NFL Player News

There was nothing earth-shattering about the performance of Dolphins running back Daniel Thomas against the Chargers on Sunday. But considering that his team rushed for a meager two yards against Tampa Bay in Week 10, it was quite an encouraging effort.

Thomas finished with 57 yards on 10 carries and a 1-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. He added a 2-yard reception. He seemingly took control of the featured back spot by getting far more work than Lamar Miller.

A sterner test awaits Thomas when the Dolphins host the Panthers next week.

Chargers featured back Ryan Mathews averaged more than four YPC in each of the last five games heading into the Sunday clash in Miami. But he really outdid himself against the Dolphins.

Mathews averaged 6.7 yards in the defeat, churning up 127 yards on 19 carries for the second-most productive game of his career and best since a 137-yard effort against Denver in November 2011. He added four catches for 52 yards - not bad considering he had just one reception in the previous five games combined.

He wasted no time making his mark, rushing four times for 24 yards and snagging two passes on the team's first six offensive plays. His 51-yard jaunt in the third quarter was the longest of his career.

Mathews and his Chargers play at Kansas City in Week 12.

The Broncos listed seven players as inactive for Sunday night's game vs. the Chiefs: cornerback Champ Bailey (foot), quarterback Zac Dysert, running back Ronnie Hillman, cornerback Tony Carter, center J.D. Walton (ankle), linebacker Nate Irving (shoulder) and guard Chris Kuper (ankle).

Bailey has played just two games all season.

Ravens running back Bernard Pierce struggled Week 11 against the Bears.

Pierce received 10 carries, but picked up just 18 yards against Chicago. He was outshadowed by Ray Rice, who had his best game of the year. Aside from an eight yard run, Pierce was basically stopped at the line on every other carry. He'll try and improve Week 12 against the Jets.

Cardinals running back Andre Ellington turned in a disappointing performance during a 27-14 win Week 11 at Jacksonville. Ellington finished with 3 yards on eight carries, while adding two catches for 10 yards.

Ellington had seven carries of 2 yards or less, with his worst carry going for a seven-yard loss. Ellington got a carry down in the red zone in the fourth quarter, but Ellington was stopped after a 1-yard gain at the 4-yard line.

Ellington has been held to 3 rushing yards in two of his last four games. The Cardinals are back in action Week 12 vs. Indianapolis.

Getting his first shot at extensive playing time with Mike James out for the year with a broken ankle, Buccaneers running back Bobby Rainey had a dream performance Week 11 against the Falcons. He ceded the first two carries to Brian Leonard in what was expected to be a platoon situation but was off to the races with runs of 11, 10 and 11 yards on his first three carries. After he broke off a 43-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter, the Buccaneers didn't see the need to go back to Leonard. It wasn't the last time Rainey would cross the goal line that day.

Rainey scored on a 3-yard run later in the second quarter, finishing the first half with 110 yards on 13 carries. He added a 4-yard touchdown catch early in the third quarter. With the Buccaneers up big, he didn't find quite as much running room in the second half but proved more than capable of carrying the load in a run-out-the-cloock scenario, finishing the day with 30 carries for 163 yards. He also caught two passes for 4 yards and even got a chance to throw the ball, failing to connect on his one attempt.

Rainey wasn't facing an especially stout run defense, but considering he stayed mostly between the tackles, the fact that 12 of his carries went for 5 yards or more shows how well he played off his blockers. He showed good patience waiting for holes to develop and good burst once he found one. He'll look to validate the performance Week 12 at Detroit.

Center Mike Pouncey (illness) is the lone injured Dolphins player on the inactive list issued Sunday by the team.

The others who will not play are defensive tackle Isaako Aaitui, guard David Arkin, cornerback Will Davis, quarterback Pat Devlin, running back Mike Gillislee and tackle Jonathan Martin.

An ankle injury will not keep Dolphins running back Daniel Thomas from being active Sunday against the Chargers. He had been designated as probable.

The Vikings have listed the following players inactive for Week 11: quarterback Josh Freeman, wide receiver Greg Jennings, defensive back Shaun Prater, running back Matt Asiata, guard Jeff Baca, tight end Kyle Rudolph and defensive tackle Letroy Guion.

The Raiders inactive list for Week 11 did not feature many surprises, thanks to the high number of injuries the team is dealing with. Among those who are not active for Sunday's game, only linebacker Kaluka Maiava (ribs) and offensive lineman Matt McCants (toe) had not already been ruled out.

Defensive backs Tyvon Branch (ankle) and D.J. Hayden (groin), wide receiver Juron Criner (shoulder), running back Darren McFadden (hamstring) and quarterback Terrelle Pryor (knee) were all ruled out in the days leading up to Sunda due to their injuries.