NFL Player News

Douglas (concussion) wasn't spotted at practice Friday, Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site reports.

Douglas didn't practice Wednesday or Thursday, either, so the 2023 sixth-rounder could be ruled out for Week 13 action later Friday. If that ends up being the case, DeVante Parker, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Tyquan Thornton would be in line to work as the Patriots' top WRs versus the Chargers on Sunday.

Coach Jonathan Gannon said Friday morning that Brown (heel) is "trending in the right direction" ahead of Sunday's game in Pittsburgh, Bo Brack of GoPHNX.com reports.

Gannon said an upcoming bye Week 14 won't impact the inactive/active decision for TE Trey McBride (groin), so that's probably also the case for Brown, who played through the same injury last week and caught six of 12 targets for 88 yards in a 37-14 loss to the Rams. Brown didn't practice Wednesday or Thursday but seemingly still has a chance to suit up Sunday.

Wilson (shoulder) will not play Sunday against the Steelers, Bo Brack of GoPHNX.com reports.

Coach Jonathan Gannon ruled Wilson out before practice Friday, likely giving Greg Dortch at least one more week in a top-three role at wide receiver. The rookie will enter a Week 14 bye having missed three consecutive games and four of the past five, though the fact he hasn't been placed on injured reserve suggests there's some chance he'll be ready for Week 15 against the 49ers.

Godwin (neck) isn't practicing Friday, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.

It's a poor sign for his Week 13 availability after he was a mid-week addition to the injury report, listed as limited in Thursday's practice. If Godwin can't play Sunday against the Panthers, his absence presumably would lead to more playing time for No. 4 WR Deven Thompkins, and possibly more targets for starters Mike Evans and Trey Palmer.

Cooks secured all four targets for 45 yards and a touchdown and added a two-point conversion catch in the Cowboys' 41-35 win over the Seahawks on Thursday night.

Cooks made good use of his relatively light night, posting Dallas' second-longest reception (19 yards), recording a seven-yard scoring grab and making a key two-point conversion catch after the Cowboys' final touchdown to extend the lead to three points. The veteran wideout has now crossed the goal line in three of the past four games, a favorable pattern he'll look to extend in a critical Week 14 home matchup against the Eagles on Sunday night, Dec. 10.

Lockett secured five of eight targets for 47 yards in the Seahawks' 41-35 loss to the Cowboys on Thursday night.

The veteran speedster was in the unusual role of playing third fiddle, as Jaxon Smith-Njigba recorded a career-high seven catches while DK Metcalf racked up three touchdown grabs. Lockett was relatively efficient with his solid target total, but his yardage tally was his second straight under 50. Greater contributions will almost certainly be needed from Lockett for the Seahawks to have a chance of prevailing in a critical Week 14 road contest against the 49ers on Sunday, Dec. 10.

Smith-Njigba brought in seven of 11 targets for 62 yards in the Seahawks' 41-35 loss to the Cowboys on Thursday night.

The rookie led the Seahawks in receptions with a new single-game-high catch total, and he was just a yard short of equaling his high-water mark in that category as well. Smith-Njigba's target total also was his highest yet, and he's now drawn at least five looks in four of the last five games. He could be in for another busy game when Seattle engages in a rematch with the high-powered 49ers on the road Week 14.

Lamb secured 12 of 17 targets for 116 yards and a touchdown in the Cowboys' 41-35 win over the Seahawks on Thursday night. He also rushed twice for 30 yards.

Lamb comfortably set the pace in receptions, receiving yards and targets on the night for the Cowboys, with his catch and target totals tying and establishing a season high, respectively. The standout fourth-year pro broke out of what had been a rare two-game funk where he'd produced a modest-by-his-standards 10-91-2 line, posting his fifth 100-yard game in the last seven in the process. Lamb also extended his touchdown streak to four contests with a 15-yard scoring grab in the latter portion of the opening period, sending him into a Week 14 home showdown with the Eagles on Sunday, Dec. 10 with plenty of momentum.

Metcalf brought in six of eight targets for 134 yards and three touchdowns in the Seahawks' 41-35 loss to the Cowboys on Thursday night.

Metcalf paced the Seahawks in receiving yards on the night with the help of a 73-yard touchdown grab just past the midway point of the first quarter that served as the first of his three scores on the night. The talented wideout would strike again from one and three yards away in the second and fourth quarters, respectively, allowing him to double up his season touchdown tally in a little over three quarters. Metcalf's yardage total also served as a season high, and Thursday marked his first regular-season game with multiple end-zone visits through the air since Week 8 of the 2021 campaign. Metcalf now has at least 94 receiving yards in three of the last four games heading into a tough Week 14 road matchup against the 49ers on Sunday, Dec. 10.

Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson indicated that Williams could see increased usage moving forward. "[Williams'] reps are going up. He continues to get out there and the ball is just going to keep gravitating to him a little bit more than it already has."

After seeing no more than a quarter of the offensive snaps in any game as a rookie and no more than 50 percent in any game before Detroit's Week 9 bye week, Williams logged between 52 and 68 percent of the offensive snaps in each of the three games since the bye. While the Alabama product didn't see more than three targets in any of them, there is legitimate hope that his workload could increase since nothing correlates stronger with statistical production than playing time.