NFL Player News

Fantasy owners who stashed Adrian Peterson in hopes of getting a boost late in the season received a body blow Tuesday, with the league's announcement that Peterson has been suspended for the remainder of the season.

Peterson, who had been on the league's Exempt/Commissioner's Permission list since Sept. 17, was hoping to return for the final six weeks of the season after accepting a plea deal in his case last week. However, the announcement of Peterson's suspension and the Vikings' statement of non-support for Peterson seems to indicate that his chances of seeing the field this season are essentially gone.

The NFLPA has already announced it will appeal the suspension, but is there any reason at this point to think the Vikings would welcome Peterson back into the fold with open arms? "We respect the league's decision and will have no further comment at this time," hardly sounds like the statement of a team that is going to fight to get Peterson back on the field, does it? Even if he is reinstated, will the Vikings be willing to make him active every week, especially when reports have indicated he may not be a long-term part of their plans beyond this season anyways?

Though there is a slim chance Peterson could still return, it probably isn't something you want to pin your hopes on. If you can spare the roster spot, it probably isn't hurting you to keep him on the end of your bench, but don't expect much out of it. At this point, both Jerick McKinnon (79 percent owned) and Matt Asiata (73 percent) should both be valued over Peterson.

Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said running back Andre Ellington's routine of sitting out Wednesday practices is hurting his production on Sundays, reports ESPN.com. "It's showing up too much on Sundays right now," Arians said.

"Then, obviously, he can't run well enough in the passing game for us to do some things. He saw a ghost on the screen pass out there, turned around and lost 4 yards when he should've had about 20. Just some of those things."

Ellington has nursed a foot injury all season and lately has battled a hip issue, too. He's yet to run for 100 yards in a game and is averaging 3.4 yards per carry this season.

Arians indicated that missing Wednesday practices has affected Ellington's conditioning and his ability to "see the game plan through the eyes of Cardinals coaches," the report said.

"He's gutting it up on Sundays, but he needs to perform better too," Arians said. "Right now, he's as healthy as he's been and we need more out of him."

Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman is expected to miss his second straight game Sunday when Denver hosts the Dolphins, reports the Denver Post. Hillman suffered a midfoot sprain in the Week 10 win at Oakland.

When asked if he was disappointed in Cordarrelle Patterson's season on Monday, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer told reporters the team will be patient with their second-year wideout.

"I don't think disappointment is the right word," Zimmer said, per the Star Tribune. "I think youth might be the right word."

Patterson was limited to two catches for 24 yards in a Week 11 loss to the Bears. He has just three grabs over his past two games and 332 receiving yards this season. He's 138 yards away from surpassing last season's total.

Browns coach Mike Pettine addressed Isaiah Crowell's surprise start in Week 11 against Houston during his Monday news conference, per the Akron Beacon Journal.

"Crowell was a guy that had practiced well, we felt really good about where he was and progress he made," Pettine said.

Crowell registered 14 of Cleveland's 24 carries and played 51 of 77 offensive snaps on Sunday. He finished with 61 rushing yards. Ben Tate played only 16 snaps and Terrance West logged 10 snaps.

When asked if there was an attitude issue with Tate, Pettine responded with, "nothing that I would speak on here."

Colts running back Trent Richardson gained a total of zero yards on seven carries in his team's 42-20 loss to the Patriots in Week 11.

Both Richardson and Ahmad Bradshaw received seven carries in the game but could only manage a combined four yards as the Patriots completely shut down the Colts rushing attack. Richardson, whose longest run went for two yards, also delivered a 21-yard catch on his only target.

Richardson had put together a pair of solid performances in his previous two games, rushing for 110 yards on 21 carries over that two-game stretch while adding 50 yards on six receptions. With Ahmad Bradshaw unable to finish Sunday's game due to injury and a matchup against the Jaguars in Week 12 on tap, the former first-round pick could have a chance at redemption next Sunday.

Patriots running back Shane Vereen gained 18 yards on his only carry Sunday while catching all four of his targets for 59 yards in his team's 42-20 win over the Colts in Week 11.

Vereen was soundly usurped by Jonas Gray (38 carries, 199 yards, four TDs) in the running game but continued to contribute as a passing-game weapon. His previous low in carries this season was five. Vereen has still racked up 633 yards and four touchdowns in 10 games going into next Sunday's Week 12 matchup with the Lions.

Patriots running back Jonas Gray exploded for 199 yards on 38 carries while scoring four touchdowns in his team's 42-20 win over the Colts in Indianapolis in Week 11.

The Patriots attacked with the running game Sunday night and just kept on attacking when the Colts proved to have trouble stopping Gray. He entered the game with zero career rushing touchdowns but put one on the board quickly, barreling through the middle of the line for a four-yard score in the first quarter. His second-quarter and third-quarter scores both came on runs through a hole on the right side of the line from two yards out. He added a one-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter on a carry to the left side.

Gray entered the game with 131 yards on 32 carries in three games before the Week 11 outburst. He faces a much tougher test when the Lions come to town in Week 12.

The Cardinals got many contributions in their Week 11 home win over the Lions. Among them, tight end John Carlson caught all three of his targets for 37 yards, and running back Robert Hughes had a 49-yard reception and a 2-yard carry.

Tight end Rob Housler made a 27-yard catch, tight end Troy Niklas had a 5-yard grab and wideout Jaron Brown added a 5-yard reception. Running back Stepfan Taylor ran twice for 6 yards and made a 4-yard catch. They'll all visit the Seahawks in Week 12.

Chargers running back Ryan Mathews returned to action Sunday, rushing for 70 yards on 16 carries and catching his only target for another five yards in his team's 13-6 win over the Raiders in Week 11.

Mathews started out a little slow, gaining a total of one yard on his first three carries, but looked just fine after missing two months with a knee injury. His best carry came early in the third quarter, when he made a slight adjustment after taking the ball to cut through a hole in the defense and then kept his balance after taking his first hit before finally being dragged down with a 20-yard gain.

Running mate Branden Oliver also received 13 carries in a game that the Chargers led for more than 59 minutes. However, Oliver averaged just 2.8 yards per carry, gaining only 36 yards on the ground while adding one catch for three yards. Mathews will likely remain the No. 1 option in the running game moving forward while healthy. The Chargers move on to face the Rams in Week 12.