NFL Player News

Ravens running back Bernard Pierce finished with nine carries for a team-high 52 yards during Baltimore's 28-13 victory over New England in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday. Pierce, who was active for the game after being considered questionable with a knee injury, posted four more yards than starter Ray Rice despite receiving 10 fewer carries. He also added an 8-yard reception on his lone target from Joe Flacco.

Patriots running back Shane Vereen, who took the start last week against Houston, took a backseat to Stevan Ridley throughout most of Sunday's AFC Championship Game against Baltimore. He participated in just two series, even after Ridley was knocked out of the game with a head injury. Vereen rushed for just 16 yards on four carries and caught two passes for 22 yards in a 28-13 defeat.

Falcons running back Jacquizz Rodgers couldn't get going during Sunday's NFC Championship Game against the 49ers. Rodgers was held in check throughout the first half as he was held to two carries for minus-1 yard, but managed to bounce back in the second half. He rushed for a team-high 32 yards on 10 carries in a 28-24 defeat. He was also involved in the passing game but could not come up with a grab despite being targeted three times in the loss.

San Francisco running back LaMichael James was able to reach the end zone for the first time in his career during Sunday's NFC Championship Game against Atlanta. James scored from 15 yards out on the ground in the second quarter to help spark a 28-7 run to erase a 17-point deficit in the game. He rushed for 34 yards and a touchdown on five carries in a 28-24 victory. He was the second-leading rusher on the team behind starter Frank Gore, who rushed for 90 yards and two touchdowns in the win.

After being listed as questionable on the team's injury report, Baltimore running back Bernard Pierce (knee) is active for the AFC Championship Game against New England on Sunday. Pierce was a limited participant in practice Friday and was also limited Wednesday with a knee injury he re-aggravated during the third quarter of the Ravens' double overtime win against the Broncos last Saturday.

After sputtering on the ground last season, the Raiders chose a coordinator to hopefully get their offense back to a power-running scheme suited to star back Darren McFadden. Oakland hired former Jacksonville quarterbacks coach Greg Olson as its new offensive coordinator on Saturday to revive a unit that had its worst production on the ground since 2005. Coach Dennis Allen interviewed a number of candidates, including Norv Turner and Marc Trestman, before settling on Olson to replace the fired Greg Knapp. Olson previously served as offensive coordinator with Detroit, St. Louis and Tampa Bay. In his two years with the Rams, running back Stephen Jackson rushed for at least 1,000 yards in 2006 and 2007, including a career high of 1,528 his first season.

The Ravens injury report from Friday had running back Bernard Pierce listed as questionable after he turned in a limited session at practice. Pierce did not practice Thursday but was also limited Wednesday. He has been dealing with a knee injury, which he re-aggravated in the third quarter of the team’s 38-35 double overtime win against the Broncos last Saturday. Pierce, however, pledged to be available for Sunday's AFC Championship Game at New England, and he appears on track to play.

Falcons running back Jacquizz Rodgers helped Atlanta reach the NFC Championship Game against San Francisco on Sunday with a strong outing against the Seahawks in the previous round. Rodgers had 10 carries for 64 yards, and he hopes to play well again this week. San Francisco has been vulnerable to opposing running backs of late with Danny Woodhead, Marshawn Lynch and DuJuan Harris all reaching double digits in Fantasy points against the 49ers in three of their past four games.

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports that "the Packers are looking for a go-to back" this offseason, which means even more competition for holdovers DuJuan Harris, Alex Green and James Starks, who are all under contract in 2013. The report says "Harris showed a lot of potential, but the Packers aren't blind to the fact he's 5-7 and 208 pounds." Running backs coach Alex Van Pelt said he would like to see how Harris can do with a full workload. "You'd have to see a body of work over an entire season, whether he wore down later in the season," Van Pelt said. "He was great for us when we had him. He was fresh. Quite a change from what we had in the room."

Patriots running back Shane Vereen will look to remain hot in the AFC Championship Game against Baltimore on Sunday. Vereen was stellar in the Divisional playoff victory against the Texans. He piled up 124 total yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns with Danny Woodhead (thumb) dealing with an injury. Woodhead is expected to return against the Ravens, but Vereen should have earned a prominent role after his performance against the Texans. The Ravens have allowed four of their past six opposing running backs to reach double digits in Fantasy points, including Ronnie Hillman last week.