NFL Player News

Baltimore running back Bernard Pierce (knee) is active for Saturday's AFC Divisional Playoff game at Denver. Pierce was able to return to practice during the week after dealing with a knee issue. Pierce has led the Ravens in rushing the past three weeks, totaling 315 yards since Week 16, including 103 last week against the Colts in the Wild Card game.

Rob Chudzinski has been named the new head coach of the Cleveland Browns. The former Panthers and Browns offensive coordinator has an illustrious history as a coach who produces high-stat players but not necessarily victories. He's overseen the running backs in Carolina the past few years and worked as the offensive coordinator with the Browns while Jamal Lewis was there in 2007-08. In Carolina, Chudzinski's running backs totaled basically 300-plus carries and another 50 catches each year. In Cleveland, Lewis had 279-plus carries and 300-plus touches each year under Chudzinski. Those numbers bode well for Trent Richardson, who had 267 carries for 950 yards with 11 touchdowns and another 51 catches for 367 yards and a score in 15 games as a rookie.

The Baltimore Sun reports that running back Bernard Pierce (knee) returned to practice Thursday. Pierce, the team's leading rusher during the past three weeks, has rushed for 315 yards since Week 16, including 103 yards on 13 carries in Sunday’s 24-9 victory over the Colts in the Wild Card round. He is expected to play in the Divisional round at Denver.

Ravens running back Bernard Pierce missed practice Wednesday with a knee injury. He is expected to play in the Division round of the playoffs at Denver. Pierce appeared fine in the Wild Card round against the Colts with 13 carries for a game-high 103 yards.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that Raiders coach Dennis Allen still has faith in running back Darren McFadden, whose 3.3 yards per carry was the lowest average ever for a Raiders running back with at least 150 carries in 2012 due in part to recently fired former coordinator Gregg Knapp's zone-blocking scheme. McFadden is due to make $5.6 million in the last year of his contract. "I like Darren. I think he's a good running back," Allen said. "He's an explosive player, and I think he can continue to produce in the future."

Chargers running back Ryan Mathews believes he'll bounce back from what was a frustrating 2012 season that began and ended with missed games caused by broken clavicles in his shoulders. Mathews tells U-T San Diego he's talked with a number of trainers and plans to apply their advice to his workouts this offseason in an effort to be a more complete player. He'll need to become just that as the story on Mathews adds that some in the Chargers organization do not believe he'll be a true workhorse running back in the league. "It's time for me to show them why they bumped up all the spots they did to draft me," Mathews said. "I've shown greatness at times, and I've shown I can be the worst player at times. You've got to be consistent, and that’s what I plan to do, Just be a little more consistent player and just be the guy they knew when they drafted."

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said he believes running back DuJuan Harris is a 'Transformer' for the team, giving the offense a decent punch from the backfield. Not bad for a guy who was selling cars in Jacksonville a few months ago before landing on the Packers' practice squad. Since then he's worked his way onto the roster and their starting lineup; last week Harris had 100 total yards in the squad's first playoff game against the Vikings. "He's kind of a Transformer," Rodgers said last week. "You have to give him a lot of credit. He's learned the offense the last few weeks and studied, obviously, and the package for him is just going to continue to grow."

The Colts had difficulty stopping Ravens rookie running back Bernard Pierce Sunday. Pierce averaged 7.9 yards per carry and rushed for a team-high 103 yards during a 24-9 Wild Card playoff victory. Pierce's longest gain went 43 yards and Sunday was the second time in the last three games Pierce surpassed 100 rushing yards.

Packers running back DuJuan Harris did something that he failed to do in Week 17 at Minnesota -- find the end zone. Harris scored on a 9-yard run in the first quarter and totaled 100 yards in Saturday's NFC Wild Card contest at home against the Vikings. He had 17 carries for 47 yards and a touchdown in a 24-10 victory. He also came up with a team-high five catches for 53 yards. He was targeted six times in the win.

The Titans have dismissed running backs coach Jim Skipper, making him the third running backs coach to get fired from the team since Chris Johnson joined them in 2008. Johnson might not be to blame as he finished the 2012 season with 1,243 rushing yards and 232 receiving yards to go with six rushing scores.