NFL Player News

Broncos head coach Vance Joseph confirmed that Lynch (ankle) would start Sunday's game against the Chiefs, Zac Stevens of BSNDenver.com reports.

After being limited to backup duties in the Week 16 loss to the Redskins while he continued to recover from a high-ankle sprain, Lynch was widely viewed as the leading candidate to start the season finale if his ankle didn't prove to be an issue. It was expected the Broncos would at least wait and see what Lynch was able to do at Wednesday's practice before rendering a decision on a starter, but the team was apparently content enough with the quarterback's health two days after the loss to Washington to feel comfortable having him return to the No. 1 role. Brock Osweiler will thus assume backup duties on the heels of a mediocre outing, but it's hard to envision Lynch being a vast upgrade at quarterback. Though Lynch's first-round pedigree theoretically gives him a high ceiling, he's struggled to move the chains during his four NFL appearances to date, completing 59.7 percent of his passes for 5.5 yards per attempt.

Broncos head coach Vance Joseph reiterated after Sunday's 27-11 loss to the Redskins that Lynch would likely start Week 17 against the Chiefs if the quarterback's sprained ankle cooperates, Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site reports. "Our goal is to see [Lynch] play, so absolutely," Joseph said. "If he's ready to go next week, he will probably play for us."

Lynch and Brock Osweiler split first-team reps throughout practice last week, but Osweiler received the nod Sunday when it was determined that the lingering effects of Lynch's high-ankle sprain would limit the second-year signal caller to backup duties. Even if Osweiler had performed well in the blowout loss -- he completed 22 of 38 passes for 193 yards and tossed two interceptions -- a healthy Lynch would likely still be considered the favorite to start the regular-season finale, as his status as a 2016 first-round pick has Denver eager to see what he can do heading into 2018. Lynch was a limited participant in two of the Broncos' three practices last week, so if he's able to put in a full session or two in the coming days, Joseph should feel more comfortable turning the offense over to the 23-year-old. Though Lynch has more perceived upside than Osweiler, he has yet to show much promise in four career appearances. With a 59.7 percent completion mark for a weak 5.5 yards per attempt and two touchdowns against two interceptions in those contests, Lynch should be treated as a lower-tier fantasy option at quarterback if he garners the Week 17 start.

Carr completed 15 of 29 passes for 140 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions in Monday night's 19-10 loss to the Eagles.

Carr found Amari Cooper for a 63-yard touchdown during the second quarter, but otherwise he endured another dismal display. Over the last three games, Carr has failed to top 5.15 yards per attempt while completing just 55 percent of his passes. With five turnovers versus four touchdowns as well, the Raiders' three straight losses have seen them eliminated from playoff contention. Unfortunately for Carr, he'll face a team still fighting for its postseason life in Week 17, when Oakland travels to play the Chargers.

Heinicke suffered a concussion in Monday's game against the Steelers and won't return.

Heinicke entered the contest in place of struggling starting quarterback T.J. Yates, who briefly departed after being evaluated for a concussion. It only took nine plays before Heinicke succumbed to a head injury of his own, with the 24-year-old completing his lone pass attempt for 10 yards and gaining two yards on a carry before departing. Yates was cleared of a concussion and appears set to direct the offense for the rest of the evening while Heinicke remains under the NFL's protocol. If Heinicke is unable to demonstrate enough progress in his recovery prior to the Dec. 31 season finale against the Steelers, the Texans will likely have to sign a new backup for Yates in the coming days.

Head coach Todd Bowles said after Sunday's 14-7 loss to the Chargers that he intends to utilize Bryce Petty as the starting quarterback Week 17 at New England, Darryl Slater of NJ.com reports.

In his second start of the season Sunday, Petty didn't display the rudimentary skills necessary to direct a competent NFL passing attack, completing 15 of 28 passes for 119 yards and one interception. Instead, a ground game led by Bilal Powell powered its way to 197 yards, or 99 more than Petty's net yards passing due to getting sacked three times for 21 yards. Since taking over for Josh McCown midway through a Week 14 defeat at Denver, Petty has completed 47 percent of his throws, averaged 4.1 yards per pass attempt and posted one touchdown versus three interceptions. Despite the dour numbers, Bowles isn't ready to replace Petty with second-year QB Christian Hackenberg.

Cousins completed 19 of 37 pass attempts for 299 yards, three touchdowns and one interception Sunday against the Broncos. He also carried five times for eight yards in the 27-11 win.

Cousins completed just over half of his passes on the day, but a big second half helped him to his highest yardage total since Week 11. With the score still close, he completed a 48-yard touchdown pass to Josh Doctson before putting the game away with a 31-yard strike to Vernon Davis. Cousins had struggled a bit over his previous four games, averaging just 210 yards passing with seven touchdowns compared to five turnovers. He produced one of his finest performances of the season in this one, however, and will look to finish strong against a hapless Giants team next week.

Dalton completed 27 of 41 attempts for 238 yards, one touchdown and one interception during Sunday's 26-17 win over the Lions.

Dalton completed a healthy 66 percent of his passes, but just one completion longer than 18 yards left him with a substandard 5.8 yards per attempt. Still, he mustered his highest yardage output since Week 10 and gave his team the lead with a one-yard touchdown pass to C.J. Uzomah in the third quarter. Dalton hasn't enjoyed the most consistent of seasons by any means and has now averaged a mere 182.3 passing yards per game over the last six, with nine touchdowns and four interceptions over that span. He'll face a tough matchup with the Ravens to conclude the season next week.

Wilson completed 14-of-21 passes for 93 yards and two touchdowns against Dallas on Sunday, adding 29 yards on nine carries.

Wilson dealt with occasional disruption from a pass rush led by the great Demarcus Lawrence, and otherwise couldn't find any downfield cracks in the Dallas defense. It's an outcome that's difficult to understand given the underwhelming cornerback personnel in Dallas, but Wilson should show better against the Cardinals in Week 17.

Prescott completed 21 of 34 passes for 182 yards and two interceptions against Seattle on Sunday, adding four carries for 21 yards.

Prescott didn't handle the poor circumstances well, but he still had most things working against him here. As has been the case all year and even before it, Dallas' pass catchers create very little separation and lack talent generally, especially as Dez Bryant's physical decline pronounces itself more clearly. Elite left tackle Tyron Smith (back/knee) left very early in this contest, too, making the pass blocking a liability from that point. All the dynamics working against Prescott will remain against him as Dallas hits the road for a rough matchup against the Eagles.

Garoppolo completed 21-of-30 passes for 242 yards, two touchdowns and one interception against Jacksonville on Sunday. He added a third touchdown on the ground.

Despite facing off against what might be the best pass defense the NFL has seen in years, Garoppolo took a meager supporting cast and led his team to 44 points against the Jaguars. In taking down a Jacksonville defense featuring both the league's strongest pass rush and top corner rotation, Garoppolo continues to vindicate San Francisco's decision to trade a second-round pick to acquire his rights. He gets a tough Rams pass defense next week, but it's a more favorable draw than the Jaguars by any standard.