NFL Player News
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Travis Etienne RB | NO
Jaguars' Travis Etienne: Efficient in lopsided loss
Etienne rushed 11 times for 68 yards and brought in four of six targets for 17 yards in the Jaguars' 47-10 loss to the Bills on Monday night.
Considering game script turned against the ground attack fairly quickly and the Bills defense was flying around with confidence as a result, Etienne had a very productive performance from an efficiency standpoint. The fourth-year back's rushing yardage, reception total and reception yardage were all season highs, as was his target count. Etienne has topped out at 13 carries in terms of a single-game high over the first three contests, however, as Jacksonville has often been in the trail position. Next up for the versatile veteran is a Week 4 road divisional clash against the Texans on Sunday.
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James Cook RB | BUF
Bills' James Cook: Finds pay dirt in lopsided win
Cook rushed 11 times for 39 yards and a touchdown while catching four of five targets for 48 yards in Monday's 47-10 win over the Jaguars.
Cook finished Buffalo's opening drive with a six-yard touchdown run, which was his third rushing touchdown in the last two games after Cook had only four rushing scores in his first 34 regular-season appearances. He should have added a 28-yard receiving touchdown on a wheel route in the second quarter, but an accurate throw from Josh Allen went right through Cook's hands. Despite that miscue, Cook finished second on the team in both rushing yards (behind Allen's 44) and receiving yards (behind Khalil Shakir's 72) in the dominant win. Cook has posted at least 87 yards for scrimmage in every game this season heading into a Week 4 trip to Baltimore.
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Austin Ekeler RB | WAS
Commanders' Austin Ekeler: Out with concussion
Ekeler will not return to Monday's matchup with the Bengals after sustaining a concussion, Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network reports.
Ekeler took a handoff in the red zone during the third quarter of Monday's contest and subsequently exited the game. He had tallied 57 total yards and one touchdown prior to sustaining the injury. He will need to clear the league's concussion protocol at some point during the week in order to avoid a Week 4 absence in Arizona.
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Jamaal Williams RB | NO
Saints' Jamaal Williams: Non-factor in Sunday's loss
Williams logged one rush for minus-1 yard and hauled in one of three targets for no gain during Sunday's 15-12 loss to the Eagles.
Williams didn't see increased playing time despite the absence of injured tight end Taysom Hill (chest), who served as the Saints' No. 2 rushing option behind Alvin Kamara in Weeks 1 and 2. Instead, Kamara shouldered virtually the entire workload out of the backfield with 26 carries and three catches (on three targets) versus the Eagles. Williams totaled 19 carries while primarily playing during garbage time in New Orleans' previous two games, so his lack of usage in the Saints' first non-blowout win is a discouraging sign for his role moving forward -- even if Hill continues to miss time with a bruised lung. Williams' next chance to carve out a bigger workload will come against the division-rival Falcons on Sunday, Sept. 29.
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Jabari Small RB | DET
Jabari Small: Returns to Titans' practice squad
Small reverted to Tennessee's practice squad Monday, per the NFL's transaction log.
Small was elevated from the practice squad ahead of Sunday's 30-14 loss versus the Packers, but he was ultimately a healthy scratch and didn't see the field in Week 3. There's no obvious reason for him to be elevated again in Week 4.
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Tyler Badie RB | DEN
Broncos' Tyler Badie: Moves back to practice squad
Badie reverted to the Broncos' practice squad Monday, per the NFL's transaction log.
Badie had his first touch of Week 3 in the second quarter and another in the third, but he dominated Denver's backfield in the fourth, earning all seven carries among the team's running backs. Overall, he notched nine rushes for 70 yards, which was fueled by a game-high 43-yard run. Having said that, he (13 of 68 offensive plays) was behind Javonte Williams (35) and Jaleel McLaughlin (18) in terms of playing time, so it's difficult to know if Badie has staked a claim to a decent share of the Broncos' RB reps moving forward.
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J.J. Taylor RB | HOU
J.J. Taylor: Reverts to practice squad
Taylor reverted to the Texans' practice squad Monday, per the NFL's transaction log.
The running back was elevated for Sunday's matchup with the Vikings with Joe Mixon (ankle) and Dameon Pierce (hamstring) out with injuries. Taylor played on 10 of 67 offensive snaps and recorded one carry for three yards and two catches for zero yards. Cam Akers and Dare Ogunbowale led the Houston backfield with 29 and 28 offensive snaps, respectively.
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Chris Collier RB | LV
Chris Collier: Heads back to practice squad
Collier reverted to Baltimore's practice squad Monday, per the NFL's transaction log.
Collier made his NFL debut in Sunday's 28-25 win at Dallas, logging one snap on special teams. With Derrick Henry and Justice Hill still the only healthy running backs on the Ravens' active roster, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Collier called back up in Week 4.
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Christian McCaffrey RB | SF
49ers' Christian McCaffrey: Visiting specialist in Germany
Head coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that McCaffrey flew to Germany over the weekend to visit with a specialist for his Achilles tendinitis, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
The saga surrounding McCaffrey continues as he seeks all avenues to get past an injury that has plagued him since early August. Shanahan noted McCaffrey is slated to spend multiple days in Germany, perhaps with the aim to precipitate his recovery. With three games missed during his current absence, he still must reside on injured reserve for at least two more games, but there's an expectation that he'll be out six weeks and maybe more than that, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. In the meantime, Jordan Mason will continue to pace San Francisco's backfield.
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Tank Bigsby RB | PHI
Jaguars' Tank Bigsby: Active versus Buffalo
Bigsby (shoulder) is active for Monday night's game against the Bills.
After being a limited practice participant this past week, Bigsby approached the contest listed as questionable. With his active status versus Buffalo confirmed, the 2023 third-rounder will provide the Jaguars with a complementary option in a backfield led by Travis Etienne. Also in the team's Week 3 RB mix is D'Ernest Johnson, who saw added work in last weekend's loss to the Browns after Bigsby was shaken up on a kickoff play in the second quarter.