NFL Player News

Jets quarterback Geno Smith was held in check in his team's loss to the Patriots in Week 16.

Smith hooked up with Jeff Cumberland for a 20-yard touchdown strike in the second quarter. He completed 17 of 27 passes for 210 yards with one touchdown and one interception, registering a 83.9 quarterback rating. He was sacked twice and rushed for 9 yards on three carries.

Smith will finish the season on the road against the Dolphins.

Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater helped lead the Vikings to four touchdown drives, but it was not enough as the Vikings fell to the Dolphins 37-35 Week 16.

Bridgewater completed 19 of his 26 pass attempts for 259 yards while also throwing for two touchdowns. His lone blemish was an interception in the third quarter.

Bridgewater connected with wide receiver Greg Jennings on a 21-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter and then with Jarius Wright on a 8-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. Bridgewater has now thrown multiple touchdowns in four of his last five games as a starter.

The Vikings play against the Bears in the season finale.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw for 318 yards and a touchdown in Green Bay's 20-3 win over Tampa Bay Sunday, but was not on the field for the team's final drive while dealing with a calf injury. With the game well out of hand, backup Matt Flynn went in to take the final three kneel downs to give Green Bay the win. 

Rodgers downplayed the injury after the game.

"I'll be okay for next week. [I] hurt my calf pretty good... Battled the flu the last few days," Rodgers said. 

Rodgers injured himself in the first half when he was sacked awkardly, forcing him to lose the ball and turn it over. 

Rodgers threw his first touchdown pass in seven quarters late in the fourth when he found Jordy Nelson from 1-yard out for the score. He and the Packers will look to clinch the division in Week 17 against the Lions. 

Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill had the best game of his career to help lead the Dolphins to a 37-35 win over the Vikings Sunday.

Tannehill completed 35 of his 47 pass attempts to go along with a career-high four touchdowns and 396 passing yards. After not posting a 300-yard passing game all season, Tannehill has now thrown for more than 300 yards in two consecutive games.

If Tannehill can throw for 215 yards in the season finale, it will mark the first time in his career he surpassed 4,000 passing yards in a season.

The Dolphins host the Jets in the final game of the season.

In a hot-and-cold performance that has mirrored his season and motivated the Browns to remove him as their starting quarterback, Brian Hoyer did little in relief of injured Johnny Manziel on Sunday at Carolina.

Hoyer completed 7 of 13 for 134 yards, one touchdown and one interception. But most of that territory was gained on an 81-yard scoring strike to outrageously open tight end Jordan Cameron five minutes into the fourth quarter. Hoyer did lead him perfectly.

He also underthrew Travis Benjamin on his next pass and was picked off. If Manziel remains sidelined, Hoyer will likely get the start in the season finale next Sunday in Baltimore.

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford was held without a touchdown pass for the fourth time this season Sunday at Chicago, but the result was still another victory for his playoff-bound team.

Stafford finished 22 of 39 for 243 yards and his first two-interception performance since Oct. 19. The first pick was off a disastrous decision in the red zone and the second killed a promising opportunity as well.

He will try to play better in the regular season finale next Sunday at Green Bay.

Starting right tackle Doug Free (ankle) heads the Cowboys' list of inactives for Sunday's showdown against the Colts. Also sitting out are quarterback Dustin Vaughan, defensive back Jakar Hamilton, linebacker Dekoda Watson (hamstring), offensive tackle Tony Hills, offensive tackle Donald Hawkins, defensive end Kenneth Boatright and defensive tackle Josh Brent.

According to NFL Network, Free has a stress fracture in his foot. Jermey Parnell will start in his place.

The Raiders have listed the following players as inactive for Sunday's Week 16 matchup with the Bills:  wide receivers Vincent Brown (groin) and Denarius Moore (knee, ankle), tight end Brian Leonhardt (concussion), cornerback Chimdi Chekwa (hamstring), guard Tony Bergstrom, tackle Menelik Watson and defensive tackle Stacy McGee.

Brown, Moore, Leonhard and Chewka were previously ruled out on the team's final injury report for Week 16. Bergstrom, Watson and McGee are healthy scratches.

The team will have cornerback D.J. Hayden (back) and defensive tackle C.J. Wilson (knee) available after both players were listed as questionable to play. Also active are quarterback Derek Carr (thumb) and cornerback T.J. Carrie (ankle), both of whom were deemed probable.

The Raiders are a 6 1/2-point underdog at home against the Bills.

Browns ballyhooed rookie quarterback Johnny Manziel has been knocked out of the Sunday game at Carolina late in the second quarter.

Manziel took a hard hit to the shoulder after sprinting for no gain to the left sideline. He was down for a bit before trainers took him to the sideline, then to the locker room. They were checking his left leg. He has been deemed questionable to return with a hamstring injury

Previous starter Brian Hoyer replaced him.

Manziel struggled again during his stint against the Panthers. He completed just 3 of 8 for 32 yards.

Which quarterback would start Sunday for the Texans was answered when Case Keenum took the field with the starters to open Sunday’s game against the Ravens. 

Keenum was competing with quarterback Thad Lewis for the starting role after quarterbacks Ryan Mallett and Ryan Fitzpatrick were lost for the season and Tom Savage was ruled out with a knee injury.