NFL Player News

Elliott rushed five times for 19 yards and secured his only target for five yards in the Cowboys' 20-15 win over the Giants on Thursday night.

Elliott saw markedly less opportunity on the ground than backfield mate Rico Dowdle, who logged 11 carries. Eight of Elliott's rushing yards also came on one tote, underscoring how tough the sledding was on the ground for the veteran back. Elliott has now seen fewer carries than Dowdle in three consecutive contests, dimming the former's already suspect fantasy outlook considerably heading into a Week 5 road matchup against the Steelers on Sunday, Oct. 6.

Dowdle rushed 11 times for 46 yards and brought in his only target for a 15-yard touchdown in the Cowboys' 20-15 win over the Giants on Thursday night.

Dowdle led the Cowboys in rush attempts and rushing yards, outpacing Ezekiel Elliott by six carries and 27 yards on the night. Dowdle also made good use of his one pass-catching opportunity via his 15-yard scoring reception late in the first quarter, his first touchdown of any kind since Week 14 of last season. Dowdle's rushing totals Thursday also were season highs, giving him some momentum heading into a tough Week 5 road matchup against the Steelers on Sunday, Oct. 6.

Singletary rushed 14 times for 24 yards and brought in his only target for 14 yards in the Giants' 20-15 loss to the Cowboys on Thursday night.

Singletary's 1.7 yards-per-carry average underscores the brick wall he ran into the majority of the night. The veteran back's yardage total was his lowest of the season by far, and it came on the heels of a two-game stretch where he accumulated 160 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 32 carries alongside a 5-43-0 receiving line. Singletary's first opportunity to bounce back from the season-worst performance comes in a Week 5 road matchup against the Seahawks on Sunday, Oct. 6.

Coach Kyle Shanahan said Thursday on 104.5 KNBR that the 49ers will "probably turn it up here in the next couple of weeks" with McCaffrey (calf/Achilles). "We'll start testing it out here sooner rather than later," Shanahan added.

Because McCaffrey was placed on injured reserve prior to the 49ers' Week 2 loss at Minnesota, he won't be eligible to practice until before a Week 6 road matchup with the Seahawks. Having said that, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Sept. 15 that McCaffrey could miss six weeks or perhaps more than that. If San Francisco ultimately designates McCaffrey to return from IR, he'd have three weeks to test out his Achilles before the team would need to make a decision to activate him. The hope is that his recent visit to Germany to meet with a specialist will aid in the recovery of what's been ailing McCaffrey, but for as long as he's sidelined, the 49ers will entrust most of the backfield reps to Jordan Mason.

Walker (oblique) practiced in a limited capacity Thursday, Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic reports.

Going back to last week, Walker has put together back-to-back capped sessions as he draws closer to completing his recovery from the oblique injury that he suffered Week 1 against the Broncos. According to Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times, Walker was in pads and had his helmet during warmups Thursday. The Seahawks have a pair of practices remaining during Week 4 prep in which Walker can demonstrate his health before the Seahawks may give him a designation ahead of Monday's game at Detroit. If he's able to return, there's a chance he could split reps with No. 2 RB Zach Charbonnet, though Walker has averaged 16.9 touches per game in two-plus seasons as a pro.

Ford (knee) was a limited practice participant Thursday.

After logging no reps in Wednesday's session, Ford took a step forward in his recovery from the knee issue by increasing his practice activity. He'll likely still need to upgrade to full participation Friday to avoid taking a designation into Sunday's game in Las Vegas, but at this stage of the week, Ford appears to be trending toward suiting up.

Johnson could be in store for an expanded role in Sunday's game against the Rams after accounting for 62 yards from scrimmage on 12 touches in the Bears' Week 3 loss to the Colts, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

While head coach Matt Eberflus hasn't said outright that Johnson has earned more opportunities, the second-year back made a compelling case to pick up extra snaps and touches on the heels of his Week 3 performance. He was a rare bright spot in a Chicago rushing attack that has struggled mightily on the whole through the first three games. Starter D'Andre Swift has been limited to just 1.8 yards per carry on 37 totes, while Khalil Herbert (eight carries for 16 yards) hasn't fared much better in a more limited sample. Johnson, meanwhile, was a healthy inactive Week 1 and was limited to a special-teams role Week 2 before he capitalized on his first offensive snaps of the season in Indianapolis. Heading into the Week 4 game, the Bears probably won't offer much clarity on how the backfield snaps will be distributed, but Johnson at least makes for an appealing speculative add in leagues where he's available on the waiver wire.

Bigsby (shoulder) remained limited in Thursday's practice.

Bigsby managed to play through his lingering shoulder injury during Jacksonville's 47-10 loss to the Bills on Monday, but he's since logged back-to-back limited practice sessions. If the No. 2 running back can gain clearance to suit up for Sunday's pivotal divisional matchup against the Texans, Bigsby will once gain be positioned to act as the primary backup to starting running back Travis Etienne.

Johnson was elevated by the Giants from their practice squad for Thursday's game against the Cowboys, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.

Johnson has already suited up twice for the team this season in Week 2 and Week 3, seeing a combined five snaps on offense and not accumulating any counting stats. He'll likely primarily be limited to special teams against Dallas on TNF.

Mostert (chest) was limited in practice Thursday, David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

Mostert, who hasn't played since Week 1, remains limited in practice, as he was before being ruled out to suit up against the Seahawks in Week 3. The veteran running back will have two more opportunities to upgrade his participation level ahead of Miami's home matchup against the Titans on Monday. If Mostert can gain full clearance to retake the field Week 4, he'll stand to rejoin De'Von Achane atop the Dolphins' backfield.