NFL Player News

Mixon (concussion), who did not practice this past week and was inactive Sunday, will look to gain medical clearance to play in advance of the Bengals' Week 15 road game against the Vikings.

In Mixon's absence, Giovani Bernard headed Cincinnati's Week 14 backfield, carrying 11 times for 62 yards and hauling in six passes for 68 yards, while backup Brian Hill logged two carries and one catch. Prior to exiting this past Monday's loss to the Steelers, Mixon parlayed his 17 snaps into seven carries for 34 yards and one catch for eight yards.

Jones lost two yards on four carries in Sunday's 27-21 overtime win in Cleveland.

Jones didn't get a touch until overtime the previous week but promptly converted it into a 20-yard touchdown to end the game. There were no such heroics this time around, as Jones barely saw the field while working behind Jamaal Williams, who had 15 carries, seven receptions, 118 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns. Jones likely will have to settle for a handful of touches or less in a Week 15 road game against Carolina, as the Packers clearly are pleased with Williams' handling of a massive workload.

Mack carried seven times for 23 yards and caught two of three targets for an additional 21 yards during Sunday's 13-7 loss to the Bills.

The offensive game plan centered around the ground game due to the ongoing snowstorm, allowing Mack to finish second on the team in touches and scrimmage yards. He still mustered just 3.3 yards per carry against one of the worst run defenses in the NFL and saw Frank Gore touch the ball a whopping 37 times ahead of him. Mack should continue to play a part in Thursday's game against the Broncos, but the presence of Gore and the overall ineffectiveness of the Colts offense limits his fantasy appeal.

Williams took 15 carries for 49 yards and a touchdown and caught all seven of his targets for 69 yards and another score in Sunday's 27-21 overtime win in Cleveland.

Williams got off to a fast start when the Browns left him wide open for a 30-yard touchdown on the opening drive. He struggled to get anything going on the ground against an underrated run defense, but he did score a short touchdown on his third try from the one-yard line early in the fourth quarter. Williams ultimately topped 20 touches for a fifth straight week, while Aaron Jones lost two yards on four carries and didn't get any targets. Williams figures to stay busy in a Week 15 road game against the Panthers, regardless of whether Brett Hundley or Aaron Rodgers (collarbone) is under center.

Murray rushed nine times for 14 yards and caught both of his targets for six yards in Sunday's 31-24 loss to Carolina.

Murray got two more touches than Jerick McKinnon, but gained 35 fewer yards from scrimmage. The former Raiders running back came in with 323 yards and four touchdowns on the ground over the previous four weeks, so this performance should be viewed as an outlier rather than a precursor of more struggles to come.

McKinnon rushed seven times for 46 yards and caught two of three targets for nine more in Sunday's 31-24 loss to Carolina.

McKinnon was far more effective on a per-touch basis than Latavius Murray, averaging 6.6 yards per rush compared to Murray's 1.6. Neither running back was able to get into a rhythm with Minnesota never holding a lead in this one, but the team's 10-3 record suggests gameflow won't be an issue most weeks. If McKinnon keeps outplaying Murray, he'll get a greater share of the workload moving forward after being out-touched, 11-9, in this one.

Williams is the starting running back for Sunday's game versus the Titans.

Williams is taking over for Adrian Peterson (neck) for the second week in a row. During his previous chance to lead the Cardinals' backfield last Sunday against the Rams, Williams churned out 97 yards on 16 carries. That said, he's facing Tennessee's third-ranked run defense Week 14, hindering his potential.

Washington (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's game in Tampa Bay.

Displeased with the state of the backfield, the Lions have deactivated Ameer Abdullah and Washington in favor of Theo Riddick and Tion Green. In a similar situation last Sunday, Riddick earned 64 percent of the offensive snaps, while Green handled 33 percent.

With Ameer Abdullah (neck) sidelined, Green will take on a larger role in the Lions offense Sunday in Tampa Bay.

The Lions are exploring different combinations out of the backfield. Like a week ago, Theo Riddick will likely earn more reps, but Green should also get in the act with Abdullah and Dwayne Washington in street clothes. Last Sunday in Baltimore, Green picked up 21 of 63 offensive snaps, which translated to 11 rushes for 51 yards and one touchdown.

Abdullah (neck) is inactive for Sunday's game at Tampa Bay.

Sidelined for a second straight week, Abdullah will yield the backfield to Theo Riddick and Tion Green, the latter of whom turned 11 carries into 51 yards and one touchdown last Sunday in Baltimore.