NFL Player News

Dolphins running back Damien Williams carried twice for 17 yards and caught one pass for 5 yards in Sunday's loss to the Bills.

Through three games, Williams has five carries for 22 yards to go along with five catches for 23 yards. Based on Week 3's game, he may be losing his grip on the Dolphins' No. 2 RB job, given Jonas Gray carried nine times for 49 yards on Sunday.

Chargers running back Branden Oliver had a season-high eight carries for 26 yards, but he did not catch his lone target in Sunday's loss at Minnesota.

Most of Oliver's touches came after this game was decided, and the Bolts pulled Melvin Gordon and Philip Rivers out of the game. Oliver's value will remain very low unless one of the top running backs gets injured.

Vikings running back Jerick McKinnon had six carries for 18 yards in Sunday's win over San Diego.

McKinnon got a few extra carries late amid a blowout win. McKinnon is going to have a small role in the offense as long as Adrian Peterson is healthy.

Bears running back Jacquizz Rodgers carried the ball four times and gained 11 yards in Sunday's 26-0 loss to the Seahawks. He also caught one pass for 10 yards.

Remarkably, Rodgers' receiving total was only 11 yards behind tight end Zach Miller for the team lead, on a day in which the Bears punted on all 10 of their possessions.

It's worth noting that Rodgers seemed to move back ahead of Jeremy Langford on the depth chart after seeing fewer snaps a weak earlier, but it's difficult to see either backup running back carve out a notable role behind starter Matt Forte.

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.