December is a dangerous time of year for fans of losing NFL teams. 

I’m sure brave Las Vegas Raiders fans who watched all four quarters of Monday night’s ugly game against the Atlanta Falcons were hoping for a late comeback victory only to realize that the 15–9 loss was the better outcome when it comes to securing the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft. 

New York Jets fans, however, weren’t as fortunate. Their losing team fell down the draft order after Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams turned back the clock and defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars last week. It sucks to constantly lose, but at some point you gotta wave the white flag and prioritize the future, and there’s no better way to improve in the NFL than through the draft. 

Those that say that’s loser talk end up with Gardner Minshew II and Aidan O’Connell as starting quarterbacks for a season. Sorry, that was a needless shot at the Raiders and Antonio Pierce for winning meaningless games last December. This season, they have mastered the art of tanking. Compete, keep games close, lose at the end, repeat. 

As for Jets fans, they have been tortured enough. Now, there’s false hope and debates about whether the Jets should welcome back Rodgers next season. Again, it’s a dangerous time of year. 

Speaking of dangerous, Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are dangerous again, as are Matthew Stafford’s Los Angeles Rams. Both teams could shake up the postseason, and that should be particularly concerning for the top three teams in the NFC North.

Let’s have a balanced NFL Fact or Fiction this week by examining good and bad teams before Week 16.   

Jets should bring back Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams 

Manzano’s view: Fiction 

Don’t fall for the trap, Jets fans. That’s what this franchise does. They kill your spirit for three months before giving you false hope for the future with a win in a meaningless game in December.

Yes, it was fun to see a vintage performance from Rodgers and Adams, but a win against the 3–11 Jacksonville Jaguars, who were led by backup quarterback Mac Jones, shouldn’t be enough to forget everything else that has occurred since the Jets committed to Rodgers in 2023.

The four-time MVP isn’t getting any younger and his play might diminish even further in his age-42 season. There is an argument to be made for Rodgers being a one-year bridge quarterback and a mentor to a potential incoming rookie, but the Jets aren’t close to being a playoff team. It’s tough seeing Rodgers signing up for a quarterback competition with a bad roster.  

If Rodgers truly wants to return next season, perhaps a change of scenery would be better. Just don’t expect him to play for the Minnesota Vikings and finish on the same path that Brett Favre went on 15 years ago. Maybe the Miami Dolphins will call Rodgers—they won’t, but maybe should. (Tua Tagovailoa supporters: feel free to scream at me.) 

Regardless of what Rodgers decides, the Jets shouldn’t welcome him back. They tried it for two years. It didn’t work. Time to move on. And if Rodgers isn’t around, that probably means the soon-to-be 32-year-old Adams will play for a third team in less than a year. 

NFC North teams should worry about facing Rams, Buccaneers in postseason 

Manzano’s view: Fact 

The Rams (8–6) and Buccaneers (8–6) have earned the title of “teams you wouldn’t want to face in the playoffs” based on how well they’ve played over the past month. 

It’s starting to get to the point where these two divisional leaders could be favored to beat the mighty wild-card teams from the NFC North once the playoffs begin. The Rams and Buccaneers would get home games if they hold on to first place in their respective divisions with three games left in the regular season. It’s pretty much a guarantee that the fifth and sixth seeds will be the second- and third-place teams in the NFC North. Currently, the Lions (12–2) are the No. 1 seed, but they’re still battling with the Minnesota Vikings (12–2) and Green Bay Packers (10–4) for the division title. 

The NFC West and NFC South winners are no longer in contention to do better than third and fourth in the conference, meaning both will face the two highest wild-card teams. Anyway, I’m saying all this to say that we could have a very intriguing slate of wild-card games in the NFC. I wouldn’t mind seeing the Rams and Vikings in a rematch after L.A. surprised Minnesota during a Thursday night matchup in Week 8. Or imagine if the Rams get the Lions again after pushing them to the final whistle in the wild-card round last year and in Week 1 this season. 

And I wouldn’t count out the Buccaneers from beating the Lions again or faring well against the Vikings and Packers. Tampa Bay is the only team that has beaten Philadelphia and Detroit this season. Get used to hearing about how dangerous the Rams and Buccaneers will be if they win their respective divisions. 

Ravens will surpass Steelers for AFC North title

Manzano’s view: Fiction

I’m definitely concerned about the Pittsburgh Steelers after they got walloped by the Eagles last week. They can’t keep up with the playoff contenders without star wide receiver George Pickens, who’s missed the past two games with a hamstring injury.

But even if the Steelers play it safe again with Pickens (which they should) and fall to the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday, they’re still in a good spot to win the AFC North title. (There’s also a chance T.J. Watt misses the game in Baltimore due to an ankle injury.) I’m willing to bet that Steelers coach Mike Tomlin will find a way to win two of the final three games of the regular season. If they don’t beat the Ravens, I can definitely see the Steelers beating the Kansas Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals. That would improve Pittsburgh’s record against AFC opponents, the tiebreaker that could decide the AFC North. 

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson meet at mid-field after a game.
The Steelers, led by Russell Wilson, hold a one-game advantage over the Ravens going into Week 16. | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

For example, if the Ravens (9–5) beat the Steelers (10–4) and even the season series, the next tiebreaker would be the best divisional record, but there’s a strong chance both teams will end the year 4–2 against divisional opponents. (The Ravens face the Houston Texans and Cleveland Browns to end the regular season.) If that’s the case, then the best record against AFC opponents would determine the division. Currently, the Steelers are 7–2 and the Ravens are 5–4 vs. AFC teams. 

Or maybe the Steelers beat the Ravens on Saturday and I just wasted my time looking at the confusing tiebreakers. And it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Ravens lose to the Texans on Christmas Day. 

The Steelers should continue to play it safe with their injured star players and not rush them back to the field just to beat the Ravens in a non-playoff game. There are multiple paths for Pittsburgh to win the AFC North.

Bears need Mike Vrabel as head coach

Manzano’s view: Fact 

My colleague Albert Breer has been saying for weeks that Mike Vrabel would be a good fit for the Chicago Bears as head coach. Breer also recently highlighted Vrabel’s close connections with some of the top executives in Chicago and mentioned he’s at the top of their coaches’ wish list.

This would be a perfect match because the Bears need more of a CEO type and someone who can lead various aspects of the team—not just an offensive expert to help with the development of Caleb Williams. Vrabel also excelled with late-game management during his tenure as the head coach of the Tennessee Titans. Coaches who know how to manage in crunch time have been hard to find lately, partly because too many teams favor coaches that specialize in one side of the ball and aren’t patient enough when they take longer to develop in this critical aspect. 

Also, Vrabel had plenty of success with quarterback Ryan Tannehill and running back Derrick Henry in Tennessee. Vrabel helped revive Tannehill’s career after a failed stint in Miami and made his life easier by forming physical teams around him that dominated in the trenches on both offense and defense. Obviously, backs like Henry don’t grow on trees, but an old-school-minded philosophy with a less-is-more approach could benefit Williams early in his career. The 2024 No. 1 pick tries to do too much on the field, which has led to a forgetful rookie season. If Williams learns to play with composure and leans on a rugged rushing attack, his vast skill set combined with Vrabel’s decision-making could do wonders in a year or two after a learning phase in Chicago.  

It’s time to get rid of the onside kick

Manzano’s view: Fact

The league attempted to revive kickoff returns after making drastic rules changes that led to what we now call the “dynamic kickoff.” It hasn’t been very dynamic and we’re all tired of hearing the phrase “dynamic kickoff,” but there have been enough promising results that it wouldn’t be a surprise if league owners decide to bring back the format next season. 

But the rule changes for kickoffs came at the expense of onside kicks, a play that has hurt trailing teams more than aided them in the final minutes of tight games this season. The league eliminated the element of surprise for onside attempts by accommodating the unique formations for regular kickoffs. That’s why Lions coach Dan Campbell was required to announce that he was attempting an onside kick early in the fourth quarter against the Buffalo Bills last week. It wasn't a smart move, one that Campbell immediately regretted, because Buffalo had a lengthy return and scored a touchdown on the following play for a nine-second drive. But it does make you wonder whether he would have caught Buffalo off guard if he wasn’t required to reveal his bold move. 

The number of successful onside kicks have declined for many years, but it’s gotten even worse with the new rules. Instead of trying to revise the onside kick, it would be better for the league to get rid of it and try something drastically different. I’m still a fan of the Eagles’ proposal of giving trailing teams the option of going for it on fourth-and-20 from their own 20. You convert, you move on and gain an extra possession. If you don’t, the leading team practically gets an additional three points for getting the ball in field-goal range.

I’m not sure many teams would be successful with the fourth-and-long proposal, but it gives them more of a chance to complete the comeback than the effectively defunct onside kick.      

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as NFL Fact or Fiction: Jets Should Bring Back Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams.