AFC Notes: Tua Tagovailoa, D.J. Reed, Bills, Dolphins, Jets

Bills

Bills DT Jordan Phillips has played on four other teams throughout his career including the Dolphins, Cardinals and Cowboys, but seems to play his best in Buffalo. He thinks he’s performed his best under HC Sean McDermott because it’s a “no outside nonsense” culture. 

“They let you do what you are here to do. There’s no outside nonsense, there’s no, ‘uh, you gotta worry about making this person happy, you gotta put on a certain face to make Sean (McDermott) happy.’ Be on time, be respectful, and play good football, and you’re gonna thrive here in Buffalo. And that’s a real culture thing. It’s not about, you know, money, I guess, you know? You’re here to win football,” said Phillips, via Sal Capaccio. 

Dolphins

Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa said he is “very surprised” by Miami being 5-7 and nearly out of playoff contention and doesn’t feel it’s a proper reflection of their team. 

“Very surprised. I don’t think that shows the character of who we are as a team,” Tagovailoa said, via NFL.com. “It doesn’t show the work that we’ve put in this offseason together.”

Tagovailoa feels responsible for their poor performance after missing time with his concussion. 

“Nobody else will say it but me, and I feel like this has a lot to do with myself obviously putting myself in harm’s way in the second game, going down — basically leaving my guys out to dry, that’s what I would say,” Tagovailoa said. “Anyone can have an opinion about, ‘It’s football. It’s this, it’s that.’ I do take heart to that as well and still don’t want to do that to my guys again.”

Jets

Jets CB D.J. Reed criticized the officiating on X following Week 13’s loss to the Seahawks, where New York was penalized four times on Seattle’s game-winning drive. Reed said he regrets making his post and was emotional after a frustrating defeat. 

“I was just emotional,” Reed said, via Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post. “I definitely shouldn’t have said that, but I’m a human. It was a frustrating game that I thought we should’ve won but we ended up losing.”

Reed reiterated how referees have difficult decisions to make and feels his post was wrong. 

“The refs do the best of their ability just like I do the best of my ability. Some calls may be controversial, but that’s just part of the game. I have to give them leeway. Having time to reflect on it, I was in the wrong and I should not have said that.”

In the end, Reed thinks most of the penalties against New York were justified. 

“The call I got I didn’t agree with, and that’s where it started,” Reed said. “On that long drive, going back and watching the tape, most of the calls were justifiable.”