NFL Player News

Jacobs (quad) isn't expected to play Thursday night against the Chargers, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Jacobs approached the contest listed as questionable after being estimated as a non-participant in each of the Raiders' walkthroughs Monday through Wednesday, but it appears as though he will be sidelined versus Los Angeles. Official confirmation of his Week 15 status will arrive once inactives are posted ahead of Thursday's 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff, but assuming Jacobs is deemed unavailable, Zamir White would be in line to start in his place, with Ameer Abdullah also in the mix.

Dillon, who didn't practice Thursday, told Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he sustained a broken right thumb during Monday's loss at the Giants.

Silverstein noted that Dillon was wearing a brace on the thumb, and the running back himself said that he and the Packers need to determine whether playing with the issue will be a hinderance and/or create issues with ball security going forward. Dillon will have one more chance this week to mix into drills Friday, at which point the team may make rulings on both him and Aaron Jones, the latter of whom is making his way back from a sprained MCL. Jones' on-field work has been capped the last two weeks, but considering he's actually handled reps while Dillon has not during Week 15 prep, the former seems like the better bet of the two to be available Sunday versus the Buccaneers.

Etienne (ribs) remained limited in Thursday's practice.

Etienne has been dealing with a rib issue for a couple weeks but has yet to miss a game. He should be ready to go for Sunday night's AFC clash with the Ravens, but may have to practice fully Friday in order to avoid a Week 15 injury designation.

Miller (ankle) did not practice Thursday, Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football reports.

Miller continues to be sidelined by a sprained ankle and appears all but guaranteed to miss his fifth consecutive game with the injury, considering he hasn't played or practiced since Week 9. However, if he can get on the practice field Friday, it could help get him a jump start on returning on a short week against the Rams next Thursday. That is, assuming he does indeed miss Sunday's game against the Giants.

Achane (toe) was listed as a non-participant for Thursday's walk-through practice, Travis Wingfield of the Dolphins' official site reports.

Achane now has been estimated as a non-participant on both of the Dolphins' first two Week 15 injury report, and head coach Mike McDaniel noted prior to Thursday's session that the rookie running back is an "unknown" for Sunday's game against the Jets at this stage of the week, per Daniel Oyefusi of the Miami Herald. The Dolphins are likely to hold a more traditional practice Friday, and if Achane is able to get back on the field in some capacity, he could clear up some of the concern about his status heading into Sunday. If Achane ends up sitting out against the Jets, starter Raheem Mostert (knee) could handle a larger share of the snaps out of the backfield, while Jeff Wilson would likely be in store for an expanded role as the No. 2 option.

Jones (knee) was a limited participant at Thursday's practice, Ryan Wood of USA Today reports.

Jones opened Week 15 prep Wednesday the same way he finished last week as a limited participant, and he maintained that level of activity during Thursday's session. Head coach Matt LaFleur touched on Jones' status Thursday, telling Wes Hodkiewicz of the Packers' official site that the team will "have a better indication" of his availability for Sunday's game against the Buccaneers after Friday's practice. Jones echoed LaFleur not longer after, telling Hodkiewicz that he's "feeling better" and feels "confident for Sunday." Jones is putting the finishing touches on his recovery from the sprained MCL that he suffered back in Week 11, and if he's able to return to action this weekend, he may resume his standing as Green Bay's lead runner considering AJ Dillon has yet to practice this week due to a broken thumb. Friday's injury report could be telling for the state of the team's Week 15 backfield.

Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell indicated that Chandler will serve as the team's lead back Saturday against the Bengals with Alexander Mattison (ankle) ruled out for the contest, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com reports.

After spraining his ankle early in the second half of Sunday's 3-0 win over the Raiders, Mattison was unable to practice in any fashion during Week 15. Chandler should be in store for his first NFL start this weekend as a result, and he likely won't face much of a challenge for snaps from the remaining backfield options currently on the roster. Kene Nwangwu is the No. 3 back on the depth chart but is valued mainly for his contributions as the Vikings' kickoff returner and is relied upon on offense for the occasional gadget play, while fullback C.J. Ham primarily operates as a blocker rather than a runner or receiver. The Vikings are likely to promote one or both of Myles Gaskin and DeWayne McBride from the practice squad to offer an additional rushing threat behind Chandler, but the second-year back out of North Carolina could still have a path to a three-down role. Chandler hasn't been overly efficient with his limited opportunities through his first 16 career NFL games, averaging 4.1 yards on 55 carries and 6.0 yards over 15 targets.

Ford (wrist) remained limited at practice Thursday, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Following back-to-back capped sessions, Ford probably will need to practice fully Friday in order to avoid an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Bears. The same applies to fellow RB Kareem Hunt (groin), who returned to a limited practice Thursday after logging a DNP on Wednesday.

Hunt (groin) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Hunt wasn't able to participate in Wednesday's session, but his return to practice Thursday puts the veteran back on track for Sunday's date with the Bears. Hunt snapped his three-game scoreless drought with a short touchdown last week against Jacksonville. He's seen double-digit carries in eight of the Browns' last nine games and is up to seven touchdowns through 11 contests.

Dowdle (ankle) was a limited practice participant Thursday, Jon Machota of The Athletic reports.

Dowdle also was listed as limited on Wednesday's practice estimate, giving him just one more opportunity to get back to all activity this week before the Cowboys potentially tag him with a designation ahead of Sunday's game at Buffalo. He's been able to play through his ankle injury in each of Dallas' previous four contests, combining for 33 touches for 120 yards from scrimmage and two TDs during that span while working behind starting running back Tony Pollard.