NFL Player News

Patterson caught six passes on as many targets for 33 yards and rushed for two yards on one carry during Sunday's loss to the Broncos.

Patterson's expanded role as a receiver was due in large part to Michael Crabtree's (chest) absence, while Patterson logged a season-high in offensive snaps (33) and doubled his previous season total of three receptions in just one game. He managed only 5.5 yards per catch, however, and his production figures to remain limited as the Raiders' No. 4 receiver upon Crabtree's eventual return.

Jones had four carries for 11 yards in Sunday's loss to Seattle.

Jones got playing time late in the second half once the game became a blowout loss. Jones isn't going to have a role in the offense and is on the roster just for depth. He may lose his roster spot when Marlon Mack returns from a shoulder injury.

The Buccaneers activated Martin on Monday after his four-game suspension concluded following Sunday's win over the Giants, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports.

Martin is expected to suit up in the Bucs' Week 5 contest against the Patriots, but it's unclear what kind of role he'll hold for the team right off the bat. Though Jacquizz Rodgers has performed unevenly as the team's starting running back in the Buccaneers' first three games and is averaging 4.1 yards on 40 carries, the limited prep time for the Thursday night game could prompt coach Dirk Koetter to proceed with Rodgers as the lead back for the time being rather than turning to Martin for those duties. The team waived tight end Alan Cross to make room on the 53-man roster for Martin.

Rawls, who was inactive for Sunday's win over the Colts, is expected to factor into the Seahawks' backfield mix in future weeks with Chris Carson (leg, ankle) expected to miss extended time, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times reports.

With the team's top pass-catching back, C.J. Prosise (ankle), missing Sunday's 46-18 win over the Colts, coach Pete Carroll elected to keep J.D. McKissic active rather than Rawls as the team's third running back. As a result, Eddie Lacy served as the top alternative on the ground once Carson succumbed to the injury, logging 52 yards on 11 carries. Lacy will likely assume lead-back duties Week 5 against the Rams, but Rawls could be made active and act as Lacy's primary backup, with either a healthy Prosise or McKissic seeing snaps on passing downs.

Martin will return from his suspension for Thursday's game against the Patriots, but his role for the game still hasn't been determined, Ian Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

The Bucs have to activate Martin to the 53-man roster, but they could still include him on the gameday inactive list if they don't think he's ready to play. It doesn't help his cause that the team is on a short week, which means practices essentially will just be walk-throughs that focus on installing the game plan. While eventually expected to reassume the lead role, Martin may be eased back into action at first. Jacquizz Rodgers had his best game of the year in Sunday's 25-23 win over the Giants, taking 16 carries for 83 yards and adding 25 yards on two receptions.

The Vikings confirmed that Cook (knee) has a torn ACL, Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com reports.

The 41st overall pick in this year's draft, Cook was well on his way to a huge rookie season before he injured his knee in the second half of Sunday's 14-7 loss to the Lions. He piled up 74 carries for 354 yards (4.8 average) and two touchdowns in four games, adding 11 receptions for 90 yards on 16 targets. Cook's absence leaves Latavius Murray and Jerick McKinnon (ankle) to handle backfield work, with Murray the best bet to serve as the Vikings' lead runner. Murray has struggled to make his way back from offseason ankle surgery and admitted Monday that he still isn't quite at his best. McKinnon left Sunday's game in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury of his own. The Vikings may become highly dependent on their passing game once Sam Bradford (knee) returns. Cook suffered his injury early enough in the season that he'll at least have a shot to make it back for the start of training camp next year.

Oliver finished Sunday's 26-24 loss to the Eagles with two carries for one yard, and one catch for two yards.

One week after garnering 12 touches, Oliver fell back down to earth as starter Melvin Gordon was able to stay on the field for the majority of the afternoon. It might not have even mattered, as the Chargers seemed intent to move the ball through the air, attempting 38 passes compared to just 13 carries. Oliver continues to remain relevant solely because he's the No. 2 running back in an offense that tends to feature the lead back, but Austin Ekeler's impressive performance (58 total yards and one touchdown) could be something to monitor moving forward.

Ekeler scampered for a 35-yard touchdown on his lone carry during Sunday's 26-24 loss to the Eagles. He also converted both of his targets for 23 receiving yards.

Ekeler saw just three offensive snaps Sunday, but he certainly made them count, combining for 58 total yards as well as his first career touchdown. While his surprising performance might warrant a handful of additional looks, he still trailed Branden Oliver (12 snaps) and Melvin Gordon (42 snaps) for playing time, meaning it would be unwise to buy into the undrafted rookie just yet.

Murray says he is still dealing with soreness in his surgically repaired ankle, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Murray's recovery took longer than expected after he signed a three-year, $15 million contract with the Vikings in March. He's only had a bit role in the Minnesota offense through four weeks, but that's about to change now that Dalvin Cook (knee) is believed to have a season-ending injury. Jerick McKinnon (ankle) also got banged up in Sunday's 14-7 loss to the Lions, though his injury appears to be far less serious than Cook's. Given McKinnon's poor track record when asked to handle a lead role, Murray is the clear favorite to replace Cook as the Vikings' primary early-down runner. Murray may not be all the way back to full strength, but he does believe his ankle is in good enough shape to hold up under a large workload.

McKinnon injured his ankle in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 14-7 loss to the Lions, Andrew Krammer of The Star Tribune reports.

With Dalvin Cook (knee) feared to have a torn ACL, the Vikings needed McKinnon and Latavius Murray to close out Sunday's game. McKinnon suffered an injury of his own during the fourth quarter and declined to comment after the game. He's managed 26 yards on 10 carries and 40 yards on eight receptions (12 targets) this season, after producing only 3.6 yards per carry and 4.7 yards per target last year. Murray hasn't been much better, gaining 38 yards on 14 carries and eight yards on two catches. The Minnesota running game will be in trouble if Cook's injury is confirmed to be of the season-ending variety.