NFL Player News

McLaurin brought in two of nine targets for 50 yards in the Commanders' 37-20 loss to the Cowboys on Sunday.

The veteran receiver led the Commanders in receiving yards and targets, but his efficiency left plenty to be desired. McLaurin's day would have also looked a lot different if he'd been able to keep his balance on an early fourth-quarter deep pass from Marcus Mariota on which the veteran receiver was running wide open down the right sideline. The elbow injury suffered by Jayden Daniels on the last play of the first half also didn't help McLaurin's cause, and it's possible an extended absence on the part of the star signal-caller affects the wideout's performance in coming weeks.

Gainwell rushed two times for 10 yards in Sunday's 23-19 loss to the Browns. He added three catches for five yards on four targets.

The 27-year-old's role through two games with Tampa Bay has been a far cry from his elite pass-catching role alongside Aaron Rodgers in Pittsburgh last season. Bucky Irving out-carried Gainwell 17 to two against Cleveland, and he's been out-targeted 11 to five by Irving through two contests. Gainwell has shown no chance at a ceiling performance with Baker Mayfield and has devolved to RB4 territory until he shows up more in the box score.

Pickens brought in six of eight targets for 40 yards in the Cowboys' 37-20 win over the Commanders on Sunday.

Pickens finished second in receptions and targets on the afternoon for the Cowboys, but he wasn't very efficient on a per-catch basis. The star wideout saw CeeDee Lamb take priority Sunday, with the latter finishing with an 8-153-2 line on nine targets. Pickens remains a critical component of a high-upside Cowboys air attack, however, and his body of work last season supports the notion a breakout performance may be imminent.

Head coach Klint Kubiak described Bowers (knee) as "very close" to returning after Sunday's 26-14 win over the Chargers, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Bowers has missed the first two games of the season, but the Raiders are off to a 2-0 start despite their star tight end's absence. He could be ready to return from a meniscus trim for Week 3 at New Orleans. Bowers' practice participation level during the week will provide an indication of his potential availability.

Williams rushed 12 times for 30 yards and brought in three of four targets for 20 yards in the Cowboys' 37-20 win over the Commanders on Sunday.

The Commanders' front more than held its own against the Cowboys' offensive line, leading Williams to scratch and claw for yardage while Dak Prescott carved up Washington's defense through the air. Williams still played a clear lead role despite the modest amount of rush attempts, and he was once again an important complementary option in the passing game. Williams has another tough assignment on tap in Week 3, as the Cowboys welcome in the Ravens next Sunday.

Strand completed just eight of 15 passes for 59 yards and an interception in the Falcons' 34-3 loss to the Panthers on Sunday.

Cooper Rush was benched after going 10-for-17 passing with no touchdowns and two interceptions. Strand came on in relief and was just as ineffective. The 22-year-old is an undrafted rookie who played his college football at tiny Minnesota State-Moorhead, so it's no surprise he wasn't ready for the NFL in his first regular-season game action. With Michael Penix (knee) potentially back for Thursday night's game at Green Bay, Strand will be a cut candidate. Strand would make more sense on the practice squad where he can learn in a no-stress environment.

Cousins completed 19 of 29 passes for 253 yards with three touchdowns and one interception while rushing four times for one yard in the Raiders' 26-14 win over the Chargers on Sunday.

Cousins' crisp and nearly mistake-free performance was critical to the Raiders pulling off a significant upset over their divisional rival. The veteran signal-caller validated head coach Klint Kubiak's decision to open the season with him as the starter over first overall pick Fernando Mendoza, with Cousins delivering a 40-yard strike to Tre Tucker in the first quarter and 13- and 11-yard scoring tosses to Cody White in the third and fourth quarters, respectively. Cousins has shown very good command of Kubiak's offense over the first two games, and he'll take a 67.8 percent completion rate and a 6:3 TD:INT into an intriguing interconference road matchup against the Saints next Sunday.

Black (groin) rushed seven times for 25 yards and wasn't targeted in Sunday's 35-13 win over the Dolphins.

Black suited up for his second NFL contest after being listed as questionable coming into the game. He actually had two more rushing yards than Christian McCaffrey, but McCaffrey scored two touchdowns on 10 carries and added four catches for 43 yards. Black is poised to continue splitting the rushing workload with CMC in Week 3 against the Cardinals, though McCaffrey remains the preferred option in valuable goal-line and passing situations.

Willis completed 14 of 23 passes for 197 yards and one touchdown in Sunday's 35-13 loss to the 49ers. He also rushed twice for six yards.

Willis unsurprisingly posted another modest passing total after throwing for 220 yards in his Dolphins debut against the Raiders, but he also failed to get anything going with his legs in Week 2 after rushing for 39 yards and a touchdown in the Week 1 loss. A substantial chunk of Willis' production came on a 77-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Miller with 2:30 remaining in the fourth quarter. Miami doesn't have much experience in its wide receiver room, which got even thinner during Sunday's loss due to the second-half exit of rookie third-round pick Caleb Douglas (ankle). Willis and the Dolphins have been outscored 62-26 heading into a Week 3 home game against the Chiefs.

Kittle caught all four of his targets for 80 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 35-13 win over the Dolphins.

Kittle gained half of his yardage on a 40-yard catch to start the second half, and he scored a 12-yard touchdown three plays later. He had just 12 receiving yards in the Week 1 win over the Rams, as Kittle returned from an Achilles tear sustained in January. Kittle will try to build on Sunday's strong performance in Week 3 against the Cardinals.