Jets slot defensive back Michael Carter II, who has been limited by a back injury, will not play against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday at MetLife Stadium interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich said on Friday. But Ulbrich added that defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, who has been dealing with a tender hamstring, has "a chance" to play in the Week 16 game.

"He didn't practice, no," Ulbrich told reporters Friday afternoon of Williams. "He was just with the rehab guys, but if there's a guy who can play without practicing, it's him."

Williams, who is second on the team to Will McDonald IV with 6 sacks this season, left last Sunday's victory at Jacksonville after playing 58 snaps (69%), with the hamstring injury.

"They [D-linemen] just don't open their stride up as much as the other athletes on the field," Ulbrich said. "So, if there is a place that you can get away with having a hamstring, that's it. Saying that at the same time, you know the extent of the injury, and we just got to make sure that he can protect himself and he can play the best version of football for himself. So next couple days, we'll collect that information and make a decision that's best for him and for us."

Carter has been limited for a big chunk of the season. He missed three straight games (Minnesota, Buffalo and Pittsburgh) and then returned to limited action. In the past two games, Carter has only appeared in a total of 18 defensive snaps.

"It's frustrating on so many accounts, not just for him, but for us," Ulbrich said about Carter's struggles. "He's a guy that we count on. He unlocks our defense in a lot of ways, because he's the facilitator at the second level that really connects the safeties, the corners with the linebackers in the front. He's part of the passing game, as we all know, but he's also an integral part of the run game, and he's done a fantastic job of that when he's available. So, the fact that he hasn't been available, it's been hard. Isaiah Oliver has done an amazing job stepping in and playing really good football on his place."

Jets-Rams Connections
Sunday's game will feature several opposing player-coach connections.

Jets RT Morgan Moses' offensive coordinator at Washington his first three seasons in the NFL was Rams HC Sean McVay.

"I remember Sean is just like Aaron [Rodgers] where he would be like, 'I remember this play in 2010 and it worked in the first quarter,' " Moses said. "He'll name everything and obviously he's done a great job for himself going from a quality-control guy all the way to a winning Super Bowl head coach, so you tip your hat to him, but on Sunday we have to battle and go out there and protect our turf."

Offensive play-caller Todd Downing and safeties coach Marquand Manuel were on the same team as Rams QB Matt Stafford in 2009 when Stafford was drafted No. 1 overall out of Georgia.

Downing overlapped with Stafford on the Lions from 2009-13 as Downing climbed the coaching ranks from offensive quality-control coach to quarterbacks coach while Manuel played his final of eight NFL seasons with Detroit.

"Me and TD [Downing] talk about it all the time," Manuel said. "Watching [Stafford] mature into what he's become, he is a gunslinger. We just have to get prepared to understand that the weather doesn't bother him.

"As I can remember, he's very poised, very accurate. … Understood the offense at the time. He had [WR] Calvin [Johnson], he had [WR] Nate Burleson, but you understood when this guy gets it all together, he's poised enough to now be one of the better quarterbacks in what we see in this league. I'm very impressed by that."

Joe Tippmann in Command
Aaron Rodgers sang the praises of his offensive line after last Sunday's game at Jacksonville, calling it the group's best game from a pass-blocking perspective. Part of the improved performance over the last few games, in addition to Week 15, has been the second-year jump from C Joe Tippmann.

"I think [Tippmann] is just getting a true command of things both protection-wise and setting the table in the run game," play-caller Todd Downing said. "When he makes a confident call and we're all on the same page, we can do some pretty fun things."

Tippmann, a second-round pick (No. 43) in 2023 from Wisconsin, has started all 14 games this season and 24 straight dating to Week 8 of his rookie year. He's allowed 3 sacks and 18 pressures over 579 pass block snaps this season, according to Pro Football Focus. The Rams, New York's Week 16 opponent, have 20 sacks since Week 8, which is tied for the ninth most in that span.

"Joe is the engine of this offensive line," RT Morgan Moses said. "We go as he goes. He leads us up front. He communicates with Aaron probably more than anyone on the offensive line. He has a great knack for what Aaron is looking for and what Aaron wants. He gives us calls to get us on the same page and when we're all on the same page, that's what it looks like."

Downing added: "It's been great to see Tipp just say, 'This is where we're going, everybody follow me' and kind of take the reins that way. It has been really fun to see."