Mike White Back Under Center for Gang Green, Week 10 Preview & Predictions
The New York Jets quarterback controversy took another twist this week.
Mike White will remain the Jets starting quarterback as rookie Zach Wilson continues to recover from a PCL strain in his right knee. Head Coach Robert Saleh has been consistent in his message that he is no hurray to get Wilson back under center, especially if White continues to play well.
White is still a bit of a mystery to many. He dazzled in his first game, two weeks ago, when he tossed for 405 yards and three touchdowns against the Cincinnati Bengals in a 34-31 win, and was well on his way to another solid outing against the Indianapolis Colts last Thursday night, when he tossed for 97 yards and a touchdown before leaving the game with a forearm injury.
Now White will get his stiffest test yet, a ticked off Buffalo Bills team.
The Bills lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars 9-6 last week. Quarterback Josh Allen was sacked four times, and picked off twice. He even lost a fumble, which was recovered by Jaguars linebacker Josh Allen. That’s right two Josh Allen’s in the same game.
Buffalo hasn’t played well lately. They are 1-2 in their last three, and were fortunate to beat Miami a couple weeks ago.
Is this a great spot for White and the Jets? Not really. Many expect Buffalo to come out with a head of steam, especially after the Jaguars debacle. The greater question for Gang Green is, what is the measuring stick for Saleh and company on whether White gets another start after this game?
If White plays well, and the Jets still lose, one could argue that Saleh should continue rolling with the hot hand in White. The underbelly of the Jets schedule is coming up with games against the Dolphins (3-7), Texans (1-8), Eagles (3-6), Saints (5-3 with Trevor Siemian at QB) and Jaguars (2-8) on the horizon.
If White balls out and the Jets stun Buffalo, then there is without question that White will remain the Jets starter.
But what if White struggles? What if he tosses two or three interceptions, and the Jets get crushed by a Buffalo stampede? That would be the out someone like Zach Wilson will be looking for in order to get his starting job back, especially with that soft schedule coming up.
Keep in mind, even if the Jets keep rolling offensively with White, at some point the Jets are going to play Wilson again this season. They’ll need to see something from him, especially after drafting him so high.
Mike Cohen’s Fox Sports New Jersey Pick Six
Last week: 4-2
Season: 14-10
Buffalo Bills (5-3) @ N.Y. Jets (2-6) 1 p.m. CBS What will fans get from Mike White this week? Will White continue to turn heads, and win hearts and minds? Or will the Bills snap the Jets back to reality? The thought here is White will play well once again, but the Bills are in need of a victory, especially with the Patriots breathing down their necks. Buffalo will do just enough to pull away in the fourth quarter, forcing a Jets turnover and getting a Josh Allen TD drive. PICK: BILLS 31 – JETS 21.
Cleveland Browns (5-4) @ New England Patriots (5-4) 1 p.m. Arguably the Game of the Week. Both teams, like the rest of the AFC, have been madly inconsistent. The Patriots are hot right now. They have won three in a row. Mac Jones is settling in, and the Patriots defense is playing well. The Browns are coming off a huge victory over the Bengals last week on the road. Getting rid of Odell Beckham Jr. has opened things up and relived some tension. This is going to be a crazy, back and forth game, but figure the Patriots will find a way to squeak it out. PICK: PATRIOTS 23 – BROWNS 20.

ARLINGTON, TEXAS – NOVEMBER 07: Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys scrambles with the ball during the first quarter against the Denver Broncos at AT&T Stadium on November 07, 2021 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Atlanta Falcons (4-4) @ Dallas Cowboys (6-2) 1 p.m. Like the Buffalo Bills, the Dallas Cowboys got a dose of some humble pie last week. Big D got run over by the Broncos 30-16; and it was 30-0 at one point in that game. Don’t expect a repeat of that sleepwalk from the ‘Boys this week. The Falcons will have their attention. Atlanta has played better than many expected this season. Matt Ryan is having a nice year, but this is a tall order. Expect Dak Prescott to have a big day, and the Dallas defense to have an even bigger afternoon. PICK: COWBOYS 34 – FALCONS 19.
New Orleans Saints (5-3) @ Tennessee Titans (6-2) 1 p.m. Trevor Seimian against this Titans defense? The same Titans defense that forced two Matt Stafford interceptions last week including a pick six? Yep, if I were giving fantasy advice, I’d say pick up the Titans D. PICK: Titans 38 – SAINTS 9.
Seahawks (3-5) @ Packers (7-2) 4:25 p.m. FOX The storylines from this one will be manifold. We got Russell Wilson’s expected return under center with Seattle after missing a month with a middle finger injury. We also got the Aaron Rodgers- COVID-19 drama. Oh, how is this going to turn out? Will Rodgers play? Word is he hopes to play, although he hasn’t practiced. He could return to the Packers on Saturday, which will create an odd situation for back-up Jordan Love who has taken all the first team reps. Rodgers and the Packers were fined for the quarterbacks negligence in getting vaccinated. Rodgers has since channeled the “Cancel Culture Wars” argument to support his case. It’s weird. It’s wild. And if Rodgers plays, the Packers win. PICK: PACKERS 27 – SEAHAWKS 20.
Chiefs (5-4) @ Raiders (5-3) 8:20 p.m. NBC The Who-Wants-to-Win-This-More Bowl. Talk about inconsistent, the Raiders and Chiefs exemplify the wacky and wild 2021 NFL season. The Raiders are coming off a horrible loss to the Giants last week, and need a rebound against division rival Kansas City to get back on track. The Chiefs haven’t played well. The offense has scored only 33 points combined in its last two games. Patrick Mahomes has looked like a shell of his former self. Defensively, the Chiefs have struggled. But a feeling they might come up big this week. PICK: CHIEFS 26 – RAIDERS 24.