NFL Player News

Browns coach Mike Pettine addressed Isaiah Crowell's surprise start in Week 11 against Houston during his Monday news conference, per the Akron Beacon Journal.

"Crowell was a guy that had practiced well, we felt really good about where he was and progress he made," Pettine said.

Crowell registered 14 of Cleveland's 24 carries and played 51 of 77 offensive snaps on Sunday. He finished with 61 rushing yards. Ben Tate played only 16 snaps and Terrance West logged 10 snaps.

When asked if there was an attitude issue with Tate, Pettine responded with, "nothing that I would speak on here."

Colts running back Trent Richardson gained a total of zero yards on seven carries in his team's 42-20 loss to the Patriots in Week 11.

Both Richardson and Ahmad Bradshaw received seven carries in the game but could only manage a combined four yards as the Patriots completely shut down the Colts rushing attack. Richardson, whose longest run went for two yards, also delivered a 21-yard catch on his only target.

Richardson had put together a pair of solid performances in his previous two games, rushing for 110 yards on 21 carries over that two-game stretch while adding 50 yards on six receptions. With Ahmad Bradshaw unable to finish Sunday's game due to injury and a matchup against the Jaguars in Week 12 on tap, the former first-round pick could have a chance at redemption next Sunday.

Patriots running back Shane Vereen gained 18 yards on his only carry Sunday while catching all four of his targets for 59 yards in his team's 42-20 win over the Colts in Week 11.

Vereen was soundly usurped by Jonas Gray (38 carries, 199 yards, four TDs) in the running game but continued to contribute as a passing-game weapon. His previous low in carries this season was five. Vereen has still racked up 633 yards and four touchdowns in 10 games going into next Sunday's Week 12 matchup with the Lions.

Patriots running back Jonas Gray exploded for 199 yards on 38 carries while scoring four touchdowns in his team's 42-20 win over the Colts in Indianapolis in Week 11.

The Patriots attacked with the running game Sunday night and just kept on attacking when the Colts proved to have trouble stopping Gray. He entered the game with zero career rushing touchdowns but put one on the board quickly, barreling through the middle of the line for a four-yard score in the first quarter. His second-quarter and third-quarter scores both came on runs through a hole on the right side of the line from two yards out. He added a one-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter on a carry to the left side.

Gray entered the game with 131 yards on 32 carries in three games before the Week 11 outburst. He faces a much tougher test when the Lions come to town in Week 12.

The Cardinals got many contributions in their Week 11 home win over the Lions. Among them, tight end John Carlson caught all three of his targets for 37 yards, and running back Robert Hughes had a 49-yard reception and a 2-yard carry.

Tight end Rob Housler made a 27-yard catch, tight end Troy Niklas had a 5-yard grab and wideout Jaron Brown added a 5-yard reception. Running back Stepfan Taylor ran twice for 6 yards and made a 4-yard catch. They'll all visit the Seahawks in Week 12.

Chargers running back Ryan Mathews returned to action Sunday, rushing for 70 yards on 16 carries and catching his only target for another five yards in his team's 13-6 win over the Raiders in Week 11.

Mathews started out a little slow, gaining a total of one yard on his first three carries, but looked just fine after missing two months with a knee injury. His best carry came early in the third quarter, when he made a slight adjustment after taking the ball to cut through a hole in the defense and then kept his balance after taking his first hit before finally being dragged down with a 20-yard gain.

Running mate Branden Oliver also received 13 carries in a game that the Chargers led for more than 59 minutes. However, Oliver averaged just 2.8 yards per carry, gaining only 36 yards on the ground while adding one catch for three yards. Mathews will likely remain the No. 1 option in the running game moving forward while healthy. The Chargers move on to face the Rams in Week 12.

Cardinals running back Andre Ellington struggled to find running lanes in the Week 11 win over the Lions, gaining 42 yards on 19 carries (2.2 ypc). Ellington caught all four of his targets for 24 yards, his third straight game with at least four grabs.

Over the last two games, Ellington has run 37 times for just 65 yards (1.8 ypc). He has another tough matchup Week 12 at Seattle.

Charges running back Ryan Mathews took the lead role back from  Branden Oliver in Week 11, after missing seven games with a knee injury.

The Chargers didn't really ease Mathews back in too much, as he touched the ball 17 times in the win. The blowout still left Oliver plenty of opportunities to contribute, as he added 13 carries, but was far less effective than Mathews, rushing for 34 fewer yards on just three fewer carries.

There is no question Mathews is the better option in the backfield, so it was good to see get something close to a full workload in his return. The Chargers trust Oliver enough to keep him involved, but Mathews is likely to get 15-20 touches per game. He should be a solid Fantasy option down the stretch, while Oliver will likely be just a handcuff option for Mathews owners.

Raiders running back Darren McFadden rushed for just 21 yards on eight carries while failing to catch any of his three targets in his team's 13-6 loss to the Chargers Sunday.

McFadden had trouble getting anything going in the running game, only gaining five yards twice on his best carries. He appeared to lose plenty of time to Latavius Murray in the fourth quarter after the youngster provided a spark late in the third. McFadden's 2.6 yards-per-carry mark Sunday represented his best total in his last three games, and it's possible the Raiders could feed Murray more in the late part of the season as they evaluate the roster for the future. The Raiders have a Thursday night matchup with the Chiefs on tap.

Raiders running back Latavius Murray led his team with 43 rushing yards on only four carries while catching three of his four targets for another 16 yards in his team's 13-6 loss to the Chargers in Week 11.

Murray didn't get his first carry of the game until late in the third quarter but ripped off gains of 14 and 23 yards to put his team in Chargers territory for the first time since the first quarter. The running back had just nine offensive touches coming into the day, but it's possible the team gives him more chances after he provided a spark in limited action Sunday. The Raiders have a quick turnaround to face the Chiefs Thursday.