Branden Oliver

Chargers RB Ryan Mathews knew he wouldn't play the Bills.

He knew he wouldn't face the Jaguars or the Jets, the Raiders or the Chiefs. It became clear, well in advance of Thursday night, he wouldn't be active against the Broncos either. This next game, Nov. 2 in Miami, is different. For the first time, there seems a chance he could play.

"That's in my head," Mathews said Friday. "I'm just going keep doing my treatment this week, come back on Monday, and see what they say."

The Chargers running back missed his sixth straight game Thursday night to a right knee injury. He sprained his medial collateral ligament Sept. 14 against the Seahawks. Mathews is nearing a return, unlikely to miss more than one additional game, if that, the story said. If he plays Nov. 2, he could be eased in, but perhaps the thing to note is if Mathews is on your wire, now may be the time to pick him up. Branden Oliver hasn't been impressive rushing the ball the last two weeks, so there's a good chance Mathews slides right back into his RB1 role. Oliver did catch seven passes Thursday night against Denver so he's still likely to have a role in the offense. Donald Brown is also expected to practice next week.