NFL Player News
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Miles Sanders RB | DAL
Eagles' Miles Sanders: Scores TD in loss to Dallas
Sanders carried the ball 15 times for 57 yards and a touchdown and caught four of six targets for 27 yards in Sunday's 37-17 loss to the Cowboys.
He opened the scoring on the Eagles' first possession with a four-yard plunge, helping to build a 14-3 first-quarter lead, but the game was almost all Dallas after that point and Sanders didn't get much of a chance to add to his numbers on the ground with Philly having to play catch-up the entire second half. The second-year back still reached 1,000 scrimmage yards for the season with this performance, and Sanders will look to help the Eagles play spoiler in next week's clash with a Washington team that needs to win to lock up the NFC East title.
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Austin Ekeler RB | WAS
Chargers' Austin Ekeler: Finds end zone in win
Ekeler carried the ball 10 times for 45 yards and caught all three of his targets for 23 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 19-16 win over the Broncos.
He accounted for the Chargers' only TD of the afternoon in the second quarter on a nine-yard toss from Justin Herbert, helping the quarterback set a new NFL rookie record for touchdown passes in a season. Despite the score -- his first since returning to action in Week 12 -- Ekeler otherwise had his second straight fairly quiet performance, and he's seen only seven targets over the last two games combined, limiting his production. He'll look to finish the season on a high note in Week 17 against a Kansas City defense that could be resting key personnel after clinching the AFC's No. 1 seed.
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Melvin Gordon RB | BAL
Broncos' Melvin Gordon: Solid performance in loss
Gordon carried the ball 16 times for 79 yards in Sunday's 19-16 loss to the Chargers.
He just missed posting a yards per carry of at least 5.0 for the fourth straight game, and Gordon saw his largest carry volume since Week 7. With Phillip Lindsay (hip) on IR, expect Gordon to see a big workload again in Week 17 against a vulnerable Raiders defense that just gave up 169 scrimmage yards and two TDs to the Dolphins' Myles Gaskin.
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Antonio Gibson RB | NE
Football Team's Antonio Gibson: Tallies 69 yards in return
Gibson carried the ball 10 times for 61 yards in Week 16 against the Panthers. He added three receptions for eight yards.
Gibson returned to the field for the first time since Week 13 after recovering from a toe injury. Washington fell behind and was scripted out of their run game early on, though Gibson still accounted for 10 of the team's 19 rushing attempts -- three of which went to quarterbacks. Gibson also showcased some explosiveness, breaking off gains of 22 and 13 yards . He should be relied upon heavily with the NFC East title at stake in a Week 17 matchup against the Eagles.
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Ke'Shawn Vaughn RB | SF
Buccaneers' Ke'Shawn Vaughn: Succeeds with rare opportunity
Vaughn rushed 15 times for 62 yards and secured one of two targets for seven yards in the Buccaneers' 47-7 win over the Lions on Saturday.
The rookie turned a career-high number of carries into a new personal best in rushing yardage, with the combination of the absence of Ronald Jones (finger/reserve/COVID-19) and a blowout win affording him an unprecedented amount of opportunity. Vaughn often looked quick and decisive with the ball in his hand. although the caliber and motivation level of the competition does have to be taken into account. Nevertheless, with the Buccaneers now having sewn up a playoff spot, Vaughn could be in for another solid workload in a Week 17 finale versus the Falcons.
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Darrel Williams RB | NO
Chiefs' Darrel Williams: Paces team with 10 carries
Williams collected 46 yards on 10 carries and secured four of six targets for 27 yards during Sunday's 17-14 win against the Falcons.
Williams' workload exceeded that of Le'Veon Bell (seven carries, one catch) with Clyde Edwards-Helaire (ankle/hip) inactive for the Week 16 matchup. This was a surprising development after Bell garnered a team-high 15 rush attempts last Sunday in a win over New Orleans. Williams not only delivered a 4.6 yards-per-carry average on the ground, but he also tied Tyreek Hill and Mecole Hardman for second on the team in targets. With Edwards-Helaire expected to sit Kansas City's regular-season finale against the Chargers, Williams' workload will depend on whether coach Andy Reid wants to preserve the 25-year-old for a home game in the AFC divisional round.
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Jamaal Williams RB | NO
Packers' Jamaal Williams: Not playing Week 16
Williams (quadriceps) is listed as inactive Sunday against the Titans.
After failing to practice in any capacity during Week 16 prep, Williams' imminent DNP was forecast with a doubtful designation for this contest. While Williams tends to a quadriceps injury that knocked him out of Week 15 action versus the Panthers, the Packers will ride the coattails of Aaron Jones out of their backfield. There's also the potential for rookie second-round pick AJ Dillon to get his first significant run of the campaign.
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Jerick McKinnon RB | KC
49ers' Jerick McKinnon: Just four touches on offense
McKinnon logged 10 offensive snaps (18 percent) Saturday, registering one carry for four yards and three receptions for 28 yards in a 20-12 win over Arizona.
McKinnon was still used in a reserve/receiving role even with Raheem Mostert (ankle) missing the contest. Instead of deploying his usual two-back attack, head coach Kyle Shanahan used Jeff Wilson Jr. (22 carries for 183 yards) as a bell cow with incredible results. We should see a similar backfield setup in the 49ers' season finale against the Seahawks on Sunday, giving McKinnon little to no fantasy value in Week 17.
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Nyheim Miller-Hines RB | NO
Colts' Nyheim Hines: Totals 64 scrimmage yards
Hines carried eight times for 44 yards and caught all five of his targets for 20 additional yards during Sunday's 28-24 loss to the Steelers.
Hines averaged a healthy 5.5 yards per carry and snared every pass sent his way, but his inability to break off big plays limited his overall output. Although his 145 rushing yards over the last three games is by far his best stretch of the season, he's averaging just 16 receiving yards per game during the same timeframe. Hines could have plenty of chances to add to his numbers in next Sunday's regular-season finale against the hapless Jaguars.
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Dare Ogunbowale RB | HOU
Jaguars' Dare Ogunbowale: Impresses with increased role
Ogunbowale rushed 14 times for 71 yards, secured three of five targets for seven yards, and had six kick-return yards in the Jaguars' 41-17 loss to the Bears on Sunday.
Stepping into the lead role in the backfield with James Robinson (ankle) out of action, Ogunbowale thrived with his opportunity by putting together an efficient performance on the ground. The fourth-year journeyman had logged just four carries all season prior to Sunday and had never topped 11 rush attempts in any of his three previous seasons, so he was in uncharted territory in terms of workload. If the 1-14 Jaguars hold Robinson out again in Week 17, Ogunbowale figures to helm the ground attack again versus Indianapolis.