NFL Player News

Ford is expected to handle a reduced role Sunday against the Patriots after fellow running backs LeSean McCoy (hamstring) and Chris Ivory (shoulder) turned in full practices Thursday.

Both McCoy and Ivory were sidelined for the Week 15 win over the Lions, resulting in Ford slotting in as the main backup to Marcus Murphy. When Murphy (elbow) exited early with an injury of his own, Ford was pressed into an extended role in his NFL debut, logging 14 carries for 46 yards and hauling in his lone target for seven yards. Murphy is now out of the picture after being placed on injured reserve earlier this week, but Ford will sink to third on the depth chart with McCoy and Ivory on track to play Sunday in New England. Unless the Bills opt to deliberately limit the veterans' workloads over the final two games, it's hard to envision Ford getting double-digit touches again in 2018.

Patterson missed practice Thursday due to an illness.

We'd expect Patterson to recover in time for Sunday's game against the Bills, at which time he should see an uptick in snaps, given that Josh Gordon is no longer in the Patriots' wideout mix. The same applies to both Chris Hogan and Phillip Dorsett, who will vie with Patterson for the team's Week 16 wide receiver targets that don't go to Julian Edelman.

Williams (toe) logged a limited practice Wednesday, Michael Cohen of The Athletic reports.

For the second straight session, Williams' workload was capped as he tends to a toe injury. He's expected to fill in as the Packers' lead back with Aaron Jones (knee) on injured reserve, but owners may have to wait until Friday to get some clarification on his availability for Sunday's road game against the Jets. The only other running back on the 53-man roster is Kapri Bibbs.

Gordon (knee) does not carry an injury designation for Saturday night's game against the Ravens, Ricky Henne of the Chargers' official site reports.

Gordon, who has missed the Chargers' past three games with an MCL issue, is thus poised to return to action Saturday and assuming no in-game setbacks, he should be ready to head the team's Week 16 backfield. That said, it remains to be seen how close to his normal workload he'll see in his first game back, with coach Anthony acknowledging via Ross Tucker of SiriusXM that "Melvin's practiced all week and he's doing fine. I don't know that he's himself but he's going to play." With Austin Ekeler (neck) listed as doubtful and expected to be inactive, Justin Jackson will be next in line for carries when the Chargers wish to spell Gordon this weekend.

The Chargers list Ekeler (neck/concussion) as doubtful for Saturday's game against the Ravens.

Per Sam Fortier of The Athletic, coach Anthony Lynn effectively ruled Ekeler out for the second straight game after meeting with the media Thursday, though the running back will technically carry the doubtful designation into the weekend. Ekeler was unable to practice at any point Tuesday through Thursday, with Lynn relaying that the 23-year-old remains in the concussion protocol and continues to deal with weakness in his shoulder. Fortunately for the Chargers, top back Melvin Gordon (knee) will be available Saturday after a three-game absence, leaving Justin Jackson to fill the complementary role that has typically fallen to Ekeler.

Mixon (wrist/thigh) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice, Jay Morrison of The Athletic reports.

Mixon replicated his activity level from Wednesday but may have gotten dinged up along the way, as he had previously been listed on the Bengals' report with only a wrist issue. Neither the wrist nor the thigh injury should prevent him from suiting up Sunday in Cleveland, though Mixon's fantasy managers would surely prefer to have him avoid a designation heading into the contest. If he suits up as anticipated, Mixon should be in store for another ample workload on the ground after amassing 53 carries over the past two weeks while averaging a healthy 4.5 yards per tote.

Patterson (undisclosed) was not spotted at practice Thursday, Zack Cox of NESN.com reports.

We'll have to see if he's dealing with an injury or illness, but with Josh Gordon (pesonal) having stepped away from the team, the Patriots' depth at wideout would be taxed if Patterson's Week 16 status comes into any question. Julian Edelman, Chris Hogan and Phillip Dorsett were the top wideouts the Patriots fielded at Thursday's practice.

Gordon (knee) is expected to suit up Saturday night against Baltimore, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

This report is hardly out of the box, as Gordon logged a full practice Tuesday where he was described as "full speed," effectively shedding his injury tag. Whether or not he returns to his prior workload immediately is another question, though the rest of the backfield behind him isn't at 100 percent, with Austin Ekeler (neck) missing back-to-back practices this week.

Coach Sean McVay said Wednesday that Anderson may "play a role as early as this week" against the Cardinals, Andrew Siciliano of NFL Network reports.

The reality of the Rams backfield bodes well for Anderson making his team debut just five days after signing with the organization. Both Todd Gurley (knee) and Justin Davis (shoulder) were held out of Wednesday's walk-through practice, leaving all the backfield reps to John Kelly and Anderson. McVay expects Gurley to suit up for Sunday's contest at Arizona, but Anderson could be in line for carries within an offense ranked second in yards per game and third in points per game.

Williams was limited at Wednesday's practice due to a toe injury, Michael Cohen of The Athletic reports.

In the wake of Aaron Jones (knee) landing on injured reserve, Williams is left as the Packers' top running back, but an injury of his own is impacting his practice reps to begin Week 16 preparations. Assuming Williams maintains that workload (at worst) or elevates to full participation, he should handle the majority of the work out of the backfield Sunday against the Jets. His sole competition for touches is Kapri Bibbs, who was claimed off waivers Monday.