NFL Player News

DiNucci completed 21 of 40 pass attempts for 180 yards, no touchdowns and two lost fumbles in Sunday's 23-9 loss to the Eagles.

DiNucci received the first start of his career, but was given a rude awakening by the Eagles' defensive unit. The 2020 seventh-round pick did not get any help from his battered and bruised offensive line, as he was often under duress mere moments after receiving the snap. The handful of times DiNucci received a clean pocket, he proved to be indecisive and held on to the ball too long, taking four sacks in total on the night. The rookie was blunt during the post-game presser, stating that "this NFL thing; it's hard." Nothing appeared to come easy for anybody on Dallas' offense with DiNucci at the helm, but a potential Week 9 return for veteran quarterback Andy Dalton (concussion) offers some hope for a rebound. Fantasy managers probably saw enough from DiNucci to steer clear if he is forced to make another start Sunday, especially considering one of the league's top defensive units waits on deck in the form of a home matchup against the Steelers.

Coach Mike McCarthy said after Sunday's loss to the Cowboys that Dalton (concussion) is doing significantly better and is expected to start next Sunday against the Steelers, Jon Machota of The Athletic reports.

Dalton will need to clear the concussion protocol, but a return to practice this week would go a long way toward verifying his status for Week 9. Rookie Ben DiNucci looked overmatched as the fill-in starter under center Sunday, so Dalton's return would be a major boon to all of Dallas' skill position players, even with a tough matchup against the undefeated Steelers on tap.

Lock completed 26 of 41 pass attempts for 248 yards, three touchdowns and one interception in Week 8 against the Chargers.

Lock led the Broncos to an impressive comeback victory, tossing all three of his touchdowns in the second half. The effort was capped by a one-yard toss to KJ Hamler as time ran out in the fourth quarter. Lock also showed rapport with his other primary pass-catchers, connecting with DaeSean Hamilton for a 40-yard touchdown as well as Jerry Jeudy on a 43-yard pass over the middle of the field. This effort was the first time Lock managed to throw multiple touchdown passes in a game this season and was also the first time in three games that he didn't throw multiple interceptions. He'll look to build on this effort in Week 9 at Atlanta.

Mullens completed 18 of his 25 pass attempts for 238 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in Week 8 against the Seahawks.

Mullens entered the game for the team's first drive of the fourth quarter after Jimmy Garoppolo was forced to leave the game with an ankle injury. Mullens led the team to three consecutive scoring drives, two of which were capped off through the air. The 49ers were losing 30-7 at the time Mullens entered the game, so he likely didn't see the Seahawks' most sophisticated defensive looks. Still, he put together a strong effort to get his team back in the game. Mullens may have the chance to start in Week 9 as San Francisco will have a short week heading into a matchup against the Packers on Thursday.

Wilson completed 27 of 37 pass attempts for 261 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions in Week 8 against the 49ers.

Wilson terrorized the 49ers defense, orchestrating a touchdown in four of five drives spanning from late in the first quarter to the end of the third quarter. All told, he recorded his fourth game this season with at least four passing scores -- but his first since Week 3. Wilson threw two touchdowns to DK Metcalf, highlighted by a slant across the middle that Metcalf took to the end zone for a 46-yard score. Through seven games, Wilson has made a strong case to be in the running for MVP, racking up 2,151 passing yards and 26 passing touchdowns. He'll look to maintain his excellent form in Week 9 against the Bills.

Herbert completed 29 of 43 pass attempts for 278 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions in Week 8 against Denver. He added three rush attempts for 21 yards.

Herbert continued to show the ability to move the Chargers' offense effectively, accounting for three or more touchdowns for his fourth consecutive start. He's also topped 275 yards through the air in five of his first six starts as a professional. Herbert's effort was highlighted by a number of deep passes to Mike Williams, including connections of 26, 24 and 19 yards. However, Herbert also made a few errors -- it was his first multi-interception game -- including an interception late in the third quarter that began a rally by the Broncos. Inconsistencies should be expected of any rookie, and Herbert has still been very strong overall by throwing for 15 touchdowns and five interceptions across his first six games in the NFL. He'll look to keep things going in Week 9 against Oakland.

Carr completed 15 of 24 pass attempts for 112 yards and one touchdown, adding six rushes for 41 yards during Sunday's 16-6 win against the Browns.

Carr was held to one or fewer passing touchdowns for the first time since Week 1, but he has Las Vegas situated at 4-3 with a second win over the team's past three contests. The 29-year-old has struggled with fumbles thus far in 2020 (four lost), but a key reason the Raiders are winning is that Carr has limited his interceptions. The three-time Pro Bowler has thrown to a sterling 14:2 TD:INT this season while completing an uber-efficient 71.1 percent of his passes. A Week 9 AFC West matchup against the last-place Chargers provides potential for Carr to enjoy a solid statistical performance after Los Angeles surrendered three fourth-quarter TD passes to the Broncos on Sunday.

Mayfield completed 12 of 25 pass attempts for 122 yards, adding six rushes for 29 yards during Sunday's 16-6 loss to Las Vegas.

Coming off a five-touchdown, 297-yard passing performance that earned Mayfield AFC Player of the Week honors last Sunday against the Bengals, his scoreless Week 8 effort against the Raiders' 31st-ranked scoring defense shows prevailing inconsistencies from the young signal-caller. The matchup was right for the 2018 No. 1 overall draft choice, but he was held under two touchdowns for the third time this season. As Mayfield goes, so does the Browns offense, as Cleveland has averaged 6.3 points per game in those three performances. Mayfield and the Browns now have a chance to reset over the bye before taking on Houston's porous defense Nov. 15.

Garoppolo suffered an ankle injury during Sunday's contest at Seattle, Curtis Crabtree of Sports Radio 950 KJR Seattle reports.

After the 49ers' third possession of the third quarter, Garoppolo was in clear pain on the sideline. Shortly thereafter, backup Nick Mullens was seen warming up, forecasting a health concern for Garoppolo, who missed Weeks 3 and 4 due to a high right-ankle sprain. If Garoppolo aggravated the issue, his status will be one to watch as the 49ers have a short week to prepare for a Thursday matchup with the Packers.

Jackson went 13-for-28 passing with 208 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions during Sunday's 28-24 loss to the Steelers. He also ran for 65 yards on 16 carries, fumbling three times while turning over possession twice.

Pittsburgh's defense disrupted the pocket throughout Sunday's AFC North showdown, collecting nine QB hits and four sacks on the 2019 NFL MVP. Jackson's outing was turbulent from the start, as he threw a 33-yard pick-six to Steelers linebacker Robert Spillane within the first minute of regulation. After posting a 5:0 TD:INT the first three weeks of the season, Jackson has regressed to a 7:5 ratio over his past four outings, throwing for an underwhelming 172.8 passing yards per game since Sept. 28. His rushing floor remains elite as usual, as Jackson has averaged 58.7 yards per game on the ground to follow up his record-breaking campaign from a year ago. He'll prepare for another challenging matchup in Week 9 when Baltimore takes on the Colts' fourth-ranked scoring defense.