NFL Player News

Patrick received two carries for 12 yards in Sunday's 28-21 loss to Seattle.

Patrick made his second appearance with the 49ers, but this time around he got on the field for an offensive drive (six snaps). Trey Sermon still dominated the backfield playing time (51 percent of offensive snaps), but the big-framed back took over the backup duties after not receiving an offensive snap last week. Elijah Mitchell's (shoulder) status still is up in the air for Sunday's tilt against the Cardinals, so it'll be interesting to see if Patrick's touches increase at all if he's asked to back up Sermon again.

Mack had 10 carries for 22 yards and one reception on two targets for one yard in Sunday's win at Miami. "In my mind, the starting point is Jonathan [Taylor] with 20 carries, Nyheim with five and Marlon [Mack] with five,'' Frank Reich told Fox 59 TV Indianapolis after the game. "But there's give-and-take depending on how the game goes.''

Mack had received just five carries Week 2 and no touches the other two weeks. He got more carries in a game where the Colts were rushing the ball well (Taylor had 103 yards), which makes sense. However, it's a little odd Mack had increased usage, and Reich gave him a vote of confidence just days after Mack and the Colts mutually agreed to seek a trade. Unless he's traded to a team with a need at running back, Mack is still likely to have a minimal role off the bench unless Taylor or Nyheim Hines gets hurt.

Hines had two carries for six yards and two receptions for five yards on two targets in Sunday's win over Miami. "In my mind, the starting point is Jonathan [Taylor] with 20 carries, Nyheim with five and Marlon [Mack] with five,'' head coach Frank Reich told Fox 59 TV Indianapolis after the game. "But there's give-and-take depending on how the game goes.''

Hines played a season-low 22 snaps on offense and went out on just 11 routes. He got less playing time because the Colts were running the ball effectively with Taylor (103 yards on 16 carries) and playing with a lead. Hines will be more active when Indy needs to throw the ball more.

Head coach Zac Taylor said Monday that the Bengals are viewing Mixon's low-grade ankle sprain as more of a day-to-day concern than a week-to-week one, Jay Morrison of The Athletic reports.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reported earlier Monday that Mixon was considered week-to-week after exiting Thursday's win over the Jaguars, but Taylor talked about the running back's injury in more optimistic terms when he met with the media. Taylor added that Mixon's sprained ankle has no relation to the foot injury that sidelined the 25-year-old for the final 10 games of the 2020 campaign, so Mixon looks like he may have a shot to suit up this Sunday against the Packers. Before reaching a decision on Mixon's status, the Bengals will see what he's able to do in practices Wednesday through Friday.

Head coach Matt Rhule said McCaffrey (hamstring) will attempt to practice Wednesday as the Panthers look to "see where he is football-wise," Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

Rhule noted that it's too early to know if McCaffrey will be ready to return from a one-game absence to play Sunday versus the Eagles, but the fact that the running back will attempt to get on the field in some capacity to begin Week 5 prep would seem to suggest that he's recovering well from the hamstring strain he sustained Sept. 23 against the Texans. While McCaffrey was sidelined this past weekend against the Cowboys, rookie Chuba Hubbard served as Carolina's lead back, playing a position-high 33 of the Panthers' 70 offensive snaps (47 percent) and carrying 13 times for 57 yards to go with two receptions for 14 yards on two targets. Given that prior reports suggested McCaffrey likely would miss multiple games due to the injury, the expectation remains that Hubbard will be in line for another start Sunday unless McCaffrey proves healthier than anticipated in practices over the next few days.

Coach Mike Vrabel is hopeful that Evans (knee) will be able to return to practice Wednesday, John Glennon of BroadwaySportsMedia.com reports.

Evans has been on injured reserve since the start of the season due to a knee injury, but he's eligible to return as soon as he's cleared by the team's medical staff. Whether he'll be able to do so for Sunday's Week 5 matchup against Jacksonville remains to be seen, but practicing would be a significant step in his recovery.

McCaffrey (hamstring) took part in pregame stretching prior to Sunday's loss to the Cowboys, but he appears unlikely to play Week 5 against the Eagles and is more realistically targeting a return to the lineup Week 6 versus the Vikings, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.

Beyond ruling out McCaffrey ahead of the Week 4 contest and stating that the running back wasn't going to go on injured reserve, coach Matt Rhule hasn't commented on McCaffrey's availability moving forward. However, when McCaffrey initially strained his hamstring in the Sept. 23 win over the Texans, Rhule suggested the star back would be out for "a few weeks," so the prevailing thought is that he'll be sidelined for a second straight contest this weekend. The Panthers could formally rule McCaffrey out for Week 5 when they reconvene for practice Wednesday.

Taylor logged four of a possible 59 snaps on offense in Sunday's 19-17 loss to the Buccaneers, NESN's Zack Cox reports.

In the process, Taylor finished with one carry for zero yards and one catch for zero yards, while Brandon Bolden (19 snaps, six catches) continued to earn the bulk of the Patriots' change-of-pace looks behind lead back Damien Harris, with James White (hip) on IR. More importantly, the idea that Taylor could be destined for a higher profile in New England's offense may need to be put on hold for the short term after he recorded a costly second-half fumble in Tampa Bay territory. With that in mind, it's possible that Rhamondre Stevenson, who has been a healthy scratch of late, could reenter the team's backfield mix Week 5 versus Houston.

Bolden was on the field for 19 of 59 snaps on offense in Sunday's 19-17 loss to the Buccaneers, carrying the ball once for zero yards and catching all six of his targets for 51 yards, NESN's Zack Cox reports.

Meanwhile, lead back Damien Harris logged 36 snaps, four carries and two catches in the contest, while J.J. Taylor was out there for four snaps, recording one carry, one catch and a fumble. In a game where the Patriots leaned heavily on the short passing game, the team's running backs accounted for just six carries. That's not a pattern that's likely to continue in Week 5 versus the Texans, but what can be gleaned from Sunday's box score is that for now at least, Bolden is the player who the team is primarily counting on to fill the void created by the absence of James White, who is on IR with a hip injury. Heading into Week 4, there was speculation that Taylor could see his profile in the offense expand, but his costly lost fumble in Tampa Bay territory Sunday doesn't figure to help his chances of supplanting Bolden in the short term.

Jones rushed six times for 25 yards and a touchdown and wasn't targeted in the passing game during the Buccaneers' 19-17 win over the Patriots on Sunday night.

The fourth-year back's role as just a complementary option to Leonard Fournette was never clearer than against the Patriots, when the latter outpaced Jones by 14 carries and five targets. However, Jones was the one who was able to cash in with a touchdown, notching an eight-yard score in which he was able to get just inside the right pylon late in the third quarter. Jones' unquestionably diminished role is a concern, however, as the six carries he logged Sunday equaled a season high. The 24-year-old will hope for more opportunity in a Week 5 home tilt against the highly porous Dolphins run defense, a game that may offer the right script for a heavy dose of the ground attack in the second half.