NFL Player News

Pollard said Thursday that during the early portion of the season he was still working his way back from offseason surgery to address a leg fracture, but that "it's a night and day difference now," Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Pollard said it wasn't until "halfway through the season, a little bit after the bye week" that he felt he was "starting to get into the groove of things." Heading into Dallas' bye in Week 7, Pollard had logged back-to-back games with under 30 rushing yards, while in eight appearances since he hasn't been held under 50 yards on the ground a single time (4.3 YPC in that span). He's also been targeted at least four times in five of his last six appearance, though it's somewhat concerning that the exception came in last week's loss to the Bills. If Pollard can indeed showcase some extra playmaking ability and burst in Week 16, he could take advantage of a Miami defense that's looked vulnerable versus the run at times.

Rivers rushed six times for 20 yards during Thursday's 30-22 victory against the Saints.

Royce Freeman's time as the primary backup to Kyren Williams came to an abrupt end against New Orleans, as Freeman only saw the field on special teams, while Rivers took 15 snaps on offense to the 55 of Williams. Rivers was inefficient as a runner save for a 10-yard scamper to end the third quarter, but the second-year back has clearly returned to a backup role that could pay big dividends if Williams -- who briefly left the game after taking a big hit in the third quarter -- were to miss time down the stretch.

Kamara rushed nine times for 19 yards and brought in five of six targets for 16 yards in the Saints' 30-22 loss to the Rams on Thursday night.

The contest eventually tilted away from the running game for the Saints, and while Kamara did tie for second in receptions on the team for the night, he averaged only 3.2 yards per grab. He also found precious little running room on a carry total that tied his season low. Despite the disappointing results during a critical week of the fantasy season, Kamara still should be a must-start option in an important Week 17 road matchup against the Buccaneers on New Year's Eve.

Williams rushed 22 times for 104 yards and a touchdown in the Rams' 30-22 win over the Saints on Thursday night.

Williams was his usual effective self on the ground, eclipsing the 100-yard mark for the third straight game and sixth time on the season. However, after four consecutive games with multiple catches, Williams wasn't targeted so much as once for only the second time this season. Despite that disappointing aspect of his night, Williams' rushing yardage total and 10-yard scoring run in the later portion of the third quarter still led to a fruitful fantasy performance. The second-year back next takes aim at a porous Giants run defense in a Week 17 road matchup on New Year's Eve.

Wilson (shoulder) was a limited participant in practice for the second day in a row Thursday after being designated to return from injured reserve.

The running back has a 21-day window in which he can return to the 53-man roster. If Wilson can get in another session Friday, he may have a chance to play Sunday against the Panthers. The rookie has 14 carries for 85 yards and no touchdowns in seven games this season.

Walker (shoulder) didn't participate in Thursday's practice, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

After sitting out Wednesday's walkthrough due to a shoulder issue, Walker now has missed back-to-back sessions to begin Week 16 prep. His activity level Friday likely will be key to how the Seahawks decide to list him on their final injury report ahead of Sunday's game at Tennessee. If Walker is limited or even ends up sidelined, the team again would turn over its backfield to rookie second-round pick Zach Charbonnet.

Miller (ankle) is listed as inactive Thursday at the Rams, John Hendrix of SI.com reports.

Miller thus will miss his sixth game in a row as a result of a knee injury. The development runs counter to a report from Ian Rapoport of NFL Network from earlier Thursday in which he relayed that Miller was expected to play Week 16. Miller will turn his focus to returning to action for the Saints' next game Sunday, Dec. 31 at Tampa Bay, while Jamaal Williams and gadget option Taysom Hill receive any carries that don't go to Alvin Kamara.

Mitchell (knee) was a non-participant at Thursday's practice, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Mitchell has been sidelined the past two games due to a knee injury, and there's no telling when he may be available to the 49ers offense again. On a positive note, he was seen working out on a side field Thursday, per Matt Barrows of The Athletic, so Mitchell may be making some progress in his recovery. As a contingency plan, the team signed running back Jeremy McNichols off its practice squad, giving coach Kyle Shanahan two healthy options (also Jordan Mason) in the backfield behind workhorse Christian McCaffrey in the event Mitchell sits out Monday against the Ravens.

Miller (ankle) is expected to be inactive for Thursday's game against the Rams, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports.

Earlier reports suggested the rookie would return from a five-game absence, but it now seems he'll be inactive again. It's unclear if his inactive status is tied to the ankle injury or simply a coach's decision.

Jacobs (quadricep) didn't practice Thursday.

Per Adam Hill of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, interim head coach Antonio Pierce previously expressed optimism that Jacobs could return to action Monday against the Chiefs, noting that he thought the running back was close to playing in the Raiders' 63-21 win over the Chargers in Week 15. Still, with Jacobs not practicing Thursday, his status will need to be closely monitored as the week progresses. If Jacobs remains sidelined for a second straight game, second-year player Zamir White would likely serve as the Raiders' top option on the ground.