The Jacksonville Jaguars fired defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell and some of his staff the day after losing to the Tennessee Titans, which eliminated them from the playoffs.
The Jaguars fired Caldwell and “several members of his defensive staff” Monday evening, confirming a report by Fox Sports’ Greg Auman. The team did not specify which employees were fired alongside Caldwell. Caldwell joined the Jaguars alongside head coach Doug Pederson before the 2022 season.
The move is part of Pederson’s defensive overhaul after the Jaguars lost five of their last six games, knocking them out of the playoffs. Despite their late-season collapse, Jacksonville could have won the AFC South with a victory over the Titans on Sunday. However, the 28-20 loss to the division’s last-place team dropped them to 9-8 and eliminated them from the postseason.
It was a stunning collapse after Jacksonville began the season 8-3 and was in contention for the AFC playoffs’ top seed. However, they lost four consecutive games to the Bengals, Browns, Ravens, and Buccaneers, putting their postseason hopes in jeopardy prior to Sunday’s loss to the Titans.
During those five losses, Jacksonville allowed opponents to score an average of 29.2 points per game. The Jaguars ranked 22nd in total defense and 17th in scoring defense this season, allowing 21.8 points per game.
Jacksonville’s late-season issues were not solely due to its defense. During the playoffs, quarterback Trevor Lawrence struggled with ankle and shoulder injuries, and Jacksonville’s offense suffered. The Jaguars scored seven points in a Week 15 loss to the Ravens and 12 the following week in a loss to the Buccaneers after Lawrence injured his shoulder. Lawrence had two costly interceptions Sunday against the Titans.
Caldwell spent 11 seasons in the NFL as a linebacker before beginning his coaching career as a defensive assistant with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2008. He has also worked with the New York Jets and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was the Bucs’ inside linebackers coach under then-defensive coordinator and current head coach Todd Bowles when the team won the Super Bowl following the 2021 campaign.
Jimmy Garoppolo: It was a weird year, but I enjoyed every minute of it.
In 2023, Jimmy Garoppolo and the Raiders did not have the expected results.
It all started when Garoppolo needed surgery to repair a foot injury he sustained while playing for the 49ers in 2022, which caused his initial press conference to be delayed. Then it continued into the regular season, when Garoppolo performed poorly, Josh McDaniels was fired as head coach, and rookie Aidan O’Connell took over as starting quarterback for the remainder of the season.
Still, Garoppolo said he enjoyed his 2023 season with the Raiders.
“When you’re in the middle of it, it’s a whirlwind,” Garoppolo told TheAthletic.com’s Vic Tafur. “You can’t smell the roses for too long or you’ll get caught up in them. And, in retrospect, [I] developed a number of interesting relationships in this building. The players, of course, but also the people in this building—it’s a cool building with friendly people. And that’s what you carry with you, man. That’s the stuff; when you look back on the season, there are little moments here and there that are fun.
“I loved it. Don’t get me wrong, it was a strange year, but I enjoyed every minute of it.
Garoppolo added that he enjoyed assisting O’Connell, stating, “I was a rookie once, and Tom [Brady] helped me out.”
But now, at 32, Garoppolo says he’s healthy and confident in his ability to start in the NFL.
Last March, Garoppolo signed a three-year contract with the Raiders worth $67.5 million. He started six games and completed 65.1% of his passes for 1,205 yards, seven touchdowns, and nine interceptions.
Jerome Baker, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Cameron Goode are all likely out for the postseason.
Miami’s linebacker injury toll continues to rise.
In his Monday press conference, head coach Mike McDaniel stated that Andrew Van Ginkel, Jerome Baker, and Cameron Goode are all out for Saturday night’s game against Kansas City, with Baker and Goode out for the remainder of the postseason.
Baker had wrist surgery following an injury sustained in Sunday’s loss to the Bills. Goode sustained a torn patellar tendon.
If the Dolphins continue to advance, Van Ginkel may be able to return in the postseason.
The Dolphins have suffered several defensive injuries in recent weeks, most notably at outside linebacker. Jaelan Phillips tore his Achilles during the team’s Black Friday victory over the Jets, and Bradley Chubb tore his ACL in Week 17 against Baltimore.
McDaniel mentioned that Miami is looking to add some depth at edge rusher.
The Dolphins and Chiefs play on Saturday, so Miami will release its first injury report of the week tomorrow.
Report: The Saints are considering adding Jon Gruden to their offensive staff.
The Saints are expected to make changes to their coaching staff, and they are considering bringing in a big name on offense.
Nola.com’s Jeff Duncan reports that the team is interested in reuniting Jon Gruden and Derek Carr. Gruden would not replace Pete Carmichael as offensive coordinator, but rather serve as a senior offensive assistant.
Dennis Allen, the current Saints head coach, joined Sean Payton’s staff in 2015 as a senior defensive assistant and replaced Rob Ryan as defensive coordinator 10 months later.
Gruden coached Carr with the Raiders for three and a half seasons before being fired in the middle of the 2021 season. It followed multiple leaks of emails he sent to former Commanders executive Bruce Allen while working at ESPN.
Gruden met with the Saints during the offseason program and went to training camp this summer.
According to Duncan, Gruden spoke with team officials and attended a team meeting the night before the Saints’ game against the Buccaneers in Week 17. He had dinner with employees, including General Manager Mickey Loomis, at a local restaurant.
Gruden, who won the Super Bowl with the Buccaneers, still lives in Tampa.
Gruden is currently suing the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell, alleging that the emails were used to harm his contractual and business interests.
When asked about changes to the offensive coaching staff on Monday, Allen declined to provide specifics, but did say the team would “look at everything.”
“I’m not going to go into any of those details in terms of what changes will occur,” he said. “But there’s things that will have to be different.”
Lions coach Dan Campbell says TE Sam LaPorta has an outside chance to play against the Rams.
The Detroit Lions will be relieved to learn that tight end Sam LaPorta’s injury is not serious.
It will still sting if LaPorta is unable to play in Detroit’s playoff opener.
LaPorta injured his knee during Sunday’s regular-season finale. That put pressure on Lions coach Dan Campbell, who didn’t sit starters despite Detroit’s slim chances of moving up from third to second place in the NFC playoffs. However, the injury does not appear serious.
Campbell told the Detroit media that LaPorta has an outside shot of playing in Sunday’s wild-card game against the Los Angeles Rams. Campbell said the team will know more in the next 48 hours, and the recovery time is expected to be days rather than weeks, according to Tim Twentyman of the Lions’ website.
On the one hand, that’s a positive outlook. When LaPorta’s knee was hit awkwardly, it appeared to be a serious ligament injury. However, it is possible that LaPorta will sit out the Lions’ first home playoff game since 1993.
LaPorta had an outstanding rookie season, totaling 889 yards and ten touchdowns. He was the Lions’ second-leading receiver and a key component of their offense. If he is unable to play against the Rams, he will be missed.
Many teams rest starters when they have no chance of changing their playoff seeding. The Lions could have moved up one spot, but it was considered risky to do so without resting key players. Campbell’s aggressive nature caused the Lions to play Week 18 as usual, resulting in LaPorta’s injury and some second-guessing.
Maybe by Wednesday, the Lions will believe LaPorta can play through his injury. If not, and the Lions are eliminated from the playoffs without their star tight end, the speculation will continue throughout the offseason.
Bill Belichick: I’m under contract, and it’s way too early to make any decisions
Bill Belichick has declined to comment on whether he will remain as head coach of the New England Patriots.
On Monday morning, Belichick told reporters that his own and others’ futures in the Patriots organization are still being evaluated.
“I am under contract. “I’m going to do what I always do,” Belichick declared. “As far as any decisions or direction for next year, way too early for that.”
Belichick stated that he will meet with Patriots owner Robert Kraft, but did not provide a timeline.
“There might be a series of meetings. I do not know. “We’ll handle it internally,” Belichick stated.
When asked about the possibility of remaining head coach but relinquishing control over the team’s personnel, Belichick appeared open to the idea.
“I’m for whatever we collectively decide as an organization is the best thing to help our football team,” Belichick said at the time. “I come to work every day to help our team. That is what I am going to do.”
What’s next for the Las Vegas Raiders now that interim coach Antonio Pierce has emerged as an unlikely face of the franchise?
Black Monday is here. The NFL regular season has officially ended, signaling the start of the offseason for more than half of the league and the start of the coaching carousel, in which five struggling teams (so far) are playing matchmaker to find their next head coach.
The Panthers, Chargers, Falcons, and Commanders are hitting the streets, looking for a better situation than the one they just left. Then there’s an unusual situation with the fifth team, which technically has a vacancy as head coach.
The Raiders probably didn’t expect to be in this situation when they fired Josh McDaniels after a sluggish 3-5 start to the season, but interim coach Antonio Pierce may have found an unlikely face for the franchise. Now they must decide whether Pierce performed well enough to justify passing up this year’s crop of coaching talent.
Pierce’s case for becoming the Raiders’ full-time head coach is undoubtedly valid. He led the Raiders to a 5-4 record in the nine games he replaced McDaniels. People are buzzing about Pierce not only because of his improved on-field performance, but also because of how the team felt under his leadership.
The Raiders regained their swagger under Pierce—or as much swagger as a team can have while starting Aidan O’Connell at quarterback. According to RBSDM.com, the defense was one of the league’s best, ranking second in expected points added per play (-0.141) over Pierce’s nine games as head coach. During McDaniels’ eight weeks as head coach, they ranked 26th in expected points added per play (0.038). The Raiders dominated the Dolphins’ offense, made life difficult for Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in an upset win on Christmas, and scored 63 points against the Chargers on national television.
It’s difficult to overstate the Raiders’ improvement under Pierce, which includes the team’s culture. They had a successful reclamation project in the second half of the season, acquiring former Patriots cornerback Jack Jones and quickly transforming him into a secondary weapon. There is evidence of buy-in on a variety of levels that translated into on-field success, which is the most difficult factor to consider when deciding whether to promote Pierce. There’s already a connection and some success here, which isn’t guaranteed with another coach, but that’s also not a good enough reason to sit back and ignore what else is available.
Aside from Pierce, the Raiders have a number of qualified candidates to consider. The Raiders will likely look into options such as Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, and others while narrowing down their candidates over the coming weeks. There’s also the risk that the Raiders won’t be able to replicate this stint with Pierce in the future, so they’ll have to go the traditional route and interview highly desired candidates.
This is a rare, favorable situation for a team that hasn’t had much recent success. There are worse problems than an interim coach establishing himself as a viable candidate for the full-time position. The Raiders have a foundation to build on that looks far more promising than it did when McDaniels was fired on Halloween. They have a solid defense, an improving offensive line, and enough pieces to field a functional offense even if Davante Adams is traded this offseason. Things are finally looking up for the Raiders, especially if they can make some progress in the coming months in determining who their future quarterback will be.
The fact that the Raiders are here and Pierce has a legitimate shot at the job reflects the hard work of the interim coach and the rest of the team. He is qualified. Now all he has to do is wait and play the game with one of the league’s most intriguing head-coaching openings.
Jameis Winston’s teammates, past and present, come to his defense after the TD controversy.
Everyone can get off Jameis Winston’s back. If you didn’t like how the New Orleans Saints quarterback called an audible from a kneel down to a run play, that’s too bad.
Teammates, both past and present, have been running — not walking — to Winston’s aid since he and the Saints decided to assist running back Jamaal Williams in scoring his first and only touchdown of the season in the final minutes of a blowout victory over the Falcons on Sunday.
Former Falcons head coach Arthur Smith, who was fired on Monday, does not have to like it. Dennis Allen, the Saints’ head coach who called for the clock to be run out, does not have to like it.
Pundits in the media are not required to find it polite or savory. Falcons fans don’t have to, either. In fact, New Orleans likes it even more because their opponent doesn’t, and the Saints ended Atlanta’s season in one of the most humiliating ways possible.
Jimmy Graham, a longtime New Orleans tight end, made that clear on X (formerly Twitter) when he defended Winston on Monday afternoon.
“Get off [Winston’s] back,” Graham, who has spent six of his thirteen seasons with the Saints, said. “This man is the best teammate I have ever had. Loves the city and the game, and embodies everything a leader should be. It was a rare occurrence, and we all accept responsibility. Nobody expected it to be blown out of proportion. Also, f*** the Falcons.”
A standout defensive end Cam Jordan took to social media to praise Winston as a teammate.
Starting quarterback Derek Carr answered questions about the Saints’ final play and expressed his support for Winston.
With 1:10 left in New Orleans’ 48-17 victory over the Falcons, Allen directed Winston to run victory formation. Even though the Saints were on the verge of scoring a touchdown and had the game in hand, it was polite not to punch it in from a yard out.
But wait, how does the old saying go? Is all fair in love and war? The rivalry between the Saints and Falcons is as close to war as any pair of teams in sports.
With that in mind, Winston and company aided Williams and increased the Saints’ lead over the Falcons, a win-win situation for both the team and its fans. After the game, Williams, the 2022 rushing touchdown leader, told the media how important his teammates’ decision was to him.
“I appreciate my teammates more than anything,” Williams told NOLA.com. “They see what I’ve been going through all year. I’m trying to help the team in any way I can. I thank them for getting me a touchdown.”
Smith dashed to midfield to curse Allen, who tried to apologize to his teammate after the game. Allen didn’t hold back in his postgame comments, revealing that the players, not him, made the decision.
“They did that on their own,” Allen said. “That’s not acceptable.”
He also claimed Smith “should be” upset about what happened.
Winston and his teammates made it clear that running up the score on the Falcons was not their goal. They cared about doing the right thing by their teammate.
“The score was already 41-17, so I don’t know how much worse it can get, but I got a lot of respect for Arthur Smith and the coach that he is,” Winston told the media after the game. “I did not want to offend [Smith]. This was not my intention. My intention was to lead the team that I’ve been with all year, and we all agreed that we wanted to get one of our guys, who fight with blood, sweat, and tears every game, into the end zone. I’m going to feel good about it.
Here’s the thing: It’s all about the team. It’s not about regret. It is not about anything else. It is about us as a group making a collective decision. But I sincerely apologize to Dennis. I apologized to the DA because it was not his call.”
