NFC NORTH

MINNESOTA

This isn’t good for the Vikings.  Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com:

A series of tests revealed that Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson tore both the ACL and MCL ligaments in his right knee during the team’s 30-24 loss Sunday to the Detroit Lions, coach Kevin O’Connell said Tuesday.

Hockenson will be placed on injured reserve and surgery will be scheduled soon.

Recovery from double ligament tears can take a bit more time, but O’Connell said: “Knowing T.J., the type of player he is, I’m absolutely looking forward to when we can get him back rolling and ready to have a great 2024 season.”

The injury occurred on the Vikings’ second offensive play of the third quarter. After leaping to grab a 24-yard pass, Hockenson absorbed a hit to the knee from Lions safety Kerby Joseph. He immediately jogged to the sideline and was soon ruled out for the game.

“It was a very, very unfortunate play,” O’Connell said. “We’ve done a nice job [in the NFL] of helping take out some of those head and neck area hits to the defenseless players, [but] some of those low hits can be incredibly catastrophic for guys. It was awful to see that happen.”

Hockenson was having a career year in his first full season with the Vikings. He ranks second in the NFL in catches by tight ends (95), third in receiving yards (960) and has been the Vikings’ most consistent offensive threat in a season where quarterback Kirk Cousins and receiver Justin Jefferson have both been sidelined by significant injuries.

Since the Vikings acquired him from the Lions at the 2022 trade deadline, Hockenson leads all NFL tight ends with 155 receptions. He signed a four-year contract extension in August that will pay him at least $66 million and up to $68.5 million.

The Vikings’ remaining healthy tight ends are veterans Josh Oliver and Johnny Mundt, who have combined for 27 receptions this season. Second-year player Nick Muse is also on the 53-man roster but has not played in a game.

Meanwhile, O’Connell also confirmed that linebacker D.J. Wonnum suffered a torn left quadriceps during Sunday’s game and will miss the rest of the season. Wonnum, who tied a career high with eight sacks this season, will be eligible for free agency this winter.

Two other players who departed with injuries — receiver Jordan Addison (ankle) and cornerback Mekhi Blackmon (shoulder) — are day-to-day, O’Connell said.

And it’s probably not a good thing when you have three candidates to start at QB in the biggest game of the year.  Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

With their playoff hopes circling the drain, the Vikings have a decision to make at quarterback. The options aren’t ideal.

As PFT reported on Tuesday, the coaching staff is taking a “long look” at giving rookie Jaren Hall the assignment for the final two games. Nick Mullens has started the last two games, losing both, after bailing out the Vikings in a Week 14 game at Las Vegas.

Coach Kevin O’Connell made it clear on Tuesday that the options are being considered. As Chris Simms and I talked it through on Wednesday’s PFT Live, we settled on the idea of keeping Mullens for Week 17, while putting him on a very short leash.

Mullens has played well, most of the time. However, when he doesn’t play well, it’s a disaster. He had four interceptions on Sunday against the Lions, and he could have had more. On one, he underthrew receiver Jordan Addison on what could have been a long touchdown. On another, Mullens didn’t see a wide-open Justin Jefferson, forcing the ball into coverage. On the fateful pick that ended the game, Mullens threw a bad pass, which fluttered and quacked toward the end zone. If it had been delivered accurately toJefferson, the Vikings might have won the game.

Still, Mullens’s numbers in limited work are eye-popping. This year, he has completed 69.5 percent of his throws. He’s averaging 9.7 yards per attempt. The only problem is the six interceptions in two starts.

Mullens arguably gives the Vikings their best chance to win their last home game of the 2023 season. If he coughs the ball up early on Sunday night, he could — and should — get the hook.

NFC EAST

DALLAS

Todd Archer of ESPN.com with a good history lesson on the relationship between Jerry Jones and Jimmy Johnson as the coach finally gets his spot in the Cowboys Ring of Honor:

Jerry and Jimmy. Jimmy and Jerry.

In Dallas Cowboys history, maybe even NFL history, you don’t need their last names. You know them. You know their story. At least most of it.

They were teammates at Arkansas, winning a national championship in 1964. They roomed together on their road, more because of alphabetical order than a particularly close relationship. Numerically, they were next to each other, too. Jimmy wore No. 60. Jerry wore No. 61.

Jerry Jones became a success in the oil and gas industry. Jimmy Johnson became one of the best college football coaches in history, winning a national championship at the University of Miami.

In 1989, when Jones bought the Cowboys and Texas Stadium for $140 million, he immediately fired Tom Landry and named Johnson coach. After winning one game that first season, the Cowboys won their first Super Bowl in 1992. A year later, they won another.

And then it was over. Egos. Hurt feelings. Perceived disloyalty. A $2 million goodbye. Just like that.

Over the years, Johnson and Jones took their turns needling each other from afar. Their relationship would ride peaks and valleys, even as friends, coaches and former players tried to bring them back together. They appeared at different reunions of those Super Bowl teams, as well as Arkansas functions.

One physical barrier has remained between them: the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor.

That changes Saturday at halftime of the Cowboys’ game against the Detroit Lions (8:15 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN).

Johnson will be inducted into the ring of honor — next to the players he coached: Michael Irvin, Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Darren Woodson and Charles Haley. He will join the coach he replaced, Landry.

“Finally, that’s all I can say,” said Johnson’s longtime assistant and close friend Dave Wannstedt.

Finally.

TO UNDERSTAND HOW the relationship between Jones and Johnson deteriorated, you have to understand the beginning. The Cowboys were a bad team at the end of the Landry era, including a 3-13 record in 1988. They were losing $1 million a month off the field.

At their old Valley Ranch offices, Wannstedt remembered Jones and Johnson being around 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Everybody had their niche. Everybody had their role.

The catalyst of the Cowboys’ Super Bowl run was trading Herschel Walker to the Minnesota Vikings in 1989. The deal was a surprise because the running back was the best player on the Cowboys, but the club had a long-term plan. In total, the trade involved 18 players and picks, and after more trades with other teams, the Cowboys used those selections to draft Smith, Woodson and Russell Maryland.

Was it a Johnson trade or a Jones trade? It depends on who you asked.

Johnson believed Jones was infringing on his role and often cited his contract, which he believed spelled out that he had control of football operations.

Jones has always reminded people he had the general manager title, and he helped finalize the deal by paying Walker a $1.25 million bonus. He believed he never got the respect he deserved for putting his financial wherewithal on the line to purchase the team, making the money work in the Walker deal and acquiring Haley from the San Francisco 49ers. Jones has often said the Cowboys could not spell “Super Bowl” before Haley’s arrival.

“If they didn’t have faith in each other and depend on each other, I’m convinced it couldn’t have happened,” Wannstedt said. “I’ve worked around enough situations where the owner didn’t want to hear it and would say, ‘We’re not doing that. I don’t care what you think.’

“This dynasty that was built there couldn’t have happened without Jimmy and Jerry being together and having that relationship and each doing their own deal. The [issue] was when the overlaps started to happen.”

NOT EVEN BACK-TO-BACK Super Bowls and parades in downtown Dallas could keep it together. The end of the working relationship came March 21, 1994, at the owners meetings in Orlando, Florida, two months after the Cowboys beat the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVIII.

One night, inside the Hyatt Grand Cypress, Jones saw Johnson, Wannstedt (coaching Chicago at the time), former Cowboys offensive coordinator Norv Turner (coaching Washington at the time), former Dallas executive Bob Ackles and some others together.

Jones offered a toast to the Cowboys’ success, including those who no longer worked for the franchise.

Johnson did not like it, and Jones could sense it.

Jones stormed off and later that night told two Dallas Morning News reporters at the time, Ed Werder and Rick Gosselin, “There are 500 coaches who could have won the Super Bowl with our team.”

The next day, Johnson was livid.

“We sat together at league meetings, so I’m waiting for him in the lobby,” Wannstedt remembered. “He comes down and I said, ‘You ready to go?’ and he said, ‘Yeah, I’m ready to go.’

“And I’m going to the door [to walk into the meetings] — and he’s storming off — and I look over and I saw his Corvette pull up. That was it.”

Johnson got in his car and drove to his home in the Florida Keys. Eight days later, he and Jones came to an agreement that Johnson would no longer be the coach of the Cowboys. Jones paid him a $2 million severance. Whether Johnson quit or was fired by Jones depended on who was telling the story.

The players were left in the lurch. Woodson was back home in Arizona at his mother’s house when a friend told him to turn on the television. That’s how he found out Johnson was no longer the coach. Woodson was stunned.

Thirty years later, the pain remains. As good as it was — three Vince Lombardi Trophies in a four-year span, a first in the Super Bowl era — the players were left wondering if it could have been even better.

“But that divorce — or he was fired or he left, I don’t know what it was — but I would say those wounds affected so many people,” Woodson said. “So many guys that were driven, that were bought into winning Super Bowls. Michael Irvin wanted to f—ing win. Myself. Emmitt. Troy, of course. It affected us.

“Those wounds never heal because we don’t know the possibilities. So many possibilities that were there that we’ll never know. People say, ‘You got three,’ but, f—, you don’t play the game to limit yourself to three. You want more. You always want more and we couldn’t get more because egos got in the way.”

DESPITE THE DECADES that passed, it was always a matter of when, not if, Johnson would enter the ring of honor.

Before Johnson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020, Jones said the coach would go into the ring of honor — he just never said when. Just about every year since, Jones would be asked if this is the year Johnson would go in. And each time, Jones would say there is no timetable. After all, he is a committee of one when it comes to who is inducted.

In early September, Jones surprised recently inducted Hall of Famer DeMarcus Ware with the news he would be going into the Ring of Honor. At the Ware news conference, Jones was asked nearly as much about Johnson as Ware.

“Certainly there was some little awkwardness that was happening for not doing it that I guess I anticipated, but I really didn’t anticipate it,” Jones said last month. “So I wouldn’t have wanted that to linger any longer at all.”

“I never had a time when I didn’t have an appreciation for [Jimmy’s] confidence and skill level. Ever. I’ve always had that appreciation.”

It took one final meeting for it to all come together. In late October, Cowboys executive vice president Charlotte Jones, Jerry’s daughter, and Aikman, who has known Johnson since he was 14 years old, helped facilitate the two-hour conversation between Johnson and Jones at The Star.

Aikman did not want to discuss the private meeting, but the ring of honor secret remained until Nov. 19, when Jones and Johnson walked onto the Bank of America Stadium field before the Cowboys played the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte.

A Netflix crew working on a documentary about the Dallas owner and general manager followed the pair. Johnson and Jones waved to the crowd behind the Cowboys’ bench in a moment that was supposed to look unscripted.

About 30 minutes before kickoff, Jones announced on the Fox pregame show, Johnson’s television home as an analyst for three decades, that the coach would be inducted into the Cowboys’ ring of honor at halftime against the Lions, which meant Aikman, who will call the game for ESPN, would be at AT&T Stadium.

“This kind of closes the circle for all of us,” Aikman said.

Johnson was back in the Cowboys’ fold. Jones was doing what so many wanted to be done a lot sooner.

“Terry Bradshaw made mention to me when we were together at the Hall of Fame, every time I’m with Jerry, we tell old stories and laugh and cut up and have great, great memories because both of us are extremely proud of what we were able to do,” Johnson said.

“And Bradshaw told me, ‘Geez, you two guys when you get together, it’s like two brothers. There’s a strong feeling between the two of you.’ That’s why people have never really understood the relationship.”

IN SOME WAYS, friends say Jones and Johnson are the same. Johnson said they are both “extremely competitive” and “want to be the very best.” All these years later, the ironic part is the two were better together than apart.

In 1996, a season after his replacement, Barry Switzer, won a Super Bowl, Johnson would get back into coaching with the Miami Dolphins, replacing another legend. This time it was Don Shula, the NFL’s all-time winningest coach.

He would go 36-28 in four seasons and not get past the divisional round of the playoffs.

While the Cowboys won Super Bowl XXX, the perception remains that it came with Johnson’s players, not Jones’. Since then, Dallas has not gotten past the divisional round.

“We weren’t good the first year. We were the worst team in football, but three years after that we were winning Super Bowls and it happened, obviously, pretty quickly,” Aikman said. “I think had the struggles lasted longer, maybe there would have been more appreciation of how hard it is to do what we did and they’d be able to hold it together longer. But they were a good team for a lot of reasons and I think both would tell you they took for granted what they have.

“I don’t place blame on either one of them. I know a lot of people have opinions on it, but I think both were at fault and both were equally at fault. But I also know they were really good together in how they complemented each other’s strengths and weaknesses.”

FANS WONDER if there has been a curse on the franchise because Johnson was not in the ring of honor. When a Super Bowl drought stretches to 27 years, anything can be questioned.

As the Cowboys were kicking off against the Panthers last month, Jones and Johnson were asked in a news conference whether they realized how much they needed each other.

It was as if the past disagreements — whether as real and deep as perceived — never happened. They talked about never having a cross word with each other. Jones, however, referenced “beautiful scars.”

“I never had a time when I didn’t have an appreciation for his confidence and skill level. Ever. I’ve always had that appreciation when we parted. I did that at that particular time. So that has never been an issue,” Jones said.

“But, frankly, we were so tight and so strong, and when you use the word, saying ‘competitive,’ we didn’t have a lot of time to talk about the old times when we first got involved. In our first four years, this thing, every day was Pearl Harbor on and off the field. But it was a great atmosphere. Great. Again, his being in our ring of honor does, in my mind, say that.”

As Jones spoke, Johnson looked directly at his friend, teammate and colleague.

“We’re both extremely proud,” Johnson said. “The way the Cowboys are today and the way the Cowboys were back then, we are very proud of what we were able to do.”

SOME TWO HOURS before kickoff Saturday, there will be a reception inside the Murchison Room at AT&T Stadium for Johnson and the ring of honor members expected to attend. More than 50 former players, coaches and staff from that era are expected, along with Johnson’s current teammates at Fox.

The 13-minute halftime ceremony will be broadcast live on ESPN and ABC, another sign of the power Jones and Johnson wield all these years later.

As the second quarter ends, Aikman will hustle from his perch in the announcers’ booth and don a blue ring-of-honor blazer to be on the field for the ceremony. Even if he hadn’t been on the broadcast, he said he would not have missed this moment.

As he watches Jimmy and Jerry — or Jerry and Jimmy — speak, his mind will go back to the Rose Bowl and his fourth-quarter touchdown pass to Alvin Harper that clinched Super Bowl XXVII against the Bills. He will remember the faces of the players who lived through the end of the Landry era and the 1-15 record in 1989 to become champions.

“It sounds strange, but it’s not a play or particular game. It’s that moment that I remember most when, gosh, we’d been kicked around so long, and then to be on the top of the mountain there at the Rose Bowl, it was a magical moment,” Aikman said.

“It was so long ago that happened, and we’ve all aged, but I think part of me will be watching Jimmy and Jerry at halftime and probably see them as the 46-year-olds they were when Jerry bought the team, and how unified they were in their purpose and what it was they were going to achieve.”

NEW YORK GIANTS

The Rams will see veteran QB TYROD TAYLOR to start Sunday’s game.  Josh Alper ofProFootballTalk.com:

The Tommy DeVito era has come to an end.

Giants head coach Brian Daboll announced on Wednesday that Tyrod Taylor will get the start at quarterback against the Rams in Week 17. Taylor replaced DeVito for the second half of the Giants’ Christmas loss to the Eagles and helped give the team a shot at coming back from a 17-point deficit, so it’s not a great shock that the Giants made this call.

Taylor made three starts earlier this season when Daniel Jones was out with a neck injury, but he injured his ribs in a loss to the Jets and went on injured reserve. That opened the door to DeVito for a six-game run as a starter and the undrafted rookie helped guide the Giants to wins in three of those contests, but he struggled under heavy pressure in Week 15 against the Saints and did even worse against the Eagles.

After facing the Rams, the Giants will wrap up the season with another game against the Eagles and then head into an offseason that will be devoted to trying to turn things back around after their disappointing 2023 campaign.

WASHINGTON

It’s QB JACOBY BRISSETT against the 49ers on Sunday.  Myles Simmons ofProFootballTalk.com:

The Commanders are officially making a quarterback change for Week 17.

Head coach Ron Rivera announced at his Wednesday press conference that Jacoby Brissett will make his first start of the season against the 49ers, with second-year QB Sam Howell moving to the bench.

“I think this is probably a good opportunity for Sam to take a break,” Rivera said, via JP Finlay of NBC4 Washington. “This is about Sam’s continued development and things haven’t gone as well as we would like for the last few weeks. So, we just think this is a good opportunity for him to watch.

“And I think Jacoby being the professional he is and really playing the way he has, is really, I think, going to give Sam an opportunity to see some things, see how the offense goes. I think it’ll help.”

Howell has started all 15 games for the Commanders this year, but he’s had some significant struggles over the last three weeks. In that span, he’s completed just 40.9 percent of his passes for 285 yards with one touchdown and four interceptions.

Rivera benched Howell for Brissett in the Week 15 loss to the Rams and in the Week 16 loss to the Jets and the veteran QB provided a significant spark in both games. Overall, he completed 78.3 percent of his throws for 224 yards with three touchdowns and no picks.

We’ll see how Brissett fares with a full opportunity to play against the 49ers on Sunday.

AFC WEST

DENVER

We didn’t see this one coming, but we should have.  This from Larry Holder, Nick Kosmider and Dianna Russini of The Athletic (three writers credited):

The Denver Broncos are benching veteran quarterback Russell Wilson for the team’s final two games, multiple league sources confirmed. Wilson was informed early Wednesday morning.

The decision to bench Wilson for Stidham is tied at least in part to his contract. Wilson currently has $39 million guaranteed for 2024. There is a $37 million figure in 2025 that is currently guaranteed for injury only. It would become fully guaranteed if Wilson is still on the roster on the fifth day of the league year in March of next year.

By sitting Wilson, the Broncos won’t risk injury to the quarterback, giving them several months to decide on his future with the franchise. The benching is an indication the Broncos will move on from him.

Jarrett Stidham, Wilson’s backup for the first 15 games, is in line to start the final two against the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders. Wilson will be the No. 2 quarterback, a team source said.

Following back-to-back losses to the Detroit Lions and New England Patriots, Denver (7-8) has just a 1.8 percent chance to make the playoffs, according to The Athletic’s Austin Mock. The Broncos started the season 1-5 before winning six of seven to move within a game behind the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West prior dropping the last two.

Wilson, 35, has thrown for 3,070 yards with 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions, resulting in a 98.0 passer rating that ranks seventh among qualified quarterbacks.

Stidham, 27, has made two starts in five NFL seasons. Both came for the Raiders at the end of last season after the team sidelined Derek Carr. Las Vegas lost both games Stidham started, while he threw for 656 yards with four TDs and three picks, resulting in an 89.2 passer rating.

The Broncos also want to get a look at Stidham because he would likely be the top option at quarterback next season if the Broncos decide to move on from Wilson. Cutting ties with the veteran means an $85 million dead-money hit. The Broncos could spread that over two seasons with a post-June 1 designation, but they would still be left with limited money to spend on the position.

Denver invested heavy assets and dollars in acquiring Wilson last offseason in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks. The Broncos sent quarterback Drew Lock, tight end Noah Fant, defensive lineman Shelby Harris and five draft picks — two firsts, two seconds and a fifth — to the Seahawks. Seattle sent a fourth-round pick back to Denver along with Wilson.

Then Wilson agreed on the five-year, $245 million contract extension just before the start of the 2022 season. The deal, which includes $165 million guaranteed, was to keep Wilson in Denver for the next seven years. Wilson’s previous contract, a four-year, $140 million extension signed in 2019 while with the Seahawks, was set to run through the 2023 season.

Wilson struggled mightily in his first season with the Broncos in 2022. He threw for 3,524 yards in 15 starts with 16 TDs and 11 interceptions, leading to a career-low 84.4 passer rating.

This offseason, Denver traded with the New Orleans Saints to acquire the right to hire Sean Payton. The longtime Saints coach replaced Nathaniel Hackett, who was fired before finishing one season with the Broncos.

Payton has been blunt publicly a few times when discussing Wilson’s shortcomings and how to “fix” the veteran quarterback.

The Patriots selected Stidham in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Stidham spent three seasons in New England before being traded to the Raiders in May 2022.

Stidham signed a two-year, $10 million contract with the Broncos at the start of free agency that comes with a $1 million guarantee next season. At the owners meetings shortly after signing Stidham, Payton said he believed the 27-year-old had starting quarterback upside.

“I think he’s young, but I think he’s someone that we had a good grade on coming out,” Payton said at the time. “We like the player. I think he played well in the two starts he had this year. If you study closely the San Francisco game (at the end of the 2023 season), he’s smart at the line of scrimmage. There were a couple of directions really with that position and there were a handful of No. 2’s that either I have worked with, or we felt comfortable with.

“In this case, I think he’s a No. 2 whose arrow is moving in a direction where we feel like he can become an NFL starter in our league. The evaluation was pretty crystal clear for all of us. I think he’s someone that’s going to be great in the room. He’s smart. Quietly, that was an important sign for us.”

Ultimately, this move is also tied to performance. The Broncos have lost three of their last four games as the offense has struggled mightily. Wilson has thrown four interceptions during that span.

Now, the Broncos will be in data-gathering mode as they close their season. Coincidentally, Stidham finds himself in the same position he was in last season as he was playing quarterback with the Raiders. Las Vegas decided to sit Derek Carr for the team’s final two games to avoid an injury that would guarantee future salary.

The Raiders ultimately moved on from Carr. The move Wednesday by Payton signals the Broncos are open to doing the same with Wilson after the season. The next two games will help determine how they move ahead at quarterback.

Mike Florio is more emphatic:

Whatever the justification given for the decision to bench Russell Wilson for Jarrett Stidham, the fact remains that the Broncos have repossessed the utensils of the man who just wants to cook.

And there’s no coming back from this.

Not for the Broncos, and not for Wilson. Coach Sean Payton wouldn’t have benched Wilson with two games left and lingering playoff hopes if Payton hadn’t already decided not to allow $37 million in injury guarantees to become fully guaranteed in March 2024. And Wilson won’t want to keep playing for a coach who benched him.

In theory, they could mend fences with a revised contract that pays Wilson less and creates current and future cap space. For all anyone knows, an effort to reach such an agreement occurred before Payton picked the nuclear option of sending Wilson to the sideline.

The fact that it came to a benching means it’s over. The Broncos are ready to move on. Wilson is ready to move on. Whether he’s traded or released, it’s virtually impossible to imagine him back in Denver in 2024.

LAS VEGAS

“My resumé is on the grass.”

Interim coach Antonio Pierce has a way with words.  Charean Williams ofProFootballTalk.com:

Raiders owner Mark Davis has a chance to do what he should have done two years ago: Hire the interim coach who has his team playing with heart.

The Raiders didn’t hire interim coach Rich Bisaccia as the full-time coach after the 2021 season, instead choosing Josh McDaniels. It’s same time, two years, with interim coach Antonio Pierce having done enough to earn the job this offseason.

Las Vegas is 4-3 with Pierce after going 3-5 with McDaniels, and it remains in playoff contention.

Pierce wants the job and feels he’s earned the job.

“My resume is on the grass. What do you want?” Pierce said, via Tyler Dragon of USA Today. “I can put up a fancy presentation. I’ve seen that before. I can put up stats. I can put up my resume. But the best thing that happened for me was an opportunity. I said this maybe last week, the worst day I was going to be as a head coach was my first day. And each day is my job, and I really take pride in growing each and every day to get better. No different than when I was a player to get better.

“By the end, you look at it, whatever your career was and whatever my coaching career is, and you sit there and say, ‘Look, this is what he was.’ And hopefully Mark Davis sees improvement and growth within our team. He sees the style and play that he wants from the Raiders. He sees a fan base that’s behind us. He sees a building that loves coming to work and loves being here. And people that’s covering the team, enjoying covering the team. And at the end of the day, we’ve got to win. And right now, my record, our record is 4-3.”

The Raiders demolished the Chargers and upset the Chiefs the past two weeks, and with games against the Colts and Broncos to end the regular season, Pierce gets a chance to finish his audition leaving no doubt in Davis’ mind.

AFC NORTH

BALTIMORE

This from OptaStats:

@OptaSTATS

The @Ravens have 7 wins by 14+ points this season. All of those opponents are currently above .500 (Hou, Cle, Det, Sea, Cin, Jax, SF).

No team in NFL history has had more than 5 regular-season wins by 14+ points against teams that finished that season with a winning record.

CLEVELAND

Something from OptaStats:

@OptaSTATS

The 2023 Browns are the first NFL team to win at least 10 games in a season with four different quarterbacks each earning at least one win since QB starts were first tracked beginning in 1950.

AFC SOUTH

HOUSTON

The Broncos have waived S KAREEM JACKSON – and the Texans have claimed him.  Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com:

Safety Kareem Jackson is headed home.

Jackson, who the Broncos waived Monday after two suspensions for illegal hits this season, was claimed by the Texans on Tuesday. He will receive his remaining salary of $279,444 by being claimed off waivers.

The Texans made Jackson a first-round draft pick in 2010, and he and Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans were teammates in 2010-11. Jackson spent nine seasons in Houston before going to Denver in 2019.

He has not played since Nov. 19 against Minnesota.

The NFL suspended him four games for a hit on Vikings quarterback Joshua Dobbs, citing “repeated violations of playing rules intended to protect the health and safety of players.” The suspension was the second for Jackson this season.

Besides his lost wages for the six games he has been suspended this season, Jackson also has paid $89,670 in fines for four illegal hits.

Jackson, 35, was eligible to return from his most recent suspension on Sunday against the Patriots, but the Broncos used a one-game roster exemption and then waived him Monday. The Broncos planned to bring Jackson back to the practice squad if he cleared waivers, per Mike Klis of 9News.

He didn’t.

Jackson started all 69 games he played for the Broncos, finishing his four-plus seasons in Denver with 393 tackles, six interceptions and 22 passes defensed.

Technically, Jackson’s hometown is Macon, Georgia – but we get what Charean is about here.

AFC EAST

NEW YORK JETS

QB AARON RODGERS refutes the notion that he wanted a teammate to get cut just so he could practice.  Mike Florio also has a quote from Coach Robert Saleh backing up the claim that Rodgers had reservations:

Over the weekend, we reported that it wasn’t the idea of Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers to join the 53-man roster and ultimately displace practice-squad cornerback Kalon Barnes. On Tuesday, Rodgers said it himself.

Via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com, Rodgers explained during his weekly appearance with Pat McAfee that Rodgers did not want to be activated when his three-week practice window expired following his return from injured reserve.

“I assumed I was going to go on IR,” Rodgers said. “I asked to be put on IR, but then there was a conversation, ‘Do you want to practice?’ I said not at the expense of somebody getting cut. I know how this works.”

Rodgers’s activation resulted in the release of fullback Nick Bawden. After he cleared waivers, he signed with the Jets’ practice squad. That displaced defensive back Kalon Barnes.

“I didn’t feel like I needed to practice to continue my rehab,” Rodgers said. “I could do on-the-field stuff on the side, but, obviously, I got overruled there. It is what it is. This was an interesting situation.”

Rodgers complained, as he often does, about the criticism he received from so-called “conspiracy theorists” who were calling him selfish for taking up a roster spot despite not intending to play this season. Rodgers said he would have had no problem with finishing the season on IR.

Separately on Tuesday, coach Robert Saleh confirmed that it was the team’s idea to put Rodgers back on the roster.

“[Rodgers] expressed concern about taking up someone’s roster spot and all that stuff, and what it meant,” Saleh said, via Cimini. “But like I told you guys, we had roster flexibility, just like we told him, and we had the ability to do it. And so, we did.”

As previously explained, the Jets had a spirited practice on Friday, with Rodgers running the scout team and Rodgers and the Jets’ defense exchanging pleasantries.

– – –

As the Jets head towards Cleveland, one can’t help but wonder where they would be if they had kept QB JOE FLACCO around as the backup to Rodgers.  Jake Trotter ofESPN.com:

Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco has no hard feelings against the New York Jets, who didn’t re-sign him after last season and also didn’t bring him back after Aaron Rodgers suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in this season’s opener.

Flacco and the Browns host the Jets on Thursday night with a chance to clinch the team’s first postseason appearance since 2020.

“I enjoyed my time while I was there, and it is what it is,” said Flacco, who spent parts of three seasons with the Jets. “I’m happy to be where I am, that’s for sure.”

Flacco has started the last four games for the Browns, winning three. Cleveland (10-5) is all alone at the 5 seed in the playoff picture with a better than 99% chance to make the postseason, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index.

Over the last four weeks, Flacco has thrown for more yards (1,307) than any other NFL quarterback. He’s also tossed 10 touchdown passes, tied with the Los Angeles Rams’ Matthew Stafford and San Francisco 49ers’ Brock Purdy for the most during that span.

Flacco went unsigned this season until Cleveland quarterback Deshaun Watson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. Flacco worked out for the Browns on Nov. 17 and was signed to their practice squad three days later.

Last season, Flacco started four games for the Jets, including a 31-30 win in Week 2 in Cleveland. In that game, Flacco threw four touchdown passes, including two in the final two minutes to pull off a shocking comeback, which he called the “craziest finish” of his career.

But he wouldn’t throw another touchdown until joining the Browns this season, as New York turned to Zach Wilson, the 2021 No. 2 draft pick, at quarterback.

“There’s 32 teams in the NFL. They’re just another one,” Flacco said. “I got a lot of guys over there I really respect and had an awesome few years in that locker room. So a lot of respect for those guys.”

Flacco will have a new backup quarterback the rest of the way, as the Browns placed rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (hip) on injured reserve Tuesday. That means PJ Walker, who started two games earlier this season, will again be Cleveland’s No. 2 quarterback.

THIS AND THAT

ROONEY RULE

Are we right about how this works?

If Marc Davis wants to make Antonio Pierce his permanent coach, he can just put a contract in front of Pierce, have him sign it and announce it before the final game next week.

But, if David Tepper wants to promote his interim coach Chris Taber – he has to do a compliant and serious interview with a legitimate candidate who satisfies the Rooney Rule.

Or, if the Chargers want to trade for Mike Tomlin, they can do so and announce it to the world immediately.

But, what if the Chargers want to trade for Bill Belichick and his seven Super Bowls?  Do they have to do a Rooney Rule interview before they can complete the trade?

Well, it looks like one perfunctory interview won’t do.  This from NFL Operations.

In 2021, the NFL approved changes requiring every team to interview at least two external minority candidates for open head coaching positions and at least one external minority candidate for a coordinator job. Additionally, at least one minority and/or female candidate must be interviewed for senior level positions (e.g., club president and senior executives).

If a team trades for Tomlin, do they still have to do another interview of another external minority candidate?

BARGAIN CONTRACTS

This from Bill Barnwell of ESPN.com:

Anyone who has gone shopping for Christmas gifts knows the value of a bargain. So do NFL teams. With how much organizations have to pay their top players, every single successful team has to find a handful of players who exceed expectations and outplay their contracts in a given season.

The most common way to do that is to draft talented prospects and develop them into impactful players while they’re on their rookie deals. Brock Purdy is going to win the MVP award, and he’s making $870,000 this season. Puka Nacua might be a first-team All-Pro wide receiver, and he’s on the books for a base salary of $750,000. As long as the league is scaling rookie deals, cost-controlled young talent is going to underpin every successful franchise.

Let’s focus on the players who aren’t just bargains because they’re locked into low-cost contracts. It’s harder to find veterans on the open market who can contribute for less than what other teams are paying for experienced players at those same positions. Finding those players can be transformative for your team; think about how the Eagles got superstar play out of cornerback James Bradberry last season, or how the Chiefs relied on Jerick McKinnon as a receiving threat down the stretch a year ago.

As I watched the games in Week 16, I kept noticing veteran bargains making plays and impacting games, and that led me to build a roster. Leaving aside players on rookie deals (so no Purdy or Nacua, among many others), undrafted free agents who aren’t eligible for unrestricted free agency (which counts out Ivan Pace) and players on tenders (such as Bryce Huff) to strictly focus on players whose contracts were negotiable, I built a team of veteran bargains for the 2023 season. You probably can guess where it starts:

Quarterback

Joe Flacco, Browns

Contract: One year, $2.5 million

For a Browns team on second- and third-string tackles that can’t run the ball and doesn’t have the speed to scare opposing defenses, Flacco has been a godsend. Having a quarterback who can read the full field, work deep into his progression and make any throw has been a major upgrade on what Cleveland previously had under center this season. If Flacco was simply a live arm, that would have been an exciting addition.

Instead, while he has thrown too many interceptions, he has otherwise been a revelation. Thirty-eight-year-old quarterbacks who were on the couch for most of the fall aren’t supposed to be able to move functionally and extend plays the way Flacco did Sunday. Did you see him boot left and hit Amari Cooper for that 75-yard touchdown against the Texans? On the move over the last month, Flacco is 14-of-23 for 169 yards with two touchdowns. He’s 12-of-18 for 193 yards and two scores working outside the pocket.

When Kevin Stefanski coaxed career seasons at the time out of Kirk Cousins (who has had better years since) and Baker Mayfield, his offenses were play-action heavy. And since Flacco took over the offense, guess who has broken down defenses off play-fakes? Flacco is 34-of-50 for 677 yards with six touchdowns and one interception on play-action over the past month. The only quarterback using play-action more often is Gardner Minshew, whose offense is built on a bedrock of run-pass options.

Is Flacco perfect? Of course not. There are at least a couple of passes per game that are almost inexplicable arm-punts, and they often lead to interceptions. When the tradeoff is passes like this one against the Bears, though, you’ll take it. Sunday was Flacco’s best game with the organization, and it looks like he might be getting better as he grows more comfortable with this offense and vice versa. It seems impossible the Jets waited to bench Zach Wilson until the day Flacco signed with the Browns. Next week, the longtime Ravens starter will have his chance to show the Jets they made the wrong choice.

Running back

Raheem Mostert, Dolphins

Contract: Two years, $5.6 million

While Tyreek Hill understandably has received plenty of attention for a historically efficient season, Mostert has grown into an essential player for the Miami offense. After Mike McDaniel wasn’t willing to give the oft-injured back 20 carries in a game last season, Mostert has had three 20-plus-carry games over the past six weeks. In Sunday’s win over the Cowboys, a game in which Mostert left before returning, it was telling that Miami gave him a series of carries immediately after he came back for the second half.

As exciting as De’Von Achane has been when healthy, Mostert has been an essential player to unlocking the rushing attack. Last season, Dolphins backs ranked last in the league in rush yards over expectation per carry (RYOE), according to NFL Next Gen Stats, suggesting they were set up with opportunities to succeed, only to come up short. This season, with Mostert shouldering the heaviest load, the Dolphins rank No. 1 in the same metric. After they mustered a single run of only 30 yards or more all season a year ago, he has three by himself this season.

And the touchdowns! The Dolphins have jumped from 10th in red zone touchdown rate to third, and Mostert’s league-leading 18 rushing touchdowns have been a big reason. He has a league-high 20 attempts inside the 5-yard line, but he has converted those 20 attempts into 12 scores, for a 60% touchdown rate. The average back is converting about 36% of their carries inside the 5. He also caught two touchdown passes in that area, including the opener on Sunday.

Devin Singletary, Texans

Contract: One year, $2.8 million

Singletary was supposed to be the change-of-pace back behind Dameon Pierce in Houston, but after the second-year back failed to impress the new staff during a slow start to the season, Singletary has taken the job for himself. Since Week 10, the former Bills back has carried the ball 114 times for 546 yards and three scores, averaging nearly 5.0 yards per carry. Singletary never was given the opportunity to get featured back work in Buffalo, but he has three games with 20-plus carries and 100-plus rushing yards over that stretch, including 170 yards from scrimmage in the Week 15 win over the Titans.

Singletary set up that overtime victory with a 41-yard catch, but outside of a couple of big plays as a receiver, the Texans have taken to using him as a pure runner as opposed to his former role as a receiving back. (Singletary had a 27-yard screen called back for a hold during Sunday’s loss to the Browns.) He has been up to the task, posting a positive RYOE and a roughly average first down over expectation mark. It has gone under the radar as C.J. Stroud and Tank Dell have rightfully earned plaudits, but Singletary has been a valuable piece in the wildly entertaining Houston offense.

Wide receiver

Amari Cooper, Browns

Contract: Five years, $100 million

OK, $20 million a year isn’t anybody’s idea of a bargain, but the way the Browns acquired Cooper has to be considered a heist. Remember, the Cowboys were about to release Cooper before the 2022 free agent window began, only for the Browns to cut the line and acquire Cooper by sending a fifth-round pick and a swap of sixth-rounders to Dallas. The Cowboys used those picks on Matt Waletzko and Devin Harper; Waletzko has played just three games, and Harper is with the Bengals.

Cooper, meanwhile, continues to make Dallas look foolish. Sunday’s incredible 265-yard effort bumped Cooper up to eighth in the league in receiving yards (2,410) since the start of 2022, and that’s while playing with five different quarterbacks. He has averaged 2.4 yards per route run over that stretch, which is right behind Davante Adams and Chris Olave and ahead of Cooper Kupp and Deebo Samuel.

Like Flacco, Cooper isn’t perfect. He has dropped 14 passes over the past two seasons, more than any other player. He doesn’t have breakaway speed, and he’s not going to torch the opposing team’s top cornerback. As a big wideout who can play any spot in the lineup, win with his route running and catch 50-50 balls, though, he’s still a very useful wide receiver. The Browns certainly are happy the Cowboys were willing to let him leave for a Day 3 pick.

Kalif Raymond, Lions

Contract: Two years, $5 million (he starts a two-year, $10.5 million extension next year)

As the Lions have added more talent under Dan Campbell, Raymond has dropped down the depth chart and moved from being a starting wide receiver into a third or fourth option who primarily serves as the punt returner. He hasn’t been quite as impressive on special teams as he was a year ago, when he ended up as the second-team All-Pro return man, but the 29-year-old is having a notably efficient season when Detroit uses him in the passing game.

Raymond is averaging 2.1 yards per route run across approximately 14 routes per game, which ranks 31st among wideouts. That’s solid work, but ESPN’s Receiver Tracking Metrics like him even more. Raymond has an 80 open score this season, which is tied with DeAndre Hopkins for 10th among all receivers. The guys ahead of him are all superstars. I doubt Raymond would have Hopkins-esque performance if he was moved into the lead role again, but having a very good returner who can also get open as a backup wideout for $2.5 million is really useful for any team.

Tight end

Jonnu Smith, Falcons

Contract: Two years, $10 million

Smith is making $3.5 million this year as part of a restructured contract after being traded to the Falcons for the 245th pick in April’s draft. The Patriots signed Smith to a massive deal in 2021 after Bill Belichick had previously talked him up as the best yards-after-catch tight end in football, then barely used him in the passing attack, with Smith running about 10 routes per game. He had just 539 receiving yards over two seasons before being dumped on the Falcons.

While his success often has come at the expense of Kyle Pitts, Smith has been a useful cog in an oft-frustrating Falcons offense. He has caught 47 passes for 553 yards, topping his two-season total with the Pats before even finishing the 2023 campaign. The veteran is averaging nearly 9.0 yards per target and 1.9 yards per route run, with the latter figure ranking seventh among tight ends. Plus, he can block! I wouldn’t want to build the entire offense around him, but as a big-play target off of leak and play-action concepts, Smith has been a valuable contributor.

Offensive tackle

George Fant, Texans

Contract: One year, $3 million

In 2021, Fant was surprisingly effective for the Jets while filling in for the injured Mekhi Becton. He wasn’t as good in 2022 and didn’t have a preexisting relationship with Aaron Rodgers, so the Jets let him leave in free agency. Fant was on the market until late July, when he signed a one-year deal with the Texans and was expected to back up past first-round picks Laremy Tunsil and Tytus Howard.

Instead, Fant started the season filling in for an injured Howard at right tackle and never looked back. He was so effective that Houston instead chose to move Howard to left guard upon Howard’s return before the deposed tackle suffered another injury. Before missing most of the past two weeks with a hip injury, Fant had been a key blocker for C.J. Stroud and rated as above average by ESPN’s pass block win rate metric. As for the Jets, well, he’s another player from the 2022 roster who would have been useful to keep around for 2023.

Kendall Lamm, Dolphins

Contract: One year, $1.3 million

When the Dolphins signed Terron Armstead, they knew the former Saints left tackle was likely to miss time with injuries. Having a plan to survive when Armstead inevitably went down was going to be essential. When Armstead got hurt last season, however, the Dolphins’ offense disintegrated. If I had known Armstead would be ruled out for the opener against the Chargers and miss six of the first eight games this season, I would have worried about Tua Tagovailoa’s ability to stay healthy.

Instead, the Dolphins thrived without Armstead, and Lamm was one of the biggest reasons for it. Put on an island to protect Tagovailoa, Lamm has ranked average or better by both pass block and run block win rate while making a little over the veteran minimum. Over the past three weeks, he has started at left tackle, come in on the fly for an injured Austin Jackson at right tackle and then started again at right tackle during Sunday’s win over the Cowboys.

Remember: The right tackle is Tagovailoa’s blind side, making Lamm’s ability to switch sides and maintain his level of play even more essential. Facing arguably the league’s most devastating pass rush, Tagovailoa was sacked once on 38 dropbacks. The Dolphins don’t do that without Lamm.

Guard

Greg Van Roten, Raiders

Contract: One year, $1.6 million

Here’s the last in a series of former Jets on the offensive side of the ball. The Jets cut Van Roten in May 2022, and he was a backup with the Bills last season. Signed to a one-year deal by the Raiders in the offseason, he projected as depth behind Dylan Parham and Alex Bars. When the Raiders decided to cut Bars at the end of camp, Van Roten, 33, surprisingly entered the lineup as a Week 1 starter.

He held the job and didn’t let go; he played virtually every snap before getting some rest in garbage time during Vegas’s 63-21 win over the Chargers last week. ESPN’s blocking data has loved this work; the veteran ranks in the top 20 among guards in both pass block and run block win rate. At the very least, he has been a solid starting guard for a team that doesn’t have many cost-controlled options on either side of the ball. It hasn’t been a great season for the Raiders, but they have another bargain we’ll get to on the opposite side of the field a little later.

Dalton Risner, Vikings

Contract: One year, $3 million

Some of these guys were free agents late into the offseason, but Risner is one of the few who was a free agent as the season began. He eventually signed a one-year deal with the Vikings in September before learning the playbook and moving into the starting lineup in Week 7 against the 49ers.

Since then, his 96.5% pass block win rate ranks third among guards, trailing only Joe Thuney and Joel Bitonio, who are two of the highest-paid players at the position. Risner can still get overpowered at times, but he’s a capable pass blocker and a much-needed source of stability for Minnesota in a season in which it has had to cycle through options at quarterback and running back. I don’t think he’ll have to wait until September to sign a contract next year.

Center

Graham Glasgow, Lions

Contract: One year, $2.8 million

I’m cheating a bit, since Glasgow has spent most of his time at guard this season and is best known as a guard from his first stint with Detroit. After injuries and coaching changes helped tank a big-money deal with the Broncos, though, he has come back and been another essential player for a team that has battled injuries up front.

Glasgow, 31, was signed to compete with Halapoulivaati Vaitai at guard, but after playing just 19 snaps over the first two weeks of the season, injuries and superior play have led Glasgow to play every snap since. He has filled in at both guard spots and played 180 snaps at center while replacing the injured Frank Ragnow. With Vaitai on injured reserve, Glasgow should keep the right guard job for the remainder of the season. Detroit’s identity is built around controlling the line of scrimmage on offense, and during a season in which their star tackles have been disappointing and the interior of the line has battled injuries, Glasgow has picked up the pieces and helped keep the line afloat.

Defensive line

Jadeveon Clowney, Ravens

Contract: One year, $2.5 million

There are a half dozen Ravens veterans who could appear on the defensive side of this column. Clowney is the most obvious pick. After a two-sack season and a messy divorce with the Browns a year ago, the 2014 No. 1 pick sat in the free agent market until August, when he signed a one-year deal with Baltimore. A Ravens team that was set to start Odafe Oweh and David Ojabo as its primary pass-rushers needed a veteran to add to the mix.

Clowney has been the team’s best edge rusher. He has 7.5 sacks and 17 knockdowns before getting to Monday night’s game against the 49ers, while his 36 initial pressures are tied for 20th in the league. He has done that while playing a rotational role; the only players who have more pressures on fewer pass-rushing opportunities than Clowney are Texans rookie Will Anderson Jr. and Nik Bonitto of the Broncos. There is not a team in football that wouldn’t benefit from having Clowney in its pass-rush rotation for $2.5 million.

Leonard Floyd, Bills

Contract: One year, $7 million

A cap casualty with the Rams, Floyd’s 29 sacks over three seasons in Los Angeles were explained in part by the presence of Aaron Donald, who makes life easier for every edge rusher around him. Floyd lasted in the market until June before signing a one-year deal with the Bills, who needed help with Von Miller limited to start the season.

Miller has yet to play 50% of the snaps in a game this season and doesn’t have a sack, so Floyd has been essential as the third player in Buffalo’s edge-rushing rotation alongside Greg Rousseau and AJ Epenesa. While his most notable moment might have been getting stuck on the field as the 12th man on defense and giving the Broncos a second chance at what would become a game-winning field goal in November, he has racked up 10.5 sacks and 19 knockdowns while playing just over half of the defensive snaps. He earned a $1 million incentive when he picked up his 10th sack of the season in the blowout victory of the Cowboys in Week 15.

Denico Autry, Titans

Contract: Three years, $21.5 million

In the final year of his deal, Autry, 33, is taking home a little more than $7 million between his base salary and per-game roster bonuses. And while most defensive tackles are winding down as they hit their mid-30s, Autry somehow appears to be hitting new heights. He has a career-high 11.5 sacks to go with 12 tackles for loss and 17 quarterback knockdowns. He’s also a contributor to what has been the league’s best run defense over the past two seasons, keeping up for Tennessee even while star teammate Jeffery Simmons has been sidelined by a season-ending knee injury.

What Autry has done over his three seasons in Tennessee is not normal. He now has 28.5 sacks between his age-31, age-32 and age-33 seasons. That’s tied for 13th alongside stars such as Cameron Jordan and John Randle since the sack became an official statistic in 1982. The difference is that those guys were dominant pass-rushers in their 20s. Autry had a couple of solid seasons on the interior with the Colts, but he had 30.5 sacks over seven seasons from age 24 to 30 and might top that mark over the ensuing three seasons. NFL players typically don’t get better after they turn 30, but he appears to be the exception. He has been underrated for years now.

Kyle Van Noy, Ravens

Contract: One year, $1.4 million

When Van Noy didn’t start the season on an NFL roster, it was fair to wonder whether the 32-year-old linebacker’s career was over. He had changed teams each of the three prior offseasons, with his role and snap count diminishing each time. With two Super Bowl victories and more than $40 million in career earnings, he had nothing left to prove.

Then the Ravens called. Van Noy was on the couch on Sept. 22. By Oct. 22, he was wrecking shop against the Lions with a two-sack, two-TFL game. Moving almost entirely toward the pass-rushing end of the equation as an edge rusher after playing in a hybrid role as an off-ball linebacker with the Patriots, he has six sacks and seven knockdowns in 11 games. He’s generating a pressure once every 9.8 pass-rush opportunities; that’s in line with what Nick Bosa has done in a bigger sample with the 49ers this season.

Van Noy obviously benefits from playing in a scheme that maximizes his strengths under coordinator Mike Macdonald, but again: The Ravens have built a dominant pass rush with excellent zone pressure concepts, Justin Madubuike and guys anybody could have had in July when camps opened.

Linebackers

Andrew Van Ginkel, Dolphins

Contract: One year, $2.7 million

Playing alternately as an edge rusher and an off-ball linebacker, all Van Ginkel seems to do is make plays for the Dolphins. He had solid underlying pass-rush metrics in 2021, when he racked up four sacks and 20 knockdowns, but the Dolphins continued to add players to take his role there. Emmanuel Ogbah, Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb all consigned Van Ginkel to more work as a linebacker.

The Dolphins were moving him back off the ball earlier this season, only for Phillips’ season-ending Achilles injury to push him back into a pass-rushing role. He immediately responded with a pick-six and two knockdowns in the win over the Commanders, then added four pressures, 1.5 sacks and 10 tackles in Sunday’s win over the Cowboys. Van Ginkel ranks 22nd in pass rush win rate and is a critical player as Miami tries to win with its defense down the stretch.

Quincy Williams, Jets

Contract: Three years, $18 million

You know you’re good when you start a contract extension and still end up on the bargain list. Waived by Urban Meyer at the end of training camp in 2021, Williams landed with the Jets, perhaps in part because his brother is star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. After one week as an inactive, he was in the starting lineup by Week 2 and hasn’t really looked back since. He was a pleasant surprise in 2021, a standout in 2022 and has been All-Pro-caliber this season.

New York’s excellent pass rush naturally helps its coverage units, but Williams’ speed and range in coverage gives the team authority over the middle of the field. His second interception of the season came in Sunday’s win against the Commanders on a play in which he was tasked to handle wide receiver Curtis Samuel in coverage. He was in position to make a play even before Samuel slipped, but by the time the ball arrived, he had already jumped over the fallen Samuel and was closing on the ball. In a league in which top off-ball linebackers push $20 million per season, Williams getting $6 million per season is absurd.

Robert Spillane, Raiders

Contract: Two years, $7 million

Yet another veteran linebacker imported to try to solve a problem that has flummoxed the Raiders seemingly for generations, Spillane has turned into a fun playmaker. The former Steelers backup wasn’t able to consistently push for regular playing time with Pittsburgh, so my initial expectations were that Spillane would see some combination of special teams duty and rotation linebacker work for his new team.

Instead, even before interim coach Antonio Pierce took over the team, Spillane, 28, had emerged as a difference-maker. Spillane had two picks in the October victory over the Packers, then added a third in the win over the Jets. Spillane forced his first fumble of the season in the blowout victory over the Chargers, and he has begun to look imposing as a blitzer, with 2.5 sacks over his last six games. Suddenly, Spillane looks like a much-needed building block for the Raiders on defense.

Cornerback

Ahkello Witherspoon, Rams

Contract: One year, $1.1 million

The Rams went 1-for-1 in free agent signings this offseason! I’m mostly joking, but during a spring in which they almost entirely sat out veteran free agency, Witherspoon was the one veteran they did add to the defense, as he signed a one-year deal for the minimum in late-June. After Witherspoon flamed out in Seattle without ever playing a snap and became a cap casualty in Pittsburgh, moving to an L.A. team restarting on defense gave him his best chance of starting in 2023.

The Rams have surprised in part because Witherspoon has thrived. Pro Football Reference’s data suggests Witherspoon has allowed a 66.4 passer rating in coverage, which would rank 14th among all cornerbacks. Next Gen Stats have Witherspoon generating minus-15.7 expected points added (EPA) for opposing offenses in coverage, good for 10th among corners. Landing that for just over a million bucks, especially given the issues the Rams have had elsewhere in the secondary, is a success story for coordinator Raheem Morris and general manager Les Snead.

Arthur Maulet, Ravens

Contract: One year, $1.1 million

It’s our third and final Ravens defender. Maulet, 30, is a journeyman who contributes on special teams and got most of his playing time seeing snaps at corner and safety for some very bad Jets defenses in 2019 and 2020. He spent two seasons with the Steelers before joining the Ravens in late July amid an injury crunch at cornerback. Marlon Humphrey, Trayvon Mullen, Rock Ya-Sin and Jalyn Armour-Davis were all supposed to play ahead of Maulet. The Ravens were even comfortable enough to plan on moving third-year corner Brandon Stephens to safety.

Well, all of those guys got hurt. Stephens has played corner all season. Maulet has played 41% of the defensive snaps, but what he has done on those plays has been stunning. He has allowed a 65.3 passer rating in coverage, narrowly topping Witherspoon’s mark. Maulet has two sacks and an interception on a Hail Mary. His pressure of Justin Herbert at midfield forced a fourth-down intentional grounding in the midseason win over the Chargers. He’s also still on special teams. Just about every week, he does something in a Baltimore game that helps the team win (though a knee injury will keep him out of Monday’s game).

Safety

DeShon Elliott, Dolphins

Contract: One year, $1.8 million

From a current Ravens player to a former one! Elliott spent 2022 with the Lions, but when he signed with the Dolphins in March, the 26-year-old was expected to serve as the backup behind the homegrown tandem of Brandon Jones and Jevon Holland. Elliott beat out Jones, his former college teammate, for the starting strong safety job in camp and was the Week 1 starter.

After spending most of 2022 in the box for a struggling Lions defense, Elliott was shifted back into space by coordinator Vic Fangio while running mostly split-safety looks in Miami. He hasn’t necessarily been great in coverage — he was the closest defender at the time of the catch when CeeDee Lamb took a crosser 49 yards to the house Sunday — but he has been a sure tackler and made one of the biggest plays of the season in the first half. With Tony Pollard about to score, Elliott managed to bring down the Dallas running back with one arm on the goal line, keeping the Cowboys out of the end zone. On the next play, fullback Hunter Luepke fumbled a handoff from Dak Prescott, with the Dolphins recovering. Elliott saved seven points for the Dolphins in what would eventually be a 22-20 victory. That alone might have been worth $1.8 million.

Tashaun Gipson, 49ers

Contract: One year, $2.9 million

A ball hawk with the Browns in his younger days, Gipson, 33, joined the 49ers in August 2022 before re-signing with them this past offseason. Asked to play the center-field role while Talanoa Hufanga roamed all around the field, Gipson is doing something that most players in their mid-30s simply don’t have the range to do at that age, let alone while succeeding on one of the league’s best defenses.

Despite losing Hufanga to a torn ACL in midseason, the 49ers have allowed only 14 completions traveling 20 yards or more in the air, tying them for the fifth fewest of any team. Just four of those completions have come between the numbers, which is the sixth fewest. And while Gipson has only one of the interceptions, San Francisco’s five interceptions on those passes is tops in football. Asked to keep the door on the barn, he has held his own for the league’s best team.

Kicker

Brandon Aubrey, Cowboys

Contract: Three years, $2.7 million

This one was easy. Aubrey hasn’t missed a field goal try, as the former soccer player has started his NFL career 33-for-33 on field goal attempts. He has missed three extra points, but the Cowboys have to be thrilled about what they’ve gotten from their new kicker. Through Week 14, they ranked No. 1 in points generated on field goals and extra points, with Aubrey adding 10 points over what an average kicker would have done to Dallas’ totals.

Punter

Thomas Morstead, Jets

Contract: One year, $1.3 million

Returning to the Jets after spending 2022 with the Dolphins, Morstead ranks ninth in the league in punting EPA by the measures at Puntalytics. In a season in which the Jets have offered precious little on offense, he has needed to be a force while punting to try and make up for the field position the offense has ceded by going backward.