NFL Player News

Broncos head coach Vic Fangio said he's confident in Williams' ability to handle a lead role out of the backfield Sunday in Kansas City while Melvin Gordon (hip) is listed as doubtful for the contest and not expected to play, George Stoia III of The Denver Gazette reports.

Williams and Gordon have had a near-even split of the backfield snaps and touches through the Broncos' first 11 games of the season, but Week 13 will likely mark the first time either of the two gets a look in a featured role. At least on a per-touch basis, Williams (4.9 yards per carry, 7.1 yards per reception) has provided reason for excitement, and the prospect of him handling his largest role of the season should make him an appealing lineup option in most weekly season-long leagues. He'll be taking aim at a Kansas City defense that has generally been friendly for running-back production, aside from allowing touchdowns. The Chiefs are permitting 4.38 yards per carry (22nd in NFL), 7.07 yards per target (28th) and an 84.5 percent catch rate (29th) to running backs this season.

Sanders (ankle) practiced fully Friday and doesn't have a designation for Sunday's game against the Jets, Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Sanders already looked as though he would be in the clear for Sunday after he practiced fully Thursday, but his ability to do take every rep for the second day in a row erased any lingering concern about his health. At this stage, the main concern for the proficiency of the Eagles' ground game is the health of dual-threat quarterback Jalen Hurts (ankle), who is listed as questionable after a trio of limited practices this week and appears to be a true game-time decision as Sunday's 1 p.m. ET kickoff approaches. Additionally, the Eagles will be without short-yardage specialist Jordan Howard (knee), while change-of-pace back Boston Scott (illness) is listed as questionable. Rookie Kenny Gainwell looms as the lone healthy depth option behind Sanders, who would likely have access to his largest share of the Eagles' rushing workload of the season if Hurts sits out or is limited Sunday. The presence of Hurts (eight rushing touchdowns) and Howard has been especially damaging to Sanders' red-zone opportunities, as the third-year back has yet to find the end zone through nine games.

Williams (calf) won't play in Sunday's game against the Cardinals.

Williams hasn't seen the field since Week 8. Khalil Herbert will continue to back up David Montgomery against Arizona, with Ryan Nall on hand for additional depth. A Week 14 trip to Green Bay will provide Williams' next opportunity to make his return.

Gordon (hip/shoulder) will be listed as doubtful for Sunday's game against Kansas City, Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site reports.

Per Zac Stevens of TheDNVR.com, in the event that Gordon is likely on the inactive list for Sunday's 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff, Javonte Williams would be in line to head the Broncos' Week 13 backfield. Gordon and Williams have been working in a roughly dead-even timeshare all season, so Week 13 will likely be the first chance either running back gets an opportunity in a clear featured role.

Mostert (knee) announced Friday that he's been cleared to walk without the aid of crutches, Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

It's an early milestone in the recovery process for Mostert, who underwent surgery Oct. 12 to address chipped cartilage in the meniscus of his left knee. Mostert is without a clear timeline to complete his rehab from the unique knee procedure, but he's already ruled himself out from playing again this season and is turning his focus to getting healthy for OTAs. Scheduled to become a free agent this spring, Mostert will likely need full medical clearance from doctors before any team offers him a contract.

Williams is set to led the Detroit backfield this weekend with D'Andre Swift (shoulder) ruled out for Sunday's game against the Vikings, Benjamin Raven of MLive.com reports.

Williams could be tasked with a heavy workload after finishing with 15 carries and five targets last week, when Swift departed with a shoulder sprain in the second quarter of an eventual 16-14 loss to the Bears. Depth backs Jermar Jefferson and Godwin Igwebuike both picked up a few snaps, but they combined for just two touches (both to Igwebuike), while Williams piled up 20.

The Jaguars list Robinson (heel/knee) as questionable for Sunday's game against the Rams.

Robinson has been tending to the pair of injuries for more than a month, but he's suited up in each of the Jaguars' last three games. Though he's seen his snaps scaled back in those contests compared to earlier in the season, Robinson hasn't had to sacrifice many touches, as he's averaging 13.7 carries and four targets during that three-game stretch. Though he was limited in all three of the Jaguars' practices this week, expect Robinson to ultimately avoid the inactive list ahead of Sunday's 4:05 p.m. ET kickoff and serve as Jacksonville's lead back.

Mattison is expected to fill a lead role out of the Minnesota backfield Sunday in Detroit with Dalvin Cook (shoulder) ruled out for the contest, Craig Peters of the Vikings' official site reports.

Mattison already appeared to be tracking toward his third start of the season after Adam Schefter of ESPN reported Monday that Cook was due to miss the Vikings' next two games with a dislocated left shoulder, but head coach Mike Zimmer wasn't immediately willing to rule the 26-year-old out for the Week 13 matchup. Zimmer finally relented Friday after Cook missed his third straight practice, leaving Mattison and Kene Nwangwu as the lone healthy running backs currently on the 53-man roster. Given that Nwangwu has been entrusted with little more than a special-teams role this season, Mattison should be well positioned to play at least two-thirds of Minnesota's offensive snaps while likely taking on 20-plus touches, just as he did in starts Week 3 and 5. In the Week 5 matchup with this same Lions squad, Mattison carried 25 times for 113 yards and hauled in all seven of his targets for 40 yards and a touchdown. Mattison looks like a must-start option in just about every fantasy league in Week 13.

The Vikings have ruled Cook (shoulder) out for Sunday's game against the Lions.

There was never much doubt Cook would sit out Week 13 after he didn't participate in practices Wednesday through Friday upon suffering a painful shoulder injury during the Vikings' Week 12 loss to San Francisco. Adam Schefter of ESPN reported Monday that Cook was expected to miss two games before returning Week 15 in Chicago, and Josina Anderson of USA Today relayed Friday that timeline remains intact, even though the running back is "doing better" in his recovery. At this point, however, the Vikings haven't made anything official for Cook beyond ruling him out for this weekend's game in Detroit. Alexander Mattison should get all the snaps and touches he can handle in a friendly matchup this Sunday, backed by rookie speedster Kene Nwangwu and potentially practice-squadder A.J. Rose, who would need to be called up by 4 p.m. ET on Saturday to play in Sunday's game.

The Falcons are considering elevating Ollison from the practice squad ahead of Sunday's game against the Buccaneers, D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

One way or another, a firm resolution on Ollison's status for this weekend should arrive no later than 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, the deadline for teams playing Sunday to make Week 13 roster moves. After missing practice time last week while tending to an illness, Ollison wasn't summoned from the practice squad ahead of the Falcons' eventual win over the Jaguars, but he led Atlanta with nine carries for 34 yards in the team's Week 11 loss to the Patriots while Cordarrelle Patterson was out with an ankle injury. Patterson was productive in his return to the lineup in Jacksonville and looks healthy ahead of Sunday's contest, so Ollison will likely be in line for a bit role out of the backfield if he's added to the roster this week.