NFL Player News

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers returned to individual drills Wednesday and threw with "lots of zip on the ball," reports the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Rodgers, who broke his collarbone four weeks ago, has not been cleared to play.

If Rodgers can't play Sunday vs. Atlanta, he could return Week 15 at Dallas.

The Fantasy playoffs couldn't have come at a better time for owners of Lions prolific quarterback Matthew Stafford.

First of all, Stafford is enjoying a great season despite a recent spate of interceptions. He has completed 296 of 500 passes for 3,825 yards, 27 touchdowns and 14 picks. He is coming off a 330-yard, three-score performance against Green Bay on turkey day.

Adding optimism is that Week 14 foe Philadelphia has played matador pass defense all season. The Eagles rank dead last in the NFL in passing yards allowed (3,561) and 17th in touchdowns given up through the air (20). They only have 29 sacks, which indicates that Stafford should have plenty of time to throw. They have yielded at least 236 passing yards in every game this season.

It all adds up to a potentially explosive game for Stafford, who is ranked among the top three NFL quarterbacks this week by the CBSSports.com senior Fantasy writers. Just stick Stafford in your lineups and watch the points roll in.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers expressed disappointment he wasn't medically cleared after undergoing a scan Tuesday. Rodgers broke his collarbone a little over four weeks ago.

"I can't say this morning was the greatest news," he said, via ESPN.com. "I was hoping for full clearance, and we didn't get that."

Rodgers is slated to practice on a limited basis Wednesday, but doctors have not cleared him to play. "It's been four weeks and one day," he said. "The bone takes 3-6 weeks to heal. Was hoping I was on the shorter end of that."

Texans quarterback Case Keenum now has three straight games with fewer than 15 Fantasy points. He hasn't thrown a touchdown pass in the last two, and he's been intercepted in three straight. He was removed in the second half of a Week 11 loss for Matt Schaub, and while his Week 13 performance against New England was an improvement over his previous two games, it still wasn't enough to get him back to the 20-point neighborhood.

Week 14 brings a matchup with the Jaguars, who have allowed the third-most Fantasy points per game (22.3) to opposing quarterbacks this season. Keenum remembers the Jaguars well, as they held him to four Fantasy points (169 yards, no touchdowns, and an interception) in Week 12. In their last five games, the Jaguars have allowed quarterbacks to score 26 or more Fantasy points four times. Three quarterbacks have scored three touchdowns, one has scored two... and then there's Keenum, who just couldn't get anything going in Week 12.

Owners in two-quarterback leagues can look at this matchup and let it at least mitigate the memory of Keenum's Week 12 debacle -- Ben Tate was off, things were messy, Keenum was probably looking over his shoulder at Schaub. Still, Keenum should be on the waiver wire in standard leagues, as he brings considerable risk even in two-quarterback formats.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has not been cleared to return from his broken collarbone, but he'll practice on a limited basis Wednesday, coach Mike McCarthy said. Matt Flynn will continue to get the starter's reps.

McCarthy said Rodgers wants to play Week 14 vs. Atlanta and has not been ruled out. Coaches want to see what Rodgers does in practice before making a decision.

McCarthy added there have been no internal discussions about shutting down Rodgers for the season. "When he is healthy, he will play," the coach said.

To call Jets rookie quarterback Geno Smith's recent string of performances brutal might actually be an understatement. That's how bad it has been for the second-round pick.

The Jets are just 1-4 in their last five games and the record is certainly reflected in Smith's numbers. He hasn't had a passing touchdown or surpassed 200 passing yards in his last five games. He also has failed to complete at least 10 passes in his last four games and was even benched during Sunday's 23-3 loss vs. Miami.

Despite his awful run, the Jets are going back to Smith Week 14 against the Raiders. But it's not like Fantasy owners are forced to make the same decision.

Quarterbacks have had decent success against the Raiders, averaging 271.9 passing yards and 20.2 Fantasy points per week. In the last five games, quarterbacks have totaled 12 touchdowns to two interceptions, while averaging 285.8 passing yards.

Smith might have a favorable matchup on paper Week 14, but are you really going to risk starting him, especially if you are fighting for a playoff berth or it's the first round of the playoffs in your Fantasy league. It's best to leave Smith out of active Fantasy lineups, if possible.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is expected to undergo more medical tests Tuesday to determine if his left collarbone has healed enough to allow him to play Week 14 vs. Atlanta, a source told NFL.com. In order for Rodgers to play, his most recent medical tests will have to indicate he is at far less risk of aggravating the injury than previous results have shown.

However, according to NFL.com analyst Ian Rapoport, the expectation remains Rodgers is a long shot to play Sunday. Rapoport reported Sunday Rodgers would "be lucky" to play Week 14 and might even be shut down for the rest of the season.

In Seattle's cakewalk over New Orleans, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson went 5 of 8 on throws at least 15 yards downfield, according to ESPN. Wilson had a 60-yard strike to tight end Zach Miller, a 52-yard completion to receiver Doug Baldwin and a 33-yarder to wideout Ricardo Lockette.

The two biggest gainers came against blitzes. Wilson read them and made the Saints pay. 

"We wanted to be great against the blitz," Wilson said, via the Associated Press. "We knew they were going to bring some pressure and we like the sense of pressure because there is a lot of green grass behind it."

Wilson entered the game as the league's most accurate thrower on deep balls. He had completed 59 percent of his throws targeted 20 or more yards downfield.

On such throws, Wilson was 22 of 39 for 702 yards and eight touchdowns with two interceptions, according to Pro Football Focus. In Week 13 he only enhanced those numbers.

Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson lit up the Saints on Monday Night Football, hitting 22 of 30 throws for 310 yards and three touchdowns. It was the sixth straight game in which he’s thrown multiple scoring passes, and his second 300-yard game this season.

Wilson also led the team on the ground, carrying eight times for 47 yards (5.9-yard average), as he posted his highest rushing total since Week 6.

Wilson burned the Saints when they blitzed, hitting tight end Zach Miller for 60 yards and Doug Baldwin for 52 yards. He hooked up with Miller on a 2-yard slant for a touchdown, and found Baldwin wide open for a 4-yard score. Even a drop went Wilson’s way. In the third quarter, tight end Kellen Davis flubbed a reception and fullback Derrick Coleman caught the deflection for an 8-yard touchdown.

Wilson, who connected with nine different receivers, has seven touchdown passes and no interceptions over his last three games. He’ll play the 49ers in Week 14.

Jets quarterback Geno Smith said Monday he's been told by quarterbacks coach David Lee he will remain the starting quarterback heading into Week 14 vs. Oakland. Smith was benched during Sunday's 23-3 loss vs. Miami, which was New York's third straight defeat.