NFL Player News

Mathews had four carries for 10 yards and a touchdown, adding one catch for one yard on his only target, in Sunday's 29-23 overtime loss to the Cowboys.

With the exception of a walk-in touchdown from one yard out, Mathews was the clear second fiddle to Darren Sproles, who had 15 carries for 86 yards and five catches for 17 yards (seven targets). The workload split might seem to suggest the Eagles played from behind, but they actually held a lead for the majority of Sunday's game. As such, Sproles appears to have leapfrogged Mathews from the lead-back role, though it's possible things could change if the Eagles decide on a more power-oriented gameplan in any given week. Considering how poorly Mathews has played this season, Sproles is clearly the player to own in a messy Philadelphia backfield. Wendell Smallwood lost a fumble on his only carry in Sunday's game, and Kenjon Barner had 15 yards on four touches. Mathews could be headed for a complete dud if he doesn't find the end zone in a Week 9 road matchup with the Giants.

Elliott gained 96 yards on 22 carries and caught each of his four targets for another 52 yards in Sunday's 29-23 overtime win over the Eagles.

Facing a tough Philadelphia defense, Elliott didn't have quite as many open lanes as he did in the past four games, but a season-high mark in rushing yards helped make up for the end of his four-game streak with at least 134 rushing yards. He was held out of the end zone for a second straight game, but he's still scored five times in seven contests while emerging as a clear favorite for the rushing title. Elliott is locked in as an elite option even for the most difficult matchups -- which he won't have to deal with next week in Cleveland.

Rodgers, who exited Sunday's 30-24 overtime loss to the Raiders late in the fourth quarter with a foot injury, could be in for a multi-week absence according to head coach Dirk Koetter's comments following the contest. "I'm not sure. I don't think it's probably good."

Koetter also went on to say that the injury is specifically ankle-related, lending further credence to the notion that Rodgers may not see the field for a while, given how such ailments can linger. However, the matter remains highly speculative for the moment, but more information regarding the running back's status should come to light at some point Monday. Rodgers has filled in admirably in the absences of Doug Martin (hamstring) and Charles Sims (knee), and if he's unable to take the field in just four days against the Falcons, the Bucs could be down to Antone Smith and Peyton Barber in the backfield if Martin is unable to return to action.

Gordon rushed for 111 yards on 23 carries and added 44 yards on four catches in Sunday's loss to Denver.

How special was Gordon's performance? It was the first time that Denver's vaunted defense had surrendered 100 yards to a single rusher in 22 games. Gordon, at times, was simply gashing Denver's front. The only thing missing from the outing was a score, though San Diego made it inside the Denver 10 on just one drive all game - so opportunities were scarce. On the year, only LeGarrette Blount has more rushing touchdowns than Gordon's eight and the back is delivering on the promise of his first-round status from a year ago.

Michael gained 40 yards and scored a touchdown on 10 carries during Sunday's 25-20 loss to the Saints. He also gained two yards while securing one of his two targets.

Michael got off to a strong start and put his team up 11 with a two-yard score in the second quarter, but his workload waned as the game moved along and he ended up with his fewest touches of the season as well as his lowest yardage output. He has been the top dog in the backfield for Seattle and has been leaned upon while Russell Wilson continues to provide lackluster results due to his various physical maladies, but his stock would benefit if Wilson were able to turn things around. Michael should see his involvement increase next week versus Buffalo at home, where he has 236 yards and four touchdowns in three games this season.

Williams rushed five times for 12 yards in Sunday's loss to New England while scoring his first NFL touchdown.

Williams saw work given the one-sided nature of the game. With LeSean McCoy out with a hamstring injury, the rookie appears to be the top backup to temporary starter Mike Gillislee. However, that might all be short-lived -- even if McCoy can't rally to play next week at Seattle, the Bills go on bye after that challenging contest.

Gillislee rushed 12 times for 85 yards and a touchdown while catching all three of his targets for nine yards during Sunday's loss to the Patriots.

Considering he came into the game with a foot injury and there was a shot for part of the week that LeSean McCoy would try and suit up, this was a pretty good result for Gillislee owners, especially given the one-sidedness of the game. The only buzzkill was that rookie Jonathan Williams vultured away a touchdown late in the contest.

Hightower rushed 26 times for 102 yards and caught one of three targets for no gain in Sunday's 25-20 win over the Seahawks.

Hightower took over as the primary running back after Mark Ingram was benched in the first quarter following a lost fumble that was returned for a touchdown by Earl Thomas. Ingram's fumbling issues likely haven't taken him out of the rotation for good, but Hightower should certainly factor in more moving forward after proving capable of effectively carrying a full load. That being said, the Saints will likely continue to rely primarily on the pass due to their defense's inability to stop opponents from scoring.

Murray rushed the ball 11 times for 48 yards to go along with five receptions for 23 yards during Sunday's overtime victory over the Buccaneers.

Murray led the Raiders' rushing attack with six more carries than both Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington, and he was able to average more than four yards per carry for just the third time this season. Quarterback Derek Carr was able to find Murray as his check-down option several times on the way to 513 passing yards and another win. Murray will look to add to his touchdown total next week against the Broncos in what will be a tough divisional matchup.

Zenner carried three times for two yards Sunday against the Texans, also securing his lone target for an additional five yards.

Zenner was the main beneficiary of Dwayne Washington (coach's decision) surprising inactive status, but he failed to do much with his limited opportunity. However, he was still second in line for carries upon Theo Riddick's return from injury, ahead of veteran Justin Forsett. Washington appeared to be well in front of Zenner on the depth chart prior to the rookie missing time with an ankle injury, though, making it hard to predict who will operate as Riddick's complement moving forward.