NFL Player News

The Colts announced Tuesday they waived wide receiver Griff Whalen. To take his spot on the roster, tight end Justice Cunningham was elevated to the 53-man roster.

After being shut out Week 10 at Green Bay, Eagles tight end Zach Ertz had two catches for 31 yards Week 11 against Washington. He was targeted three times.

Ertz is averaging 1.9 catches in 11 games this season. He has only once had more than three catches in a game, grabbing five passes for 42 yards and a touchdown Week 9 at Oakland.

The Giants received some key contributions from a couple of role players during Sunday's win over the Packers in Week 11.

Wide receiver Jerrel Jernigan caught a short screen and turned it into a solid gain of 13 yards in the second quarter. He finished with two catches for 21 yards. Fullback John Conner caught two of the three passes throw in his direction for only two yards. Tight end Bear Pascoe and wide receiver Louis Murphy each received one target but were both held without a catch in a 27-13 victory.

Packers tight ends Andrew Quarless and Brandon Bostick barely made any sort of impact during Sunday's loss to the Vikings in Week 11.

Quarless made a one-handed, circus grab for a 19-yard gain in the third quarter. He was targeted three times and finished the game with 18 yards. He has not had more than 40 yards receiving in a game.

Bostick, who scored last week, caught his only targeted pass for a gain of 26 yards in the second quarter. He has four catches for 68 yards and a touchdown over his last two games.

Perhaps it's his foot and elbow issues, but Saints tight end Jimmy Graham is finally slowing down. After scoring 10 touchdowns in his first eight games this season, he has none in his last two.

Graham managed just six receptions for 41 yards in a comeback win Sunday over San Francisco. Among those grabs was a 9-yarder that aided a game-winning drive. But Graham has just 100 yards receiving in the last two games combined.

He could be due to break out again Thursday night in Atlanta.

After slumping with one catch for 19 yards last week against the Dolphins, Buccaneers tight end Timothy Wright wasn't any better Week 11 against the Falcons. He was targeted twice but had just one catch for 13 yards on a day when wide receiver Vincent Jackson paced the receiving corps with 10 catches for 165 yards and a touchdown.

Before these last two games, Wright had a five-game stretch in which he averaged 4.6 catches for 50.6 yards. He'll look to return to that level Week 12 at Detroit.

Cardinals tight end Jim Dray, tight end Jake Ballard and cornerback Patrick Peterson combined for four catches during a 27-14 win Week 11 at Jacksonville.

Dray had two catches for 18 yards, Ballard had one catch for 29 yards and Peterson had one catch for 11 yards.

The Cardinals are back in action Week 12 vs. Indianapolis.

Jaguars tight end Marcedes Lewis totaled three catches for 23 yards during a 27-14 loss Week 11 vs. Arizona. His longest catch went for 9 yards and he was targeted seven times in the loss.

Lewis was targeted on a 3-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter, but he got nowhere near the pass because he was held by a defender. One play later after the penalty, Maurice Jones-Drew scored a 1-yard rushing touchdown.

Lewis has totaled three catches in two straight games. The Jaguars are back in action Week 12 at Houston.

Texans tight end Garrett Graham caught seven passes for 136 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 28-23 loss to the Raiders. Graham was targeted 13 times. 

The touchdown -- a 42-yard pass which came in the second quarter on a Case Keenum scramble to the sideline -- was Graham's first since Week 4. It was the first 100-yard game of Graham's career, and the yardage eclipsed his previous career-high (82 yards) by over 50 yards. 

Graham and the Texans host the Jaguars in Week 12. 

Lions tight ends Brandon Pettigrew and Joseph Fauria had a tough time against the Steelers Week 11.

Pettigrew was the bigger threat in the passing game, catching three balls for 37 yards. Pettigrew was targeted five times. Fauria caught just one pass, picking up 14 yards. He was targeted twice. 

Both players will look for more Week 12 against Tampa Bay.