Wink Martindale has left the New York Giants, but not entirely. Despite Monday reports that Martindale would step down as Giants defensive coordinator, that hasn’t officially happened yet. Instead, the Giants seem to be hoping for a compromise to keep the former DC. NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo reported on Wednesday that the Giants have not looking for a new defensive coordinator and do not intend to do as right now, according to sources informed of the situation. New York wants Martindale to be their defensive coordinator unless and until he resigns, Garafolo reports.

Kareem Jackson had a quiet end to his career with the Denver Broncos, which sent him to a familiar team: Houston. Jackson was claimed through waivers by the Texans, according to the league’s transaction wire. The defensive back was waived by Denver after he served a second supension in the 2023 season for an illegal hit, on Minnesota Vikings quarterback Joshua Dobbs in the Broncos’ comeback victory over Minnesota in Week 11. He was a healthy scratch in Denver’s Christmas Eve loss to New England and with his roster exemption expiring, the Broncos was left with the option of activating him to their 53-man roster, or release him. They chose the first option, sending Kareem to waivers, where the Texans scooped him up. Jackson started his career at Houston, who chose him with the 20th overall pick of the 2010 draft out of Alabama. He played alongside Texans coach DeMeco Ryans in Houston for two seasons before Ryans went to Philadelphia in 2012. Jackson followed Ryans out of Texas in 2019, entering in the opposite direction of his ex-teammate to Denver, where he played in 69 matches for the Broncos from 2019-2023. Kareem Jackson will return to where his NFL journey began this week, to join a Texans that has surprised the football world with a shocking turnaround in their first season under Ryans’ guidance. Related NFL News: Vikings’ TE T.J. Hockenson absent for season with ACL, MCL injury.

If the Minnesota Vikings return to the postseason picture, it will have to be without star tight end T.J. Hockenson. Head coach Kevin O’Connell announced on Tuesday that Hockenson had season-ending wounds to both his ACL and MCL. O’Connell added that pass rusher D.J. Wonnum, who was having a sensational campaign, suffered a torn squad. “I can confirm with D.J. Wonnum that he did sustain a tear to his quad. He will be going on injured reserve and he will have that hopefully repaired sometime this week,” O’Connell said. “T.J. Hockenson did sustain an MCL and ACL injury. He will go on IR, as well. Crushed for both of those guys. Two of our most impactful players. Leaders on our team. Kind of set the standard of what we want as Minnesota Vikings in every aspect of who they are as men and teammates and players on the grass. Two guys that will be difficult to overcome their loss, but we’re gonna have to have guys step up, and hopefully still have those guys involved and around our team, because they are like I said, leaders, and very, very important to our locker room.” Considering the late-season wound, Hockenson might not be ready for the beginning of the 2024 campaign. He left Sunday’s defeat by the Detroit Lions early in the third quarter after a catch over the middle.  Hockenson is finishing the 2023 campaign with 95 catches for a team-leading 960 yards and five touchdowns. He is currently second place among tight ends in catches and third in yards through 15 games. The Vikings signed Hockenson to a four-year, $66 million extension this offseason. The loss is difficult for Minnesota, which dropped to a 7-8 on the season, at the No.8 slot in the NFC. While the Vikings attempt to regain their playoff footing sans the star TE, Hockenson being injured could change their approach to 2024.  O’Connell added that rookie receiver Jordan Addision, who also left win an ankle injury Sunday, is considered day-to-day. Related NFL News: Texans declare safety Kareem Jackson off waivers from Broncos.

The Green Bay Packers lead by Matt LaFleur, got a hard lesson on Monday night at MetLife Stadium, losing 24-22 to the New York Giants: never underestimate an opponent. “Obviously, extremely disappointed,” Packers head coach LaFleur said after the loss, via the official transcript. “I think our team learned a valuable lesson in terms of if you don’t play your best, it doesn’t matter who you’re playing, where you’re playing them, when you’re playing, you’re not going to win the game. We lost the turnover battle and weren’t good enough in situational ball, third-down red zone. We had plenty of opportunities. Give New York credit, they went out there, and they played better than we did tonight. This game is about execution, and we didn’t execute to the best of our ability.” The Giants entered the match 4-8 with little to play for. LaFleur’s team was 6-6, on a three-game win streak, including wins over Detroit and Kansas City with the postseason in sight. It seemed like a youth-filled Packers had been reading the press-clipping on time, expecting an easy win. Jordan Love missed a host of throws and turned the ball over on back-to-back possessions, his first game with two-plus giveaways since Week 10. The offense delayed repeatedly in the red zone. The defense could not pressure the QB and allowed New York run through it late. And Keisean Nixon muffed a punt on time in the third quarter that flipped the script in New York’s favor. “You can look and nitpick each phase of the game,” LaFleur said. “Special teams wasn’t good enough. Offense wasn’t good enough. Defense wasn’t good enough. All three collectively, and when you’re bad in all three phases, that’s what happens. You lose the game.” If Giants undrafted sensation Tommy DeVito proved anything, it is that an underestimated NFL team, will burn its opponents. After more than a month of excellent, upward-trajectory performance, Love struggled, reverting to early season issues that saddled an ineffective offense and could not find the range deep. “Not good enough,” Love said of his play. “Obviously, not good enough to get the job done there at the end. Obviously two costly turnovers hurt us a lot. Just not good enough.” Despite getting outplayed, the Packers took a late lead following a Saquon Barkley fumble that Love turned into a TD to Malik Heath. But a defense that surprisingly could not pressure the QB gave up the game-winning field goal drive. The Packers missed a chance to put a game’s distance between themselves and the rest of the NFC wild-card competitiors. LaFleur’s club stayed in the No. 7 slot ahead of L.A. Seattle, Atlanta, and New Orleans, but their margin for error was scraped with a battle against the NFC South-leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers on tap this Sunday. “We better have a short memory,” LaFleur said after the game. “You’ve got to learn from it and move on. We’re on a short week now against a team in Tampa that is fighting for their playoff lives and the leaders of their division. So, we’re going to have to play a lot better than we did tonight in order to come out on top.” Related NFL News: Titans QB Will Levis heads improbable 14-point comeback against Dolphins despite early miscues.

Successive Tennessee Titans turnover turned a tied tussle in Miami into a 14-point deficit lead by Will Levis, in the blink of an eye in the fourth quarter. A botched punt by Eric Garror succeeded by a Will Levis horific pitch attempt to Derrick Henry took the Titans from plucky to seemimgly doomed as the Dolphins cashed in on both miscues to go up 14 points with lower than five minutes left.  Then, the improbable comeback began.  Levis lead a lightning nine-play, 75-yard drive where the Tennesse score in only 1:54, with the QB hitting DeAndre Hopkins for a touchdown with 2:40 left. The two-point conversion slashed the lead to six points. Mike Vrabel’s defense induced a fast three-and-out, getting the ball back to Levis with 2:14 to play. It was ample time for the big-armed rookie to cut through a wilting Miami defense. Levis hit an open Hopkins for 36 yards, then tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo for 16 to put Tennesee on the doorstep at the two-minute warning. Two plays later, Henry dove into the end zone. Comeback concluded. The Titans became the first team to win a match where they trailed by 14-plus points with under 3:00 minutes left since the Saints in Week 11, 2017 against Washington (34-31 in overtime), per NFL Research. From Week 12, 2017, until the Tennesee’s Week 14 victory, trailing by 14+ points with under 3:00 minutes left were 0-582. “We did a lot of things that were going to cost us, obviously, the turnovers and the mistakes,” Vrabel said via the team’s official website. “But we did more positive things late. The defense got some stops, and when the offense needed to come through, they came through. “It doesn’t have to be that hard. But I’m proud of the character of this football team, competing. I’m really proud of these guys.” Levis night was filled with twists, turns, peaks and valleys that will excite any roller-coaster designer. It began with a three-and-out, then the bottom fell out of the ride with a pick-six right into the lap of Dolphins defensive lineman Zach Sieler. Then the rookie began the slow climb, helping send the Titans into a fourth-quarter tie. The horrible pitch play seemed to silence Titans’ chances. But Levis powered through the final two drives, standing quietly in the pocket and delivering rockets when needed.  He finished with 327 passing yards, a career high on 23 of 38 attempts with a TD and an INT while taking just one sack despite an offensive line that has been through the wringer this season. “I was just sticking to the game plan,” Levis said. “Throwing to the open guy, trusting that I didn’t necessarily need to be forcing anything. That happy medium of pushing it down the field but throwing to the open guy.” With the ground game stymied – Henry: 17 carries, 34 yards, 2 TDs. Levis applied big plays to Hopkins and running back Tyjae Spears to kickstart the offense late and made the right reads in the red zone. His ability to maneuver the pocket and fix his eyes downfield is powerful for a young quarterback. Chalk up another win for Vrabel’s squad, which keeps proving it will fight no matter the situation. Even down big with less than three minutes left. “This is the best I’ve felt after a game,” edge rusher Arden Key said. “I hope everyone remembers what it takes to get this feeling. Didn’t nobody think we were going to win. Everybody thought it was going to be another Miami vs Broncos thing, with them putting 70 points on us. … It’s a good win, a hard-fought win.” Related NFL News: Matt LaFleur: Packers ‘learned a valuable lesson’ in defeat by Giants.