NFL Player News

Smith completed 23 of 41 passes for 334 yards with three touchdowns and one interception in the Seahawks' 41-35 loss to the Cowboys on Thursday night. He also rushed twice for six yards and another score.

Smith put up a stat line befitting a victory, but a trio of late stalled drives helped scuttle that outcome. However, the veteran signal-caller still finished with a highly fantasy-friendly performance, connecting with DK Metcalf for touchdown passes of 73, one and three yards while adding a five-yard scoring scamper of his own early in the third quarter. However, Smith completed just six of his 15 pass attempts over the aforementioned final three possessions, with what appeared to be a miscommunication in Seattle's blocking scheme on fourth down with 1:07 remaining forcing him to get rid of the ball much sooner than he would have liked and sealing Dallas' win. Despite the undesirable outcome, Smith did record his fourth 300-yard game of the campaign and fifth multi-touchdown effort as well, while his rushing score was his first of the season. Next up for Smith and the Seahawks is a Week 14 road rematch against the 49ers that will be critical to Seattle's postseason hopes.

Prescott completed 29 of 41 passes for 299 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions in the Cowboys' 41-35 win over the Seahawks on Thursday night. He also rushed seven times for 23 yards and threw for a two-point conversion.

Prescott and the Cowboys as a whole likely got a lot more than they bargained for from the opposing offense, which helped lead to a busy night for Dallas' star quarterback. He proved he was up to the task of pulling out a rare close game at home, connecting with CeeDee Lamb (15 yards), Brandin Cooks (seven yards) and Jake Ferguson (12 yards) for his trio of scores. The latter touchdown pass came with 4:37 remaining and was followed by a two-point conversion toss to Cooks, taking the Cowboys from a five-point deficit to three-point advantage. Prescott now has at least three touchdown passes in five of the last six contests, and he fell just short of a fifth 300-yard game in that span as well. With the hard-fought win in hand, Prescott and teammates now have extra time to prepare for a Week 14 home showdown against the Eagles on Sunday, Dec. 10 that could ultimately help decide the NFC East.

Lance (coach's decision) is inactive for Thursday night's game against the Seahawks, but he will be available as the emergency No. 3 quarterback.

The Cowboys' top two quarterbacks, Dak Prescott and Cooper Rush, would have to be unavailable due to injury or disqualification for Lance to see action. The 2021 first-round pick of the 49ers has been playing this role since getting traded to Dallas in August.

Rodgers (Achilles) didn't participate in Thursday's practice, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

One day after he was designated for return from injured reserve and took part in practice as a limited participant, Rodgers was a spectator for the Jets' second session of the week. As Cimini notes, Rodgers' absence from practice wasn't the result of any setback in his recovery from Achilles surgery, as the quarterback's rehab plan simply calls for him to mix in lighter days of activity as he works his way back closer to full strength. Rodgers continues to target the team's Week 16 matchup with the Commanders for his potential return to game action, though he's stated that any comeback attempt this season will hinge on the 4-7 Jets remaining in playoff contention by late December.

Thompson-Robinson (concussion) was listed as a non-participant in Thursday's practice.

Earlier Thursday, offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt told Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer that Thompson-Robinson underwent additional concussion testing. The rookie quarterback ultimately wasn't able to advance to limited practice participation, which would have represented a sign of progress as he navigates the five-step protocol. Thompson-Robinson could still have a chance at playing Sunday against the Rams if he's able to get back on the practice field in some capacity Friday, but at this stage, veteran Joe Flacco looks to be trending toward the Week 13 start. Flacco remains on the practice squad for now, but head coach Kevin Stefanski said Wednesday that Flacco is now viewed as the top understudy to Thompson-Robinson, with PJ Walker dropping to third on the depth chart.

Levis (ankle) was a full participant in Thursday's practice, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

The ankle injury resulted in Levis' practice reps being capped Wednesday, but his return to full practice participation clears the way for him to make his sixth start of the season Sunday versus the Colts. Through his first five NFL appearances, Levis has completed 91 of 152 pass attempts (59.9 percent) for 1,042 yards (6.9 YPA) and a 6:2 TD:INT.

Hooker (knee) was a full participant at practice Thursday.

For the first time in his young NFL career, Hooker finally appears to be near full strength ahead of Week 13. Jared Goff seems to have the starting role under firm control despite cooling off after last season, and Teddy Bridgewater profiles as a capable backup, so it would still be surprising to see Hooker check in at any point this year except possibly to put a bow on a blowout.

Luton was cut from the Panthers' practice squad Thursday, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.

Luton has bounced back and forth between Carolina and New Orleans' practice squads this season and rejoined the Panthers on Oct. 25. His exit comes as the team added Deonte Brown back to its practice squad to beef up the offensive line depth.

The Patriots are preparing for Zappe to start Sunday against the Chargers, sources tell Jeff Howe of The Athletic.

Though head coach Bill Belichick has been unwilling to confirm a starting quarterback for the second week in a row, signs are pointing to Zappe getting his first nod of the season. Zappe took the bulk of the first-team reps at practice Wednesday, three days after he replaced Mac Jones for the second half of a 10-7 loss to the Giants. The second-year signal-caller out of Western Kentucky didn't provide much of a spark to the New England offense in Week 12 and now owns an ugly 48.7 percent completion rate for 4.1 yards per attempt on 39 passes this season, but the Patriots nonetheless appear set to give Zappe a chance to lead the offense with Jones having failed to finish four of his 11 starts while throwing 12 interceptions and averaging a career-low 6.1 yards per attempt. Assuming he does in fact end up starting the Week 13 game, Zappe wouldn't represent anything more than a low-end lineup option in leagues that start two quarterbacks or have a QB flex spot.

Keenum (calf) did not appear on Houston's injury report Wednesday.

Keenum was unavailable for the Texans' 24-21 loss to the Jaguars in Week 12 due to a calf injury, but he now appears to be ready to go for Sunday's matchup with the Broncos. The quarterback will likely step back into his role as the team's third option behind starter C.J. Stroud and primary backup Davis Mills.