October 2016 4for4 Player News Articles

Vikings Inactives
Sharrif Floyd DT
Zac Kerin OG
Jerick McKinnon RB
Mycole Pruitt TE
Andrew Sendejo SS
Marcus Sherels CB
Jarius Wright WR

Related players: Cordarrelle Patterson

Patterson was dealing with a concussion but was expected to play in a nice matchup against the Bears. He's coming off a 7-67-1 line against the Eagles and has TDs in back to back games entering this week.

Bears Inactives
Daniel Brown TE
Bryce Callahan CB
Eddie Goldman NT
Delondre Hall CB
Kyle Long OG
Eddie Royal WR
Josh Sitton OG

Related players: Jeremy Langford, Cameron Meredith

Langford makes his return to a crowded backfield which now has Jordan Howard and KaDeem Carey. It's a tough matchup for any of the three, and Langford may not get a bulk of the work.

Falcons coach Dan Quinn said Julio Jones got his knee examined but is fine and good to go vs. Bucs Thursday night.

It's a short week for the Falcons so this is good news. Jones was banged up early in the game and didn't get a lot of targets in the second half. So, he is coming off an unimpressive 3-29-0 line against the Packers in what ended up being a shootout.

Falcons coach Dan Quinn said rookie TE Austin Hooper will get the first team snap.

Related players: Jacob Tamme

Tamme has a shoulder injury and the Falcons are on a short week. Hooper played a role in the passing game making five catches for 41 yards.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Jacquizz Rodgers suffered a foot sprain late in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 30-24 overtime loss to the Oakland Raiders, according to a source.

Rodgers underwent an MRI, which revealed no fractures, the source said. He was wearing a walking boot on his left foot Monday.

Related players: Antone Smith, Peyton Barber, Mike James

The Bucs are on a short week so the timing is bad for Rodgers and his owners. Antone Smith and Peyton Barber could see more work on Thursday night and the team also brought back Mike James today.

The New Orleans Saints will turn to a committee approach this week at running back after starter Mark Ingram was benched for a costly fumble in Sunday's 25-20 victory over the Seattle Seahawks.

A source told ESPN's Britt McHenry that backup Tim Hightower has earned more carries for this upcoming Sunday's game at the San Francisco 49ers after he ran for 102 yards on 26 carries in Ingram's place. But the source also said Ingram will bounce back and that the Saints will use a committee approach no matter which running back is the starter.

Those who follow the team felt as far back as the offseason that Hightower is the team's best runner despite Ingram being the lead back. It's the first time in Ingram's career he's lost two fumbles in the same season, the story pointed out.

Ladarius Green put on pads on Monday for the first time in nearly 10 months, considering the Steelers practiced in shorts and helmets during their bye week.

Green confirmed he was a full participant on Monday, but said that the hitting took some adjusting. Green's status for Sunday against the Ravens is not confirmed and will likely depend on his practice progress this week.

Browns HC Hue Jackson said rookie wide receiver Corey Coleman has been cleared to ramp up his participation in practice.

Coleman has missed the past six games after suffering a broken right hand in practice Sept. 21. He returned to practice last week on a limited basis but didn't attempt to catch passes while wearing a splint on the injured hand.

Josh McCown got another spin as the starting quarterback for the Browns in Week Eight after recovering from a broken collarbone at the same time that the Browns were without Cody Kessler due to a concussion.

McCown’s return to the lineup may have been a short one, however. Browns coach Hue Jackson said Monday that Kessler has been cleared to return to action after passing through the concussion protocol, which makes him an option to start against the Cowboys and Jackson said that decision will come after seeing the players in practice this week.

Jackson said he thinks it's too early to talk about Kessler jumping right back into the starting QB spot. Sounds like Jackson wants to see him practice first.

The symptoms that kept Ty Montgomery out of the Green Bay Packers' loss at Atlanta on Sunday are related to sickle cell trait -- a condition the receiver said he was diagnosed with previously.

However, he said last week was the first time he experienced any issues.

Sources told ESPN on Sunday that Montgomery had blood in his urine and the Packers kept him out for precautionary reasons.

Montgomery said he and his doctors believe this was related to sickle cell trait, not a hit he sustained during a game, and don't think it's career-threatening. In fact, Montgomery hasn't ruled out playing Sunday against the Colts at Lambeau Field. John Brown and Tevin Coleman have recently been diagnosed as well. Montgomery said in the article he's not concerned about it.

The Buccaneers lost another running back to injury in Sunday’s overtime loss to the Raiders, which has led them back to a player who opened the year on the roster before being waived with an injury.

Running back Mike James made the Buccaneers’ initial 53-man roster before being waived/injured before the season opener and eventually released with an injury settlement. He spent time with the Lions practice squad earlier this month, but recently became eligible to return to the Buccaneers and, per multiple reports, that’s exactly what he will do.

Related players: Antone Smith, Peyton Barber

Rodgers suffered a sprained foot and joins Doug Martin and Charles Sims as injured members of the Tampa backfield. Sims is on injured reserve, but Martin can return at any point if his hamstring is healthy. With the Bucs on a short practice week before the Falcons this Thursday, the wait for Martin may have to wait at least another week.

An MRI on DeMarco Murray’s injured toe didn’t show anything overly concerning, Titans coach Mike Mularkey said Monday, but the star running back could be limited this week in practice.

“DeMarco, we’re just going to monitor him,” Mularkey said. When asked if the test results were favorable, he said “for the most part, yeah,” but he expects to have a greater understanding of Murray’s health when the team practices Wednesday.

“I’m not going to rush him back,” Mularkey said.

Related players: Derrick Henry

Murray injured the toe on a run toward the end of the first half of a victory against the Jaguars on Thursday night at Nissan Stadium, and walked into the locker room early. He returned for the Titans’ first drive of the second half and played into the fourth quarter, finishing with his fourth 100-yard rushing performance in the last six games. Rookie Derrick Henry rushed for a career high 60 yards on 16 carries and scored his first touchdown against the Jaguars, splitting carries with Murray throughout the game.

Denver Broncos running back Devontae Booker has a shoulder injury that will bear watching this week as the Broncos (6-2) prepare for an AFC West showdown with the 6-2 Oakland Raiders.

Get the latest NFL injury news
NFLWho's out? Who's good to go? Who's questionable? We've got all the latest injury news from around the NFL. Injury Wire
Booker left Sunday’s win over the San Diego Chargers for a series after he landed hard on his left shoulder lunging for a Trevor Siemian pass in the first quarter. As the ball fell incomplete, Booker hit the ground and Chargers cornerback Brandon Flowers landed on top of him on a third-and-7 that ended the Broncos’ first possession of the game.

Related players: Kapri Bibbs, Andy Janovich, Juwan Thompson

Booker was out of the lineup on the Broncos’ next possession and then re-entered the game the next time they got the ball -- and played the rest of the way. However, he got treatment following the game and had some additional exams Monday morning. It is possible Booker, who was the Broncos' fourth-round pick in this past April's draft, could be limited some in practice this week.

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger took some first-team reps during Monday's practice, a positive sign as the team prepares for the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

Roethlisberger, who underwent surgery to repair a torn left meniscus on Oct. 17, moved well in the pocket and threw with authority while running the no-huddle offense, right tackle Marcus Gilbert said.

"Ben looked really good," Gilbert said. "Ben is a competitor. Never count him out. We're optimistic where he stands right now. As far as him being healthy, 100 percent, that's where I want him to be. Seeing that is very encouraging."

Related players: Landry Jones

The Steelers (4-3) will prepare Landry Jones for his second consecutive start in case Roethlisberger can't play, but we've reported for a couple of weeks now that Big Ben may have played up the timetable so he can make an early return. There are reports the team expected him back for Week 9 and based on this article, that's still certainly a possibility.

The Green Bay Packers have released RB Knile Davis. The transaction was announced Monday by Executive Vice President, General Manager and Director of Football Operations Ted Thompson.

Related players: Don Jackson, James Starks, Aaron Ripkowski

So much for Davis taking on a big role in the Packers running game. With Eddie Lacy and James Starks out of commission right now and Ty Montgomery injured last week, Don Jackson and Aaron Ripkowski are the only backs left at the moment. The Pack could make another move for a back before the deadline. Ripkowski had six carries last week and Jackson four, and the two combined for just 44 yards. As for Davis, it's possible he lands back in KC with more issues for Jamaal Charles and Spencer Ware suffering a concussion.

Seahawks running back Thomas Rawls likely won't get back in the lineup for Seattle's Week 9 matchup with the Buffalo Bills next Monday night.

Last week Seattle head coach Pete Carroll said he hoped the second-year player could return for the first time since suffering a hairline fracture in his fibula in a Week 2 loss at Los Angeles. But in his weekly appearance on 710 ESPN Seattle, Carroll tempered expectations when asked if he believed Rawls could play against Buffalo in prime time.

"No, I don't," Carroll said a day after Seattle's 25-20 road loss to the New Orleans Saints. "I think he'll be running full-go during the course of this week, is what we're hoping."

According to Carroll, Rawls wasn't able to run as much as they would have hoped last week and still needs time to get back into football shape after last playing on Sept. 18.

Eagles TE Zach Ertz’s nightmare 2016 continued Sunday night, when the fourth-year tight end had just 19 receiving yards, his third straight game below 25 yards.

“My number is just not being called right now,” Ertz said. “I’ll never second-guess the coaches. I’ll never second-guess Carson (Wentz). That’s just the way the games have gone.

“Obviously, you want to be involved each and every play. But that’s not really the case right now.”

Ertz, who had 702 yards in 2014 and 853 last year, has just 150 in five games this year and is on pace for a career-low 420. In Ertz’s defense, he’s just not being targeted nearly as much as in the past. In 2014 and 2015, Nick Foles, Mark Sanchez and Sam Bradford targeted Ertz an average of 6.5 times per game. This year, that number is down to 4.0 per game.

Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith didn’t return to Sunday’s victory over the Colts after being taken to be evaluated for a concussion in the third quarter of the game.

It was the second time that Smith was evaluated for a concussion during the game with the first coming in the first quarter and ending with Smith cleared to return to the game. On Monday, however, Chiefs trainer Rick Burkholder said that his failure to return a second time wasn’t because Smith has been diagnosed with a concussion.

Burkholder said, via Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star, that Smith is asymptomatic and that he passed tests on both the sideline and the locker room after the blow to the head at the end of the run in the second half. Burkholder said that the protocol for evaluating Smith worked as it should and that the “only mistake” was him telling a team spokesman that Smith was out with a concussion.

Related players: Nick Foles

As the story pointed out, assuming no symptoms develop, that should eliminate concern about Smith’s ability to play against the Jaguars in Week 9.

Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh created a stir in the fantasy football world last week when he spoke about his expectations for rookie running back Kenneth Dixon.

"I would love to see Kenneth Dixon on the field more," Harbaugh said.

How much of an increased workload can one project for Dixon? Expectations should be tempered.

Under Harbaugh, the Ravens have rarely relied on a rookie running back. Ray Rice averaged 10.7 touches per game in his first NFL season in 2008. Buck Allen never received more than 10 touches in a game as a rookie last season before Justin Forsett suffered a season-ending injury. No other rookie running backs got more than 115 touches for Baltimore. That's why it would go against the Ravens' track record to put the running game on the shoulders of Dixon. But it's reasonable to project more than a handful of touches for him, which has been the case in his first three games.

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady took a season-high nine hits in Sunday's 41-25 victory over the Buffalo Bills, and acknowledged that he wasn't necessarily feeling "fresh as lettuce" upon waking up Monday morning.

"They were playing a lot of guys in pass coverage, which allowed me to hold on to the ball longer than normal," Brady explained on sports radio WEEI's "Kirk and Callahan Show."

"When you do that, you're just trying to find guys to get open. I don't really throw it away early, I would say. I just kind of wait until the last minute, and I would say they got a few good licks on me. That's football, and it's part of the season. It's good to take those hits and deal with the bumps and bruises because I think your body kind of calluses up to those hits. But, yeah, it's definitely a little more sore than it's been."

Of the nine hits Brady absorbed, five were sacks. It doesn't sound like Brady's status is in doubt, but obviously the team would like him a little less exposed.

Titans general manager Jon Robinson released a statement regarding Andre Johnson's retirement:

"Going back to his days at the University of Miami, Andre was one of the most impressive wide receivers I've scouted. He had a professional approach to the game both on and off the field and in my opinion is one of the best to have played the great game. I enjoyed getting to know and work with him in his time with our team. He certainly contributed to this team -- making the game-winning catch at Detroit and his daily interaction with the young wide receivers. We wish him nothing but the best moving forward in whatever endeavors he chooses."

Johnson, who entered the NFL out of the University of Miami as the No. 3 overall pick in the 2003 draft, spent the first 12 years of his career with the Houston Texans before playing with the Indianapolis Colts last season and the Titans this year. In 14 seasons, he racked up 1,062 catches for 14,185 yards and 70 touchdowns. Those figures rank ninth, 10th, and 33rd in NFL history. From a fantasy perspective, this news solidifies the snaps for Rishard Matthews (who played 87% of the snaps in Week 8), Tajae Sharpe (55%) and Kendall Wright (39%). The Titans are using multiple-TE sets extensively, but it certainly helped that they had the lead for the whole game against the Jaguars. Moving forward, Matthews seems to be the receiver to own in Tennessee, with Wright continuing to be highly productive in a limited role.

Michael Thomas played 61 of 76 snaps (80 percent) in Sunday's 25-20 win over the Seahawks. It was just the second time this season Thomas led the wide receivers in snaps, also doing so in Week 4 in San Diego, and his 63 yards were a team high, marking the second straight week he led the team in receiving yards.

Related players: Brandin Cooks, Willie Snead

Snead played 74 percent and Cooks 50 percent. It was Thomas who led team in receiving yards as well, catching six passes for 63 yards against the Seahawks.

The Buccaneers are going into a short week, and they’re going in short on running backs.

Already without Doug Martin and Charles Sims (who is on IR), the Bucs lost Jacquizz Rodgers in the second half of yesterday’s loss to the Raiders, and coach Dirk Koetter did not sound optimistic.

“I don’t think it’s probably good,” Koetter said, via Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times. “But I don’t know for sure. It’s something to do with his ankle.”

Related players: Antone Smith, Peyton Barber

Rodgers had topped 100 yards in his previous two games, and had 69 yards on 19 carries yesterday before leaving. He was replaced by veteran Antone Smith, and the Bucs don’t have many other options, with a game against the Falcons looming on Thursday. Undrafted rookie Peyton Barber’s the only other running back on the roster at the moment.

Via Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has already declared that Prescott would start next week against the Browns, after Romo returned to practice on a limited basis last week.

“Tony’s not ready to play,” Jones said. “That’s subject to Jason Garrett making the decision, but as far as the health issue is concerned of Tony, there’s not need of pushing it that fast. That’s more about Tony, and his health than it is any of the other issues we want to have here. . . .

“Tony’s making a lot of progress. We’re excited about that. My opinion is Dak will start against Cleveland.”

Prescott wasn't great early on Sunday night but led the team from down 10 points to an overtime victory. A lot of reports before this one indicated Romo had a real shot to make a return in Week 9.

If you're looking for efficiency, it doesn't get much better than Chris Hogan and Tom Brady.

Since his Week 5 return, Brady has targeted Hogan 12 times. The duo has connected for 11 completions at an average of 24.5 yards per catch.

That's an incredibly high success rate, especially when you consider the nature of most of Hogan's routes. As evidenced by the gaudy yards-per-catch figure, many of these completions have come on downfield throws. These are generally low-percentage plays.

Hogan now has receptions of 63, 53, 43, 39, and 37 yards as a member of the Patriots. In four seasons with the Bills, he had only three receptions of 35+ yards.
Hogan is on pace for 782 receiving yards, which would best his current career-high by over 300 yards. After Week 8, Hogan and Rob Gronkowski are two of only three NFL players averaging 20 yards per catch or better. Pittsburgh's Sammie Coates is the other.

If the Chiefs have to go with Nick Foles against the Jaguars or any time later in the season, there’s nothing for them to fear. Not only was the transition to Foles seamless, but he outplayed Smith, who was 9-of-19 for 127 yards and one touchdown.

"I don’t think anybody blinked an eye," said wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, who played with Foles for a time with the Eagles. "He is a guy that everyone knows likes to throw the ball down the field."

The Chiefs cut nothing from their game plan when Foles entered the game. They didn’t have to. Foles joined the Chiefs during training camp but had a head start on learning the offense because of his one season playing for Reid with the Eagles as a rookie in 2012.

WR DeSean Jackson left the Redskins' game in London to be evaluated for a concussion. The team said he did not suffer a concussion.

Jackson was questionable to return with a "head contusion" the article said and never did make a return.

WR Will Fuller left the Texans' game against the Lions in the second half with a leg injury.

Fuller got off to a hot start this season, but a hamstring injury suffered in Week 5 derailed some of his momentum and he hasn't seemed to get back on track.

Cowboys Inactives
QB Tony Romo
RB Lance Dunbar
S Kavon Frazier
RB Darius Jackson
LB Mark Nzeocha
DE Ryan Davis
OT Chaz Green
Related players: Dez Bryant

There's always a chance Bryant is on a pitch count. He was limited at practice and hasn't played since Week 3, but it's a good enough matchup against the Eagles for him to be in lineups and he's expected to play a normal role.

Atlanta Falcons TE Jacob Tamme landed hard on his shoulder in the first quarter, and walked gingerly off the field holding his right arm. The Falcons' medical staff took Tamme directly to the locker room, and the team ruled him out for the game.

Related players: Austin Hooper

There aren't a lot of well-known names on the Falcons depth chart. Austin Hooper was up and did play a role in the passing game after Tamme went down.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are starting to get very thin at running back. The latest person to go down is Jacquizz Rodgers, as he left Sunday’s contest against the Oakland Raiders with a foot injury and was declared out for the remainder of the game.

The injury leaves the Buccaneers in dire straits at the running back position. With Rodgers now out, the team has lost three running backs this year. In addition to Rodgers, Doug Martin has been out with a hamstring injury and Charles Sims was placed on IR a few weeks back with a knee injury. As a result, the Buccaneers are now down to Antoine Smith, who just signed with the team last week.

Shortly after halftime, the Chiefs announced that RB Spencer Ware would not return to the game to due the concussion.

Related players: Charcandrick West

With Jamaal Charles sidelined, Charcandrick West took over. The team traded Knile Davis and now suddenly finds itself short on RBs. West could have a significant role should Ware and Charles not be available next game.

Alex Smith has left the Chiefs' game against the Indianapolis Colts for the locker room for a second time with a concussion and will not return.

Smith's head slammed against the ground as he was sliding on a scramble in the third quarter.

Smith actually left the game in the first half for a possible concussion but was cleared and returned to the game despite a cut on his ear.

The illness that Ty Montgomery struggled with this week will keep him out of the game against the Falcons. Randall Cobb is also out, as was reported early Sunday morning.

The Montgomery news was a surprise given how shorthanded the team is at receiver and running back. Davante Adams and Jordy Nelson are strong starts, while Jeff Janis should see 70% or more the snaps in three-receiver sets, unless the Packers decide to expand Trevor Davis's role. Knile Davis and/or Don Jackson should pick up Montgomery and Cobb's carries.

Chargers Inactives
Jahleel Addae SS
Jeremiah Attaochu OLB
Tyreek Burwell T
Asante Cleveland TE
Craig Mager SS
Max Tuerk C
Kenny Wiggins OG

Related players Hunter Henry

Hunter Henry reported concussion-like symptoms this week but practiced and said he would play against the Broncos and sure enough he's in the lineup. Henry has pretty much taken over the TE1 job and despite a tough matchup against the Broncos, put up a 6-83-1 line just two weeks ago in a Thursday night game with Denver.

Vikings at Bears
Vikings
OUT
DT Sharrif Floyd (knee), G Zac Kerin (hand), RB Jerick McKinnon (ankle), S Andrew Sendejo (ankle)

QUESTIONABLE
WR Cordarrelle Patterson (concussion), TE MyCole Pruitt (knee), CB Marcus Sherels (wrist), WR Jarius Wright (ankle)

Bears
OUT
CB Deiondre' Hall (ankle)

DOUBTFUL
DT Eddie Goldman (ankle), G Kyle Long (tricep), WR Eddie Royal (toe)

QUESTIONABLE
CB Bryce Callahan (hamstring), RB Jeremy Langford (ankle), LB Pernell McPhee (knee), WR Cameron Meredith (stomach), CB Tracy Porter (knee), G Josh Sitton (ankle)

News broke Saturday that Jerik McKinnon won't play, which opens up the possibility for more work for Matt Asiata and Ronnie Hillman at RB. WR Cordarrelle Patterson (concussion) is questionable but expected to play according to Saturday reports. For the Bears, Eddie Royal is doubtful with his toe injury.

While New England Patriots tight end Martellus Bennett was held out of Friday's practice with an ankle injury, it is not expected to affect his availability for Sunday's road game against the Buffalo Bills.

The team travels to Western New York later on Saturday and Bennett, barring an unexpected turn of events, will be with the club.

Bennett's absence from practice came three days after the Patriots traded No. 3 tight end AJ Derby to the Denver Broncos for a fifth-round draft choice, highlighting the team's lack of depth at the position. The possibility of entering the game with one tight end would have limited the personnel packages the Patriots could have played. Also, the team has run 96 plays with two or more tight ends from Weeks 5-7, which is the most in the NFL over that span.

We know that Larry Fitzgerald will play the most snaps of any Arizona wide receiver, and close to all of the Cardinals’ offensive snaps. And we know that Michael Floyd is questionable with a hamstring injury and John Brown is also questionable as the team continues to figure out how he’s responding to his health issues related to carrying the sickle-cell trait.

They are the Cardinals’ top three receivers. With Jaron Brown shelved for the rest of the year, that leaves J.J. Nelson as the next healthy option. So if Floyd and/or Brown can play, Arians will work them in as much as he can and as much as they can go, leaving Nelson as a reliable next option.

“He’s made great strides,” Arians said. “J.J. has to stay away from those injuries. The shoulder last year and then this year the hand, and then he broke his finger. He’s going to be a dynamite player. He’s just got to stay healthy.”

Nelson is getting closer and closer to playing a significant role in this offense as the injuries continue to affect the position for the Cards. Depending on how things fall this week, he could be anywhere from a WR2 to a WR4. He may be worth grabbing off the wire, at least to stash, if you're looking for help at the position.

After losing C.J. Anderson to a knee injury, the Broncos on Saturday signed running back Juwan Thompson from the practice squad.

Anderson underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair the meniscus in his right knee last Thursday and will have to miss at least eight weeks on injured reserve — should he return at all this season.

Thompson, who was placed on the practice squad this season, provides depth at multiple spots for the Broncos. Rookie running back Devontae Booker will start Sunday, when the Broncos host the Chargers, and second-year back Kapri Bibbs will take on a larger load.

The Chargers have promoted wide receiver Isaiah Burse from the practice squad ahead of Sunday’s game in Denver.

Chargers wide receivers Tyrell Williams and Travis Benjamin are both listed as questionable for Sunday’s game. Burse joined the Chargers’ practice squad late last season. He played in 12 games with the Broncos in 2014 and has previously played in one game this season with the Chargers.

The Jaguars have made a significant offensive change.

With the offense struggling through much of the 2016 season, the Jaguars on Saturday announced they had promoted quarterbacks coach Nathaniel Hackett to offensive coordinator. They fired offensive coordinator Greg Olson.

The Jaguars, after ranking 21st in the NFL in total offense last season, rank 25th in total yards this season. They have scored 19.9 points per game after scoring 23.5 points per game last season.

The Jaguars have been shut out in the first half three times this season, and haven’t scored a touchdown on their first offensive possession since Week 2 of the 2015 season. Six of the team’s 15 touchdowns have come when trailing by 17 or more points.

Chargers tight end Hunter Henry reported concussion-like symptoms this week, but he has been practicing and expects to play on Sunday against the Broncos.

Although Henry is officially listed as questionable and hasn’t been given final clearance in the league’s concussion protocol, he told reporters he’s playing.

Henry has supplanted Antonio Gates as the No. 1 tight end in San Diego. Henry has 20 catches for 326 yards and three touchdowns this season. Obviously we can't take a player's word he's going to play so monitor his situation heading into games this week.

Quarterback Andrew Luck will have his top three receivers for the first time since Week 2 because Donte Moncrief and Phillip Dorsett are back to give T.Y. Hilton some help.

Moncrief’s return gives the Colts some size and also a possession receiver for Luck to turn to. Moncrief injured his shoulder in the first half of their game against Denver in Week 2.

“He is a heck of a player,” offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski said. “He can catch the ball down the field, he is good in the short game. He is a big, strong guy that can make plays on top of guys even when he is covered.”

Luck threw for 353 yards with no interceptions against the Tennessee Titans without Moncrief and Dorsett. The quarterback could be even more effective with healthy group of receivers while facing a Kansas City team that only has eight sacks on the season.

Vikings running back Jerick McKinnon, who along with Matt Asiata has been trying to fill the void created by the indefinite absence of Adrian Peterson, has an ankle injury that could keep him from playing on Monday night. McKinnon nevertheless remains intent on playing.

“I’m not trying to miss games,” McKinnon said, via the team’s official website. “I’ve been doing whatever . . . the training staff have had me doing to make sure my ankle is getting stronger.”

He injured the ankle in Sunday’s loss to the Eagles.

Via the Associated Press, McKinnon shed a walking boot on Friday, but he still didn’t practice. If McKinnon can’t play or is limited, the Vikings would give more reps to Ronnie Hillman, who signed with the Vikings after Peterson suffered his Week Two knee injury, with Matt Asiata also a big factor the story said.

The Broncos officially placed RB C.J. Anderson on injured reserve.

Related players: Devontae Booker

He can be cut in all redraft leagues. This move cements Devontae Booker as a high-end RB2 for the rest of the season.

Just two weeks after logging a season-high in touches and snaps, Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles will miss Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts because of lingering problems in his surgically repaired right knee.

“The knee, it was up and down,” coach Andy Reid said. “We’ll just back him off here and see if we can’t get that thing to settle down.”

Reid added that Charles’ knee “acted up” during last weekend’s game, and the Chiefs want to handle that accordingly.

“Yeah, you have to be smart with it,” Reid said. “He might take a step back and come forward with something better. That’s what you try to do. We’re never going to put him out there if it’s not right. That’s just not going to happen. It doesn’t matter who the player is — that’s how we roll.”

Related players: Spencer Ware

This is not a surprise given Charles's limited involvement last week and the stellar play of Spencer Ware.

DeMarco Murray will get an MRI on his toe, but HC Mike Mularkey said that he doesn't think it's serious.

Related players: Derrick Henry

This injury scare serves as a reminder of why Derrick Henry is one of the best attrition plays in the league. It doesn't sound like Murray's injury is serious.

Source with knowledge of C.J. Anderson's injury tells PFT that he'll miss anywhere from 2-8 weeks and it's too early to be more specific.

Ian Rapoport reported that Anderson can "start jogging again in 6 weeks."

Rapoport's report is much more pessimistic than PFT's timeline, so it's unclear just how long he'll be out. Devontae Booker will be a high-end RB2 while Anderson is out. @ProFootballDoc said there is "some hope for Broncos playoffs but not any sooner."

Jaguars Inactives

WR Rashad Greene
TE Neal Sterling
DE Jared Odrick
RB Corey Grant
QB Brandon Allen
CB Josh Johnson
OL Bryce Harris

Thomas's ankle is an issue, but he played through it last week to the tune of three catches for 20 yards and a touchdown on seven targets. He's a high-end TE2 in 12-team leagues.

Broncos RB CJ Anderson has told people close to him that he's done for the year, I am told. Awful.

Related players: Devontae Booker, Kapri Bibbs

Update: Anderson has taken to Twitter to dispute Rapaport's report -- "The false report that people have is crazy we would know later today what's going on so please don't believe these false allegations."

If true, Booker is locked in as a high-end RB2 with upside from there. Bibbs becomes the backup, and could work his way into a 6-10 touch role since Booker isn't the biggest guy and is not built to handle 20 touches per game.

Broncos RB C.J. Anderson expected out at least a few weeks with a knee injury, source says. Second opinion today to see if it'll be longer.

Devontae Booker is available in 48% of Yahoo leagues and should be the #1 priority this week. If Anderson's injury turns into a long-term absence, Booker could be a league-winning waiver pickup. Kapri Bibbs is next on the depth chart, but he has only seen five touches thus far.

Broncos coach Gary Kubiak said after beating the Texans last Monday night that he’d like to continue riding a 1-2 punch of C.J. Anderson and Devontae Booker out of the backfield, but circumstances may dictate a different approach.

Mike Klis of KUSA reports that Anderson will miss practice on Wednesday while going for a second opinion on a knee injury that he suffered in the game against Houston.

Anderson got hurt on a run at the end of the first quarter, but was able to remain in the game and ran for 84 more yards after going down on the play.

This isn’t a death knell to his Week 8 availability, but it is concerning. Devontae Booker would be a high-end RB2 if Anderson can’t play. Anderson finished the game in Week 7, so for now we're assuming he'll play.

Lamar Miller left Monday night’s game against the Broncos multiple times with an undisclosed injury, only to return each time. Head coach Bill O’Brien announced that Miller’s status would be day-to-day, heading into Sunday’s matchup with the Detroit Lions.

“Yeah, I think he’s doing better today,” O’Brien said Tuesday. “He’d definitely be in the day-to-day category, though. With the short week here, we’ll have to see how he is. But I give the guy a lot of credit. He’s a tough guy. He’s a pro football player. He really came back and kept wanting to play, and I think that’s good. And I thought (Alfred) Blue, other than the fumble, I thought Blue ran the ball hard, too.”

Related players: Alfred Blue

The Houston Chronicle said the injury was to his shoulder. Miller did return to the game but was in and out with Blue getting some work as well. The short week may not help MIller's status for Sunday so it's a situation to keep an eye on.

On Monday night, the Broncos finally rediscovered their running game, with C.J. Anderson gaining 107 yards on 16 carries and Devontae Booker gaining 83 yards on 17 attempts.

Will that approach continue for the 5-2 team?

“I sure hope so,” coach Gary Kubiak told reporters on Tuesday. “Hopefully we can have that many touches in a course of a game, but I saw two guys competing. I saw fresh guys on the field and I think that was good for us, but we were also getting more room to run. Those things go hand-in-hand.”

Kubiak seems to like how Anderson and Booker are pushing each other during the games. Kubiak was quoted as saying he's comfortable with Booker in pass protection which could go a long way in how much Booker gets on the field in any situation.

Terrelle Pryor was determined to do everything in his power to play against the Bengals after a hamstring injury limited him all week in practice.

As it turns out, the Browns wide receiver was able to suit up Sunday for a 31-17 loss in which Pryor playfully outlined how head coach Hue Jackson and the staff almost had to restrain him from taking more snaps than his less-than-healthy body could handle.

“There’s a bunch of times where I ran out there and coach was like, ‘Get back in here!’” Pryor said, laughing. “I get into the competing with the guys so I really wanted to get out there and compete and try and help the guys, but what was best for the future weeks coming ahead was that I didn't play that much and run a lot so I thank coach Jackson for thinking of me individually like that, but I just tried to get out there and help as much as I could."

Pryor, who described himself as “80 percent,” was limited to 31 snaps, catching two passes for 18 yards in a game that watched Cleveland’s offense struggle to keep pace with a Bengals unit that totaled 559 yards. The story quoted Pryor as saying this week he expects the injury to be better.

Breshad Perriman, the Ravens' first-round pick in 2015, is currently fifth on the team in receptions (14) and fourth in receiving yards (183). The highlight reel 35-yard catch down the sideline in his first NFL game against the Buffalo Bills, and the 41-yard bomb he went up and caught against the New York Giants provided glimpses of his potential.

But after missing his entire first season with a strained PCL in his right knee, and a chunk of the summer practices with a partially-torn ACL in his left knee, Perriman has spent much of this season struggling to find his place in the offense as he inherited a bigger role because of Steve L Smith's ankle injury.

Perriman was targeted five times in the Ravens' 24-16 loss to the New York Jets and he finished with just one reception for 11 yards. Two other Joe Flacco passes intended for the wide receiver were intercepted, and another fell incomplete when Perriman didn't recognize that the Jets were blitzing on third down and Flacco had to get rid of the ball early. Flacco and Perriman talked on the sideline and a day later the story said Perriman met with HC John Harbaugh.

If everyone currently on the roster is healthy, the Cardinals could get away with not making another receiver the 53rd player on the roster. But that’s the question.

Michael Floyd should play this week, but he had to play through hamstring issues against the Seahawks. John Brown should be back at practice, but his sickle-cell problem gives at least a little pause. That leaves Larry Fitzgerald, J.J. Nelson and Brittan Golden.

Again, if Floyd and Brown are OK, then you’re OK. But the Cards might want to cover themselves too.

The story said the Cards didn't make a move after putting Jaron Brown on IR. Chris Hubert and Marquis Bundy are on the practice squad and the team worked out Aaron Dobson.

The Falcons spent Monday coming up with plans to deal with running back Tevin Coleman’s injury and they addressed the need for other options by adding a pair of runners to the roster on Tuesday.

The team announced that they have signed veteran Stevan Ridley and promoted Terron Ward from the practice squad.

Related players: Devonta Freeman

This probably doesn't bode well for Tevin Coleman's status this week. If Coleman can't go, Devonta Freeman should see a bigger role. On Monday, we reported the Falcons say they are confident in Ward so it's possible he does get some work.

One of theories about what’s wrong with the Green Bay Packers offense is the lack of a big-play tight end down the middle of the field.

That was supposed to be what free-agent Jared Cook added.

But Cook hasn’t played since Week 3, when he badly sprained his right ankle against the Lions. Although it’s not a season-ending injury, Cook still hasn’t been cleared to practice.

Exactly a month from the injury, Cook said he’s still not ready to return.

In Cook’s absence, coach Mike McCarthy turned back to Richard Rodgers, who caught 58 passes last season. In six games this year, Rodgers has nine catches for 84 yards and a touchdown. But in the three games that Cook has missed, Rodgers has just four catches for 28 yards and no touchdowns.

The Giants made it clear they wanted as far away from Josh Brown as possible, when they left him home from their London game.

Today, they made it official.

The team announced that they were cutting the kicker, after admissions of abuse were released last week, casting them in an even worse light after they re-signed him this offseason knowing of the domestic violence allegations involving his then-wife.

Patriots running back Dion Lewis did not practice last week, the first week he was eligible to come off the Physically Unable to Perform list.

Last week on his weekly conference call with reporters, head coach Bill Belichick said Lewis and guard Tre' Jackson probably wouldn't practice.

When asked the same question on Tuesday, Belichick left the door open.

"We'll have to talk with our medical and conditioning staff and kind of get a sense of where everybody is and figure that out for practice starts on Wednesday," Belichick said. "We'll take a look at that information, see where we are and make a decision on it prior to Wednesday's practice."

Though nothing has been decided, it seems a positive step in what has been a long recovery for Lewis, the story said. Lewis has been out the entire season with a knee injury after suffering a setback in the spring following ACL surgery on his left knee in 2015.

The Steelers held a practice on Tuesday before everyone scatters for the bye week and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was a limited participant in the session.

Roethlisberger said on 93.7 The Fan that he did individual work a little more than a week after he had surgery on the injured meniscus in his knee. He also said that he hopes to return to play against the Ravens in Week 9, something that he thinks would require getting in a fuller practice session in the days leading up to the game.

Reports have been all over the place and fall between 2-6 weeks for a Roethlisberger return. Our sources in Pittsburgh indicated last week that Ben likes to talk up an injury's timeline so that he looks "tough" upon his early return. Our source said the 4-6 timeframe came from Ben, while recently team president Art Rooney II called for a 2-3 timeline which would bring him back for Week 9.

According to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, Bills RB LeSean McCoy is on track to be listed as questionable again for a game against the New England Patriots that HC Rex Ryan has already stated is critically important to the Bills' season.

"We will see how the week unfolds," Ryan said. "As soon as he said he had tightness in the hamstring, we took him out of the game as soon as he mentioned that. But that is where he is at. We will see how he progresses."

The story was mainly about how there wasn't enough time for McCoy to heal from the hamstring properly and he probably shouldn't have played last week, let alone every snap in the first half according to the story. McCoy was pulled in the second half when he felt "a little pain." Owners may have to go through the same thing this week especially if he's not close to 100-percent. He's shaping up to be a risky start.

Finally, the Ferrari is pulling into the Steelers' practice field.

Seven months after the Steelers gave him a rare big-money free-agent contract, three months after being placed on the physically unable to perform list and seven weeks into the regular season, Ladarius Green is – at last – expected go through his first practice with the Steelers.

Related players: Jesse James

Green said Monday he had been medically cleared and that coach Mike Tomlin had decided to hold him out. By rule, Green was not permitted to practice until last week. Once he does practice. The team has 21 days to activate him to the 53-man roster. Jesse James has 22 catches for 159 yards and three TDs this year.

Andrew Luck could be getting one of his primary weapons back soon.

Colts receiver Donte Moncrief is expected to practice on Wednesday -- his first time seeing the field since Week 2. Moncrief fractured his shoulder blade but avoided having surgery.

Related players: Phillip Dorsett

Dorsett was expected to pick up much of the slack when Moncrief went down, but that hasn't worked out. Star wideout T.Y. Hilton has posted three 100-yard games in Moncrief's absence, but Luck would be happy to find another dependable target back in the huddle, the story concluded.

Texans starting running back Lamar Miller injured his shoulder as he took a shot along the sideline at the end of a 25-yard run in the first quarter.

The former Miami Dolphins starter eventually went back into the game, but was in and out of the lineup as he was pacing on the sideline and trying to get his shoulder loosened up.

Related players: Alfred Blue

Miller was replaced by backup Alfred Blue throughout the first half, but returned to the field after halftime. It's a short week coming up after a Monday night game so this is worth keeping an eye on.

The Rams have insisted they’re only going to play quarterback Jared Goff when he’s ready to play.

It appears they’re trying to get him ready to play.

According to Rams coach Jeff Fisher, the first overall pick in last year’s draft will get more work with the starters during the bye week.

“Jared’s going to get some reps, which is a by product of the bye week,” Fisher said. “I don’t feel like Case needs the reps Wednesday and early next week, so Jared will get those reps, which is good.

Related players: Case Keenum

Keenum threw four picks last week and now has 10 INTs to just 8 TDs.

According to ESPN Stats & Information, Melvin Gordon has 158 touches in seven games for the San Diego Chargers this season. He totaled 217 touches all of last season.

With 461 yards on 138 carries, Gordon’s on pace to carry the ball 315 times this season, which would put him in the top-10 in team history for the Chargers.

Of course, the franchise’s all-time leading rusher, future Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson carried the ball at least 315 times in six of his first seven seasons with San Diego, including a franchise-high 372 times in 2002.

Related players: Kenneth Farrow

With Danny Woodhead and Branden Oliver done for the year, Gordon’s embraced the role of workhorse back for the Chargers. With 461 yards on 138 carries, Melvin Gordon's on pace to carry the ball 315 times this season. However, Gordon had microfracture knee surgery in January, and at some point, the Chargers have to take a long-term view of Gordon’s workload over a 16-game season. Backup running back Kenneth Farrow has just 31 yards on eight carries but RB coach Ollie Wilson was quoted as saying Farrow needs to play a little more to save Gordon.

Miami Dolphins running back Arian Foster has decided to call it a career.

The former Pro Bowler has suffered a myriad of injuries over the past few years, and in an announcement Monday, he cited his body can't take "the punishment" that the NFL demands anymore.

Foster's agent confirmed the news to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport. A source added to Rapoport that Foster's retirement is effective immediately. Jay Ajayi has taken over the Dolphins RB job as Foster was trying to come back from a hamstring injury. Looks like Damien Williams and Kenyan Drake will move up on the depth chart.

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert said he was happy to feel sore following his season debut against the Cleveland Browns.

Sore is normal. Anything other than that is not.

"I felt good. I’m a little sore. I haven’t hit anybody in nine months," he said. "I obviously had a limited number of snaps but overall as far as things that were bothering me —my back and my ankle — those feel great."

Eifert played 15 snaps in a return that he has been working toward all offseason. After rehabbing all offseason from ankle surgery, his debut was pushed back two more weeks after he injured his back. He was a risky play in his return due to a potential pitch count, but should get more work next game as long as there are no signs of a setback.

Ladarius Green said he planned to have a conversation on Monday afternoon with coach Mike Tomlin to decide whether he'll practice this week. Green is eligible to return from the physically unable to perform list, and the Steelers then have 21 days to activate him once he begins practicing.

"Everything is getting better, everything has progressed pretty well," he said. "I’m just waiting to get the word."

Green said he has voiced he desire to begin practicing to Tomlin.

"He knows I want to be out there, but it’s up to him to do what’s best for the team," Green said. "I’ve agreed with everything he decides like I’ve been doing, and he’ll make the right decision."

When Green does return, the Steelers will have a decision to make at tight end. Xavier Grimble or Davis Johnson could get released, or the team could keep four tight ends on the roster and cut someone elsewhere to make room for Green.

Rookie tight end Hunter Henry, who has shined so far this season, entered the concussion protocol. Chargers coach Mike McCoy said that Henry reported symptoms after the game, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune's Michael Gehlken. It isn't clear when exactly Henry suffered the injury.

If Henry doesn't get cleared by Sunday, he'll miss the Chargers' divisional showdown against the Broncos. In their earlier meeting this year, Henry broke out with six catches, 83 yards, and a touchdown. If he does miss any game action, expect Gates to take on a larger role. Gates, 36, has caught 17 passes for 119 yards and two scores but admitted he wasn't 100-percent coming into last week.

Broncos Inactives
Austin Davis QB
Lorenzo Doss CB
Shiloh Keo DB
Cody Latimer WR
Connor McGovern OG
Billy Turner OG
DeMarcus Ware OLB

Related players: Emmanuel Sanders

Sanders was a full go on Friday despite battling a hip injury and will play in Week 7.

Texans Inactives
Oday Aboushi G
Quintin Demps SS
Jonathan Grimes RB
Joel Heath DT
Keith Mumphery WR
Brian Peters LB
Brandon Weeden QB

Related players: DeAndre Hopkins, Will Fuller

Both Hopkins (hamstring) and Fuller (hamstring) will play in Week 7 against the Broncos in a tough matchup.

The Seahawks have struggled to run the ball this season, but reinforcements could be coming soon: Running back Thomas Rawls will run this week and then prepare to play the following week, coach Pete Carroll said.

That timetable would have Rawls back for the Nov. 7 game against the Buffalo Bills, a week before the Seahawks play the Patriots.

“That’s what we are counting on unless something changes,” Carroll said.

Related players: Christine Michael

Rawls hasn’t played since the second game of the season because of a fibula injury, and Carroll was optimistic that Rawls could add some needed juice to a rushing attack that has been uncharacteristically lacking this season. Carroll’s offenses have always been able to run the ball, both in terms of quantity and quality. It may take a week to ease him back into things, but it sounds like he'll be counted on once again in the Seattle backfield.

RB Tevin Coleman strained his hamstring in Sunday’s loss to the Chargers, Falcons head coach Dan Quinn confirmed on Monday.

Coleman’s status remains unclear as the Falcons are waiting to find out the severity of the strain.

Related players: Devonta Freeman, Terron Ward

If Coleman’s injury is serious enough to the point that he need to miss some time, Quinn says they are confident in Terron Ward who is currently on Atlanta’s practice squad. It could also mean more work for Freeman.

Ryan Mathews has fumbled in the final minutes of two of the past three games, and though coach Doug Pederson is not demoting his leading running back, he acknowledged that Mathews’ fumbles are “definitely a concern.”

“We don't want to see it, especially in those situations – four-minute situations there at the end of the game,” Pederson said. “We've got to continue to either find out if he's tired, where he's at at the end of the game; if we need to put Wendell Smallwood or Darren Sproles in there – we'll find out more about that. But by no means am I down on Ryan at all. We just have to make sure that he understands that he can't obviously do that and put ourselves in a situation where we're giving the ball back to the opponent.”

Mathews leads Eagle RBs in carries and yards and TDs but is also the only RB to fumble. This is already a committee situation. The story said it doesn't sound like he's going to get more carries, averaging about 11 per game, and that may go down if the team opts to give another RB late-game chances.

TE Jordan Reed has been cleared to practice when the Redskins hit the field again on Wednesday, HC Jay Gruden said. But the fourth-year veteran, who has missed two games since his Week 5 concussion, isn’t yet cleared to play Sunday.

“No, not necessarily,” Gruden said during his Monday afternoon press conference, when asked if Reed will play on Sunday. “He’s been cleared to practice but he still needs to be cleared by the independent doctor.”

The Redskins have a bye in Week 9 and some reports have said the team may hold out Reed until Week 10 when they return from the week off. Vernon Davis played pretty well the last two weeks and makes for a nice fill-in for Reed owners. He had a 7-79-0 last week and was about a yard short of a TD on one of his catches.

Although it’s not certain how much Packers RB Ty Montgomery will continue to play out of the backfield given that coach Mike McCarthy said he plans to get recently acquired running back Knile Davis up to speed on the offense this week in advance of Sunday’s game at Atlanta.

Davis played five snaps (and had two carries for 1 yard), while Don Jackson, a rookie who was promoted from the practice squad on the day of the game, played six snaps (and carries twice for 6 yards) before a hand injury ended his day. But with Lacy on injured reserve and James Starks likely to miss at least another game or two, Montgomery remains an option in the backfield.

The story was mostly about ESPN fantasy leagues allowing owners to use Montgomery in their leagues as a RB. As the story said though, how much Montgomery is used there is an uncertainty. Davis has a few extra days to get up to speed but Starks is also expected to return in a few games.

After missing the past three games due to a knee injury, Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant is expected to play Sunday night when the Dallas returns to action against the Philadelphia Eagles, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Bryant had hoped to play last week against the Green Bay Packers, but was held out in hopes of him being 100 percent. He suffered a tibial plateau fracture in his right leg on Sept. 25 against the Chicago Bears.

He was back in action at practice on Monday as the Cowboys returned from their bye week. Bryant had told reporters before the Cowboys bye week that he expected to return for the game against the Eagles.

A week ago the Redskins rushed for 230 yards against a strong Eagles defense. Matt Jones led the way, gaining 135 yards including 57 on a game-clinching long run in the last minutes of the game.

Now fast forward to today and there is widespread clamoring for Matt Jones to be benched, perhaps permanently. Having a hand in three fumbles, two of which were lost, will do that.

Related players: Chris Thompson, Rob Kelley

It's a dicey situation for Jones owners. Thompson isn't a carry-the-load kind of back and Kelly has looked good but doesn't have the experience. The author speculated Jones gets limited work this week with Thompson and Kelley splitting a bulk of the workload with about 10-12 carries each and Jones perhaps gets another chance to become the primary RB in the near future. It's a situation that needs to be monitored. As we said before, the Skins having any kind of split with their lack of running success at times doesn't make anyone a very solid fantasy option.

In the type of coincidence native to the NFL, the Bears received clearance on quarterback Jay Cutler on Monday -- soon after we discovered that quarterback Brian Hoyer will be out for a significant amount of time with a broken arm.

Head coach John Fox made the announcement Monday, adding that Hoyer's surgery was successful and that he will likely head to injured reserve.

The story said this could be an audition for Cutler as the Bears may try to get out of his contract at the end of the season. With the weapons around him in the passing game, he certainly has fantasy potential, although before the injury it was a bit of a struggle for him.

Jets quarterback Geno Smith apparently has a torn ACL — an injury that almost certainly would sideline him for the remainder of the season.

Based on an initial MRI examination Smith received Monday, the "belief" is that Smith sustained a torn ACL in Sunday's win over the Ravens, according to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport.

Related players: Ryan Fitzpatrick

Ryan Fitzpatrick — whom Smith just replaced last week as the Jets' starting quarterback — relieved Smith and played the remainder of the game. Sunday marked Smith's first start since the 2014 finale. And he didn't even make it to halftime. Smith is in the final year of his rookie contract, and likely his final season with the Jets organization, the story said.

Cody Kessler is holding out hope he'll be cleared to start Sunday against the 2-5 Jets, a league source told cleveland.com Monday.

Kessler left Sunday's 31-17 loss to the Bengals with a concussion suffered with 7:27 left in the half when he was struck him in the head on a backhanded flip to Gary Barnidge.

The pass set up Isaiah Crowell's 1-yard touchdown run for a 10-7 Browns lead with 6:20 left in the half, but it proved costly.

Kessler was checked on the sidelines for a concussion and was diagnosed with one after jogging clear across the field to the locker room. Based on his long jog to the locker room, the concussion is not severe, but he's in the concussion protocol and must be cleared by an independent neurologist. As the evening wore on, he felt good and was already looking ahead to the Jets game, the story all said.

The Cardinals came out of last night’s game without a win or a loss, at least on the score sheet.

But they’re now down another receiver.

According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, initial tests showed that wide receiver Jaron Brown suffered a torn ACL last night.

He’s having more tests to confirm the severity today (presumably an MRI).

Related players: J.J. Nelson

Brown left last night’s game in the first half, and didn’t return. They were already playing without John Brown (hamstrings, sickle cell trait), leaving them thin at receiver. Now they’ll need J.J. Nelson to step into a more prominent role, as they prepare for a game against the Panthers.

He ended up playing in the Giants' 17-10 win, and he was productive. But it was clear Giants WR Odell Beckham was far from 100 percent, and hurting from start to finish as his hip pointer lingered.

"It took a lot to get ready for this game," Beckham admitted after the fact, adding he did not feel he was as fast as usual. "It was all mental preparation, actually. Even going through warmups, I didn't quite known what to expect. I got out there, and it was a little ... it was pretty painful. {Co-owner John] Mara and [general manager Jerry] Reese and coach (Ben McAdoo) gave me an opportunity to play."

Beckham said he and the Giants came up with a "plan" to manage his workload given his limitations, and it was made clear he could come off the field if need be. Beckham did not play every offensive snap, but he still played 95 percent of them, his 54 snaps leading the receivers group. Beckham admitted there was a "seed of doubt" whether or not he'd be able to even play. The team has a bye in Week 8 and hopefully Beckham will be close to normal for Week 9.

Jets WR Quincy Enunwa probably needs to play more. It's a bit crazy to think about, but Enunwa might be the Jets' best offensive player right now. He showed why on Sunday. He caught a simple eight-yard curl, and turned it into a 69-yard touchdown.

The crazy thing, the story said, is Enunwa didn't see that much playing time. He was on the field for only 65 percent of the offense's snaps (44 plays). WR Robby Anderson also got 44 snaps.

Aiding in Matt Forte's success was the fact the Jets gave him an opportunity to have success. After seeing his role diminished Weeks 3-5, Forte was on the field for 57 offensive snaps — 87 percent of the Jets' plays.

Related players: Bilal Powell

Forte's role had taken a hit in the recent past few games, but the Jets also trailed a lot in those contests. Powell was seeing more action in that span.

Before the play that would deliver the Kansas City Chiefs a long-awaited downfield touchdown pass, quarterback Alex Smith had the most basic of instructions for rookie wide receiver Tyreek Hill.

“Alex just told me to run as fast as I can,’’ Hill said.

Hill can carry out those instructions better than anyone on the Chiefs. Hill, the fastest player on his team, did as he was told. He reached the end zone in time to make a one-handed catch of a 38-yard pass from Smith for the Chiefs’ final touchdown of their 27-21 win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

Hill is a rookie so the Chiefs weren't sure what they would get as he also plays special teams. He's tied for the team lead in TDs with three but before this week his longest play was 13 yards. Hill is only fifth on the team in receptions, however.

Patriots TE Martellus Bennett played 30 snaps. Bennett, who has been playing through a right ankle injury, had a quiet day as a pass-catcher (one catch, five yards).

Bennett once again contributed as a blocker. HC Bill Belichick noted the run-blocking of both Gronkowski and Bennett after the game but unfortunately that doesn't get you many fantasy points.

Spencer Ware is rushing well enough at the moment, so there’s no need to rush Jamaal Charles.

The Chiefs star running back got a single carry, as they work to protect him as he comes back from last year’s knee injury.

“Things were going OK, so I kind of let it ride there,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said, via Blair Kerkhoff of the Kansas City Star. “His knee puffed up a little this week, and I’m trying to be as careful as we can with him, . . . and with him in my ear wanting to play.”

Swelling in his surgically repaired knee is obviously a concern, but the Chiefs have managed him carefully, with just 12 carries in the three games in which he has appeared. Ware has done a solid job as their lead back, and had 17 carries for 77 yards in yesterday’s win over the Saints. Looks like Ware will at least be a solid fantasy play until Charles' knee situation improves.

Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson were asked the same question Sunday night after the Seattle Seahawks' 6-6 tie against the Arizona Cardinals, but they offered predictably different responses.

The queries had to do with Wilson's limited mobility. On the Seahawks' first drive, they faced a 3rd-and-1 from their own 26. The call was a zone read, and Wilson kept it, but he was dropped for a 2-yard loss.

It was his only run of the game.

Wilson has carried 22 times for 33 yards. That's 5.5 yards per game and 1.5 YPC. During the first four seasons of his career, Wilson averaged 38 rushing yards per game and 5.91 YPC. Wilson suffered a right high ankle sprain in Week 1 and a sprained MCL in his left knee in Week 3. He continues to get treatment for the injuries, and it's obvious that they're affecting him.

Cardinals Inactives
John Brown WR
Gabe Martin LB
Olsen Pierre DT
Ed Stinson DE
Cole Toner OG
Brandon Williams CB
Xavier Williams DT

Related players: Carson Palmer

Palmer was more expected to play and will suit up in a difficult matchup against the Seahawks. Brown (hamstring) didn't practice all week and reports said the pain in his leg is a symptom of a sickle-cell trait. Michael Floyd and Jaron Brown should see more targets at WR with Brown out.

Bengals RB Jeremy Hill left the game early in the fourth quarter with a chest injury.

Hill had dealt with a chest injury a few weeks ago. The injury originally looked like it was to Hill's hand or wrist but this report called it a chest injury.

The Bills went without their workhorse for much of Sunday's losing effort.

LeSean McCoy missed the last quarter and a half of Sunday's 28-25 loss to Miami with a what coach Rex Ryan said was a sore hamstring. The running back was bothered by the same hamstring issue during much of the week of practice leading up to Sunday's game, which left him listed as questionable on Friday's injury report.

After the game, McCoy said he felt "amazing" while warming up before the game, but he later felt pain in his hamstring during the game.

We had a story on Saturday that said McCoy traveled with the team but the article suggested it may not have been a good idea to activate McCoy at less than 100-percent. It will remain to be see if this setback hinders McCoy going forward.

Geno Smith's attempt to reclaim the Jets' starting quarterback job hit a snag Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium.

He suffered a right knee injury in the second quarter against the Baltimore Ravens and won't return against the Baltimore Ravens, the Jets announced.

Ryan Fitzpatrick was back in the game after Smith left.

Cody Kessler, the Browns’ third starting quarterback this season, was knocked out of Sunday’s game with a concussion. He was stepping up in the pocket and right after delivering a backhanded flip to tight end Gary Barnidge, he was hit from the side by Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Domata Peko.

Kessler had a hard time getting up, then was taken out of the game and back to the locker room. The team said he was being evaluated for a concussion, then ruled him out shortly after.

With that, rookie Kevin Hogan became the sixth quarterback to take snaps for the Browns this season.

Chargers Inactives
Jahleel Addae SS
Jeremiah Attaochu OLB
Tyreek Burwell T
Asante Cleveland TE
Brandon Flowers CB
Darius Philon DE
Max Tuerk C

Related players: Travis Bemjamin

Benjamin is active today but it's a tough matchup against the Falcons who do a pretty good job allowing fantasy points to WRs.

Bills RB LeSean McCoy has made the trip to South Florida, PFT confirms. The news was first reported by Jeff Darlington of ESPN.

Related players: Mike Gillislee

The story said it's a possible way to make Miami think McCoy will play, but the story also added, if his hamstring injury is bad enough to keep him from playing, it wouldn’t be a good idea to take him to Miami.

Texans vs. Broncos
Texans
OUT
S Quintin Demps (calf), RB Jonathan Grimes (ankle), CB Kevin Johnson (foot), LB Brian Peters (quadricep)

Broncos
OUT
LB DeMarcus Ware (forearm)

QUESTIONABLE
WR Cody Latimer (concussion), T Russell Okung (concussion)

For the Broncos, WR Emmanuel Sanders (hip) and QB Trevor Siemian (shoulder) were both full participants in practice and not on the injury report. For the Texans, QB Brock Osweiler (foot) was a full go and not on the injury report.

The Ravens had three weeks to evaluate Lorenzo Taliaferro in practice, but the team apparently didn’t need much time to decide the third-year running back would be a good addition to its injury-plagued 53-man roster.

Following Saturday’s walkthrough practice, the Ravens activated Taliaferro from the physically unable to perform list.

It’s unclear how Taliaferro will immediately fit in the running back rotation. Terrance West is the lead back, and rookie Kenneth Dixon and second-year pro Buck Allen have gotten sporadic carries behind him. The 6-foot, 225-pound Taliaferro has averaged 4.2 yards on 81 career carries, so he ultimately could factor in short-yardage situations, an area where the Ravens have struggled.

Matt Forte's production dwindled during the New York Jets four-game losing streak.

After opening the year with more than 100 scrimmage yards and 29.5 touches per game in the first two contests, Forte earned fewer than 65 scrimmage yards and 14.3 touches per game in Weeks 3-6.

The 30-year-old running back told the New York Daily News the stat reduction has nothing to do with age.

"I would expect that from people who just look at stats but don't look at the game," Forte said. "If you are a real fan, and actually a fan of football, you would probably watch the film and see that as the total offense, we're not playing very well."

Relate players: Bilal Powell

Coach Todd Bowles pointed to blocking as the main culprit for Forte's struggles. Forte has also seen less work since the beginning of the year, partly because the team has played from behind.

Joe Flacco will be available to play for the Ravens this Sunday against the Jets.

According to a report from ESPN, Baltimore did not promote practice squad quarterback David Fales to the 53-man roster.

The story went on to say the report doesn't indicate whether or not Flacco would start. Ryan Mallett would start for the Ravens if Flacco does not. It's a potential nice matchup against the Jets.

While it's not easy to rotate four backs in and out of the lineup, that's the game plan head coach Doug Pederson takes into the week.

"Yeah, I would,'' Pederson said Friday when asked if he would like to see all four backs get work. "It's kind of like the receivers. We're rotating a bunch of guys at that position, too.

"As I mentioned before, Ryan Mathews is the primary. [We are] utilizing Darren Sproles specifically in certain situations, third downs and any time we can give either Ryan a blow. Then Wendell Smallwood and Kenjon Barner are both guys who can give us good energy and good burst when they're in there.

"Wendell is still that type of back that is still learning a little bit, you know. But at the same time we still want to be able to use all four guys if we can.''

The Eagles backfield hasn't made much sense most of the year. Mathews got over 20 carries against the Browns and Smallwood - after Mathews tweaked an ankle - got 17 carries and looked good against the Steelers. Mathews is supposed to be the safest fantasy play, but outside of his 22-carry game, and his two-carry game when he got hurt, he's only averaging about about 9-10 carries in the other three games.

Jets coach Todd Bowles said recently it'll be "close" in terms of whether wide receiver Eric Decker will be ready for the start of the 2017 season.

During his regular appearance Friday on ESPN New York radio, Decker said he definitely will be ready by the start of 2017.

"I'm not worried about missing any time next year," Decker said. "I'll be fine by the start of next year."

Decker just underwent hip surgery, and still has to undergo shoulder surgery, to repair a partially torn rotator cuff. Total recovery time is about 14 months according to reports we had this week but Decker thinks he can be back in time for 2017.

Robbie Gould was about to go to his son’s swim lesson in Chicago Thursday night when the Giants called and asked him to make a slight change in his plans – get on a plane and fly eight hours to London, and kick for his new team tomorrow, when it faces the Los Angeles Rams in Twickenham Stadium.

He replaces Josh Brown, who did not make the overseas trip at the team’s behest after documents were released in Washington State this week regarding Brown’s domestic violence arrest in May 2015. Randy Bullock kicked for the Giants in the season opener in Dallas because Brown was suspended for one game. Yesterday, The NFL placed Brown on the Commissioner Exempt list.

Gould was released on Sept. 4 by the Chicago Bears, for whom he played 11 seasons and established himself as the best kicker in franchise history.