AFC East

New York Jets fans might request interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich consult with a dictionary given the word he used to describe veteran edge-rusher Haason Reddick.

On Monday, Ulbrich came to the defense of Reddick, who has 11 tackles and 0.5 sacks through nine games with the team. He said the two-time Pro Bowler is "one of the most unselfish players I've ever been around."

Jeff Ulbrich on Haason Reddick's lack of production:

"He wishes he had more production and had a bigger impact on our team. Saying that, could I have helped him with calls? No doubt. There was an element of getting accustomed to what we do and we didn't have a training camp to…

— Zack Rosenblatt (@ZackBlatt) December 30, 2024

This is the same player who missed the Jets' first seven games due to a contract holdout. Reddick didn't make his debut with the team until a 25-22 loss to the New England Patriots in Week 8.

It's hard not to wonder whether his performance has suffered from him missing not just offseason workouts but nearly the entire first half of the regular season as well.

The 30-year-old had gone four straight seasons with notching double digits in sacks, and now he's making little to no impact on the field. Only twice has he logged at least 70 percent of the Jets' defensive snaps, having failed to hit that threshold just five times in 2024.

By any metric, Reddick has been a massive disappointment.

Being selfish isn't necessarily bad within the context of a contract standoff. An NFL player is incentivized to get as much money up front as possible because they can have relatively short careers and an even smaller window for their peak earning powers.

Of course, you wouldn't exactly expect a coach to call one of his players selfish because of everything that word connotes within a team sport.

But Ulbrich's praise of Reddick is likely to ring hollow with a lot of people who have followed the Jets.

Jerod Mayo is heading into the last week of the regular season on the hot seat in his first year as the New England Patriots head coach, but he feels he is in good standing with ownership amid a 3-13 start.

On Monday, following the Patriots lost to 40-7 to the Los Angeles Chargers over the weekend, Mayo was asked whether he's confident Robert Kraft and New England's ownership will bring him back next season.

"I'm always in constant communication with ownership, and feel like we're still on the same page," Mayo said, via Pro Football Talk's Josh Alper.

The Patriots had one of their best games of the season last week as they fell just short against the Buffalo Bills behind strong play from rookie quarterback Drake Maye, who had 261 passing yards and a pair of touchdowns.

They followed up the three-point loss to one of the AFC's best with arguably their worst performance of the season. The sloppy showing led to "Fire Mayo" chants from the crowd at Gillette Stadium.

"You hear those things. But at the same time, they paid to sit in the seats, and we've got to play better," Mayo said, per ESPN's Mike Reiss. "If we play better, we don't have to hear that stuff."

Earlier this month the Boston Sports Journal's Greg A. Bedard reported that organizational sources said Mayo could be fired depending on the outcome of the Patriots' final four games.

Since that report, New England has double-digit losses to the Arizona Cardinals and the Rams plus its narrow loss to the Bills. It's unclear what the Patriots' front office is thinking at this point, but Mayo's best case for keeping his job would be a convincing performance against the Bills in their season finale on Sunday.

From there, the Patriots could head into the offseason at least somewhat confident that Mayo can improve in Year 2.

New England also has the potential for a big offseason as it could have the top pick in the 2025 NFL draft. Already having an emerging star under center in Maye, the Patriots could use that pick to target another offensive weapon and head into the 2025 season ready to compete for a playoff spot.

The New York Jets will interview former Carolina Panthers and Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera this week as part of their coaching search, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Rivera will interview with the Jets on Thursday.

Rex Ryan, who coached the Jets from 2009-14, said Monday on 880AM ESPN New York's DiPietro & Rothenberg he expects to be a candidate as well.

Rivera has a 102-103-2 career record in 13 seasons. He took the Panthers to the playoffs four times, including a trip to Super Bowl 50 in 2015, and the Commanders qualified for the postseason in 2020 under his watch.

The 62-year-old wouldn't be an inspired choice because he's a coaching retread and somebody who didn't excel at either of his stops. The Commanders never had a winning record with him, while the Panthers' success was fueled by the brilliance of quarterback Cam Newton as much as it was down to coaching.

Between Rivera and Ryan, the Jets' search isn't getting off to a roaring start.

Jets interviewing Ron Rivera, and Rex Ryan? I get doing your due diligence but that’s just wasting your time

— Darien (ChillTakes) (@chilltakes_) December 30, 2024

One of the few things dumber than the entire Aaron Rodgers experiment would be bringing back Rex Ryan, who has been out of the league since 2016 (!) so it makes sense that the Jets would consider it. https://t.co/7zhHSlGrrH

— Yaya Dubin (@JADubin5) December 30, 2024

Of course, it's worth nothing this is still early into the process. New York remains unable to contact coaches from other teams, and that's a pool of candidates the team will want to access at some point.

The Jets will also stage multiple rounds of interviews, too, once they settle on their finalists.

For now, it's too early to read anything into the links with Rivera and Ryan.

ESPN's Rex Ryan revealed on Monday that he expects to talk with the New York Jets regarding the team's head coaching vacancy once the regular season comes to a close.

Rex Ryan tells me on @DRonESPN on @880ESPNNewYork that he expects to speak with the #Jets for their head coaching opening after the regular season ends.

— Jake Asman (@JakeAsman) December 30, 2024

Ryan previously served as the Jets' head coach from 2009-14, finishing with a 46-50 record. He also held the same role with the Buffalo Bills in 2015 before he was fired prior to the end of the 2016 season.

New York will be searching for a new head coach over the offseason after parting ways with Robert Saleh on Oct. 8.

New York is currently in the midst of the NFL's longest active playoff drought. The Jets' last postseason berth occurred under Ryan during the 2010 season, which marked the second consecutive AFC Championship Game appearance for the team.

The 62-year-old's tenure with the organization started off strong, but he finished with a record of just 18-30 over his final three years in New York.

Mike Tannenbaum, who served as the Jets' general manager from 2006-12, has some familiarity with Ryan. Tannenbaum is now part of The 33rd Team, a group that New York will be using to help with the hiring process.

The Jets are scheduled to meet with former Washington Commanders head Ron Rivera for their open position "this week," according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

The #Jets are scheduled to interview Ron Rivera for their head coaching job this week, per sources.

In 13 seasons with Carolina and Washington, Rivera made the playoffs five times, including an appearance in Super Bowl 50. The first of many HC interviews to come in NYJ’s search. pic.twitter.com/Tnbw2nS8Ja

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 30, 2024

Connor Hughes of SNY reported on Dec. 20 that "multiple NFL sources" believe former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel is an option that "the Jets covet the most."

New York's future is largely uncertain amid a 4-12 record in 2024, as quarterback Aaron Rodgers has remained noncommittal on his long-term NFL outlook. Veteran wideout Davante Adams also isn't guaranteed to return to the team for the 2025 season, while third-year receiver Garrett Wilson will be eligible for an extension at the end of the year.

As the Jets search for their next head coach, Ryan expects to be an option.

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers maintained a sense of humor despite getting pulled midway through Sunday's 40-14 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Midway through the third quarter, Rodgers passed Tom Brady to become the most sacked QB in NFL history.

"Rodgers — now sacked the most of any quarterback in NFL history... You've gotta be pretty good to have that record."

- Jim Nantz as Aaron Rodgers passes Tom Brady in the NFL record book pic.twitter.com/QkITUJBLeK

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) December 29, 2024

"Yeah, I got Tom on that," he told reporters after the game.

As much as that was a throwaway joke, Rodgers' teammates probably weren't in a lighthearted mood. Sunday was the nadir of an already frustrating campaign, with New York trailing 33-0 when its starting quarterback asked to be subbed out.

Aaron Rodgers revealed to the media that he instigated his own benching in the fourth quarter during a sideline conversation w/ #Jets interim HC Jeff Ulbrich.

‘I mean it was 33-0, we were sitting there & I said at some point probably go to Tyrod [Taylor] here, huh? Then the next… pic.twitter.com/otJGKK7kxe

— Paul Andrew Esden Jr (@BoyGreen25) December 29, 2024

The situation raises further doubt on Rodgers' future with the team. It becomes increasingly harder to see how the partnership can continue into 2025.

Unlike with last year, when Rodgers suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in Week 1, it's hard to pinpoint one reason why his performance has been so lackluster. The 41-year-old had been banged up at various points yet hasn't missed a game. In 16 starts, he has thrown for 3,623 yards, 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Unfortunately, the Jets' run of bad luck continued with a disastrous season that will end without a trip to the playoffs for the 14th straight year. New York owns the longest active playoff drought in any of the four major North American men's sports leagues.

Rodgers has acknowledged that his future is uncertain, as he will need to take some time to decide whether he will continue his playing career. If he does, he's expressed an openness to remaining with the Jets, but the team could choose to cut ties with him and pursue a younger starter in free agency or the 2025 NFL draft.

Between Rodgers taking himself out against Buffalo and the offense immediately looking better with Tyrod Taylor, one can't help but wonder whether the changeover already starts to happen in Week 18.

The New York Jets' disastrous season continued on Sunday with a 40-14 blundering from the Buffalo Bills.

The loss put the Jets at 4-12 on the year with just one game, a matchup against the Miami Dolphins, left. Sunday's game, to quarterback Aaron Rodgers, was another example of how the season has gone in New York. The Jets let the game get away from them.

"Yeah, I mean, it's kind of like the season—it just got away from us," Rodgers said, per ESPN's Rich Cimini. "Too many games got away from us. This game got away from us. We were moving the ball well and then we just hit a wall. And that's been kind of the season, too."

The Jets trailed 40-0 in the third quarter when they called Tyrod Taylor in to relieve Rodgers, who completed 12 of his 18 passes for 112 yards and two interceptions. He had a career-worst 1.2 quarterback rating.

Though the Jets have had some bad losses this year, Sunday's was the worst by far. New York, which started the year 2-1, has now lost 11 of its last 13 games. It seemed poised for a midseason turnaround after beating the Houston Texans in October, but nothing came of the victory.

New York, already eliminated from the playoffs, will try to salvage what is left of another disappointing season with a win over the Dolphins next week. It could be Rodgers' final game playing for the Jets.

In November, after New York fired general manager Joe Douglas, SNY's Connor Hughes reported that sources said "the team prefers to move on from Rodgers, too." Whether the Jets have changed their opinion on that is unclear, but Rodgers hasn't given them much of a reason to.

As the Jets decide what to do with Rodgers, who is under contract through 2025, they'll also have to find their next head coach after firing Robert Saleh earlier this season. Whoever their next coach is, they'll hope to hire someone who doesn't let games get away from them.

The Miami Dolphins will have the chance to earn a playoff spot in Week 18, but it's unclear if they will have their starting quarterback under center.

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters after Sunday's win over the Cleveland Browns that he has "no idea" if quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will return from his hip injury in next week's game against the New York Jets. McDaniel added that while surgery is not needed at this time, playing could leave Tagovailoa susceptible to a major injury.

McDaniel also noted that Tagovailoa's injury is "not at all" related to the hip injury he suffered in 2019 while he was still at Alabama. He said Tagovailoa was willing to play through the injury, but he would've risked the possibility of aggravating it further.

Tagovailoa was forced to sit out against the Browns as the Dolphins earned a 20-3 win with backup quarterback Tyler Huntley leading the way. Huntley threw for 225 yards and a touchdown on 22-of-26 passing and added a team-high 52 rushing yards and another score on seven carries.

Tua was hyped for Snoop after his rushing TD 😄

📺: #MIAvsCLE on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/cScX6Cqtb8

— NFL (@NFL) December 29, 2024

Tagovailoa, who also missed time earlier this year with a concussion, has played in 11 games and thrown for 2,867 yards, 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions while completing a career-best 72.9 percent of his passes. His return would surely give Miami its best chance to be successful, but the team should also feel comfortable with Huntley if he needs to start again in Week 18.

After improving to 8-8, the Dolphins need some help to get into the postseason. In addition to needing to win their game against the Jets, they need the Denver Broncos to lose to the Kansas City Chiefs. Miami would own the tiebreaker over Denver based on conference winning percentage.

Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Calais Campbell confirmed that he'll be rooting for the Kansas City Chiefs in order for his team to clinch a postseason berth.

"For the first time in my life, I'm going to be a big Chiefs fan -- a HUGE Chiefs fan," Campbell said following Miami's 20-3 win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, per Adam Beasley of Pro Football Network.

The Dolphins must defeat the New York Jets in Week 18 and also need the Chiefs to win against the Denver Broncos to secure the final playoff spot in the AFC.

It'll likely be more difficult for Kansas City to win compared to a traditional matchup between the AFC West foes, as NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that the Chiefs plan to rest their starters against Denver after locking up the No. 1 seed in the conference.

The Broncos are also fighting for their playoff lives, as they'd clinch the last postseason spot with a win over the Chiefs.

Campbell acknowledged the possibility when speaking to reporters on Sunday.

"I don't know what Andy Reid is going to do with his players and all that," Campbell said. "But I know that in football, it's nice to have a shot."

Calais Campbell said for the first time in his life he’s going to be a Chiefs fan. pic.twitter.com/e9wcDFEEak

— Omar Kelly (@OmarKelly) December 30, 2024

"It might not happen, that's part of it," he added. "But we have to go out there and do our part. If it does happen, look out."

The 38-year-old may not be at the same individual level compared to his stretch of six Pro Bowl appearances in seven years from 2014 through 2020, but he's remained an important piece of Miami's defense in 2024.

In 15 starts entering Sunday's contest, Campbell racked up 46 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 19 pressures, five passes defensed and four sacks.

Calais Campbell’s still got it at age 38 💪

📺: #JAXvsMIA on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/92e4rJYZkw

— NFL (@NFL) September 8, 2024

Playoffs appeared to be out of the question once the season commenced, as Miami sat at 2-6 through eight games. The Dolphins have rallied since, winning six of their next eight contests.

Campbell and Miami's defense have played a large role in the turnaround, limiting opponents to just 18.1 points per game over the team's past eight appearances.

The Dolphins will need to secure another win in Week 18 to make the playoffs, and they'll also require Kansas City to emerge victorious against Denver.

The Miami Dolphins' playoff hopes stayed alive on Sunday.

With a 20-3 win over the Cleveland Browns, the Dolphins avoided elimination to stay in the AFC postseason picture.

Tua Tagovailoa was inactive due to a hip injury, leading to backup Tyler Huntley starting against the Browns. Huntley finished 22-of-26 for 225 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for a team-high 52 yards to go along with a second score.

Tyler Huntley takes it in himself! TD @MiamiDolphins 🙌

📺: #MIAvsCLE on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/dV8R5c5JJx

— NFL (@NFL) December 29, 2024

Tyreek Hill was Huntley's top target, hauling in nine receptions for 105 yards.

Gain of 25 for @cheetah! 🐆

📺: #MIAvsCLE on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/UVAd6CMgZW

— NFL (@NFL) December 29, 2024

Fans praised Hill for his performance after he was initially listed as questionable with a wrist injury.

Bounce back for Tyreek Hill

105 receiving yards

Apparently volunteered for punt returns

— Joe Schad (@schadjoe) December 29, 2024

Tyreek Hill in the win:

— 9 Receptions
— 105 Receiving Yards
— 11.7 Yards per catch pic.twitter.com/yl1UCspztW

— Dolphins Muse (@Dolphins_Muse) December 30, 2024

Tyreek is playing with a little something extra today. You can see it.

— Travis Wingfield (@WingfieldNFL) December 29, 2024

Give Tyreek his due he’s hurt and played through the injury with no drops

— Ghost of XavienHoward (@XavienBuner) December 29, 2024

Tenth touch by Tyreek Hill. This is what they should have been doing all season. You want the ball in his hands as much as possible.

— Chris at Phins.com (@PhinsChris) December 30, 2024

Tyreek showed up tonight!!

Gotta give him his due

— Nay-Nay (@Nasteshia1) December 29, 2024

Smart play by Tyreek!!

— Neal Driscoll (@NealDriscoll) December 29, 2024

Miami's defense also stepped up, keeping the Browns out of the end zone and limiting them to an average of just 3.6 yards per play. The Dolphins also forced two turnovers.

Fans were impressed with the overall team effort by Miami, as a loss would have put an end to its postseason chances.

With their win today, the Dolphins keep their season alive and will try to clinch a playoff spot in Week 18! 😤 pic.twitter.com/EX37WpmskD

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 30, 2024

Snoop Huntley, Tyreek Hill, Calais Campbell, Jonnu Smith, and yes, Mike McDaniel, did what was required today.

And because they did, the Dolphins will play meaningful football in Week 18 -- which is admirable, considering this team was 2-6.

— Adam Beasley (@AdamHBeasley) December 30, 2024

What’s crazy about the Dolphins is that if they got into the playoffs, Tua, Tyreek, Waddle, Jonnu, and Achane could do something. I don’t care what anyone tells you otherwise.

— Logan Laine (@LoganLaine7) December 29, 2024

So the Dolphins still have a shot at making the playoffs. pic.twitter.com/Re51l00qxt

— Omar Kelly (@OmarKelly) December 30, 2024

The one positive thing I can say about Mike McDaniel is that he still has this team playing for him.

The Dolphins looked like a team today that wanted their shot at the playoffs.

— Daniel (@DanielEliesen) December 30, 2024

The Dolphins’ playoff chances pic.twitter.com/T6DDTrkGen

— Safid Deen 💯💯💯💯 (@Safid_Deen) December 30, 2024

Jonnu with the TD!! Somehow the Dolphins are going to win this game and enter week 18 still in the playoff hunt!!

— David Fischer (@DavidFischer_71) December 30, 2024

For the Browns, Dorian Thompson-Robinson started at quarterback and struggled with his efficiency. Thompson-Robinson finished 24-of-47 for 170 yards and an interception.

After staying alive on Sunday, the Dolphins will need some help to clinch a playoff berth. Miami must defeat the New York Jets to close out the regular season while also requiring the Kansas City Chiefs to take down the Denver Broncos.

After sitting at 2-6 through their first eight games, the Dolphins still have a shot to make a postseason appearance in Week 18.

Following the New York Jets' 40-14 blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner expressed his frustration, stating that the word "embarrassing" didn't even begin to cover the team's performance. He added that the team's outlook on the postseason could be impacting their play.

"Embarrassing? I don't even know if that's the word," Gardner told reporters post game. You're telling me now it's 40-0? If you ask me that means it's the end of the season, obviously we're not going to the playoffs, some people might be checked out."

Sauce Gardner on if today's loss was embarrassing:

"Embarrassing? I don't even know if that's the word. You're telling me now it's 40-0? If you ask me that means it's the end of the season, obviously we're not going to the playoffs, some people might be checked out." pic.twitter.com/YIfs06mx20

— Jets Videos (@snyjets) December 29, 2024

Gardner finished with three tackles and one pass defended in the loss, while Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers struggled, completing 12-of-18 passes for 112 yards and two interceptions.

Rodgers was replaced in the fourth quarter by 35-year-old Tyrod Taylor in the fourth quarter, who came in and threw for two touchdowns, completing 11-of-14 passes for 83 yards.

"We beat them my rookie year right? Last year too," Garden asked reporters. "They had a similar roster and we quote on quote, enhanced our roster in all areas. So, that just tells me... we can't be playing as a team. We're probably just individuals."

Gardner was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 draft, where the Jets defeated the Bills 20-17 in Week 9 but lost to them 20-12 in Week 12. In his second season, the Jets opened with a 22-16 overtime win against Buffalo but then lost 32-6 in Week 11.

"I know last year and the year before, we had a roster that wasn't as talented as this roster but we found ways to beat the bills, we found ways to win," Gardner continued. "So, what's stopping that now with a more talented roster."

The Jets will have one more chance to pick up a victory as they face the 7-8 Miami Dolphins in their final game of the season.