NFL Player News

Coach Frank Reich confirmed that Mack (hand) will be available for Sunday's game against the Buccaneers, barring any setbacks, Stephen Holder of The Athletic reports.

After experiencing no complications with his fractured right hand following his full practice Thursday, Mack will enter the weekend minus an injury designation and put an end to a two-game absence. Since Mack wasn't sidelined for a long period due to the injury, his conditioning shouldn't be an issue once Sunday arrives, so expect him to slot back into the lead role in the Indianapolis backfield. Jordan Wilkins and Jonathan Williams should see steady downturns in their involvement in the ground as a result, though Nyheim Hines shouldn't lose out on too many snaps on passing downs.

Williams (ribs) wasn't spotted on the field for the early portion of Friday's practice, Adam Teicher of ESPN.com reports.

With Williams set to miss his third practice of the week, he looks destined to miss a second straight game Sunday in New England. Williams will receive an official designation later Friday, when the Chiefs issue their final injury report of Week 14. LeSean McCoy and Darwin Thompson are expected to lead the Chiefs' backfield in Williams' stead, while new acquisition Spencer Ware may also have a role in the game plan.

Williams (knee) is practicing Friday, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

Williams' participation suggests he isn't dealing with a significant injury after being added to Thursday's injury report as a limited participant. An unexpected absence for Sunday's game against Washington would leave Dexter Williams and Tyler Ervin as options to spell Aaron Jones in the backfield.

Patterson caught one pass for 33 yards in the Bears' 31-24 win over the Cowboys on Thursday.

Patterson also lost five yards on his lone rushing attempt, but his 33-yard reception came on a critical third-and-long, and he extended a drive that led to a Chicago score that helped the Bears toward a victory. This was just the second time since Week 2 that he's posted more than 20 yards in a game, and his low-volume role in the offense makes him a weak fantasy option.

Montgomery rushed 20 times for 86 yards and failed to secure his only target in the Bears' 31-24 win over the Cowboys on Thursday. He also lost a fumble.

Montgomery hit the 20-carry mark for only the third time this season, as he was leaned on more than usual in the latter stages of the fourth quarter with the Bears trying to ice the game. The rookie has been productive over his last pair of contests after a pair of lackluster outings in Weeks 11 and 12, as he's garnered 161 rushing yards on 36 carries against the Lions and Cowboys. He'll look to play a significant role again in a Week 15 divisional battle versus the Packers a week from Sunday.

Elliott rushed 19 times for 81 yards and two touchdowns and secured two of five targets for 12 yards in the Cowboys' 31-24 loss to the Bears on Thursday.

Elliott's play was a bright spot in the Cowboys' third straight defeat, although game script eventually served to cap his volume overall. The Pro Bowler has now logged a sub-20-carry workload in three of his past four games, and he hasn't eclipsed the 100-yard mark since Week 9 versus the Giants. Elliott does continue seeing multiple targets in the passing game on a regular basis, and he'll look to be get back to more robust volume in the ground attack in another tough matchup against the Rams in Week 15, a week from Sunday.

While Jones hasn't appeared on the Packers' Week 14 injury report, he dealt with some "sharp ankle pain" during this past Sunday's 31-13 win against the Giants, Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette reports.

Jones spent some time on the sideline Sunday but noted Thursday that the discomfort dissipated by the end of the contest. He even underwent an MRI earlier this week, which revealed no cause for concern. Meanwhile, fellow running back Jamaal Williams was limited at Thursday's practice due to a knee issue. If Williams has to take a step back this Sunday versus the Redskins, Jones could serve in more of a bell-cow role out of the Packers' backfield.

Pollard (ankle) is listed as inactive Thursday at Chicago, David Helman of the Cowboys' official site reports.

Pollard ended Week 14 prep in a precarious position, being held out Tuesday and Wednesday due to an ankle injury. Despite the Cowboys not bolstering the backfield prior to kickoff, the team has opted to keep Pollard in street clothes. As a result, FB Jamize Olawale is the only back available to the offense aside from workhorse Ezekiel Elliott.

Freeman (ribs) practiced fully Thursday, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic reports.

Freeman -- who logged five carries for 11 yards and caught all four of his targets for an additional 13 yards last weekend -- is thus good to go for Sunday's game against the Texans, but he's only an option in deeper fantasy formats these days, with his touches down over his last four outings and Phillip Lindsay having handled the bulk of the team's backfield work in that span.

Williams was limited at Thursday's practice due to a knee injury.

Mid-week additions to the practice report can be worrisome developments, which is what has befallen Williams after no listing on Wednesday's edition. Consequently, his status will be one to watch as the week goes on. Aside from lead back Aaron Jones, the Packers' other options at running back are rookie Dexter Williams and waiver pickup Tyler Ervin.