NFL Player News

Dowdle carried the ball four times for 11 yards and returned three kickoffs for 88 yards in Sunday's win over the 49ers.

With Ezekiel Elliott (calf) sidelined, Tony Pollard moved into the lead role in the backfield and erupted for 132 yards from scrimmage and two TDs, leaving Pollard's usual spot as the backup RB and kickoff returner in the hands of Dowdle. The undrafted rookie wasn't able to make much impact on offense, but he did impress as a return man. Even if Elliott returns to the lineup Week 16, Pollard's performance may earn him a bigger workload, potentially opening the door for Dowdle to become the Cowboys' primary kickoff returner to close out the year.

Dallas suffered a Grade 3 ankle sprain during Sunday's 20-15 win over Washington, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

The rookie fourth-round pick is dealing with a serious ankle sprain, an injury that will likely cause him to spend a multi-week stint on the sideline. That leaves Seattle a bit shallow for running back depth with Travis Homer (knee) already on IR, but the team does have three quality options remaining in the form of Chris Carson, Carlos Hyde and Rashaad Penny.

Coach Matt Nagy said Monday that Patterson (knee) is considered day-to-day ahead of a Week 16 matchup versus the Jaguars.

Patterson suffered this injury during the second quarter but was able to return after halftime. He will be monitored throughout the week. The day-to-day tag signals that Patterson has a good chance to play Sunday in a must-win contest. His main contributions come on special teams, since David Montgomery is operating as a bell cow. Patterson leads the league with 942 yards on kick returns this year.

The Chiefs believe that Edwards-Helaire suffered a high-ankle sprain and a strained hip during Sunday's 32-29 win over the Saints, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

The Chiefs listed Edwards-Helaire with hip and ankle injuries when he was forced out late in the fourth quarter of Sunday's win, and X-rays were returned negative after the game. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network has reported that the rookie first-round pick is expected to miss the final two weeks of the regular season, and given the tricky recovery timetable often associated with high-ankle sprains, even a first-round bye may not guarantee his immediate return in the postseason. Le'Veon Bell projects to lead Kansas City's backfield as long as Edwards-Helaire is sidelined, while Darrel Williams and Darwin Thompson also are candidates for increased roles.

Barner returned three kickoffs for 67 yards and ran back four punts for 32 yards in the Buccaneers' 31-27 win over the Falcons on Sunday.

The veteran played all but one of his 24 snaps on special teams, pulling double duty on returns and doing a solid job on both kickoffs and punts. Barner is expected to handle each role for the last two regular-season games, and presumably, in the postseason. However, Barner isn't expected to see any appreciable action from scrimmage unless multiple injuries strike the running backs corps.

Penny rushed twice for six yards in Sunday's 20-15 win over Washington.

After more than a year of recovery from a torn ACL, Penny made his return to the field Sunday and got his feet wet with just six snaps. The Seahawks likely will see how his body responds to the contact before ramping up his workload. The 2018 first-round pick isn't expected to take on major responsibility this year, but perhaps he can usurp Carlos Hyde as Seattle's No. 2 back by the start of the playoffs. He'll look to build on his recent progress next week against the Rams.

Edwards-Helaire (hip/ankle) is expected to miss the Chiefs' final two games of the regular season, even though X-rays conducted after Sunday's 32-29 win over the Saints came back negative for a fracture, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Edwards-Helaire was helped off the field during the fourth quarter of Sunday's game, finishing with 14 carries for 79 yards and one catch for four yards on 45 percent of offensive snaps. The team expects him to be out for at least a week or two, but the likelihood of the Chiefs earning a first-round bye improves Edwards-Helaire's odds of avoiding any absences during the playoffs. Le'Veon Bell figures to lead the K.C. backfield while the rookie is sidelined, with Darrel Williams and Darwin Thompson also candidates to get some work.

Johnson had four carries for 24 yards and returned one kickoff for 16 yards in Sunday's 20-6 win over the Giants.

Johnson had his first carries since Week 8, finishing the game on the Browns' final drive rather than risk injury to either Nick Chubb or Kareem Hunt. Since Chubb returned from an injury following a Week 9 bye, Johnson's been relegated to kick return duty.

Chubb rushed 15 times for 50 yards and a touchdown while catching both of his targets for 18 yards in Sunday's 20-6 win over the Giants.

Chubb punched in a one-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to salvage what would have been a mediocre outing in a favorable matchup (the Giants entered ranking 20th in points allowed to opposing running backs). It was the first time the star back was held under 4.0 yards per carry in a game this season (3.3), which is not surprising given that he entered the contest with a league-best mark of 5.9 yards per tote. The fact that Sunday's modest output is considered a down performance is a great indicator of the elite level Chubb has been performing at in 2020. The 24-year-old will look to break the 1,000-yard mark in rushing yards (his next start will only be his 11th of the season) when the Browns take on the AFC version of New York's football club Sunday.

Evans carried the ball eight times for 30 yards in Week 15 against the Lions. He added two receptions for 27 yards and a touchdown.

Evans was active for the first time since Week 5 after battling a hamstring injury that placed him on injured reserve. He was the only back besides Derrick Henry to earn a touch on the week, though he didn't get an offensive touch until early in the fourth quarter. Regarded as a strong pass-catching back coming out of Appalachian State, Evans excelled in that role to record his first professional touchdown.