Who Should I Start? Samaje Perine or Kimani Vidal

Monday, November 3, 3:21 PM

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said that running back Samaje Perine (ankle) will "be out a couple weeks" with a high-ankle sprain that he suffered in the Week 9 loss to the Chicago Bears on Sunday, per Jay Morrison of SI.com. The good news is that the Bengals are on bye in Week 10, but the 30-year-old veteran still might not be ready to go when the team plays the division-rival Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 11 on Sunday, Nov. 16. Before getting injured on Sunday, Perine had just one rushing attempt for five yards after seeing a combined 16 carries the previous two weeks. Chase Brown remains the Bengals' No. 1 running back, but Perine was starting to take on an increased role as the No. 2 before his high-ankle sprain. If Perine is unable to return coming out of the bye week, look for rookie Tahj Brooks to be elevated into the RB2 role.

Monday, November 3, 5:23 PM

Los Angeles Chargers running back Kimani Vidal followed a standout Week 8 performance with a dud, gaining only 30 yards on 12 carries in Sunday's 27-20 win over the Tennessee Titans. He averaged just 2.5 yards per carry and was outperformed by both Justin Herbert (57 rushing yards) and Jaret Patterson (44 yards), who was elevated from the practice squad again. It's been a rollercoaster for Vidal, who alternates between breakout games and quiet ones. With Hassan Haskins (hamstring) and Omarion Hampton (ankle) both on IR until at least after the Week 12 bye, Vidal will continue to handle lead duties out of necessity. Next Sunday night, the Chargers face a Pittsburgh Steelers' defense that just shut down the league's top running back, Jonathan Taylor, so expectations should remain modest. With so many injuries and inconsistencies, it will be interesting to see if the Bolts' front office makes any trades to strengthen the running back position by the trade deadline tomorrow. For now, Vidal remains an RB3/FLEX option who relies on game script and red-zone opportunities.