NFL Player News

Patriots running back Jonas Gray led New England in rushing during the regular season with 412 yards, with most of them coming in a Nov. 16 win at Indianapolis, as he racked up 201 rushing yards and a franchise-best four touchdowns.

Unfortunately, after the breakout game against the Colts, Gray wasn't much of a factor down the stretch. In fact, he was inactive for the final regular season game and last week's divisional playoff win vs. Baltimore due to an ankle injury.

Gray is hoping to be active for Sunday's rematch with the Colts in the AFC title game.

“It would mean a lot, man,” Gray said about receiving carries in Sunday’s playoff game, per the team's official website. “Honestly, it would be -- it would mean a lot. I’m excited, man. Hopefully I’ll have an opportunity, but I’m just waiting and we’ll see what happens. No idea. No idea. Just wait and see. Just like the game plan, you don’t know how things will go. 

“Same way with being active and inactive. You don’t know whether you’re going to play or not each week. You want to be able to contribute to winning an AFC championship, being a part of something great. Like anyone else on this team, (I’m) worried about the preparation, doing whatever I can to help the team.”

Colts coach Chuck Pagano said Friday running back Trent Richardson, who was inactive for Indianapolis' divisional-playoff game at Denver, will be a game-time decision for Sunday's AFC title game at New England.

Richardson vowed Thursday that he will never be a healthy scratch again.

"That situation will never happen to me again," Richardson said. "Anybody can quote me, today, because it's never going to happen again."

The Patriots are considered 6 1/2-point favorites.

Colts running back Trent Richardson said Thursday that he's approaching Sunday's AFC Championship Game as if he'll be the starter and added that he'll never be a healthy inactive again, the Indianapolis Star reports.

"That situation will never happen to me again," Richardson said. "Anybody can quote me, today, because it's never going to happen again."

Richardson clarified his remarks later in the report, saying that he's unsure whether he'll play against the Colts Sunday. "Whatever coach do, I'm going to agree with it, I'm going to be happy with it, because that's what's best for the team," Richardson said. "If he call me up and tell me I'm going to be playing, I'm going to be ready. If not, I'm going to be cheering my teammates on because it's their game."

The Colts traded a first-round pick for Richardson during the 2013 season. Indianapolis is a 6 1/2-point underdog against New England.

Cardinals running back Andre Ellington, who underwent hernia surgery in early December, tweeted Thursday that he "felt good running for the first time again." Ellington was limited to 12 games by a variety of injuries and finished with 1,055 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns.

He's signed through the 2016 season.

In two playoff games, unheralded running back Dan Herron has 119 rushing yards, 117 receiving yards on 18 catches, and two touchdowns. Colts coach Chuck Pagano trusted Herron with 31 touches in the playoff win at Denver.

"To see him go out and play through – that's a darn good defense we went against and they tackle well – and he took some shots like a lot of guys took in that game," Pagano told the Indianapolis Star after the win over the Broncos. "He's a tough, tough, tough kid."

A sixth-round pick and twice-waived former practice squad player, Herron was just hoping to make the team last August. Now he's entrenched as the starter heading into Sunday's AFC Championship Game at New England. Herron did not touch the ball in the Week 11 meeting with the Patriots, a 42-20 loss, as the Colts rushed for 19 yards on 16 carries.

Herron will be a big part of the offense Sunday. The Colts are 6.5-point underdogs.

"When the opportunity comes," Herron said, "you just have to really seize it and really take advantage of it."

The Cowboys signed running back Ryan Williams to a two-year contract extension on Tuesday, reports the Star-Telegram. Williams signed a deal last offseason, but never stepped foot on the field. He has not made an appearance in a game since 2012 with the Cardinals.

Colts coach Chuck Pagano said Monday running back Trent Richardson was inactive for Sunday's game against the Broncos because he is not a special teams player and has never asked to be one, according to Colts.com.

Backup running back Michael Hill plays on special teams, taking Richardson's spot. Richardson ran for 519 yards on 159 carries in 2014, averaging 3.3 yards per carry. New starting running back Dan Herron had 31 touches in Sunday's game, totaling 95 yards for the Colts.

Indianapolis is currently a 7-point underdog against the Patriots in New England.

Broncos running back C.J. Anderson had 19 carries for 91 yards in Denver's 24-13 loss to the Colts in Sunday's divisional round of the playoffs.

Anderson also had six catches for 29 yards. It was Anderson's third straight game with over 100 total yards. In seven games as the starting running back for Denver, Anderson rushed for 739 yards on 159 carries, averaging 4.6 yards per carry and scoring nine touchdowns.

Colts running back Dan Herron ran 23 times for 63 yards and a touchdown and caught all eight of his targets for 32 yards in Sunday's 24-13 win at Denver. Herron has 18 catches and a pair of touchdowns in his first two playoff games.

While Herron averaged 2.7 yards per carry, he turned in a surehanded workhorse effort after fumbling twice last week. Herron ran around left end for a 6-yard touchdown early in the second quarter.

Herron visits the Patriots in next Sunday's AFC Championship Game.

The Broncos have declared the following players as inactive for Sunday's game against the Colts: Cody Latimer, Tony Carter, Juwan Thompson, Paul Cornick, Michael Schofield, Dominique Jones and Mitch Unrein.

Thompson played in 15 games for Denver this season, averaging 5.0 yards per carry with three touchdowns. He was considered probable on the team's final injury report of the week with hip and knee injuries.

The Broncos are currently 9 1/2-point favorites against the Colts Sunday.