The Daily Briefing Thursday, December 1, 2022

NFC NORTH

GREEN BAY

QB AARON RODGERS is not necessarily resistant to the idea that he would be “shut down” while drawing a huge salary.  Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com:

Aaron Rodgers is playing Sunday against the Chicago Bears despite his latest injury, this one to his ribs, and the Green Bay Packers quarterback doesn’t plan on that changing the rest of the season.

Except if they’re out of playoff contention.

At 4-8 and teetering on the verge of elimination, that could become a reality sooner rather than later — at which point Rodgers said he understands that a conversation will almost certainly be had about his status for the remainder of the season.

That’s in large part because of Jordan Love, the third-year backup quarterback who hasn’t played much meaningful football in his career. He showed some promise in relief of Rodgers after he left Sunday’s game against the Eagles because of the rib injury.

“Look, I’d love to finish the season out, but I understand this is a business and there’s a lot of us kind of older guys who play a decent amount and they might want to see some younger guys play,” Rodgers said Wednesday. “Hopefully we don’t have to have that conversation. But if that conversation comes up, I’ll approach that with an open mind and without any bitterness or resentment. Obviously, like I said, I want to win out and we don’t have to have those conversations. I understand if we don’t that’s a possibility to have that conversation.”

To be sure, Rodgers never said he would welcome that — just that he would understand it’s something the team would have to consider.

The only other time Rodgers did not finish out a season when the Packers were out of playoff contention was 2017. He came back from a broken collarbone in Week 15 against the Panthers but after the Packers lost that game and were eliminated from the playoffs with two games remaining, Rodgers went back on injured reserve. That was merely procedural, and Rodgers would have tried to keep playing if they were still in the hunt.

When asked if that would be a better course of action to make sure he’s fully healthy for next year, Rodgers said: “I mean, that’s an assumption that this place won’t look any different next year. Again, that’s part of the conversation.”

– – –

This probably doesn’t mean anything to Sunday’s players and coaches, but the Packers could displace the Bears as the NFL’s winningest franchise on Sunday.  Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com:

For more than a century, the Bears have been the winningest franchise in NFL history. That could change on Sunday.

The Packers and Bears are currently tied with 786 wins in franchise history, so the winner of their game on Sunday will have the title as the winningest team in league history. If that’s the Packers, it will mean a team other than the Bears owns the title of winningest franchise in NFL history for the first time since before they were called the Bears and before the league was called the NFL.

In 1920 and 1921, when what is now the NFL was called the American Professional Football Association, the franchise that is now the Bears and was then called the Staleys won the most games, and that team has remained the NFL’s all-time winningest franchise for more than a century since then.

The Packers entered the league just a year after the Bears did and had plenty of success in their early years, but the Bears had plenty of success too, and the Packers weren’t able to gain significant ground on the Bears in the franchise win total until the arrival of Brett Favre, and then Aaron Rodgers: Since Favre arrived in Green Bay in 1992, the Packers have won 85 more games than the Bears. Three decades of first-ballot Hall of Fame quarterbacks are good for a franchise’s win total.

This has been a disappointing season for Rodgers, but he likes to say that he owns the Bears, and owning the franchise win total record that has long belonged to the Bears would be an achievement for Rodgers and the Packers to celebrate.

NFC SOUTH

TAMPA BAY

A team dinner for Tampa Bay’s defense.  Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com:

The Buccaneers defense kept the Browns offense in check for much of last Sunday, but they couldn’t close out the game in winning fashion.

Cleveland drove for a game-tying touchdown in the final minutes of the fourth quarter and then won the game on an overtime touchdown run by running back Nick Chubb. It’s not the first time that the Bucs defense has had a letdown late in a game this season, but linebacker Devin White would like it to be the last time.

White and fellow linebacker Lavonte David organized a dinner for the defense a day after the game in order to make sure everyone is on the same page as they move into the final weeks of the season. White noted how close the team was in 2020 because COVID restrictions led them to spend a lot of time together at the facility and hoped the dinner will helpe the group “jell a little more so we’ll play even harder for each other.”

“Me and Lavonte organized that just to bring the guys closer, just to be able to lean on one another and trust one another, just talk about the tenacity we’ve got to play with — you know, everything that we’ve got to do to help this team win,” White said, via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. “Because at the end of the day we’ve got a great defense and we want to show it for four quarters and 60 minutes.”

The issues with the Buccaneers offense have drawn a lot of attention over the course of the season and seven punts in the second half and overtime last weekend make it clear they have a lot of work to do on that side of the ball. That’s not stopping the defense from striving for better results and the unit will get a chance to show that they can play a complete game against the Saints on Monday night.

NFC WEST

ARIZONA

Now in Minnesota, CB PATRICK PETERSON takes a shot at his former QB.  Jack Baer at YahooSports.com:

Kyler Murray is seeing more scrutiny than ever amid a 4-8 start for the Arizona Cardinals, and that extends to his former Cardinals teammates.

Ex-Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson had some interesting things to say about Murray on an episode of his All Things Covered podcast published Wednesday. Amid a discussion about Arizona head coach Kliff Kingsbury’s job security, Peterson’s co-host Bryant McFadden criticized Murray’s lack of support for the coach.

Peterson, who now plays for the Minnesota Vikings, responded with “Kyler Murray don’t care about nobody but Kyler Murray. That’s just a matter of the fact.”

Not exactly what you want to hear about a quarterback who has already received plenty of questions about his makeup.

Peterson and McFadden’s comments came after a report that the relationship between Murray and Kinsgbury had grown tense, but recently improved. That tension has been seen publicly on occasion, like when Murray blamed the team’s scheme after a costly interception and when he was seen yelling at Kingsbury on the sideline during a timeout.

Murray would respond a few hours later, cursing out Peterson and telling the veteran to call his phone instead of calling him out on his podcast.

The following tweet contains NSFW language:

@K1

This isn’t true…you on some weird shit @p2  you got my number, if you really felt like this as a “big bro” or “mentor” you supposed to call me and tell me, not drag me so your podcast can grow…

Murray’s top target, DeAndre Hopkins, also appeared to weigh in:

@DeAndreHopkins

You don’t kick a man when he’s already down,

Peterson, an eight-time Pro Bowler, left the Cardinals in the 2021 offseason after 10 seasons with the team, two of which were spent with Murray after the quarterback was selected first overall in the 2019 NFL draft.

There’s no denying the Cardinals have struggled this season, especially when they’ve lost four of their last five games. The real question is where the blame lies for that fact. Kingsbury is a popular answer, while Peterson’s comments indicate he thinks general manager Steve Keim deserves most of the blame. And, of course, there are plenty of people who question Murray and his $230.5 million contract.

Murray has seen his numbers take a step back this season, averaging a career-low 6.1 yards per pass attempt with 14 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He is on pace to finish with career lows in passing yards and touchdowns.

SAN FRANCISCO

Jason Owens of YahooSports.com has a headlinewriter with a clever turn of phrase (“JIMMIE G: FROM COUNTED OUT TO COUNTED ON”) that doesn’t appear in the article.  But the story does have some good numbers:

Jimmy Garoppolo isn’t supposed to be here.

The San Francisco 49ers made explicit plans last summer to move on from the game-management era. Kyle Shanahan named 2021 first-round draft pick Trey Lance the starter in July. Garoppolo had already said his goodbye, ready to take on the next chapter of his NFL career ahead of an anticipated offseason trade.

But things changed starting in the preseason. A trade didn’t transpire. Garoppolo got a new deal. Then Lance got hurt in Week 2. Now, 12 weeks into the NFL season, Garoppolo is in the midst of the best campaign of his career for a 49ers team that sits atop the NFC West at 7-4. After a four-game winning streak, the 49ers have caught up with the Philadelphia Eagles as co-favorites to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.

Is Jimmy Garoppolo’s return a blessing in disguise?

The surge begs the question: Can the 49ers get to the Super Bowl this season with Garoppolo at quarterback? And if they get there, can they win? More than one statistical measure suggests that Garoppolo isn’t the same quarterback whose mistakes proved critical in losses in Super Bowl LIV and last season’s NFC championship game.

In 10 games this season, Garoppolo is completing 67.4% of his passes for 238.1 yards per game with 16 touchdowns and four interceptions. He’s not a threat to lead the league in passing. But he’s limiting the mistakes that have plagued him in the past. His 4-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio is by far the best of his career. In his previous best season as a starter, Garoppolo threw 27 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. That was the 2019 season that saw the 49ers advance to the Super Bowl.

His effort adds up to a career-best 103 quarterback rating that ranks as the fifth best in football behind Tua Tagovailoa, Geno Smith, Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes. Advanced metrics confirm his improved play.

What the advanced stats say about Garoppolo

Football Outsiders’ DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average) metric analyzes gains based on specific football situations. The formula is complicated, but the concept is simple. It places higher value on yards gained that are theoretically harder to obtain. It takes into consideration — among other things — down and distance, placement on the field, such as a goal-line situation, and the strength of opposing defenses. It then assigns a percentage compared to the average NFL performance.

Garoppolo ranks third among quarterbacks in DVOA this season behind Tagovailoa and Mahomes with a rating of +27.2% on passing plays. It’s a career high for Garoppolo in seasons where he was a full-time starter. For perspective, beleaguered and benched Carolina Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield ranks last among qualifying passers with a negative DVOA of -37.8%.

Does this mean that Garoppolo’s a top-three quarterback? Of course not. It’s just one more tool to measure a player’s performance. Nobody’s mistaking Garoppolo for an MVP candidate. But he doesn’t have to be. The 49ers offense is built around Garoppolo getting the ball into the hands of his playmakers and letting them take things from there. The 49ers have some of the best playmakers in the league.

They include All-Pro receiver Deebo Samuel, three-time Pro Bowl tight end George Kittle and third-year receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who’s in the midst of his much-anticipated breakout as San Francisco’s leader in catches (51), yards (652) and touchdowns (6). Then there’s the trade-deadline addition of Christian McCaffrey, whose upside is the most dynamic back in football. If he’s healthy for a playoff run, watch out. Meanwhile, San Francisco sports the league’s best defense in terms of points (15.7) and yards (281.7) allowed per game.

Will Garoppolo revert to mistakes of the past?

In short, Garoppolo doesn’t have to throw the ball like Mahomes or Tagovailoa. He doesn’t need to be as dynamic as Hurts or Josh Allen. For San Francisco to succeed, he needs to run the offense efficiently and keep it moving in close games. This means avoiding the game-crippling mistakes that have frequently been his downfall.

Take, for example, his flailing first-half interception against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV. See his overthrow of Emmanuel Sanders with a chance to take the lead late in the same game. Or his under-pressure pick against the Rams on the final drive of last season’s NFC championship game. They were all critical. They add up to plenty of reason for skeptics to not trust him moving forward. If you don’t trust Jimmy G, you don’t trust Jimmy G.

He hasn’t completely eliminated those issues in 2022. Garoppolo threw two interceptions and failed to move the 49ers offense into scoring position after halftime in a 28-14 loss to Atlanta Falcons in Week 6. But that effort marks the exception rather than the norm for Garoppolo in 2022. Since an interception in a Week 7 loss to Mahomes and the Chiefs, Garoppolo’s played four straight games without a turnover. San Francisco’s won each of those games. His interception rate this season is a career-low 1.3%, good for fifth in the NFL. His previous best rate as a starter was 2.9% last season that ranked 26th.

Does this mean that Garoppolo’s improvement will translate to the playoffs if the 49ers indeed make the postseason? Again, no. Statistics and advanced metrics aren’t crystal balls and they can’t contextualize all the human elements of athletic competition. They don’t take into account an interception on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints that was overturned by penalty. Garoppolo could succumb to the pressure of a high-stakes scenario and make an infuriating postseason mistake, and neutral observers wouldn’t bat an eye.

But he’s trending sharply in the right direction with a not insignificant sample size on a team that’s built to contend for a championship. For 49ers fans who were less-than thrilled to see Garoppolo take the reins in Week 2, it adds up to an optimal scenario.

LOS ANGELES RAMS

No DT AARON DONALD this week for the Rams, the first time in his career we have said that.  Scott Thompson of Fox News:

For the first time in his career, All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald will be out for the Los Angeles Rams due to injury.

The Rams will host the Seattle Seahawks but won’t have Donald due to a high ankle sprain he suffered against the Kansas City Chiefs in a loss Sunday.

A high ankle sprain is a tough injury to play with, which is why Donald may be required to sit out more than just this week. He’s considered week-to-week, according to head coach Sean McVay.

His durability has helped Donald become a Defensive Player of the Year three times and a seven-time All-Pro.

Since he broke into the league with the St. Louis Rams as the 13th overall pick of the 2014 NFL Draft, Donald has been the epitome of good health in the NFL.

Donald had a 20.5-sack season in 2018 that led to a Defensive Player of the Year award. He also won that award in 2017 with 11 sacks in 14 games.

SEATTLE

Interesting take from QB GENO SMITH.  Kevin Patra of NFL.com:

The Seattle Seahawks have lost back-to-back games following a four-game win streak to tumble from NFC West leaders to out of playoff position.

Following Sunday’s 40-34 overtime loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, quarterback Geno Smith said the Seahawks need to be ready to face an opponent’s best effort each week.

“Reality is that we’re going from the hunter to the hunted,” Smith said after the game. “People want to play us. As a young team, we’ve got to learn to be able to go out there and win those games. That’s our next step in the evolution as a really young team. We got to understand the moment, capture the moments, take advantage. I feel like we had plenty of opportunities to go out there and win that game, finish it late, and we just didn’t get it done.”

Smith surged into the MVP talk during the Seahawks’ win streak as he led a young roster not expected to compete for a postseason bid this season into playoff position. The QB’s 72.8 completion percentage is tops in the NFL, and his 107.9 passer rating is second behind Tua Tagovailoa (115.7) in 2022.

But miscues hurt Seattle on Sunday. Smith threw an interception on a miscommunication and had a fumbled exchange with rookie running back Kenneth Walker, killing a promising drive. The QB also admitted he could have made a couple of better throws late against the Raiders that might have helped avoid overtime.

“When I was in college, a coach told me about the difference between a finger pointer and a thumb pointer,” Smith said. “I’ve always vowed to be a thumb pointer. I’m going to look at myself hard in the mirror, watch this film, see where I can get better and help this team win games.”

The Seahawks defense has been the biggest culprit in the two-game losing skid, getting run over by both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Raiders.

Pete Carroll’s D has lived by forcing turnovers — Seattle ranks fourth in the NFL with 19 takeaways. But when those plays dry up, they’ve been gashed, sitting 30th in yards allowed (388.7 YPG) and 28th in points allowed (25.5). Since Week 9, Seattle is allowing 188.7 rush yards per game, the most in the NFL.

“We have to fix it,” safety Quandre Diggs said Sunday. “Everybody’s going to expose it if we don’t fix it. We fixed it for a little bit. It showed its head again. At the end of the day, if we don’t stop the run, we’re not going to be able to do anything.”

The next two weeks offer Seattle a chance to get back on track versus the offensively challenged Los Angeles Rams and Carolina Panthers before a big date with the San Francisco 49ers in Week 15.

AFC WEST

DENVER

Should attending QB RUSSELL WILSON’s birthday party have been required by conscience if you were a Broncos player?  This tweet from Mike Klis of Channel 9 in Denver:

@mikeklis

There’s been some gossip about Russell Wilson’s standing in locker room. Here’s some context. Per source Wilson’s wife Ciara thru him a birthday party last night and “it looked like about half the team was there.” On player’s day off. Why do people have to be so hurtful? #9sports

Which leads to questions for Coach Nathaniel Hackett.

@NickKosmider

Nathaniel Hackett when asked about an NFL Network report that Wilson has “lost” some in the locker room: “To me, it’s all gossip. We have a fantastic locker room. I’ve never seen somebody work that hard and try to embrace a team like he has.”

AFC SOUTH

TENNESSEE

Joe Rexrode of The Athletic wants Ryan Day, who has only managed to go 45-5 in four season, gone from The Ohio State University – and he has just the guy to take his place.

This probably won’t come until a year from now, after Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan throttles Ryan Day’s Ohio State for a third straight season and the fury of a fan base becomes the charge of an athletic director.

But it will come, if Ohio State AD Gene Smith has an any sense for where things are headed in Columbus and what’s been happening in Nashville.

Mike Vrabel’s Ohio State. Get used to the idea.

It’s more than an Ohio State fan fantasy — by the way, OSU loyalists, if at least half of your message board threads right now don’t have “Vrabel” in them, what are you even doing? — and it should not inspire scoffs of dismissal from Tennessee Titans fans. It should inspire reviews of the liquidity of the financial assets of Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk. Keep that checkbook handy.

I don’t know for sure that Vrabel would take the job at his alma mater if offered. I know Ohio State should offer it, and anything Vrabel wants to take it.

And I wouldn’t totally rule out all of these things happening in a matter of weeks as opposed to months.

That’s not a prediction of a firing. Day’s 45-5 record in four-plus seasons, two Big Ten championships, two College Football Playoff appearances and advancement to the 2020 title game should earn him another season, right? Did I just write that out loud? Yeah, no. He’s not getting fired. Not this year.

But let’s cut to a Columbus Dispatch story by Bill Rabinowitz, a veteran and well-sourced Ohio State beat writer, from Jan. 13 about possible NFL interest in Day after last season. To quote Rabinowitz: “Don’t be shocked if Day seriously considers an offer if he gets one.”

Two factors were cited in the piece. One, obviously, was Day’s sub-market contract — and yes, he got the bump from $7.6 million a year to $9.5 a year, with an extension to 2028, a few months later. The other was the “fishbowl” aspect of Columbus, in particular after a “cataclysmic” event known as a loss to Michigan. Day, 43, and his young family experienced that after last season’s 42-27 Michigan upset in Ann Arbor, the Wolverines’ first win over the Buckeyes in a decade.

Saturday’s 45-23 dismantling of Day’s Buckeye’s by Harbaugh’s Wolverines made it two straight Michigan wins in the rivalry for the first time since 1999-2000. Also, it marked two straight double-digit Michigan wins in the rivalry for the first time since the Wolverines got three straight of those from 1946-48. With Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud moving on to the NFL and Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy back for his junior season in 2023, I’ll wager a third straight is on the way.

I bet Day thinks of last year’s fishbowl as something more like a luxury swimming pool at this point.

It’s fair to wonder how appealing Day would be to NFL owners right now, but I think he’d fit in perfectly with the offensive whiz kids club. Remember, Vrabel wanted to hire him to be the Titans offensive coordinator when Vrabel got the job in January 2018. Day had only been with Urban Meyer for a season at OSU as co-OC after two seasons with Chip Kelly in the NFL, but Vrabel’s intelligence gathering in Columbus told him positive things. Day stayed at OSU and supplanted Meyer a year later.

Day is a good coach. But there are other good coaches who could win 45 out of 50 games at Ohio State, in this era of absolute talent-gathering dominance for the Buckeyes. What Ohio State needs is a great coach, like the flawed Meyer and beloved Jim Tressel, a coach who would not shrink in the moment the way Day did Saturday against Michigan.

Vrabel would stuff Harbaugh in a trash can, or split his head open trying. He’s the guy. The question is whether he’d sign up for that fishbowl — even though it’s his home fishbowl. His kids are grown, it’s worth mentioning.

A couple years ago, I got the strong sense this day would come at some point, while working on a story for The Athletic on Meyer’s improbably undefeated 2012 Ohio State team and how it launched Vrabel’s coaching career. Actually, go back about a year earlier, back when Vrabel still had post-presser conversations with writers on his availability days. The subject turned to recruiting in college football, and I asked Vrabel if that was one of the main reasons he left Ohio State after the 2013 season to become Bill O’Brien’s linebackers coach with the Houston Texans.

The answer I got back, in a nutshell, was that Vrabel actually loved recruiting. He loved building new relationships. He loved talking football with coaches and parents and kids. If you think about it, if he didn’t love all this stuff so much, he wouldn’t be coaching at all because he made more than $20 million as an NFL player. That’s why Meyer was initially leery about hiring Vrabel in the first place.

Fast-forward to that story, which involved Vrabel’s best friend, Luke Fickell — previously a hot candidate to replace Day, but now Wisconsin’s new coach because bold moves work — talking Meyer into giving Vrabel a chance. Here’s what Meyer told me he learned quickly about Vrabel as a recruiter: “One of the elite guys.”

Kerry Coombs, who coached defensive backs on that Meyer staff and then with the Titans under Vrabel — and then was hired away by Day to be Ohio State’s defensive coordinator, and then was sacrificed after last season, and boy would it have been interesting to see his reaction Saturday — told the story of Vrabel flipping cornerback Gareon Conley from Michigan to Ohio State. It paired nicely with the story, told first in the Rabinowitz book “Buckeye Rebirth” on the 2012 season, about Vrabel paying an in-home visit to defensive lineman Noah Spence, getting scratched up wrestling Spence in his living room, but also getting the commitment.

“Mike’s a winner, so if Mike’s gonna recruit, he’s gonna win,” Coombs said then. “He’s not gonna cheat, but he is gonna do everything possible, pull out every resource, use every strategy available, in order to get a recruit.”

And he will relate to his players. If you’re a Titans fan who thinks Vrabel is a pro guy and that’s that, you’re fooling yourself. It’s obvious he loves coaching at the highest level and he must see a path toward Canton in this role — he wasn’t quite that level of a player — but we’re not just talking about college football. We’re talking about Ohio State. And we’re talking about a guy whose approach would work on any level.

“I mean, I try to coach them the same way,” Vrabel said for that story. “I try to teach, develop, try to inspire them to do their jobs better. My relationships were probably different as a college D-line coach than they are as an NFL head coach. But let’s be honest, man, the only thing that’s different with some of our guys and some of the players on Ohio State and Alabama is that we’re paying them. What’s really different about a 21-year-old player on Ohio State or Clemson and a 23-year-old like Rashaan (Evans) or Jayon (Brown)?”

Now, would the transfer portal and name, image and likeness and all that has come about to make college coaching more complicated scare Vrabel away? Maybe. Would $12 million a year simplify things? I know it would be a wise investment for Ohio State.

(Of course, and this goes for the forecast of Day’s inability to overcome Harbaugh in the future as well, I also knew Josh Heupel was an underwhelming hire for Tennessee. And that Harbaugh was never going to live up to the hype at Michigan. And that Tom Herman was a can’t miss. And will they have player and coach statues of Scott Frost after he brings Nebraska all the way back? And on and on and on. These coaching projections have their limitations. But I do feel good about this one.)

Vrabel is 48-28 with the Titans, 2-3 in the postseason, including a run to the 2019-20 AFC title game, but that doesn’t fully convey how impressive he’s been in this job. Getting more than he should out of his talent isn’t just about relationships and motivation, it’s about scheming and finding edges in the film and the rulebook. Get him going on any aspect of the game and he’s got the math and probabilities on recall. His pursuit of winning is exhaustive.

Recruiting for Ohio State already has tremendous advantages. I’m trying to imagine Vrabel not winning over a parent in a battle with Alabama or Georgia, or a kid when he says: “I played for the best coach ever, caught touchdowns from the best QB ever in Super Bowl wins and coached one of the best running backs ever. So yeah, I know what it takes in the NFL.”

That would also mean departing from the dream of winning a Super Bowl as a coach. But the Titans have a worse roster this season than last season, Derrick Henry and Ryan Tannehill are getting older, and some years of mediocrity may be ahead until and unless they find a great quarterback. Ohio State may look more appealing by comparison if (when) this materializes.

This is the kind of speculation that is sure to annoy Vrabel. But maybe it will be a nice distraction from the A.J. Brown questions this week. For those who aren’t aware, the Titans play at the Eagles on Sunday, seven months after the draft-day trade that sent Brown to Philly. In the moments afterward, Vrabel looked like someone had just kicked him in the stomach, or made him listen to “The Victors,” high volume, Muzak version, for hours.

When it’s Mike Vrabel’s Ohio State — sorry, I mean, if it’s Mike Vrabel’s Ohio State — he will be the coach and the GM, holding picks at the top of the draft every year.

AFC EAST

MIAMI

T TERRON ARMSTEAD doesn’t think he needs a pectoral muscle to play against the 49ers:

@CameronWolfe

Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel indicates LT Terron Armstead (pec) won’t have surgery & hasn’t been ruled out to play Sunday vs. 49ers.

I’m told Armstead has been telling folks he’s aiming to play this Sunday. Armstead does have a remarkable ability to play through injuries.

@CameronWolfe

Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel said he’d be surprised if RT Austin Jackson plays Sunday vs. 49ers. McDaniel indicates he feels good about RB Raheem Mostert playing vs. 49ers.

NEW YORK JETS

Pushed aside by RB TRAVIS ETIENNE in Jacksonville, RB JAMES ROBINSON thought he would see plenty of action after being traded to the injury-strapped Jets.  It hasn’t worked out that way.  Grant Gordon of NFL.com:

There’s some more disharmony emanating from the New York Jets offense.

Running back James Robinson, who was acquired via trade in November to seemingly become a key contributor for Gang Green, is miffed about being a healthy inactive in Week 12.

“Obviously, I didn’t come here not to play,” Robinson told ESPN on Wednesday. “Obviously, they brought me here for a reason. I don’t expect anything unless I work for it, and I’ve been working my ass off. Me not playing pisses me off.”

The Jets collected a resounding 31-10 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday, with quarterback Mike White getting the start and responding with a stellar three-touchdown showing. White had TD tosses to rookie Garrett Wilson and the formerly disenchanted Elijah Moore as he stepped in for the benched Zach Wilson. But it would seem all is still not great in Gotham.

After dynamic rookie back Breece Hall was sidelined for the season with a knee injury, New York sent a 2023 conditional sixth-round pick that can become a fifth to the Jacksonville Jaguars for Robinson.

Robinson, an undrafted free agent who was a 1,000-yard success story as rookie in Duval back in 2020, has produced just 75 yards rushing on 25 carries in three games. That all came before his Week 12 sit.

Thanks to a splendid rookie class and a stellar defense, New York is in position to make the playoffs for the first time since 2010. Despite the Jets’ impressive 7-4 showing, so far, Robinson is the latest offensive player to cause a conundrum.

Wide receivers Denzel Mims and Moore requested trades earlier in the year. Zach Wilson has struggled throughout the year before he was benched ahead of last week, and caused a stir when he said he didn’t feel he let down the Jets defense after a 10-3 loss to the New England Patriots in Week 11.

With Robinson sitting against the Bears, Michael Carter suffered an ankle injury, but Ty Johnson had a touchdown and rookie Zonovan Knight made his debut, leading the team with 14 carries and 69 yards.

What’s next for Robinson remains to be seen as the Jets travel to Minnesota for a big game versus the Vikings, but head coach Robert Saleh and the Jets never buckled when faced with Mims and Moore’s requests, and they sat Wilson for a reset and went to White.

Nonetheless, the Jets are coming off a big win and Robinson is dismayed.

“Obviously, I was upset about it,” he said. “I don’t know what they have planned for me.”

Clearly, if you are going to pick your lineup by who has the better name, you would take ZONOVAN KNIGHT over JAMES ROBINSON.

Who is this Zonovan Knight?

The North Carolina State product is Zonovan “Bam” Knight.  An undrafted free agent, the rookie played three seasons for the Wolfpack with a rushing total in the 700s every year for a total of 2,286 yards on a 5.5 average per tote.

This from Brian Costello of the New York Post:

Rookie Zonovan “Bam” Knight made his NFL debut and impressed with 69 rushing yards on 14 carries and three more catches for 34 yards. Knight surely earned himself more opportunities with his performance.

“I think everyone saw Bam had some fresh legs,” Jets coach Robert Saleh said, “he was juicy as a runner, getting north and south. …. He gets north and south quick, so he’s a one-cut runner, which is kind of the staple of our scheme, and he played fast, he played physical, lot of effort to gain yards after contact. The thing for Bam, and it’s not to compare, everyone’s got their own unique running style, but Bam just getting north and south quick. They’re NFL runs where the O-line blocks it for two [yards], but you grind for four.”

Knight was active for the first time and James Robinson, the back the Jets traded for a month ago, was inactive. Saleh does not want to write off Robinson, but Knight was more effective Sunday.

 “James’ story is not over, obviously, I said that after our game,” Saleh said. “It’s just a matter of getting north and south and not every run’s going to be perfect, not every run is going to go to the house, and just sticking his foot in the ground and getting vertical as quickly as possible and exploding through the line of scrimmage.”

The Jets may need both Knight and Robinson active Sunday. Michael Carter exited the Bears game in the third quarter with a sprained ankle. Saleh said it is a low-ankle sprain, so Carter has a chance to play this week. The Jets will know more when they begin practicing for the Vikings on Wednesday.

THIS AND THAT

NEWS

Alex Scarborough of ESPN.com:

Florida backup quarterback Jalen Kitna was arrested Wednesday on two counts of distribution of child exploitation material and three counts of possession of child pornography.

Kitna, the 19-year-old son of former NFL quarterback Jon Kitna, was arrested by the Gainesville Police Department and booked into the Alachua County jail at 3:20 p.m. ET. He is expected to appear in court on Thursday morning to hear the charges against him, the GPD said.

The five charges, which need to be formalized by the state attorney’s office, are second-degree felonies that could result in a prison term of up to 15 years and a fine of up to $10,000.

Kitna has been suspended indefinitely from the football program.

“We are shocked and saddened to hear of the news involving Jalen Kitna,” the University of Florida Athletic Association said in a statement. “These are extremely serious charges and the University of Florida and the UAA have zero tolerance for such behavior.”

According to a news release from the Gainesville Police Department, police received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that a user had distributed an image of child sexual abuse material on Discord, a social media platform.

25 UNDER 25

This from ESPN.com on the 25 best players under 25 (amazing that WR DK METCALF is still eligible for this list and that QB JOE BURROW, 26 on December 10, is not):

Drafting young talent who can be immediate stars gives any NFL team a big advantage, and some of the best players in the league today are under the age of 25. We’ve seen a 23-year-old post back-to-back seasons with at least 12 sacks and another record three straight years of 1,200-plus receiving yards. A 24-year-old is currently in the top five for passing yardage for the second straight year, and another is leading the NFL in Total QBR. Players are coming right out of the gate and making big impacts in the pros.

So we asked NFL and NFL draft analysts Matt Bowen, Matt Miller and Jordan Reid to work together to compile a list of the top 25 players in the NFL currently under the age of 25. To qualify, players needed to be 24 years old or younger on Nov. 29, 2022. Who tops the list was easy — a certain second-year defender was the unanimous No. 1 across all three lists — but difficult decisions were made in the latter parts of the list.

Let’s jump into our top 25, but we also took a quick look at 10 more players who just missed the list and allowed each of our three voters to make the case for a player they felt probably should have been recognized in our ranking.

1. Micah Parsons, DE/LB, Dallas Cowboys  Age: 23

A strong argument could be made that Parsons is the top defensive player in the game, regardless of age. Parsons is a menace off of the edge, after converting from middle linebacker to defensive end for Dallas. His unique explosiveness, bend and ball pursuit have turned him into a franchise cornerstone for the Cowboys. He’s only the third player since 1982 (when sacks became an official stat) to record at least 12 sacks in each of his first two seasons, joining Reggie White and Aldon Smith. And his 27.9% pass rush win rate leads all players since entering the league. — Reid

2. Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings   Age: 23

A true difference-maker in the Vikings’ offense, Jefferson has the ability to take over games. We can look at the savvy route-running traits, the vertical juice or the ability to make contested catches. He wins at every level of the field. And with three straight seasons of over 1,000 yards receiving, Jefferson is already one of the league’s best at the position. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, he has made 23.5 receptions over expectation during his career, and his 4,248 receiving yards tops the NFL since 2020 by more than 300. — Bowen

3. Ja’Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals     Age: 22

Chase has been a go-to wideout since entering the NFL, as his chemistry with former college teammate Joe Burrow at quarterback propelled the Bengals to a Super Bowl berth in February. Chase has the power, speed and big-play ability to become the next Terrell Owens. He has 19 receiving touchdowns in 24 career games and posted 1,455 receiving yards as a rookie last year. His return to the field from a hip injury could be a big factor in a late season push from Cincinnati. — Miller

4. Tristan Wirfs, OT, Tampa Bay Buccaneers     Age: 23

Wirfs was the fourth offensive tackle to hear his name called during the 2020 draft, but he has since leapt to the front of the pack. His nimbleness, hand strength and awareness all have translated after a record-setting combine performance. Wirfs’ savviness and reliability have quickly turned him into one of the best offensive lineman in the NFL. He has been attributed just six sacks against in three seasons, and his 91.0% pass block win rate is among the top 15 tackles since entering the league. However, Wirfs will miss a few weeks after suffering an ankle/foot injury Sunday. — Reid

5. Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers     Age: 24

A quarterback with elite physical tools, Herbert has quickly developed into a high-end pocket thrower with the movement ability to play outside of structure when necessary. He already has a 5,000-yard passing season and an 88-32 career touchdown-to-interception ratio. Herbert is getting close to being considered a scheme-transcendent passer, as his 65.7 career Total QBR ranks fifth overall since 2020. — Bowen

6. Quinnen Williams, DT, New York Jets             Age: 24

Williams’ game has exploded in coach Robert Saleh’s defensive scheme, as he’s living up to the billing as one of the top draft prospects at defensive tackle in recent years. His quickness and instincts are top-tier and allow him to make plays in the backfield consistently. The 24-year-old has a career-best eight sacks this season in 11 games, pushing his career total to 23.5. Williams will graduate from his list at the end of December when he turns 25, but for now, he’s one of the top 10 players under 25 in the league. — Miller

7. Rashawn Slater, OT, Los Angeles Chargers     Age: 23

Is he a guard or an offensive tackle? That was the big debate about Slater when he was entering the NFL in 2021. But through 19 games — all at offensive tackle — he has proven to be one of the best young bookend blockers in the game. Slater has shown balance, strength and a great understanding of the position. He has a stellar 91.1% pass block win rate, and after allowing five sacks as a rookie, he did not allow any in three 2022 games before going on injured reserve with a torn left biceps. — Reid

8. Pat Surtain II, CB, Denver Broncos            Age: 22

Surtain has an excellent physical profile and great speed, and he is already one of the top cover corners in the game. While his on-the-ball production has declined this season, Surtain grabbed four interceptions as a rookie and has 21 pass breakups in his young career. He’s a rapidly ascending talent with true lock-down potential. — Bowen

9. Jalen Hurts, QB, Philadelphia Eagles           Age: 24

Hurts is the picture of the modern quarterback, with an ability to beat defenses with his legs, intermediate timing passing and stretching the field vertically. He’s efficient, instinctive and explosive. Hurts has risen from Day 2 draft prospect in 2020 to franchise quarterback in 2022, leading the Eagles to 10-1 atop the NFC. His 60 career touchdowns (39 passing, 21 rushing) tell the story of his dual-threat ability, and his completion percentage made a jump from 61.3% last year to 67.3% this year. — Miller

10. Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Miami Dolphins            Age: 24

After a topsy-turvy first two seasons that included flashes of promise, Tagovailoa has put it all together during his third pro season under-center. Under coach Mike McDaniel, the lefty is in full command of the Dolphins’ system. He routinely shows pinpoint accuracy and quick decision-making, and he is playing with more confidence this season. Tagovailoa is a firm contender in the MVP race and one of the best young throwers in the league. His 82.7 Total QBR leads the NFL, and his yards per attempt has jumped from 6.6 in his first two seasons to 9.0 in 2022. — Reid

11. Brian Burns, DE, Carolina Panthers                    Age: 24

Burns is electric off the edge, with the lower-body flex and short-area speed to create havoc. He’s a disruptor who has produced 35.5 sacks, 152 pressures and 7 forced fumbles during his four-year career. And I still think he’s actually underrated when discussing the top pass-rushers in the NFL. — Bowen

12. Andrew Thomas, OT, New York Giants                Age: 23

Thomas struggled out of the gate, giving up 16 sacks as a rookie in 2020, but he has now emerged as one of the best left tackles in football in his third season. He plays with the type of poise, patience, balance and power rarely found in a young tackle, showing the strength to shut down power rushers and the agility to cut off the corner and play in space. And he’s only getting better every week. His 91.9% pass block win rate is 16th in the league among tackles this season. — Miller

13. DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks                      Age: 24

With elite speed and 6-foot-4 size, Metcalf is a vertical target who places a tremendous amount of stress on defenses. He already set Seattle’s single-season record for receiving yards during his second season (2020) with 1,303, and he has a pair of double-digit TD seasons under his belt. Metcalf runs past defenders with ease but also has the catch radius to consistently win at the catch point and the traits to pile up yards after the catch. Metcalf turns 25 in a little over two weeks. — Reid

14. Jaylen Waddle, WR, Miami Dolphins                   Age: 24

Waddle has a great ability to shift gears after the catch and run away from man coverage, and his numbers have jumped in his second pro season under new Miami coach Mike McDaniel. Averaging 17.2 yards per catch this season — up from the 9.8 he registered as a rookie — Waddle has game-changing ability and speed in the Dolphins’ timing and rhythm pass game. His 963 receiving yards are currently fifth in the NFL. — Bowen

15. Trevon Diggs, CB, Dallas Cowboys                 Age: 24

Mr. Interception has been electric since entering the NFL in 2020. In 2½ seasons, he has already hauled in 17 picks. Consider that it took Deion Sanders four full seasons to hit that number. Diggs is a constant threat to flip the field with his hands and playmaking ability on the ball. He also has 48 pass breakups and a pair of defensive touchdowns on his résumé. — Miller

16. Rashan Gary, DE, Green Bay Packers              Age: 24

A bit of a late bloomer who began to hit his stride over the past two seasons, Gary is a powerful and explosive edge rusher. He recorded a career-high 9.5 sacks last season and was on pace to surpass that number this season before a torn ACL in his right knee ended his season. With his 6.0 sacks and 31 pressures in nine games, Gary shows the ability to win with both speed and power. He barely qualifies here, though; Gary turns 25 on Saturday. — Reid

17. A.J. Terrell, CB, Atlanta Falcons                 Age: 24

A long-framed corner with press-coverage ability and backfield vision, Terrell can line up in man coverage or find the ball as a zone defender. He missed some game time with a hamstring injury this season, but the third-year defender is one of the league’s best matchup corners and has 28 pass breakups in his career. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, he has allowed minus-7.6% completions over expectation and given up just 5.4 yards per attempt as the nearest defender over the past two seasons. — Bowen

18. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts         Age: 23

Taylor is the epitome of a modern-day franchise running back, with a blend of power, patience, breakaway speed and soft hands that also make him a threat as a receiver. The league’s leading rusher in 2021 (1,811 yards), Taylor has battled injuries in 2022 but is still the cog that makes the Colts’ offense run. On 715 career carries, he has averaged 5.1 yards per tote and scored 32 times on the ground. — Miller

19. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys             Age: 23

A lean but explosive wideout, Lamb has strong hands and the ability to contort his body to haul in catches. He’s on pace for his second 1,000-yard receiving season after stepping into the No. 1 wide receiver role for the Cowboys and proving to be a consistent target no matter the quarterback. Lamb is also versatile, showing an ability to win outside and from the slot, and 44 of his 64 catches this season have gone for first downs. — Reid

20. Sauce Gardner, CB, New York Jets                  Age: 22

Competitive and confident in coverage, the Jets’ rookie corner is tied for the NFL lead with 14 pass breakups. There’s ball-hawking ability here (two interceptions) for a defender with transition speed and loose hips at 6-foot-3, which allow him to close quickly on the throw. He’s a high-ceiling talent who can match in man or disrupt opponent passing games in the Jets’ defined zone coverages. — Bowen

21. Justin Fields, QB, Chicago Bears                     Age: 23

The hottest up-and-coming quarterback in the league this season, Fields has become a true dual-threat for the Bears. His 834 rushing yards leads the team and is one of the top marks in the entire league this season. Fields must continue to develop as a passer — he is completing just 59.6% of his passes in Year 2 and has a career 14-9 touchdown-to-interception ratio — but he’s doing more with less around him than anyone in the game. He is currently out for Chicago with a shoulder injury. — Miller

22. Penei Sewell, OT, Detroit Lions                      Age: 22

After playing primarily left tackle at Oregon, Sewell made the transition to right tackle seamlessly from the start once joining the Lions. He has a strong build that he uses to overwhelm defenders and plays with a lot of aggressiveness as a run blocker. Sewell also shows outstanding feet, with the balance and quickness to mirror and match the most talented edge rushers in the league. He has given up just three sacks in 2022. — Reid

23. Christian Darrisaw, OT, Minnesota Vikings          Age: 23

Darrisaw has the traits to develop into one of the league’s top players at the left tackle position. He’s an easy mover who can smoothly climb to the second level in the run game, with the body control and lateral foot quickness to match pass-rushers. Darrisaw has registered a pass block win rate of 86% this season, up from 77.6% in his rookie year, and he has allowed just one sack in 2022. — Bowen

24. Kyle Pitts, TE, Atlanta Falcons             Age: 22

A matchup nightmare for defensive coordinators, the 6-foot-6, 246-pound Pitts is built like a tight end but plays like a wide receiver. He’s a deadly jump ball who continues to stand out with elite speed and agility for his position. He had over 1,000 yards as a rookie and had 356 through 10 games this year, but he only has three career touchdowns. The stats will come as Pitts develops chemistry with a franchise quarterback, but the potential is through the roof. An MCL injury recently landed him on injured reserve. — Miller

25. Antoine Winfield Jr., S, Tampa Bay Buccaneers        Age: 24

One of the more versatile young defenders in the league, Winfield can play around the box and have an impact as a run defender, but his instincts in pass coverage also frequently pop on tape. He displays physicality and aggressiveness as a tackler, and he’s as consistent as they come on the backend of Tampa Bay’s defense. He has missed a little time this year with a concussion and ankle injury, but he still has 51 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 pass breakups and a forced fumble in nine games. — Reid

Honorable mentions

Jedrick Wills Jr., OT, Cleveland Browns: We can make a really strong case to have Wills in the top 25 given his skill set on the edge. The lateral foot speed pops here, as do his powerful hand usage and technique. And his pass block win rate of 94.1% ranks third among offensive tackles. — Bowen

Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars: Lawrence was billed as the safest quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck, and he has shown flashes of that. He just hasn’t produced consistently yet. Hitting more big-time throws in the red zone and under pressure will push Lawrence up the list. His 54.2 QBR is 16th in the league this year. — Miller

Jevon Holland, S, Miami Dolphins: Holland is a multiple-role player who can play on the roof of the defense or an impact around the line of scrimmage as a run defender and blitzer. He has 124 tackles, 4 interceptions, 4 sacks and 16 pass breakups over two seasons. — Reid

Creed Humphrey, C, Kansas City Chiefs: Humphrey’s pass block win rate of 97.6% ranks third overall in the NFL this year. He’s a nuanced technician who brings key intangibles to the middle of the Chiefs’ offensive front, and he hasn’t allowed a sack yet this season. — Bowen

Tariq Woolen, CB, Seattle Seahawks: Woolen is on the cusp of becoming a household name and is one of the premier ballhawks in the NFL. A fifth-round pick in April, Woolen just needs more experience before he cracks the top 25 list. His five interceptions rank second in the league. — Miller

Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals: In the Bengals’ up-tempo attack, Higgins is a high-flying target who can run any route in the tree and sky over defenders to bring down tough contested catches. Higgins would be a No. 1 wide receiver for multiple teams around the league. He’s well on his way to a second straight 1,000-yard season. — Reid

Devin White, ILB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: White’s 2022 tape is down compared to his first three years in the league, but the off-ball linebacker has three-down ability and the second-level speed to create impact plays. For his career, White has logged 448 tackles, 20.5 sacks, 6 forced fumbles and 2 defensive scores. — Bowen

Derrick Brown, DT, Carolina Panthers: It’s hard to get love on the national level as a nose tackle, but Brown is making a name as one of the best in the game. He’s dominant against the run and brings pressure on the pocket as a pass-rusher, too. Brown’s lack of flashy stats (just six career sacks and zero forced fumbles over three seasons) keeps him just outside the top 25, though. — Miller

Talanoa Hufanga, S, San Francisco 49ers: A fifth-round steal for the 49ers, Hufanga is a high-energy player who has an infectious playing style. It doesn’t take long to notice him on defense, as he flies around with controlled aggression. He has 65 tackles, four interceptions and a forced fumble this year. Oh, and Hufanga is already one of the best special teams players in the league in his second season. — Reid

Alijah Vera-Tucker, G, New York Jets: Vera-Tucker is on season-ending injured reserve (triceps), but the extremely versatile second-year pro was still close to making the cut here. With positional flexibility to play multiple spots along the offensive front, Vera-Tucker is an ascending talent with All-Pro ability. He had a 94.5% pass block win rate this season before his October injury. — Bowen

Who should have gotten recognition here?

Miller: Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Detroit Lions. The do-it-all ability of St. Brown makes the Lions’ offense one of the most difficult to shut down in the NFL. He is among the toughest players pound-for-pound in the NFL, an electric runner after the catch and a physical route runner. St. Brown has 716 receiving yards this season, and his time is coming for national attention.

Reid: Trey Smith, G, Kansas City Chiefs. Part of an offensive line rebuild for Chiefs general manager Brett Veach, Smith was a steal in the sixth round. His physicality and no-nonsense attitude have helped create one of the best units across the league. And only 23 years old, Smith is on a fast track to being one of the better interior blockers in the NFL. He has a 95.7% pass block win rate over two seasons.

Bowen: Travis Etienne Jr., RB, Jacksonville Jaguars: I expected Etienne to make the cut based on the tape he has put together this year. After missing his rookie season with a foot injury, Etienne has shown he can handle No. 1 volume as a decisive runner with the short-area acceleration to slip through cracks of daylight. He is averaging 5.5 yards per carry this season, but Etienne can also affect the passing game with his receiving skills — he has 202 receiving yards. He has a lot of upside.