NFL Player News

Titans fullback Jalston Fowler rushed four times for 9 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's loss to the Colts.

Fowler scored on a 1-yard plunge late in the fourth quarter to pull the Titans within two, but the team failed to convert a two-point try to tie the game. The rookie plays mostly in a fullback role, but his sure hands and powerful running style make him a strong candidate to score a few more short touchdowns as the season moves along.

Lions running back Ameer Abdullah gained 23 yards on eight carries, adding two receptions for 19 yards and a touchdown on five targets, in Sunday's 24-12 loss to the Broncos. 

The Lions averaged 4.3 yards per play and had just 28 rushing yards, with Joique Bell carrying 10 times for six yards and a touchdown. Theo Riddick led the Detroit running backs in scrimmage yards for a second straight week, even though he has just one carry this season. Abdullah did lead the bunch with 37 snaps, ahead of Bell's 25 and Riddick's 16, according to Pro Football Focus.

Abdullah hasn't made much of a case for himself the last two weeks, but he's already Detroit's lead back, and the team may be running out of patience with Bell. If the Lions ever establish a half-decent running game, Abdullah should venture north of 8-12 touches, which he's yet to do through three weeks.

Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman had seven carries for 13 yards and a touchdown, adding one catch for three yards on one target, in Sunday's 24-12 win over the Lions. 

Hillman scored a one-yard touchdown while C.J. Anderson was being evaluated for a concussion, but Anderson returned to play most of the snaps in the second half.

Neither running back had any luck on the ground, so while the Broncos may be growing restless with Anderson, they won't necessarily make a change. Despite missing a good chunk of the second quarter, Anderson outsnapped Hillman 35-24, according to Pro Football Focus.

Broncos RB C.J. Anderson (toe/head) gained 18 yards on eight carries and 11 yards on one reception (one target) in Sunday's 24-12 win over the Lions. 

Ronnie Hillman didn't fare any better, finishing with 13 yards on seven carries and three yards on one catch. With their running game stuck in the mud for a third straight week, the Broncos deployed a pass-heavy attack and ran a bunch of plays out of the pistol.

Anderson missed part of the first half while being evaluated for a possible concussion, but he played most of the snaps after he was cleared. With Anderson and Hillman both struggling to get anything going, it won't be surprising if the Broncos stick with the status quo for Week 4 against the Vikings.

Buccaneers running back Bobby Rainey returned one kickoff for 27 yards and totaled 48 yards on five punt returns in Sunday's 19-9 loss to the Texans. He also fumbled twice but was able to recover both. 

Rainey made his mark exclusively on special teams this week, including punt returns of 23 and 13 yards. On the former, Rainey made a questionable decision to field the ball on the Bucs three-yard line, but redeemed himself by finding enough of an opening to set Jameis Winston and company up with some breathing room.

His two fumbles are concerning, but Rainey avoided disaster on both occasions by recovering. As customary, Rainey's running back duties will be determined on a week-to-week basis, but he retains a hold on both returner spots at present.

Broncos running back Juwan Thompson will miss the rest of Sunday's game against the Lions with a neck injury, ESPN's Jeff Legwold reports.

With C.J. Anderson briefly sent to the locker room for a concussion test, Thompson had three carries for 11 yards in the first half. Thompson hurt his neck and was later ruled out for the rest of the night.

Broncos RB C.J. Anderson (head) was cleared to return to Sunday's game against the Lions, ESPN's Jeff Legwold reports.

Anderson took a hard hit and was down on the field for a couple of minutes, but he passed a concussion test in the locker room. Ronnie Hillman scored a one-yard touchdown while Anderson was absent, and Juwan Thompson also got three carries.

Texans running back Jonathan Grimes (knee) rushed six times for 19 yards and caught all four of his targets for 19 yards in Sunday's win over Tampa Bay.

Grimes had been dealing with a minor knee injury during the week.

Broncos running back C.J. Anderson left Sunday's game against the Lions to be evaluated for a concussion, Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports.

Anderson took a hard hit that appeared to be helmet-to-helmet from Lions DE Darryl Tapp. Anderson was down on the field for a couple minutes, but he eventually walked off under his own power. He'll likely miss the rest of the game, leaving Ronnie Hillman to lead the Denver backfield. Hillman had already emerged as a serious threat to Anderson's workload, with the Denver running game off to a slow start this season.

Seahawks running back Thomas Rawls rushed 16 times for 104 yards in place of an injured Marshawn Lynch in Sunday's win against the Bears. 

Lynch, who was a game-time decision with a calf injury, played briefly in the first half (six touches) before leaving with a hamstring injury.

Fred Jackson is the No. 2 running back, but Rawls got almost all of the work after Lynch left. Rawls likely earned more work with his impressive performance if Lynch is limited next week. The Seahawks also have incentive to find out what they have in Rawls in case Lynch retires after this season.