NFL Player News

Buccaneers rookie quarterback Jameis Winston completed 17 of 36 passes for 261 yards with a touchdown and interception in a Week 3 loss to Houston.

Winston was expected to be under duress all afternoon, considering the perfect storm that was the matchup of his offensive line against a relentless pass rush. Surprisingly, the rookie quarterback managed to escape without being sacked, yet still tallied a sub-50 percent completion rate.

He did manage a 32-yard touchdown pass to Charles Sims that featured some nifty after-the-catch moves by the running back, and encouragingly connected with his wide receivers downfield for double-digit yardage throws on multiple occasions.

His interception came on a savvy veteran play by safety Quentin Demps, who appeared to bait the rookie into a throw in the middle of the field.

Winston will take the next step in his development in Week 4 at home against division foe Carolina.

Raiders quarterback Derek Carr completed 20 of 32 passes for 314 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's Week 3 matchup against the Browns.

Carr was outstanding for the second straight week in a Raiders' offense that recorded 469 yards of offense against the Browns. The second-year quarterback is off to a fast start after three weeks with 726 passing yards and six touchdowns. He's thrown just one interception and seems to have really matured after an impressive rookie year.

The Raiders have a lot of weapons across the board and will likely throw the ball a lot on a weekly basis. Carr should have a nice matchup in Week 4 against a leaky Bears' defense.

Dolphins offensive lineman Branden Albert (hamstring) is inactive Sunday against the Bills.

Against the Bills' aggressive front seven, Albert's absence works against potential production for running back Lamar Miller and the protection for Ryan Tannehill. Jason Fox is expected to fill in for Albert.

NFL.com's Ian Rapoport indicated Sunday he has been told Saints quarterback Drew Brees (shoulder) is "viewed as a long shot" for next Sunday's contest against the Cowboys.

Rapoport adds Brees' shoulder injury, which has been described as a bruise, is actually a rotator cuff sprain. It is an issue that infers the veteran QB may be dealing with some degree of structural damage. In any case, we'll track Brees' status, but it looks like backup Luke McCown's starting stint may last longer that one game.

Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill (ankle) was listed as being limited in practice Friday, reports Dolphins web site.

There has been no report of a setback in regards to Tannehill's ankle so the Dolphins could've just been taking it easy with their franchise QB. The bad news is that Tannehill will probably be without left tackle Brendan Albert and if he is at all immobile in the pocket Sunday, an angry Buffalo defense could make life quite miserable for him and the Dolphins offense.

A back ailment will not keep Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford sidelined Sunday against Denver. He has been deemed probable.

Stafford logged full practices throughout the week, leaving little question as to his availability, though it's still quite possible he'll have to deal with significant pain. He'll also have to deal with a fine Denver defense that has held opposing quarterbacks to a 45.1 passer rating through two weeks.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees (shoulder) will not play Sunday at Carolina, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

According to Mike Triplett of ESPN, Sean Payton still expects Brees to return "sooner rather than later." That suggests he could be available for Week 4 against the Cowboys.

Luke McCown will start against the tough Panthers defense as New Orleans tries to avoid posting an 0-3 record.

Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins completed 30 of 49 passes for 316 yards, with a touchdown and two interceptions, in Thursday's 32-21 loss to the Giants.

Cousins settled down following an ugly first quarter, though his stat line was still largely produced in garbage time. He was able to move the ball with an onslaught of short passes, but only after his early struggles allowed the Giants to take a healthy lead. According to Brian McNally of 106.7 The Fan, Redskins coach Jay Gruden said after the game that the team doesn't have a quarterback controversy, which strongly suggests Cousins will start against the Eagles in Week 4.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees (shoulder) was limited in Thursday's practice, Larry Holder of New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.

Although he participated in some drills Thursday, it's unclear if Brees has actually commenced throwing, which is the all-important step in his quest to play Sunday at Carolina. If his bruised rotator cuff doesn't yield, though, Luke McCown is preparing to direct the Saints' offense in Week 3.

Titans rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota is not on the Week 3 injury report, which indicates despite the fact he tweaked his ankle in Week 2 that he will be fine for the Sunday game against Indianapolis.

Mariota will try to bounce back from a subpar performance in Cleveland after an historically strong effort in his NFL debut.