NFL Player News

Rams coach Jeff Fisher announced that running back Isaiah Pead tore his ACL in Saturday's preseason loss to the Packers. Pead suffered the non-contact injury on a kickoff return.

With Montee Ball recovering from an appendectomy, Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman received his second straight start Sunday against the 49ers. He ran four times for 19 yards (4.8 ypc) and caught a 6-yard pass among two targets.

The 49ers will be down five players when they face Denver on Sunday in their second preseason game. Not dressed are defensive tackles Glenn Dorsey and Ian Williams, running back LaMichael James, defensive end Justin Smith and offensive tackle Anthony Davis.

Raiders running back Darren McFadden ran eight times for 27 yards (3.4 ypc) and a touchdown Saturday against the Lions. To coach Dennis Allen, it was a very impressive performance.

"I think Darren is probably running the ball as well as I've seen him run it since I've been here," Allen told the San Francisco Chronicle. "I think he's probably more explosive than I've seen him since I've been here."

However, Allen is keeping Maurice Jones-Drew as the official starter. "Both those guys are going to get significant playing time and both those guys are guys that are going to help us," Allen said.

Packers running back DuJuan Harris hurt his chances for meaningful regular-season snaps with a third-quarter fumble against the Rams Saturday night, reports ESPN.com. "The Packers like Harris as a change-of-pace back, but if ball security is an issue, they have other options," the report said.

Harris led Green Bay with 32 yards on seven carries. He's behind Eddie Lacy and James Starks on the depth chart.

Colts running back Trent Richardson gained 21 yards on nine carries against the Giants, adding a 4-yard catch on his only target. He's averaged 2.4 yards per carry through two preseason games.

Richardson, who averaged 3.0 yards per carry last season, will try to get going Saturday in the third preseason game against the Saints.

Texans running back Jonathan Grimes led his team in rushing Saturday, gaining 42 yards on nine carries and catching three passes for 25 yards in his team's 32-7 preseason win over the Falcons.

Grimes is the favorite to open the season as Arian Foster's direct backup, and though he started off slow Saturday, he broke off a 22-yard run in the second quarter that was Foster-esque for his balance and cutback ability. Grimes mixed in with rookie Alfred Blue throughout the first half, giving the team a good look at the presumed depth chart behind Foster this season.

Cowboys running back Joseph Randle led the team in rushing yards in its first preseason game, and he accomplished the same feat again Saturday, racking up 41 yards on seven carries and adding another eight yards on one reception in his team's loss to the Ravens.

Randle was the third back in for the Cowboys, but he did see action at the end of the first quarter as well as in the second and third quarters before wrapping up his night. He may continue to serve as the No. 3 back during the regular season, but Randle would be the favorite to lead the team in carries each week if something were to happen to starter DeMarco Murray.

Ravens rookie running back Lorenzo Taliaferro led the team in rushing Saturday, gaining 59 yards on 16 carries and adding one catch for 10 yards in his team's 37-30 win over the Cowboys.

Taliaferro was the team's primary rushing threat in the second half, and he delivered a three-yard touchdown on the first drive after halftime. After leading all rookie backs in rushing yards last week, it's possible Taliaferro has begun to carve out a solid role for himself once regular-season hits.

Jets running back Chris Johnson showed some flashes of his old self during Saturday's preseason game against the Bengals.

Johnson was used mostly out of the pistol formation and played the entire first half. He took 10 handoffs for 63 yards, averaging 6.3 yards per attempt. He also caught two passes for 1 yard. His running mate, Bilal Powell, only received six touches in the first half.