NFL Player News

Williams rushed 26 times for 104 yards and a touchdown and brought in all three targets for 17 yards in the Colts' 20-17 loss to the Texans on Thursday.

As expected, Williams got a legitimate opportunity to fill Marlon Mack's (hand) lead-back role, and he proved capable of the responsibility with a gutsy showing versus an active Texans front. Williams' long gain on the night was his 13-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, so he worked for what he got on the majority of his carries. With Mack potentially out again in Week 13 versus the Titans, Williams could certainly be in line for another hefty workload in that Dec. 1 matchup against Tennessee.

Mostert (knee) practiced fully Thursday, Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

The 49ers capped Mostert's reps in every practice last week, so his elevation from LP on Wednesday to full participant Thursday signals the improved health of his knee. He appears poised to retain the No. 2 running back role behind Tevin Coleman on Sunday against the Packers due to the continued absence of Matt Breida (ankle) from practice.

Jacobs (shoulder) remained limited at practice Thursday, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com reports.

We'll check back on Jacobs' status Friday, but there's a pretty solid chance he'll approach Sunday's game against the Jets minus an injury designation, despite his ongoing listed practice limitations.

The Colts plan to treat Williams as their starting running back for Thursday's game against the Texans, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Passing-down specialist Nyheim Hines would presumably take on most of the snaps out of the backfield if Houston races out to an early lead that forces Indianapolis into catch-up mode, but Williams looks like he'll be the Colts' top option in the event a more balanced or run-heavy game plan is in place. Though coach Frank Reich mentioned earlier in the week that Jordan Wilkins should also benefit from a heightened role as the Colts proceed without Marlon Mack (hand), Williams seemingly earned the first crack to lead the ground attack after amassing a career-high 116 rushing yards in relief of Mack in the Week 11 win over Jacksonville. Rapoport notes that prior to Williams' breakthrough outing, the 25-year-old had already been angling for a bigger role after consistently impressing in practices earlier this season.

Conner (shoulder) missed practice again Thursday, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.

As did JuJu Smith-Schuster (concussion/knee), with the duo increasingly likely to miss Sunday's game against the Bengals. If Conner ends up missing the contest, Jaylen Samuels and Trey Edmunds would be next in line for the Steelers' Week 12 carries, with Benny Snell and Kerrith Whyte candidates to work in reserve roles.

Breida (ankle) isn't participating in Thursday's practice, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Instead, Breida was confined to a side field, where he put in rehab work for his sprained ankle. Unless Breida shows enough improvement overnight to practice in some fashion Friday, he'll likely be listed as "doubtful" or "out" ahead of Sunday's game against the Packers. A second straight absence from Breida would pave the way for Tevin Coleman and Raheem Mostert to lead San Francisco's Week 12 ground attack.

Kelly signed with the Rams' practice squad Tuesday, Cameron DaSilva of USA Today reports.

Kelly was waived by the Rams on Saturday but will remain with the organization after clearing waivers. The 23-year-old appeared in three games while on the 53-man roster and had three carries for nine yards.

Mostert (knee) was limited in Wednesday's practice, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Mostert logged a trio of limited practices last week due to his lingering knee issue before proceeding to play in Sunday's win over the Cardinals, gaining 27 yards from scrimmage on eight touches. Even if Mostert never manages full participation in practice Thursday and/or Friday, he should still have a good shot at playing this weekend versus Green Bay. With Matt Breida (ankle) still not practicing Wednesday and perhaps trending toward another absence, Mostert could once again be in line to play a change-of-pace role behind Tevin Coleman.

Jacobs (shoulder) was listed as a limited participant on Wednesday's estimated practice report, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com reports.

Jacobs has been managing a shoulder issue of late, but despite his limitations at practice over the last two weeks, he approached both of the Raiders' last two outings minus an injury designation. Expect him to continue that trend this week in advance of Sunday's game against the Jets.

Snell (knee) practiced without limitations Wednesday, Teresa Varley of the Steelers' official site reports.

Snell was only recently given the 'all clear' for practice, and he's apparently already working at full speed. After missing three games following arthroscopic knee surgery, Snell is in line to suit up for Sunday's divisional clash against the Bengals. With James Conner (shoulder) missing the first practice of the week, the rookie fourth-rounder could have a role in Pittsburgh's backfield committee if the lead option is inactive. Snell has rushed 28 times over seven games, averaging 4.2 yards per tote.