Los Angeles Chargers running back Melvin Gordon was out for the second straight game, due to an MCL sprain in his right knee.
Austin Ekeler started in place of Gordon on Sunday against Cincinnati, with rookie Justin Jackson, who gained 62 yards during the second half of last week’s comeback win at Pittsburgh, slated for plenty of playing time.
The Chargers were without nose tackle Brandon Mebane for a third straight game, as he cares for his newborn daughter. The visiting Bengals were missing two key starters on defense: cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick (ankle) and linebacker Vontaze Burfict (concussion).
In other Week 14 lineup news around the league:
- With James Conner out for Pittsburgh because of an ankle injury, Jaylen Samuels and Stevan Ridley were in line for the bulk of the work in the backfield for the Steelers against Oakland.
- San Francisco is missing two key skill-position players, running back Matt Breida (ankle) and wide receiver Pierre Garcon (knee), against Denver. The Broncos lost cornerback Chris Harris Jr. (broken leg) and wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders (ruptured Achilles tendon) to major injuries last week.
- The depleted Arizona wide receiver group got thinner with the loss of Chad Williams, who aggravated a hamstring injury late in the week and was inactive for the game against Detroit.
- Dallas left tackle Tyron Smith was active for a key NFC East showdown against Philadelphia, after missing the previous two games with a neck issue. The first- Cowboys, however, held linebacker Sean Lee out for a fifth straight week with a hamstring injury. Eagles defensive tackle Tim Jernigan was inactive again with a back issue after being listed as questionable on the injury report. Jernigan has played just one game this season, two weeks ago.
From the earlier games:
- Miami’s Danny Amendola played against New England, his former team, after sitting out the last game because of a knee injury.
- Baltimore put quarterback Joe Flacco on the inactive list for the fourth straight game, despite his return to practice this week with the expectation he would serve as Lamar Jackson’s backup at Kansas City. Instead, Flacco rested his hip injury with Robert Griffin III as the second-stringer behind Jackson.
- The New York Giants traveled to Washington without star receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who stayed home with a quadriceps injury. The Redskins were in worse shape, with guard Tony Bergstrom (knee/ankle) the latest offensive lineman to be sidelined
- Green Bay was down three starters on the offensive line against Atlanta: left guard Lane Taylor (foot), right guard Byron Bell (knee) and right tackle Bryan Bulaga (knee/illness).
- Indianapolis had T.Y. Hilton suited up against Houston, despite a shoulder injury that kept him out of practices this week, but fellow wide receiver Dontrelle Inman was out with a shoulder injury.
- Carolina played at Cleveland without kicker Graham Gano, whose knee injury forced the Panthers to sign replacement Chandler Catanzaro, kicked a 59-yard field goal to beat the Browns in overtime earlier this season for Tampa Bay. Browns rookie cornerback Denzel Ward remained in concussion protocol after getting hurt last week, with Terrance Mitchell activated to make his first start after missing eight games with a broken right wrist.
- Sam Darnold returned for the New York Jets after a three-game absence because of a foot injury, setting up a matchup of first-round draft pick quarterbacks in Buffalo against Josh Allen. The Jets had running back Isaiah Crowell (toe) and wide receiver Robby Anderson (ankle) back. They were questionable on the injury report.
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Here’s the full list of inactives for the late-afternoon games:
CINCINNATI-LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
Bengals: CB Dre Kirkpatrick, CB Tony McRae, LB Vontaze Burfict, OT Cedric Ogbuehi, OT Cordy Glenn, WR Josh Malone, DE Kasim Edebali
Chargers: CB Trevor Williams, RB Melvin Gordon, DE Chris Landrum, C Cole Toner, TE Sean Culkin, WR Dylan Cantrell, NT Brandon Mebane
DENVER-SAN FRANCISCO
Broncos: LB Shaquil Barrett, CB Tramaine Brock, CB Chris Harris, LB Brandon Marshall, LB Jeff Holland, DE DeMarcus Walker, OL Nico Falah
49ers: RB Matt Breida, WR Pierre Garcon, S Jaquiski Tartt, CB K’Waun Williams, OL Erik Magnuson, OL Shon Coleman, DL Sheldon Day
DETROIT-ARIZONA
Lions: WR Brandon Powell, CB Teez Tabor, RB Kerryon Johnson, LB Devon Kennard, LB Trevor Bates, DE Kerry Hyder Jr., OL Andrew Donnal
Cardinals: WR Chad Williams, LB Deone Bucannon, CB Quinten Rollins, CB Dontae Johnson, DE Vontarrius Dora, OL Zack Golditch, TE Darrell Daniels
PHILADELPHIA-DALLAS
Eagles: QB Nate Sudfeld, CB Avonte Maddox, CB Chandon Sullivan, LB Jordan Hicks, T Jordan Mailata, G/T Matt Pryor, DT Tim Jernigan
Cowboys: QB Mike White, WR Tavon Austin, LB Sean Lee, LB Chris Covington, TE Geoff Swaim, DL David Irving, DE Taco Charlton
PITTSBURGH-OAKLAND
Steelers: RB James Conner, T Marcus Gilbert, QB Mason Rudolph, S Marcus Allen, OT Zach Banner, LB Olasunkanmi Adeniyi, DE L.T. Walton
Raiders: DT Maurice Hurst, OL Kelechi Osemele, LB Kyle Wilber (hamstring), RB C.J. Anderson, WR Keon Hatcher, CB Montrel Meander, T Justin Murray
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Early-afternoon games:
ATLANTA-GREEN BAY
Falcons: K Giorgio Tavecchio, FB Ricky Ortiz, CB Blidi Wreh-Wilson, LB Bruce Carter, T Matt Gono, TE Logan Paulsen, DT Justin Zimmer
Packers: QB Tim Boyle, CB Natrell Jamerson, G Lane Taylor, OL Byron Bell, T Bryan Bulaga, LB Kendall Donnerson, DL James Looney
BALTIMORE-KANSAS CITY
Ravens: QB Joe Flacco, WR Jordan Lasley, S Tony Jefferson, FB/DL Patrick Ricard, OLB Tim Williams, OL Alex Lewis, DT Zach Sieler
Chiefs: SS Eric Berry, OL Kahlil McKenzie, WR Kelvin Benjamin, WR Sammy Watkins, RB Charcandrick West, OL Jimmy Murray, TE Deon Yelder
CAROLINA-CLEVELAND
Panthers: K Graham Gano, CB Lorenzo Doss, WR Mose Frazier, DE Marquis Haynes, RB Travaris Cadet, LB Andre Smith, DT Vernon Butler
Browns: QB Drew Stanton, DB Denzel Ward, DB Phillip Gaines, OL Austin Corbett, OL Desmond Harrison, DL Chad Thomas, DL Carl Davis
INDIANAPOLIS-HOUSTON
Colts: TE Mo Alie-Cox, OL Le’Raven Clark, WR Dontrelle Inman, C Ryan Kelly, S Mike Mitchell, DT Hassan Ridgeway, RB Jonathan Williams
Texans: WR Keke Coutee, WR Vyncint Smith, RB D’Onta Foreman, CB Deante Burton, OL Zach Fulton, DE Carlos Watkins, DE Joel Heath
NEW ENGLAND-MIAMI
Patriots: DB Duke Dawson Jr., CB Keion Crossen, DL Keionta Davis, OL James Ferentz, DL Danny Shelton, TE Dwayne Allen, DE Derek Rivers
Dolphins: QB David Fales, CB Xavien Howard, C Jake Brendel, G Isaac Asiata, T Zach Sterup, DE Jonathan Woodard, WR Isaiah Ford
NEW ORLEANS-TAMPA BAY
Saints: WR Brandon Marshall, LB Manti Te’o, C Will Clapp, DL Mithcell Loewen, T Terron Armstead, TE Dan Arnold, DE Trey Hendrickson
Buccaneers: QB Ryan Griffin, WR DeSean Jackson, S Justin Evans, CB Carlton Davis II, S Isaiah Johnson, LB Riley Bullough, DT Rakeem Nunez-Roches
NEW YORK GIANTS-WASHINGTON
Giants: WR Odell Beckham Jr., QB Alex Tanney, DB Tony Lippett, DB Kenny Ladler, C Evan Brown, TE Garrett Dickerson, DT John Jenkins
Redskins: QB Colt McCoy, RB Samaje Perine, RB Kapri Bibbs, LB Ryan Anderson, C Demetrius Rhaney, OL Tony Bergstrom, DL Caleb Brantley
NEW YORK JETS-BUFFALO
Jets: CBs Derrick Jones and Jeremy Clark, OL Ben Braden, WR Deontay Burnett, DL Folorunso Fatukasi, DL Bronson Kaufusi, QB Davis Webb
Bills: QB Derek Anderson, CB Taron Johnson, TE Jason Croom, DE Mike Love, WR Da’Mari Scott, OL Vladimir Ducasse, OL Ike Boettger
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