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The Chicago Bears have ruled out offensive lineman Teven Jenkins for the remainder of Sunday's matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles with a neck injury.

Jenkins suffered the injury in the first quarter and was carted off the field:

pic.twitter.com/lYvCA2DKCl

— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) December 18, 2022

Medical personnel were able to get Teven Jenkins from his stomach onto his back and onto a backboard (with his neck in a brace as well) after a long stretch of time on the field. He's being carted off with his arms crossed over his chest headed back to the locker room.

— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) December 18, 2022

Michael Schofield replaced Jenkins at right guard.

The 24-year-old Jenkins is in his second season with the Bears as a second-round pick out of Oklahoma State in the 2021 NFL draft. He's made 12 starts with Chicago, including 10 this year.

His injury added to the challenges of a beat-up Bears offense. Wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown left the game before Jenkins with a concussion, while fellow wideouts Chase Claypool (knee) and N'Keal Harry (knee) are both out Sunday.

The Bears came into Sunday's matchup with the NFL's best team, the 12-1 Eagles, with a 3-10 record. Despite those struggles, it's been an exciting season given the ascendance of second-year quarterback Justin Fields.

The Bears appear to be heading down the stretch as a hobbled team, at least on offense. Losing offensive linemen isn't ideal as the Bears look to keep Fields upright.

https://twitter.com/MattLombardoNFL/status/1604551623711199232

Fields is an elite runner and seems to be at his best when the pocket collapses and the play breaks down. He may need to call upon that skill set even more given the injuries around him.

The hope will be that Jenkins' injury isn't as serious as it appeared.

Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Dean Pees was hospitalized after suffering an injury during an on-field collision ahead of Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints, the team announced (h/t NFL Network's Ian Rapoport).

NFL analyst Cam Marino reported a Saints player ran into Pees during a kickoff drill.

It appears a member of Falcons staff was just carted off the field. Didn’t see what happened. The person was being attended to by medical staff for a few minutes.
Working to find out who it was. pic.twitter.com/hYmlxZHEWM

— Justin Felder (@Justin_FOX5) December 18, 2022

A cart and stretcher came out to take Pees off the field. Medical staff stabilized his neck before placing him on the cart and transporting him to the hospital, per ESPN's Michael Rothstein.

The Falcons said in their statement that Pees was "alert and responsive." He was released from the University Medical Center New Orleans after receiving treatment, the team later announced. He will fly back to Atlanta with the team.

Frank Bush took over as the team's interim defensive play caller Sunday.

Pees, 73, has been a defensive coordinator in the NFL for more than a decade. He entered the NFL as a linebackers coach for the New England Patriots in 2004 and became a defensive coordinator for the franchise in 2006.

After his stop in New England, Pees joined the Baltimore Ravens as an inside linebackers coach in 2010 and was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2012. He also served as defensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans before coming out of retirement and joining the Falcons in 2021.

Pees is the oldest defensive coordinator in the NFL.

The Falcons could be in trouble without their defensive coordinator Sunday. They already entered the game with one of the NFL's worst defenses, allowing 380.6 yards per game (251.1 passing and 129.5 rushing).

Additionally, they are allowing 24.0 points per game.

The Falcons entered Sunday's game with a 5-8 record and still have a chance to win the NFC South.

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel wasn't amused to see Buffalo Bills fans throw snowballs from the stands during Saturday's game.

McDaniel asked the referees during his team's 32-29 loss whether fans throwing snow could result in a penalty.

The game was really delayed earlier because too many fans were throwing snowballs at the Dolphins 🤣

Refs said it will be a 15-YARD PENALTY if a Dolphins player is hit pic.twitter.com/ATQ5UndeVn

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 18, 2022

"I was just more concerned with safety when there are ice balls flying at people's heads," he said of the matter after the game. "I think that's what [the officials] were concerned with as well. There were several people that got hit. It's whatever."

Early in the contest, Bills fans took full advantage of the snowfall that hit the Buffalo region before the game.

Bills fans throwing snowballs to celebrate the TD 😂❄️

(via @BuffaloBills)pic.twitter.com/S5C9TusR35

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 18, 2022

Dolphins bench is getting pelted with snowballs during the TD celebration

— Adam Beasley (@AdamHBeasley) December 18, 2022

The forecast called for wintry conditions at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, so the Dolphins knew what to expect in that regard. McDaniel wore a shirt at practice that read, "I wish it were colder," and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Miami packed "1,400 pounds worth of trunks of cold weather gear, multiple cleats for every player and capes."

Mike McDaniel’s vibe at practice:

-Pants rolled up
-Wearing a “I wish it were colder” t-shirt
-Bumping YG

Legend 🤣 @brgridiron

(via @nickysmokess)pic.twitter.com/we4K0WZ4uO

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 14, 2022

All in all, McDaniel's squad didn't seem to have much trouble. Tua Tagovailoa went 17-of-30 for 234 yards and two touchdowns, while Raheem Mostert ran for 136 yards on 17 carries.

The Dolphins led by eight points in the fourth quarter before Josh Allen's five-yard touchdown pass and two-point conversion tied the game at 29. The Bills' Tyler Bass connected to a 25-yard field goal as time expired for the win.

Buffalo has one more home game left in the regular season and is on track to host at least one playoff matchup as the top seed in the AFC at the moment. Should snow blanket Northern New York on either occasion, the Bills might make sure to remind their fans to avoid engaging in any snowball fights from their seats.

NFL teams have spent $800 million on fired coaches and front-office executives over the past five years alone, the league said in a message to owners last week, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

League officials distributed spreadsheets at the owners' meetings in Dallas noting how much each team was spending on former employees, hoping to send a message before the end of the season.

"The league wanted each team to see the exact costs of instability," Schefter noted.

Two coaches have already been fired in 2022—Carolina Panthers' Matt Rhule and Indianapolis Colts' Frank Reich—both having four years remaining on their contracts at more than $8 million per season.

Rhule has already gotten a new job at the University of Nebraska, which helps offset a majority of his salary with the Panthers, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The risk is still high with the constant stream of hiring and firing coaches.

The New York Giants are paying three different coaches at the same time. Former coaches Pat Shurmur and Joe Judge were both fired with significant time left on their contracts, while current coach Brian Daboll is in his first year with the team.

The Houston Texans fired David Culley after just one season, and they now must make a decision on first-year coach Lovie Smith following a 1-11-1 start to the year.

First-year coaches Nathaniel Hackett and Josh McDaniels have also been on the hot seat this season after disappointing seasons for the Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders, respectively.

With the NFL pointing out the high costs to each team, the league clearly wants to reduce the amount of yearly turnover among coaches and executives.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones continues his push to sign Odell Beckham Jr., even calling the receiver personally after the team signed T.Y. Hilton, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

The signing of Hilton seemingly indicated the Cowboys were out on Beckham, who reportedly hasn't progressed well enough from his torn ACL and might not be available until mid-January, according to ESPN's Ed Werder.

Jones still continues to speak to Beckham "almost exclusively" with the attempt to sign the star wideout.

Jones was confident the team would sign Beckham when speaking about the situation on Thursday.

"Odell's going to join us," Jones told Jarrett Bell of USA Today. "There's a good chance he will, with the complete goal of getting ready for a playoff game or two, and then I'll look to the future. But most of it being about now."

The Cowboys have put on a significant recruiting effort to land Beckham, who sat courtside at the Dallas Mavericks game alongside Micah Parsons and Trevon Diggs earlier this month.

The Buffalo Bills and New York Giants are considered his other top suitors.

According to Rapoport, Beckham wants guaranteed money this year and next season but could be as much as six weeks away from playing.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler previously reported another option for the veteran could be sitting out all this season before signing as a true free agent in March, where he would be arguably the top option available.

Beckham can be a difference-maker whenever he does play, as he showed last year with the Los Angeles Rams. He totaled five touchdowns in eight regular-season games with the team before adding two more in the playoffs on the way to a Super Bowl title.

The Cowboys also have Super Bowl aspirations this year after improving to 10-3 with a four-game winning streak.

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray is expected to be ready for the start of the 2023 NFL season despite a torn ACL, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The recovery is expected to take six to eight months, which should put him back on the field by the end of August.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Murray suffered a "clean ACL tear, with no damage to other ligaments in his knee."

Murray suffered the season-ending knee injury during his team's Dec. 12 matchup against the New England Patriots on a non-contact play during a first-quarter rush.

The loss of the 25-year-old was a major blow to the Cardinals. He's the long-term face of the franchise after signing a five-year, $230.5 million extension through the 2028 season.

Murray earned that contract after leading Arizona to an 11-win campaign and a playoff appearance last year, its first since 2015. He earned his second straight Pro Bowl honor as well.

This season was not as successful, but the 2019 Offensive Rookie of the Year still completed 66.4 percent of his passes for 14 touchdowns (seven interceptions) and 2,368 yards (6.1 per attempt). He added 418 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

Ultimately, it felt like the Cardinals were running uphill all season, which started with a 44-21 home loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. They fell to 4-9 after the Pats game.

Being without key players for large swaths of time was partially the cause of the team's demise. DeAndre Hopkins missed six games after violating the NFL's performance-enhancing drug policy. Zach Ertz suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 10. Marquise Brown suffered a non-surgical foot fracture. Injuries hit the offensive line as well.

Losing Murray was the biggest blow of them all in a lost season, though. Colt McCoy took over down the stretch, with Trace McSorley serving as backup.

The positive update still gives the Cardinals plenty of upside heading into the 2023 campaign.

The bloom is coming off the rose for Mike McDaniel in the wake of the Miami Dolphins' 32-29 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Saturday night.

Tyler Bass made the game-winning field goal as time expired after the Bills put together a drive that took the final 5:56 off the clock.

Josh Allen torched the Miami defense with 304 passing yards, 77 rushing yards and four touchdowns.

There's certainly no shame in losing to the Bills, who own the AFC's best record. But this was a game of missed opportunities for the Dolphins.

Tua Tagovailoa had a solid bounce-back effort, going 17-of-30 for 234 yards and two touchdowns after disappointing performances in the past two games. His stat line should have been better, but his receivers dropped multiple passes in the first half.

Trent Sherfield dropped a touchdown on third down early in the second quarter, forcing the Dolphins to settle for a field goal.

Dolphins can’t handle the cold. Two drops in a row.

— Steve Bermel (@SteveBermel) December 18, 2022

2 drops kill a promising drive..

— Tom Ernisse (@DolphinsTalkTom) December 18, 2022

A pair of uncharacteristic drops from Dolphins WRs. If Tua is gonna play better, he'll need his supporting cast to ... not mess up.

— Henry McKenna (@henrycmckenna) December 18, 2022

In addition to the receivers having bad hands early in the game, McDaniel seemed to outsmart himself. Raheem Mostert had almost 150 all-purpose yards in the first quarter alone.

Raheem Mostert has 101 rushing yards, 20 receiving yards and 28 kickoff return yards. Pretty good first quarter.

— Michael David Smith (@MichaelDavSmith) December 18, 2022

After having 11 carries in the first half, Mostert was limited to just six in the second half. McDaniel elected to throw the ball on 3rd-and-3 or shorter three times in the second half. They failed to convert all three times, including a 3rd-and-1 early in the fourth quarter that lost two yards.

Jason Sanders subsequently kicked a field goal that gave the Dolphins a 29-21 lead. Buffalo tied the score on its next offensive possession.

Josh Allen was borderline unstoppable. Credit to him.

Mike McDaniel had some questionable decisions not running 3rd & short multiple times & chasing points early in 2nd half, among them.

Tua was good, running game excellent and defense stronger after halftime. This one hurts.

— Will Manso (@WillManso) December 18, 2022

We stopped running the ball Mcdaniel is to blame

— Pyro🐬🔥 (@Pyro_mancer305) December 18, 2022

https://twitter.com/LouieDelRio4/status/1604340791563935744

Competitive game. Rough way to end for the #Dolphins. A few calls I’m sure McDaniel wishes he had back, particularly not running the ball more over the final two drives.

8 days to prepare for a critical home game against the Packers.

— Justin Hier (@HierJustin) December 18, 2022

Mike McDaniel beat himself.

The Dolphins beat themselves, plain and simple.

Correctable, but McDaniel needs to stop outsmarting himself.

— Alejandro 🇨🇴 (@MiamiAlejandro) December 18, 2022

Raheem had a total of 6 carries in the second half and not a single one came on 3rd down. In fact the Dolphins didn’t call a single run on 3rd down in the second half.

McDaniel lost this game.

— I Hate Mike McDaniel (@TheRealKody) December 18, 2022

McDaniel got cute and out coached. Bro has a lot of soul searching to do. See y’all next week. #finsup.

— TagovA1oha 🌺🐬 (@perfctszn) December 18, 2022

We deserve to lose that game. Maybe McDaniel will learn he’s allowed to run the ball on 3rd and short

— The Lagway Foundation™ (@JusGettinBetter) December 18, 2022

This is the first major test of McDaniel's tenure with the Dolphins. The vibes were positive for so long, but things have taken a turn since a Week 13 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

Tagovailoa's performance against the Bills defense in inclement weather is an encouraging sign going forward. But McDaniel has to prove he can adjust to situations within games.

Next week will likely be a good test to see where McDaniel is at with his development as a coach. The Dolphins return home to play a Green Bay Packers defense that allows the fifth-fewest passing yards per game (192.9) but ranks 30th in run defense (154.8 yards per game).

For the fourth straight season and the fifth time in six years, the Buffalo Bills are headed to the postseason.

Buffalo clinched its AFC playoff berth on Saturday with a 32-29 victory over the Miami Dolphins at a snowy Highmark Stadium.

Quarterback Josh Allen put on a show to help the Bills edge the Dolphins, completing 25-of-40 passes for 304 yards and four touchdowns, in addition to rushing for 77 yards on 10 carries.

Allen's MVP-worthy performance was praised by NFL Twitter as he was the best player on the field Saturday:

Josh Allen masterclass tonight. He had a few goofy plays but it’s so obvious he carries the entire burden of the offense right now. Throws to every level, beating pressure, some heroic efforts, was the whole run game for three+ quarters. Insane game.

— Derrik Klassen (@QBKlass) December 18, 2022

Josh Allen re-enters the MVP conversation after tonight. Has a huge matchup in Cincy against Joe Burrow and co on MNF

Those preseason predictions aren’t dead yet

— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) December 18, 2022

Josh Allen MVP game. What a show in Buffalo.

— Patrick MacCoon (@PMacCoon) December 18, 2022

You know what is the scariest thing about the Bills now? They can win in any way you can think of. Once again, Josh Allen is clutch in the two minute drill. #MIAvsBUF

— Jake Rongholt_TV20 (@BothSidesSports) December 18, 2022

If MVP is truly the most valuable player, how do you argue against Josh Allen after that performance?#BillsMafia

— Duffy on WCMF (@DuffyOnWCMF) December 18, 2022

What an excellent game. Snow was a cool element but didn’t seem to limit Miami at all. Tua played very well. Josh Allen and his fearless mentality just was a hair better.

Would love to see Dolphins-Bills Part 3 in the playoffs.

— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) December 18, 2022

So is Josh Allen back in the MVP conversation?

— Andy Young (@AndyYoungTV) December 18, 2022

Only 2 QBs in NFL history with 50+ wins and 130+ pass TD over their first 5 seasons:

- Patrick Mahomes
- Josh Allen (reached both milestones tonight)@Chiefs @BuffaloBills

— NFL+ (@NFLPlus) December 18, 2022

Josh Allen is very likable

— Cameron Magruder (@ScooterMagruder) December 18, 2022

Josh Allen 304 pass yds, 77 rush yds, 4 TD, 0 INT and he gets the Bears next week.

Allen is 4th in MVP odds, but been saying for weeks he has a real shot if Bills get the 1 seed. Might need a couple Eagles losses.

— Joe Ostrowski (@JoeOstrowski) December 18, 2022

https://twitter.com/exavierpope/status/1604337695358173184

For the Bills, the only major question left in the regular season is whether they can top the Kansas City Chiefs for the top overall seed in the AFC. The Bills hold the head-to-head tiebreaker, so they'll only need to finish with the same record as Kansas City to secure home-field advantage throughout the postseason.

Much of Buffalo's success, yet again, can be tied to the play of Allen, who at one point looked like the front-runner to win the MVP award but may still be lagging behind Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback Jalen Hurts and 2018 MVP Patrick Mahomes despite Saturday's performance.

Still, the 26-year-old has been excellent, entering Saturday's game having thrown for 3,553 yards, 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while completing 63.8 percent of his passes. He also had rushed for 628 yards and seven scores.

His top receiver, Stefon Diggs, has also put on a show with 94 catches for 1,239 yards and 10 touchdowns entering Saturday's game.

The Bills will head into the playoffs plenty battle-tested, with wins over the Chiefs, Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots and New York Jets. Their three losses, meanwhile, have come by a combined eight points against the Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings (overtime) and Jets.

The AFC East has been stronger than expected this season, with all four teams in legitimate striking distance of a playoff berth. One of them, at least, has already clinched. The Bills now await to see which of their rivals will join them.

Former New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman said during an appearance on 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston that he has been approached by three teams about returning to the NFL this season, per Phil Perry of NBC Sports Boston.

"There's been some calls, and I've turned them down," Edelman said.

He added: "The situation would have to be in New England with a New England team that's a contender."

Edelman has been retired for nearly two years. He hung up the cleats after he failed his physical before the 2021 season and had his contract terminated by the Patriots.

The 36-year-old spent his entire 12-year career in New England, helping the Patriots win three Super Bowls—he also earned the Super Bowl LIII MVP award—alongside legendary quarterback Tom Brady.

Edelman caught 620 passes for 6,822 yards and 36 touchdowns in 137 career games. In 19 playoff games, he caught 118 passes for 1,442 yards and five scores.

If the Patriots were one of the teams to contact Edelman about a potential NFL return, it's not necessarily surprising that he turned them down. Bill Belichick's squad enters Sunday's game against the Las Vegas Raiders third in the AFC East with a 7-6 record, though they do hold the seventh and final seed in the conference for the postseason.

Additionally, it's unclear how Edelman would perform after being away from the NFL for almost two years.

Of course, it's possible he could return and be a serviceable player for any franchise in need of some depth out wide.

For example, former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski retired after the 2018 season only to return in 2020 to play alongside Brady with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In 28 games across the 2020 and 2021 season, he caught 100 passes for 1,425 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also caught 17 passes for 226 yards and three scores in six postseason games.

While Edelman doesn't plan on returning this season, it's hard to completely rule out his potential return to the NFL in 2023, especially considering teams are still interested in him.

You know it's a bad day for the Baltimore Ravens when even Justin Tucker is struggling.

The star Ravens kicker, a model of consistency during his NFL career, missed a 48-yard field goal and had a 50-yard attempt blocked in Baltimore's 13-3 loss against the Cleveland Browns on Saturday.

BLOCKED 😳

📺: #BALvsCLE on NFL Network
📱: Stream on NFL+pic.twitter.com/cucS9bbf12

— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) December 17, 2022

And NFL Twitter couldn't believe what it was seeing:

Justin Tucker really missed a FG and had another one blocked 🤯 pic.twitter.com/nMN0ZL2lXK

— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) December 17, 2022

More surprising than the Vikings’ comeback: pic.twitter.com/gn16jjNSp6

— PFF (@PFF) December 17, 2022

Tucker blocked. This is one to remember.#Browns

— Tom Withers (@twithersAP) December 17, 2022

That's Justin Tucker's first miss from under 50 yards this season. He was 22-of-22.

— Ryan Mink (@ryanmink) December 17, 2022

I know he misses kicks at times, but that’s the first time I can remember seeing Justin Tucker miss a FG on TV

— shamus (@shamus_clancy) December 17, 2022

The Vikings came back from 33-0 and Justin Tucker missed from inside 50 yards on the same day.

Can’t wait to see what inexplicable wacky high jinks we get up to in Buffalo tonight.

— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) December 17, 2022

Largest comeback ever. A Justin Tucker miss. Can't wait to see what historical moment we get in tonight's game.

— Aaron Nagler (@AaronNagler) December 17, 2022

Justin Tucker just missed a FG, with this and that Vikings game y'all might want to get the survival shelter ready

— CJ Fogler 🫡 (@cjzero) December 17, 2022

Justin Tucker missing a field goal on the day of the biggest comeback in NFL history feels right.

— Bruce Nolan (@BruceExclusive) December 17, 2022

Coming back to twitter to express amazement at the Justin Tucker miss and going back to my cave now

— Arif Hasan, but NFL 🏈 (@ArifHasanNFL) December 17, 2022

Tucker missing two kicks probably more unlikely than Vikes win.

— Mike Trainor (@trainonova) December 17, 2022

The irony of all ironies was that on the day Tucker went just 1-of-3 on field goals, stunning everybody, he also set the Ravens' all-time record for field goals made (355) with his lone conversion, surpassing Matt Stover.

And Tucker shouldn't be singled out—this was a total team loss from Baltimore.

The Ravens managed just 126 passing yards, as backup quarterback Tyler Huntley (17-of-38 for 138 yards, one interception and three sacks) and his receiving corps struggled to get much going. The absence of Lamar Jackson was felt.

And Tucker wasn't alone in his struggles. On a wintry, whipping day in Cleveland, Tucker's counterpart, Cade York, missed two field goals himself, finishing 2-of-4 on the day.

York, however, isn't a guaranteed lock to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Tucker is arguably the greatest kicker in NFL history. Which made his multi-miss day all the more shocking.

As for the Ravens, the loss bumped them to 9-5 on the season, dropping the team below the Cincinnati Bengals (9-4) in the AFC North.

The Browns (6-8), meanwhile, kept their slim playoff hopes alive. And all it took was some ugly football, a healthy dose of Nick Chubb (21 carries for 99 yards), the absence of Jackson and the ever-rare struggles of Tucker.

As the old cliche goes, a win's a win. Cleveland will take it.