NFL Player News

Coach Sean McVay said Tuesday that he expects Akers (shoulder) to play in Thursday's game versus the Patriots, Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com reports.

Akers took the field as a limited participant in Tuesday's walkthrough practice after being listed as DNP on Monday. While the rookie running back earned the vote of confidence well in advance of Thursday's game, there is some concern that his reps could be managed following a condensed practice week, especially given McVay's inclination for a committee backfield. Darrell Henderson and Malcolm Brown would both benefit from that approach. Regardless, Akers' practice capacity Wednesday is worth keeping an eye on in case of a setback.

Laird ran for six yards over three rush attempts, adding two catches for 16 yards during Sunday's 19-7 win against Cincinnati.

Laird not only avoided relegation to the coach's dog house after fumbling his only carry last Sunday against the Jets, but he also more than doubled his previous season high in offensive touches as Salvon Ahmed (shoulder) and DeAndre Washington (hamstring) sat out. With Miami having waived Jordan Howard on Nov. 17, the 25-year-old Laird may see more opportunities down the stretch for the 8-4 Dolphins.

Freeman did not register a carry or a target over four offensive snaps during Sunday's 22-16 loss to Kansas City.

Phillip Lindsay suited up for Sunday Night Football after coping with a knee issue throughout the practice week, diminishing any potential offensive role for Freeman. The Oregon product is averaging a career-best 4.3 yards per carry this season, but he remains without a touchdown after producing nine combined TDs over his first two years in the league. Freeman also reached at least 130 rush attempts during both 2018 and 2019, and he's on pace to finish far below that mark with just 30 carries over 12 appearances this year.

Akers (shoulder) practiced in a limited capacity Tuesday, Andrew Callahan of Boston Herald reports.

After being listed as DNP on Monday's practice estimate, Akers took the field in what Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic called a "glorified walkthrough." It's tough to draw any conclusions from Akers' practice status under those circumstances. It's possible that he's being limited for maintenance purposes after logging a career-high 22 touches in this past Sunday's win over the Cardinals. On a shortened week, though, it's concerning that he's not at full speed with a Thursday matchup against the Patriots on the docket. Darrell Henderson and Malcolm Brown would see additional touches if Akers ends up sitting out.

Hill is active alongside running backs J.K. Dobbins, Mark Ingram and Gus Edwards for Tuesday's game versus Dallas.

Hill saw double-digit offensive snaps for the first time in 2020 last week against Pittsburgh and had 11 touches for 40 yards, but he should return to a minor offensive role with Ingram and Dobbins off the COVID-19 list. Hill had only one touch in six games during 2020 before working as the change-of-pace option behind Edwards in Week 12.

Edwards is active alongside fellow running backs J.K. Dobbins, Mark Ingram and Justice Hill on Tuesday against the Cowboys.

During a Week 12 loss at Pittsburgh, the Ravens were without Dobbins and Ingram, who were on the reserve/COVID-19 list. As a result, Edwards and Justice Hill split the RB workload, with the former turning nine carries into 10 yards and one TD while the latter had 11 touches for 40 yards from scrimmage. The presence of Dobbins and Ingram on Tuesday further clouds how much work Edwards can expect. Having said that, Baltimore may very well attempt to exploit the Cowboys' bottom-ranked run defense by feeding Edwards, Dobbins and Ingram early and often.

Clement didn't play an offensive snap during Sunday's 30-16 loss to the Packers.

The 26-year-old has two carries for 11 yards and a touchdown while playing only five offensive snaps since Miles Sanders returned Week 10. Clement should continue to see sporadic offensive opportunities while Sanders and Boston Scott remain healthy.

McKinnon garnered zero carries or targets over two offensive snaps during Monday's 34-24 loss to the Bills.

Jeff Wilson (seven carries), Raheem Mostert (nine) and Tevin Coleman (two) split the RB workload for San Francisco in a game script that consisted of nearly twice as many pass attempts (39) as rushes (21). It appears McKinnon may be the odd man out with Coleman having returned from a month-long absence. McKinnon does have six touchdowns and 27 receptions to his name this season, but the 28-year-old's rushed for an uninspiring 3.9 yards per carry over 80 attempts.

Moss registered nine yards on three carries, adding one reception for five yards during Monday's 34-24 win against the 49ers. He and Josh Allen also fumbled an exchange on the Bills' one-yard line, resulting in a first-quarter giveaway.

Buffalo had its way through the air, as Allen racked up 300-plus passing yards and at least three passing scores for the fourth time this season. The ground attack didn't fare nearly as well, with the Bills accumulating just 3.0 yards per carry against San Francisco's ninth-ranked rush defense. Moss yielded the bulk of the work to Devin Singletary, who collected 61 yards over 18 carries while adding 22 yards as a pass catcher. Moss, a third-round rookie, heads into a Week 14 matchup against Pittsburgh having averaged seven rush attempts per game over his past four appearances.

Wilkins rushed five times for 12 yards and caught both targets for six yards in Sunday's 26-20 win over the Texans.

Jonathan Taylor started the divisional contest, and Wilkins garnered just three touches in the first half. Wilkins finished with fewer than 20 yards from scrimmage for the first time since Week 6, while Taylor erupted for 135 yards (91 rushing, 44 receiving) and a receiving score. Meanwhile, Nyheim Hines produced 32 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown. With Taylor finally producing like a second-round talent, the rookie could cement himself as the lead back for Indianapolis moving forward. If that's the case, Wilkins is merely an insurance policy for fantasy purposes.