NFL Player News

Andy Dalton and the Bengals' offense failed to get much done in Week 7 against the Colts, and it was his second game of the season with fewer than 6 Fantasy points.

Dalton, coming off a 323-yard, two touchdown game in Week 6, managed to pass for just 126 yards Sunday. He completed just 18 of 38 passes in the game, against a Colts defense that had been third in the league in Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks.

This performance probably shouldn't change how anyone views Dalton; it was just an extreme example of what we've long known about him. He can be a useful Fantasy option at times, but it is asking too much from him to expect him to succeed against a tough defense without A.J. Green to throw to. As long as Green is out, Dalton should probably be avoided, especially with another tough matchup on the way in Week 8 against the Ravens. 

Playing without wideout Calvin Johnson, Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford struggled mightily for most of Sunday's game against the Saints. Stafford turned things around with just under four minutes left when he hit receiver Golden Tate, who broke a tackle and outraced two defenders for a 73-yard touchdown.

Stafford capped the 24-23 comeback win with a 5-yard scoring toss to wideout Corey Fuller with 1:48 remaining. Stafford finished 27 of 40 for 299 yards and the two touchdowns with two interceptions. Stafford made a horrible decision on one pick, but the other was a good throw that deflected off tight end Jordan Thompson's hands.

Stafford plays the Falcons in London in Week 8.

Titans quarterback Charlie Whitehurst threw a pair of touchdowns Sunday, but it wasn't enough in a 19-17 loss Week 7 at Washington. Whitehurst completed 17 of 26 passes for 160 yards and one interception, while rushing for 10 yards.

Whitehurst threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Kendall Wright with 1:04 left in the second quarter to give Tennessee a 10-6 lead. He then threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to Derek Hagan with 7:41 left to put Tennessee ahead 17-16.

Whitehurst was making his third start this season in place of Jake Locker, who missed a second straight game Sunday due to a thumb injury. However, coach Ken Whisenhunt said after Sunday's loss he expects Locker to make his return Week 8 against the Texans.

When Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton completed his first pass for minus-5 yards Sunday at Indianapolis, it was a portent of things to come. But at least he hit his target.

Dalton spent much of the rest of the afternoon throwing incompletions. The result was a shutout defeat and 18 connections on 36 tries for a mere 126 yards. He averaged just 3.3 yards per attempt.

His problems and that of the rest of the offense meant a team-record 11 punts in one game despite five minutes showing on the clock in the third quarter.

Dalton, who threw for just 12 yards in the first quarter, will attempt to turn it around against visiting Baltimore next Sunday.

Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill got back on track with a near-flawless performance, firing two touchdown passes in a Week 8 victory at Chicago.

Tannehill hooked up with Charles Clay for a 13-yard touchdown strike in the opening quarter and fopund Mike Wallace for a 10-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter. He started the game by completing his first 14 pass attempts and finished 25 for 32 on the afternoon with 277 yards and two touchdowns in a 27-14 victory. He was sacked four times and rushed for 48 yards on six carries.

Tannehill will look to keep rolling Week 8 at Jacksonville.

Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer came up with his first major dud of the season Sunday at Jacksonville. His second interception he has thrown all year entered into the equation.

Hoyer finished a mere 16 of 41 for 215 yards with no touchdowns and a tremendously costly pick in the fourth quarter. He misfired on 10 consecutive passes during one stretch in the middle quarters, though several drops and poor blocking by what is now a makeshift offensive line certainly didn't help.

His inaccuracy became more pronounced as the game progressed. His numbers would have looked far worse if not for a dump pass early in the fourth with which Andrew Hawkins ran 65 yards.

Hoyer will try to recover from the terrible performance and the inevitable calls for Johnny Manziel when the Browns host Oakland next Sunday.

Redskins quarterback Colt McCoy came off the bench in the second half Sunday to lead Washington to a 19-17 comeback win against the Titans. 

Trailing 10-6 at halftime, the Redskins made the choice to replace Kirk Cousins with McCoy at the outset of the second half. Coach Jay Gruden immediately looked like a genius as McCoy's first pass went for a 70-yard touchdown to Pierre Garcon to put Washington ahead 13-10.

McCoy then led a 10-play, 76-yard drive at the end of the game to set up Kai Forbath's 22-yard, game-winning field goal as time expired. McCoy completed 11 of 12 passes for 128 yards, while rushing for 3 yards on two carries.

"You hope that you don't have to go to No. 3, but if you do, you hope you go to a guy like Colt, who's a pro," Gruden said after the win.

Gruden also said he hasn't made a decision on who will start at quarterback in Week 8 against the Cowboys. Robert Griffin III (ankle) is expected to return to practice this week and could be in play to return next week.

Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill's ability to make plays with his legs had been downplayed in the team's offense early in the season, but he has been unleashed over the last three weeks, to great effect.

Tannehill rushed for 48 yards in the team's 27-14 win over the Bears, the third game in a row he has racked up at least 35. He had just 18 in the first three games of the season combined. The increased reliance on his running skills has opened things up for Tannehill, who is now riding arguably the best three-game stretch of his career.

Tannehill tossed two more touchdowns to go with 277 yards through the air Sunday, and has now topped 20 Fantasy points in each of his last three games. This is just the second time in his career he has accomplished that feat, with the last coming from Weeks 13 through 15 last season.

Tannehill has racked up 35 or more rushing yards eight times in his career, and has 15 passing touchdowns and eight interceptions in those games. Impressively, he is averaging 22.4 Fantasy points per game in those games, which establishes a clear pattern -- just ask the Miami Herald's Adam Beasley.

Tannehill played receiver before earning the quarterback job in college, so his athleticism is no secret. Now that the Dolphins are making use of it more often, he makes for an intriguing Fantasy player. He could be a solid starting option in Week 8 against the Jaguars.  

Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater completed 15 of his 26 passes for 157 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions Sunday, adding one carry for seven yards in his team's 17-16 loss to the Bills in Week 7.

Bridgewater didn't play particularly well in his first career road start, but he still had the Vikings in position to win the game before the Bills notched a go-ahead score with one second left on the clock. The rookie's touchdown came on a quick pass to Cordarelle Patterson on first and goal from the four-yard line, with the receiver doing the work to get into the end zone after catching the ball near the line of scrimmage. It was Bridgewater's first touchdown of the season, but his two picks also leaves him with five interceptions in 113 pass attempts. Bridgewater and the Vikings stay on the road to face the Buccaneers in Week 8.

Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, held to 138 total yards by the Cowboys in Week 6, erupted in the Week 7 loss at St. Louis. Wilson hit 23 of 36 throws for 313 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions, and he ran seven times for 106 yards and another score.

Wilson scored a rushing touchdown for the third straight week when he scooted 19 yards on a zone-read play in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, Wilson broke containment for a career-long 52-yard scamper.

He threw both touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, hitting tight end Cooper Helfet for 19 yards and wideout Doug Baldwin for 9 yards.

Wilson, who's thrown two touchdowns in five of six starts, visits the Panthers in Week 8.