NFL Player News

The Browns are worried quarterback Brian Hoyer tore his ACL during Thursday's game against the Bills, according to ESPN.

Hoyer is set to have an MRI Friday, so the injury is not official yet. But there's some concern within the organization that Hoyer tore his ACL. If that's the case, Hoyer would likely miss the rest of the season. Since being named the Browns starting quarterback, the club has gone 3-0. Hoyer has thrown for 5 touchdowns in three games this season.

Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton is returning home Week 5 against New England after his worst performance of the season during a loss at Cleveland. Dalton has been much better at home.

In his last six games at home, Dalton has completed 112 of 181 passes for 1,208 yards with 12 touchdowns and just two picks. The Bengals have lost both road contests this season and Dalton has thrown for 488 in those two games with two touchdowns and three picks.

Although he is much better at home, he has a tough matchup against New England. The Patriots are giving up the eighth-fewest Fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks on the season. Before Atlanta's Matt Ryan threw for 421 yards with two touchdowns last week against them, the Patriots had not given up a passing TD in back-to-back games with four interceptions.

Dalton has not been a strong Fantasy option for most of this season and we don't see him coming out of that Week 5. Fantasy owners really only should be using Dalton in very deep Fantasy leagues or leagues where two quarterbacks are necessary. He is a low-end No. 2 for Sunday's game.

Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer has officially been diagnosed with a sprained right knee, though that is just the initial diagnosis following evaluations in the locker room Thursday.

Browns head coach Rob Chudzinski told reporters after the game that Hoyer will have an MRI taken on the knee Friday. He admitted to the NFL Network broadcast crew at halftime that he fears Hoyer has ligament damage, but would not elaborate following the game.

Hoyer left the game on crutches and wearing a knee brace. The Browns face the Lions in Week 6 in their next game. 

Bills backup quarterback Jeff Tuel was forced into action in Week 5 against the Browns Thursday, and the rookie's first NFL action did not go well in a 37-24 loss. 

Tuel entered the game after EJ Manuel suffered a knee injury in the third quarter, with the ball on the 1 yard line. Fred Jackson would score on the next play, representing the only time the Bills would score with Huel under center.

Huel led the team on six drives, four of which ended in punts. The others ended on turnovers, one on downs and the other on an interception returned for a touchdown.

Huel finished the game with 80 yards on 8 of 20 passing. The Bills have a few extra days off before their next game thanks to the Thursday start to Week 5, which could end up giving Manuel enough time to come back. If not Huel could start his first game in Week 6 against the Bengals. 

Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer was unable to return from a knee injury in Week 5 against the Bills Thursday, and it looks like this could be an issue that lingers past the week. According to the NFL Network broadcast, the Browns medical staff fears Hoyer could have torn ligaments in his right knee.

Hoyer will undergo an MRI Friday to determine the extent of the injury. The Browns are off nine days until Week 6 against the Lions, so they will have plenty of time to determine the extent of the injury. 

Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer was forced to leave Thursday's game against the Bills during the team's second drive, after going down with an awkward looking knee injury.

Hoyer scrambled for a first down, and was hit while attempting to slide. Both knees appeared to get caught under him, and he was immediately helped off the field. Hoyer would walk to the locker room under his own power, but his return is questionable.

Brandon Weeden replaced Hoyer at quarterback in his first game back from a thumb injury. 

Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill struggled through his worst game of the season last Monday against the Saints, as he turned the ball over four times in a big loss. He will try to bounce back in Week 5, but he might have a tough time against the Ravens.

The Ravens rank just 19th in Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks, but that stat doesn't fully account for their track record. Opposing quarterbacks have accounted for 80 Fantasy points in four games against the Ravens, however 60 of them came during Peyton Manning's Week 1 destruction. The next three weeks have seen three quarterbacks fail to top double figures against Baltimore.

The Ravens have three interceptions to just one touchdown over the last three games, while allowing only 198 passing yards per game. Tannehill could have trouble getting going against a locked in Ravens defense, so consider him just a low-end Fantasy option for Week 5. 

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is currently sixth among quarterbacks with 87 Fantasy points. And unlike the last two years, when the Lions were first in pass attempts, Stafford is currently just 10th in attempts, behind quarterbacks like Ben Roethlisberger and Joe Flacco.

But have no fear -- Stafford and the Lions get to face off against Green Bay in Week 5. The Packers, coming off a bye week, have allowed the fourth-most Fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks, giving up eight touchdowns and yielding over 320 passing yards twice in the first three weeks. Even the much-maligned Colin Kapernick scored 36 points against the Packers, in Week 1.

The loss of Nate Burleson as a target should be offset by the continued acclimation of Ryan Broyles and the possible emergence of Kris Durham or Pat Edwards. And with Reggie Bush another week removed from a knee injury, it's all systems go for the Detroit offense. 

Stafford should finish Week 5 with top-five numbers, considering the weapons at his disposal and a stellar matchup against a weak pass defense. 

Yes, he had an ugly Week 3 performance against the Bengals, scoring 13 points and throwing just one touchdown against two interceptions. And he's facing a Lions defense that has allowed just 13.5 Fantasy points per game against opposing quarterbacks. 

But Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers had 73 total points over his first two games. And the Lions have faced Christian Ponder, Carson Palmer, RG3, and Jay Cutler this season -- with the latter two quarterbacks throwing for over 300 yards in the last two games against the Lions. 

Additionally, Rodgers has been solid against the Lions throughout his career. If you throw away the December 2010 game when the Lions knocked Rodgers out in the first half, he's averaged 279.9 passing yards in eight games against Detroit, with 19 touchdowns against four interceptions.

And if you need more stats to convince you that Rodgers should be started, there's this: in the last five years, coming off a bye, Rodgers has averaged 291.2 passing yards, with 13 touchdowns and three interceptions. Two of those games were against the Lions. 

Raiders coach Dennis Allen announced Wednesday quarterback Terrelle Pryor will return to the starting lineup Week 5 vs. Oakland after sitting out Week 4 with a concussion. But that wasn't the only change to the quarterback depth chart.

Allen announced Matt Flynn, who started in a Week 4 loss to Washington, has been demoted to third-string quarterback. Matthew McGloin is now the team's backup quarterback.

"It is what it is. It didn’t work out," Allen said, per The San Francisco Chronicle.