by Chris Mooney

Here some updates for the upcoming Week 12 games:

Quarterbacks

• Eagle QB Donovan McNabb (ankle/thumb) is day-to-day with a swollen right thumb and sprained right ankle. Coach Andy Reid said one injury, if not both, could keep him out of Sunday’s game against the Patriots. He is listed as “day-to-day” and could return to practice on Wednesday, Reid said, or he could miss practice all week and still play, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. If he can’t play, backup QB A.J. Feeley would start.
• Falcon QB Byron Leftwich (tailbone) missed practice Tuesday because of a tailbone injury, and the team announced that QB Joey Harrington will return as the starter on Thursday night against the Colts. Chris Redman would serve as the backup if Leftwich can’t play.
• Seahawk QB Matt Hasselbeck (ribs) will likely not practice much this week because of sore ribs, coach Mike Holmgren said Monday, but he is expected to play in Week Twelve, according to the Associated Press.
• 49er QB Alex Smith (shoulder/arm) will get a second opinion regarding his shoulder and right forearm injury, but he is out for Week Twelve. Trent Dilfer continues to start.
• Raven QB Steve McNair (shoulder) is out at least two more weeks, so QB Kyle Boller will continue to start for him.

Running Backs

• Chief RB Larry Johnson (foot) is out for Sunday’s game against Oakland, the team announced Tuesday, but did not clarify the results of the most recent examination of Johnson’s foot by a medical specialist. The club cited patient-doctor privacy laws as a reason for not disclosing further information, saying that’s the way Johnson wants it, according to the Kansas City Star. There have been reports that Johnson’s foot is broken or has a hairline fracture, but all the Chiefs have said is he has experienced swelling and have not confirmed or denied the speculation. Chief president Carl Peterson said, based on team doctors’ recommendations, “it’s a week to week proposition. We’re going to look at it each week and see what kind of progress he has made.” Johnson, who will miss his third straight game, had been undergoing treatments twice a day, according to the team, before seeing a specialist on Monday. RB Priest Holmes will continue to start.
• Bronco RB Selvin Young (knee) sprained his left knee in Monday’s game and gave way to RB Andre Hall, who deflated a Tennessee comeback bid with a 62-yard TD run. Young was starting for RB Travis Henry (knee), who missed his second straight game with a partially torn knee ligament. Henry’s NFL suspension for failing a drug test is still pending. Our analysis of this convoluted situation: If Henry is not suspended, he’s the starter if healthy, but Young should play about 20-25% of the time, if he’s healthy. If Henry is out and Young is healthy, he’s the guy, with Hall the change-of-pace (basically Young’s role when Henry is playing). If Henry and Young are out, Cecil Sapp and Hall would likely split time, with Hall probably having more value due to his upside, but Sapp being a better bet to score. If Henry, Young, and Sapp are out of the mix, that’s when Mike Bell enters the mix.
• The latest on Viking RB Adrian Peterson (knee): Coach Brad Childress said Monday that Peterson is progressing in his rehabilitation from a torn LCL, but it’s “a long shot” for him to return Sunday against the New York Giants, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Peterson was scheduled to run on an underwater treadmill Monday. If the team’s medical staff is satisfied with how Peterson’s knee responds, it’s possible he could begin running on land Wednesday. A probable best-case scenario would be for him to return Dec. 2 (Week Thirteen) against Detroit. Childress said Peterson will wear a knee brace when he does come back. RB Chester Taylor will continue to start for him. Also, Viking FB Tony
  Richardson (knee/ankle) could miss Sunday’s game.
• Lion RB Kevin Jones (foot) came out of Sunday’s game in good shape, coach Rod Marinelli said, and is expected to start on Thursday against the Packers.
• Packer RB Ryan Grant (ankle) is day-to-day with a mild ankle sprain but coach Mike McCarthy said he is hopeful he can play Thursday. Because of the short work week and the minor nature of the injury, he won’t be required to practice in order to play. If he can’t play, Brandon Jackson and Vernand Morency would likely split the carries.
• Giant RB Brandon Jacobs (hamstring) is “sore,” coach Tom Coughlin said Monday, and his status for Sunday’s game against Minnesota is in doubt, though Coughlin did not yet have results from an MRI. RB Derrick Ward (ankle/groin) will practice this week and, barring any setbacks, will play Sunday against the Vikings, according to a person familiar with the situation, the Newark Star-Ledger reported. If active, Ward would likely start for Jacobs, while  RB Reuben Droughns and rookie RB Ahmad Bradshaw could both see increased action, depending on the availability of Jacobs and Ward.
• Bill coach Dick Jauron said he is not optimistic that RB Marshawn Lynch (ankle) will be able to play in Week Twelve. RB Anthony Thomas started for him last week and had 11 carries for 31 yards, while rookie Dwayne Wright had only one carry.
• Here’s the latest on Texan RB Ahman Green (knee): Coach Gary Kubiak said Green is day-to-day but he is not optimistic that he will be able to play on Sunday, the Houston Chronicle reported. He said he is not prepared to put Green on IR because the feeling right now is that he could still help the team at some point. He said backup Ron Dayne will continue to start, but backup Joe Echemandu needs to hang on to the football (he fumbled on his only carry last week). Kubiak also said he wants to get rookie RB Darius Walker more involved in the offense, possibly as soon as this week.
• Patriot RB Laurence Maroney (foot) suffered a foot injury during Sunday night’s game, the team reported, and his status will be updated after Wednesday’s practice. The status of RB Kevin Faulk (head) will also be updated after Wednesday’s practice. If neither can play, FB Heath Evans would likely get the majority of the carries against the Eagles.
• Seahawk RB Shaun Alexander (knee) is questionable again this week, and coach Mike Holmgren said he will not play unless he can practice (the team does not think he will be able to practice before Friday, the Seattle News-Tribune reported. RB Maurice Morris is expected to start again on Sunday.
• Ram RB Brian Leonard (groin) missed time in the second half of Sunday’s game with a sore groin but he is expected to play in Week Twelve.
• Bengal RB Chris Perry is practicing but there has been no decision by the team whether to activate him from the PUP list.
• Raider coach Lane Kiffin was noncommittal on RB Michael Bush (leg), who must be activated from the physically-unable-to-perform list by Wednesday or he’ll go on injured reserve for the rest of the season.

Receivers

• Steeler WR Santonio Holmes (ankle) has a high right ankle sprain and is “doubtful at best” for Monday’s game against Miami, coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday during an interview on Sirius NFL Radio. Backup Cedrick Wilson would likely start for Holmes, and WR Nate Washington would also likely see increased action.
• Cowboy WR Patrick Crayton (ankle) missed practice Tuesday with an ankle injury and could be listed as questionable for Thursday’s game against the Jets. WR Terry Glenn (knee) also missed practice and is not expected to play.
• Bengal WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh (back) is expected to be limited in practice this week and could be listed as questionable on the official injury report but should be able to play on Sunday, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported. WR Glenn Holt (concussion) is also expected to play.
• Here’s the latest on Colt WR Marvin Harrison (knee): Colt president Bill Polian said Monday that Harrison’s injured left knee is sound, stable and mechanically functional, describing it as a “minor sprain” along with a “pretty big blow” to the bursa sac, according to the Indianapolis Star. But the team can only wait until the inflammation recedes, and Polian said there is no timetable for his return. Coach Tony Dungy also gave no timetable, but indicated he is not likely to play on Thursday. “Realistically, maybe
  Jacksonville (on Dec. 2), but we’ll see.”
• Colt WR Aaron Moorehead (back), who has been starting for Harrison, was placed on injured reserve Tuesday. WR Anthony Gonzalez (hand) should be able to play on Thursday, Dungy said Monday, and might be in the starting lineup because of their other injuries.
• There are strong indications Jet WR Laveranues Coles (ankle) will not be able to play on Thursday because of a high left ankle sprain, the New York Daily News reported. Coach Eric Mangini would provide no details, though he will be required to list Coles on the injury list today after the team practices. Coles almost surely will not practice today, the Daily News reported.
• Panther WR Steve Smith (shin) is expected to play on Sunday against New Orleans, the Charlotte Observer reported. “I think there’s a much better chance (of his playing) this week than say, later in the week last week,” coach John Fox said. “I feel better this Monday than I did last Monday.” Backup WR Drew Carter started for him last week and had 5 catches for 132 yards and a TD.
• Bronco WR Javon Walker (knee) believes he’ll resume workouts fully this week in preparation for a possible return Sunday at Chicago, according to the Denver Post. “I did some things to let me know that I can push through a practice,” he said, after running pass routes in sweats last week.
  Walker said a cyst was causing the early-season swelling and discomfort he was experiencing. WR Brandon Stokley has been starting for him.
• Lion WR Calvin Johnson (back) is still not 100 percent, coach Rod Marinelli said Monday, which could be a factor in why he hasn’t been targeted more in this offense. “He still hasn’t fully recovered (from a severely bruised back),” Marinelli said Monday, according to the Detroit Free Press. “You know that if you watch him run he is not fully recovered. But he is out there working and working hard.”
• Ram WR Torry Holt (knee) will be limited in practice this week because of his sore knee, coach Scott Linehan said, but is expected to play on Sunday,
• Raven TE Todd Heap (hamstring) and WR Demetrius Williams (ankle) are questionable again this week. 
• Falcon backup TE Dwayne Blakley (concussion) is questionable for Thursday, so Courtney Anderson is expected to serve as Alge Crumpler’s backup.