end the year and nothing will change his mind. But he hasn't, and the Ravens have to be pleased that he hasn't, the story said.

The issue of who should get more carries has become larger and larger as the season has gone on.

Through seven games Ryan Mathews has 342 yards on 56 carries. He has carried the ball over 10 times just once all season, in the team's Week 3 win over the New York Jets, a game Murray did not play in.

DeMarco Murray, on the other hand, has carried the ball 88 times this season, and over 10 times in each of the past three games. Despite getting the ball more, Murray has just 307 yards, 35 less than Mathews.

It is clear that through seven games Mathews has been the better running back, something that is backed up by both the stats and anyone who has watched the games. Mathews seems faster, more decisive with his cuts and more elusive, a key trait playing behind an Eagles' offensive line that has struggled this season. The Eagles play Dallas after their bye this week and chances are he is going to want the ball against the Cowboys to prove them wrong for letting him walk as a free agent. If Mathews continues to outplay Murray, however, it is going to be hard to justify keeping him on the bench in favor of Murray like the team did on Sunday night.

Johnny Manziel could start next week because Josh McCown left the loss to the Rams with 5:17 left with a right shoulder injury. McCown took a serious beating from the Rams' defensive front throughout the game. He was sacked four times and pressured on 44 percent of his dropbacks, according to ESPN Stats and Information.

Four plays before McCown hurt his shoulder, he was hit in the chest, and a helmet came up and hit him in the jaw. He was down on the turf for a few minutes, his head down, but was not checked for a concussion during the game.

The Browns checked McCown for a concussion after the game, and he passed the tests.

Manziel also has an interview scheduled as part of the NFL's investigation into a domestic incident with his girlfriend in his car from Oct. 12 in Avon, Ohio.

Falcons WR Leonard Hankerson injured his hamstring at the beginning of the second quarter and was ruled out for the rest of the game.

If Hankerson needs to miss time, Roddy White would be in line for more snaps and targets.

The Bucs dressed only four receivers and finished the game with two, with Louis Murphy and Vincent Jackson leaving the game with knee injuries.

Murphy was on crutches after the game and could be facing an extended absence, while Jackson said he would be okay after the game.

Russell Shepard is next up on the depth chart. If Murphy does in fact need to miss time, the team will have to make a move to add receiver depth.

The Texans' already-terrible day at the office ended on an even lower note.

Arian Foster suffered a torn Achilles and will miss the remainder of the season, NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported, per a source informed of his injury.

Foster was carted off the field with a non-contact leg injury late in the fourth quarter of Houston's 44-26 embarrassing loss to Miami.

Immediately after the game, Texans coach Bill O'Brien said of the injury, "It obviously didn't look good."

Foster left the game with 18 carries for 59 yards on the ground, five catches for 66 yards through the air and two touchdowns.

This marks another setback for Foster, who has rarely been fully healthy throughout his career and missed three games earlier this season with a groin injury.

Alfred Blue and Chris Polk will take over most of the running duties. It's a big loss for fantasy owners as Foster was just starting to make his mark.

Another game against the Minnesota Vikings, another trip to the X-ray room for Matthew Stafford.

The Detroit Lions quarterback injured his left hand in Sunday's 28-19 loss against Minnesota, and was forced to finish the game with a glove. He underwent X-rays a few minutes after the game.

Although he didn't have the results, he's optimistic he's OK heading into next week's game against the Kansas City Chiefs in London.

"I think it's fine," Stafford said. "We'll see."

Stafford also underwent X-rays on his ribs after the first game against Minnesota, a 26-16 loss back in Week 2. He took eight hits in that game, was sacked once and took two more blows while trying to get out of bounds.

Stafford says he's fine and he played through it but owners should pay attention to this situation leading up to Week 8.

Jets running back Chris Ivory, who had been so dominant in the past two games, made much less of an impact in Sunday's 30-23 loss at the Patriots.

Part of the reason for that: Ivory battled left hamstring tightness throughout Sunday's first half. For a stretch of drives, the Jets rotated Ivory and Zac Stacy, their only other active running back, every other series.

Ivory finished with 17 carries for 41 yards (2.4 per carry), with a long of 7 yards. He did have a 9-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter that put the Jets up 17-16. But Sunday was nothing like the previous two games, when Ivory ran for 146 and 166 yards, the third-most and most of his six-year career.

Ivory said he felt fine before Sunday's game. He had no issues in pregame warmups. But then, Ivory was stopped for a loss of 4 yards on the game's first play. And his hamstring began to bother him, the story said. Bilal Powell was inactive. Ivory played through it, but this is something owners need to pay attention to.

Indianapolis Colts rookie wide receiver Phillip Dorsett fractured his ankle Sunday and is expected to miss four to six weeks, sources told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

Dorsett injured the ankle during the first half of the Colts' 27-21 loss to the New Orleans Saints. Tests on Monday should indicate the timeline of Dorsett's recovery.

He has tallied 10 catches for 159 yards and a touchdown this season. The Colts selected Dorsett with the 29th overall pick in the first round of this year's draft.

Cowboys starting running back Joseph Randle left Sunday's game against the New York Giants with a back strain.

After being labeled as probable to return, Randle was seen biking on the Dallas sideline in the first half trying to get loose. He was then downgraded to doubtful.

He wasn't on the sideline in the third quarter.

Randle had two carries for 24 yards on the first drive and then none after.

Darren McFadden had a big day filling in for Randle as the Giants could do little to stop him. We'll monitor Randle's injury this week as well as his status for Week 8.

Giants Inactives
Prince Amukamara CB
Victor Cruz WR
Bobby Hart G
Brandon McGee DB
Damontre Moore DE
Louis Nix DT
Uani' Unga LB

Odell Beckham (hamstring) was questionable but most outlets thought he was going to play. He's active today and safe for lineups.

Chargers Inactives
Tyreek Burwell T
Antonio Gates TE
Craig Mager CB
Manti Te'o ILB
Chris Watt C
Eric Weddle FS
Tourek Williams OLB

Ladarius Green becomes a nice start with Gates inactive. WRs Stevie Johnson and Keenan Allen as well as RB Melvin Gordon are all active.

Adrian Peterson has been downgraded to questionable with an illness for Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions.

The Vikings' running back had been listed as probable to play with a finger injury. Peterson was limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday, but was full go on Friday and appeared fine to play.

The Vikings official Twitter feed showed the team boarding a plane leaving for Detroit hours before announcing Peterson was downgraded, so the author presumed he made the trip and will receive treatment overnight. The story added there is no word on the severity of the illness. The Vikings play at Detroit in an early afternoon game so owners will be able to make an adjustment. Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata will likely combined in some way to take over the workload if Peterson doesn't play.

RAVENS AT CARDINALS

Ravens
OUT
Terrence Brooks (S thumb); Breshad Perriman (WR knee); Maxx Williams (TE knee).

QUESTIONABLE
Kendrick Lewis (S knee); Asa Jackson (CB thigh); Ladarius Webb (CB thigh).

PROBABLE
Elivs Dumervil (LB not injury related); Daryl Smith (LB not injury related); Darren Waller (WR concussion); Marshal Yanda (G ankle).

Cardinals
OUT
TE Darren Fells (shoulder), LB Alex Okafor (calf)

QUESTIONABLE
WR John Brown (hamstring)

PROBABLE
CB Justin Bethel (foot), WR Larry Fitzgerald (not injury related), WR Brittan Golden (groin), DT Cory Redding (shoulder), DT Frostee Rucker (foot), LB LaMarr Woodley (chest)

John Brown is questionable but a lot of reports indicate that he's going to play in Week 7. It's a great matchup against the Ravens who are giving up fantasy points against the pass. Also for the Cards, Larry Fitzgerald is probable and should be a good play. For the Ravens, TE Maxx Williams and WR Breshad Perriman are out for Week 7.

The New England Patriots' receiver corps is getting some firepower back ahead of their division matchup with the New York Jets.

NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reports that the Patriots are activating Brandon LaFell off the PUP list on Saturday, per a source informed of the team's plans.

LaFell has missed the start of the season with a foot injury.

"The only thing I've been doing for the last couple months is just rehabbing and lifting weights. I'm tired of lifting weights. I'm tired of rehabbing," LaFell said Friday, per the Providence Journal. "I'm ready to get back to playing football."

The 28-year-old receiver caught 74 passes for 953 yards with seven touchdowns in his first season with New England in 2014. He will provide Tom Brady with a downfield target to add to the spread aerial attack of Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola. LaFell is worth an add if he's still on your wire. He had a nice connection with Brady last year and the hope is that continues again this season. He's a bit risky for this week since he could be on a snap count or the team decides to limit him in some way.

It's officially official: Dez Bryant is out for the Dallas Cowboys' matchup with the New York Giants.

The receiver was downgraded from doubtful to out on Saturday.

Bryant didn't travel with the Cowboys on Friday. He was listed as doubtful on the injury report with the minutest of minute chances that he might join the team Saturday. That did not happen.

The Cowboys had hoped to get the Pro Bowl receiver back after their bye, but Bryant will miss his fifth straight game after suffering a broken foot that required surgery in Week 1. Matt Cassel will be throwing to Terrance Williams, Cole Beasley and Jason Witten, among others, Sunday afternoon. Bryant will now focus his attention on coming back Week 8.

The long-anticipated Browns debut of Robert Turbin came Sunday against the Broncos. He performed admirably, carrying the ball 10 times for 27 yards against a tough Denver defense.

So, now what?

Turbin had 10 carries, Duke Johnson Jr. had nine and Isaiah Crowell led the way with 11. That’s good for an average of 10 apiece.

Is that what Browns fans should expect Sunday against the Rams and moving forward into the second half of the season? Not exactly.

“People look at that (competition) as a problem, but we see it as a good problem to have,” Browns coach Mike Pettine said. “I don’t think we’re going to go into a game and say, ‘Hey, we want to get X number of touches to each of these guys.’ Some of that will be a function of what the defense is giving us, how they want to play us, and then at the same time, Flip (offensive coordinator John DeFilippo) will have it coordinated where certain plays will be for certain backs, and he’ll have those personnel groupings tagged accordingly.”

The story said some of the Browns’ best rushing performances last season came when three different players received five or more carries. That wasn’t much of an option this year until Turbin returned, as Shaun Draughn, who was released this week, was primarily used on special teams. This is likely a fantasy situation to avoid, perhaps other than Duke Johnson in PPR leagues, who should continue to be a big threat in the passing game.

Usually, road teams adjust their injury reports after the team flight takes off, with players who didn’t make the road trip being downgraded from “questionable” or “doubtful” to “out.” But in the case of Dez Bryant, the Cowboys are still saying there’s a chance he could play tomorrow against the Giants, even though he wasn’t on the team flight to New Jersey.

A Cowboys spokesman told the Dallas Morning News that Bryant could still fly to New Jersey on his own and hasn’t been downgraded from “doubtful” to “out.”

Owners probably shouldn't hold their breath for Dez to play in Week 7. And at this point, even if he makes the flight on his own, it's hard to imagine he'll be at full strength. Week 8 now becomes the goal.

The Dallas Cowboys have been playing games with the running back rotation all year, and the addition of Christine Michael hasn’t cleared up the muddy waters.

Last week, reports surfaced that suggested Michael would emerge as a prominent figure following the bye, but recent chatter coming out of Dallas indicates he might not see as much action as many figured.

“The Cowboys have said he will be in the mix more. But all he needs to do to be involved ‘more’ is get two carries in a game,” ESPN's Todd Archer said. He also says Joseph Randle would remain the lead back.

Perhaps even more damning are comments from Michael himself.

“I’m just as clueless as you are,” the running back told reporters Thursday, via the Dallas Morning News. “Those guys did say I’m going to get a little bit more carries, but we’ll see on Sunday.”

Fantasy football owners expecting a big game from Michael probably should 'tap the breaks' according to the story. It looks like he may be somewhat involved this week but indications still point to Randle as the team's lead back, making Randle the best fantasy option among Michael and Darren McFadden.

Bene Benwikere said he and Colin Jones have been practicing at nickel this week, and he doesn’t expect Josh Norman to line up inside against the Eagles.

“We’re not trying to overthink it and do too much because Josh is normally outside,” Benwikere said.

Norman said he’s confident in his ability to play inside. But he also has faith in Benwikere, who is coming off his best game of the season last week with two pass breakups in the win at Seattle.

Norman called Benwikere a “scatty guy” with quick hips and excellent ball skills.

“When you can have a guy like that playing against Jordan Matthews in the slot, that’s awesome,” Norman said.

This was one of our concerns about Matthews this week, that Panthers would go against history and use Norman to shadow Matthews all over the field. But the Panthers' cornerbacks confirmed that won't be the case, so Matthews is looking far more appealing heading into Week 7.

Jets running back Chris Ivory has never shouldered this kind of workload, and has no idea if he can for a whole season. But he’s happy to try. He would have done it last year, and he will try to do it now for as long as his body will allow.

Ivory has carried 83 times for 460 yards and four touchdowns in just four games, far outstripping any pace he ever has set. Durability was always a concern when he played in New Orleans, and he never has averaged more than 13.2 carries per game (a number he averaged in 2011, when he played just six games) or totaled more than 198 in a season (a number he hit last year, when he admittedly wore down).

“The offense goes through Chris Ivory,” Brandon Marshall said.

Ivory is on pace for 311 carries, raising the question of whether his body will hold up into November and December. Ivory is fourth in the NFL in rushing yards and yards per carry (5.5).

It's understandable that fans are frustrated with Jags WR Marquis Lee's hamstring injury, but so are the Jaguars and Lee. The second-year player from USC has played in less than two games and only participated in five full practices this season, and he is pretty close to finding himself placed on injured reserve.

The Jaguars didn't take Lee to London this week, and their plan is for him to continue receiving treatment throughout the bye week so he will be able to return to the field for the Nov. 8 game at the New York Jets. However, a source has told me that he is one setback -- whether it's a tweak or tightness of the hamstring or some other injury -- from landing on IR, which is why the Jaguars are being so cautious.

The Jaguars don't know why Lee is having so many issues with soft-tissue injuries. One theory is that he's a lot like former Jaguars receiver Cecil Shorts from the standpoint that they work so hard during the season and offseason that they don't give their body the proper time to rest and reset, and the continuous strain results in one soft-tissue injury after the other. At this point, Lee would have a tough time passing Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns for fantasy relevance.

For what it’s worth, rookie Stefon Diggs was running with the first-team offense in the three-receiver set during the open part of practice this morning. But we should also note that the media only gets to see the first few minutes of practice. Probably because we’d report things like this.

Near the end of the open part of practice, Diggs was lined up with Mike Wallace and Jarius Wright. They ran routes near the goal line with quarterback Teddy Bridgewater at quarterback.

For those keeping track, Diggs ran with the starters on Wednesday, ran behind Charles Johnson on Thursday and was back with the starters on Friday. Whether or not he plays starter's snaps in Week 7, only OC Norv Turner knows. We feel comfortable ranking Diggs as a WR4 with upside, but owners counting on him this week should be aware of his floor. It's hard to believe that the Vikings would send him back to the bench after his quality play in the last two games, but stranger things have happened.

After what transpired last week against the Titans, it’s hard not to think that it was former coach Joe Philbin holding back the Dolphins offense.

Miami had a field day on the ground, rushing 32 times for 180 yards and two touchdowns in a 38-10 win against Tennessee. Lamar Miller finally got the number of carries he wanted, running 19 times for 113 yards and a touchdown.

Interim coach Dan Campbell — who sure sounds honest when he speaks — said he wasn’t making the calls.

“I let (Bill Lazor) run what he wants to run,” Campbell said. “I let (defensive coordinator) Lou (Anarumo) do what he wants to do. Every once in a while I may have an idea and I’ll give them my idea or my opinion on something, but I let them handle it. The last thing they need is me looking over their shoulder. But certainly if I have something to say, I’ll say it to them.”

Lazor has stressed the need for a balanced offense since he arrived in Miami last season. He was quarterbacks coach in Philadelphia in 2013 when the Eagles had one of the league’s most potent offenses and a balanced attack that featured running back LeSean McCoy.

Before that, Lazor was offensive coordinator at the University of Virginia — a school that was among the ACC’s worst running teams when he arrived and became one of the best at running the ball.

This all bodes well for Lamar Miller, who was the #9 RB in both formats in 2014 despite only averaging 15.9 touches per game. Miller had 21 touches for 118 yards and a touchdown against the Titans last week. And it wasn't game flow that allowed Miller to see that many touches -- he had 16 "looks" (carries plus targets) before halftime.

Patriots beat writer Jeff Howe:

I don’t know for certain if Brandon LaFell is playing Sunday, but every sign points toward him being ready. I don’t know how much he’ll contribute, though. After all, he practiced this week for the first time since the Super Bowl, so from a conditioning standpoint alone, he’ll be on a seriously limited snap count. And remember last season when LaFell only caught four of his first 14 targets through three weeks. Obviously, he has a lot more experience in the system, but the slow start should be a concern for those reasons.

As Howe mentions, LaFell is likely to be very limited even if he does play, so owners shouldn't expect much this week. However, no one has really grabbed the WR2 role and LaFell played very well last season. He finished as the #22 WR in both standard and PPR formats, but didn’t catch a single pass in the first two games. He began to see starter-type snaps in Week 4, and was the #15 receiver in standard formats (#14 in PPR) over the final 13 games of the season. In fact, counting the postseason, LaFell racked up 87-1072-9 in his last 16 games. That would have been good enough for a #13 finish in both formats.

On the physically unable to perform list, Bears WR Kevin White (stress fracture/surgery) is expected to accompany the team on road trips after the bye. White’s rehab is on schedule, and there’s a chance he will be medically cleared by the end of Week 11.

At that point the Bears must decide whether to activate White for the final five games, or wait until next year. Regardless of how the rest of 2015 plays out, the Bears still view White as a major part of their future.

Fantasy owners sitting on White in redraft leagues are likely to be disappointed, though it's possible that he comes back and helps during the fantasy playoffs. He's not going to be in good football shape and is likely to suffer through the typical rookie growing pains.

Vikings beat writer Ben Goessling:

The Vikings have completed 13 passes to rookie receiver Stefon Diggs, who’s posted 216 yards in his first two games of NFL action, but with Charles Johnson looking likely to return this week from a rib injury, Diggs might not see the same number of opportunities on Sunday in Detroit he’s enjoyed the past two weeks. Offensive coordinator Norv Turner said Thursday “we’re comfortable with all six of our receivers,” and told reporters to slow down on praising the rookie. Johnson appeared to be working ahead of Diggs in the Vikings’ three-receiver set during practice this week. Considering the Vikings haven’t put four receivers on the field at the same time this season, Diggs’ targets might not be as frequent Sunday.

This somewhat conflicts with an earlier report that Diggs was getting first team reps, but if he's rotating in behind Johnson then both reports could be technically true. Owners using Diggs this week should be aware that he may see a reduction in playing time, however illogical it may be.

The Cowboys switched to Matt Cassel at quarterback in part because of his experience. His experience with Wes Welker in 2008 with the New England Patriots could lead to more looks for Cole Beasley. Welker caught at least six passes in 13 of Cassel’s 15 starts and he had four 100-yard games. With the struggles the Cowboys' outside receivers have had in shaking free from coverage, Beasley should be a frequent target for Cassel, who will want to get the ball down the field but who will also be aware of how difficult Beasley is to cover one-on-one underneath. Beasley has at least four catches in every game this season but just two of 20 or more yards.

We project Beasley for five catches for 47 yards and 0.20 TD. He's a decent WR4 option, especially in PPR formats.

49ers Inactives

Blake Bell TE
Jarryd Hayne RB
Corey Lemonier OLB
Mike Purcell NT
Ian Silberman OG
Brandon Thomas G
DeAndrew White WR

Boldin has a hamstring injury and was a game-time decision. He is averaging 3.4-35-0.20 in his last five meetings with the Seahawks (since 2013, including the postseason). Hyde is calling his injury a stress fracture, per Tracy Wolfson, but is going to play though it tonight.