NFL Player News

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.

Stafford completed 19 of 35 pass attempts for 203 yards, one touchdown and one interception Sunday against the Bengals. He also gained seven yards on his lone carry in the 26-17 loss.

Stafford completed just 54 percent of his passes and recorded an average of 5.8 yards per attempt en route to his second-lowest yardage total of the season. He opened the scoring with a 33-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter, but the offense scuffled after that and finished with its lowest point total since Week 8. Most importantly, the loss eliminated Stafford and company from playoff contention, so it remains to be seen whether the Lions choose to deploy all of their regulars for next week's meaningless season finale against the Packers.

Winston completed 21 of 27 passes for 367 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions in Sunday's 22-19 loss to the Panthers. He also rushed three times for six yards and lost three fumbles.

Winston's performance was all over the map, as he rewarded fantasy owners with his second-highest yardage total of the season but also was a turnover machine under the constant pressure he was subjected to. The third-year quarterback was sacked on six occasions and officially hit eight times overall, helping lead to three fumbles. The final turnover of the day was not without controversy, as Winston argued that he'd recovered the loose ball at his own 18-yard line with 35 seconds remaining and the Buccaneers attempting to drive for a game-tying field-goal attempt. Winston's boisterousness while making his case earned him an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, and he remained visibly upset on the sideline for several minutes after the play. Despite the unpleasant outcome, the 23-year-old did complete well over 70 percent of his passes for the second straight game, and he's now generated an 8:2 TD:INT over four December contests. He'll look to finish the season on a strong note against the Saints in a Week 17 home matchup.

Petty completed 15 of 28 passes for 119 yards and an interception while adding 33 yards on three carries in Sunday's 14-7 loss to the Chargers.

Petty still doesn't look remotely NFL-ready. The 2015 fourth-rounder was intercepted by Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen on a Hail Mary to end the first half, bringing his career touchdown-to-interception ratio to 4:10. Things could get ugly for Petty next week in New England if the team doesn't opt to try 2016 second-rounder Christian Hackenberg instead.

Mariota completed 22 of 39 passes for 275 yards and an interception while adding 24 yards on three scrambles in Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Rams.

Mariota's first pass of the game was picked off, but he drove the offense down inside the one-yard line on the ensuing possession before ultimately settling for a field goal after a false start and a near-interception in the end zone. While the mobile quarterback moved the ball pretty well despite his lack of touchdowns in this one, a third consecutive loss to an NFC West opponent has left Tennessee in a three-way tie with the Bills and Chargers for the second AFC wild-card spot heading into next week's home clash with the Jaguars. Given his 12:15 TD:INT ratio this season, Mariota won't be an advisable fantasy play for that matchup with the league's top pass defense.