NFL Player News

Perine will take over as the starting running back while Rob Kelley misses time with ankle and knee injuries, John Keim of ESPN.com reports.

With Kelley slated to miss multiple games and even in danger of landing on injured reserve, Perine will have an extended opportunity to lead the Washington rushing attack. He failed to impress while filling in for an injured Kelley earlier this season, managing only 116 yards on 40 carries (2.9) in Weeks 2 and 3 against the Rams and Raiders. The rookie fourth-round pick has a long gain of just 12 yards on 66 carries, and he doesn't figure to see more than a couple targets per game. That said, he figures to get the goal-line carries in a productive offense, with the potential to improve his rushing efficiency as he becomes more comfortable with the pro game. Perine will start off with a road matchup against the red-hot Saints defense Week 11.

Vereen had five carries for 11 yards and four catches for 27 yards Sunday at San Francisco.

Vereen's role had shrunk the last few games, but he saw more snaps Sunday and got back involved as a pass catcher. As a third-down back, his ceiling is limited, especially in this offense.

Redskins coach Jay Gruden confirmed that Kelley (ankle/knee) will miss multiple games, even saying that the running back may be placed on injured reserve later this week, John Keim of ESPN.com reports.

Kelley suffered a high-ankle sprain and MCL sprain in Sunday's 38-30 loss to Minnesota, giving way to Samaje Perine after the Redskins' third possession of the game. The rookie fourth-round pick out of Oklahoma will take over as Washington's lead runner, a role he previously handled (with minimal success) in Weeks 2 and 3 when Kelley was battling a rib injury. Perine doesn't have great pass-game skills and is averaging only 3.2 yards on 66 carries with a long gain of 12, but he should essentially be locked in for double-digit touches each week for as long as Kelley's unavailable. Chris Thompson could also pick up a bit of extra work, and the Redskins presumably will sign a third running back.

Mack had seven carries for seven yards and two receptions for 19 yards on four targets in Sunday's loss to Pittsburgh.

Mack played 25 snaps on offense compared to Frank Gore's 34 snaps. Mack will likely see more playing time later in the season as the Colts look toward 2018, but he'll have a prominent yet secondary role in the meantime. Mack offers big-play ability, but his upside is limited by Indy's overall struggles on offense.

Kelley (ankle/knee) has been diagnosed with a high-ankle sprain and a grade 1/2 MCL sprain, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Either injury on its own likely would cause Kelley to miss at least one game. Given that he suffered both at the same time, he's presumably facing the prospect of a multi-game absence, starting with Sunday's contest in New Orleans. The Redskins will turn to Samaje Perine as their early-down thumper, with passing-down back Chris Thompson potentially also taking on some of the vacated snaps. Perine had 40 carries over a two-week stretch when Kelley was injured earlier this season, but the rookie ran for only 116 yards (2.9 per carry) and didn't score a touchdown or contribute much in the passing game. Thompson remains the best bet for production, despite slumping a bit the past couple weeks.

Jones is expected to miss 3-6 weeks with an MCL injury, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Jones and Ty Montgomery (ribs) were both knocked out of Sunday's 23-16 win over the Bears, leaving Jamaal Williams and fullback Aaron Ripkowski as the only options in the backfield. Devante Mays is also on the roster but was inactive for Sunday's game, and he could step into a meaningful role if Montgomery is unable to play Sunday against the Ravens. Montgomery and Jones had been splitting work, with the latter getting most of the carries and the former getting most of the passing-down snaps. Williams finished Sunday's victory with 20 carries for 67 yards, but his long gain went for just seven yards and he only caught one pass.

Fowler recorded a one-yard run on his lone touch during Sunday's 24-20 win over the Bengals.

DeMarco Murray scored three touchdowns in goal-to-go situations, demonstrating why Fowler isn't called upon much in short-yardage situations. The fullback has just two touches this season.

Henry rushed 11 times for 52 yards and failed to catch any of his three targets in Sunday's 24-20 win over the Bengals.

Henry actually gained 10 more rushing yards than DeMarco Murray on three fewer carries, but he was held out of the end zone while Murray scored twice on the ground and once through the air, all from inside the 10-yard line. While the two running backs are having similar seasons running the ball, Henry has hauled in just six catches all season while Murray has almost four times that total with 23. Murray obviously got the majority of the goal-line work in this one, but Henry's powerful running style also translates well to that part of the field.

Foreman had seven carries for 18 yards in Sunday's 33-7 loss to the Rams.

This game got out of hand in the second half, so the running game became an afterthought when the Texans fell behind by multiple scores. That led to different backfield personnel as Alfred Blue (13 snaps) nearly matched that of Foreman (16). With Houston's offense struggling to score in the post-Deshaun Watson portion of the season, the ground attack should be emphasized, but it can't play from behind as it did Sunday.

Rodgers rushed three times for 12 yards in Sunday's 15-10 win over the Jets.

The final stat line looks decidedly insignificant on the surface, but the modest three carries that Rodgers saw over six snaps actually represented a notable upgrade over his recent level of involvement. Rodgers had logged a combined two rushing touches over the prior three contests, making him the forgotten man in the backfield over that span. Even under the circumstances of a sizable second-half deficit Week 9, during which Doug Martin was given an early hook, it was Peyton Barber, not Rodgers, who was handed the reins of the rushing attack. However, Rodgers was at least part of the action Sunday, resurrecting the possibility that he could begin seeing regular touches again in a complementary role.