Mike White took a beating in the Jets’ 20-12 loss to the Bills Sunday.
Despite the punishment Buffalo inflicted upon White, the quarterback could start Gang Green’s next game.
After he was knocked out twice due to injury and was dealing with a rib ailment following a hit from Bills linebacker Matt Milano, White went to the hospital in an ambulance after the game for a CT scan to make sure he was cleared to get on a plane. White was able to fly back to New Jersey with the rest of the Jets players and is considered day-to-day as the team is preparing as if he will play against the Lions Sunday.
“I’m not going to get into details,” Jets coach Robert Saleh said about White’s injury. “What they saw was good enough for him to get back on the plane and he passed all that stuff.
“Just talking to him, he feels good. We are just trying to let this play out as he is still fresh off the game, so we will see how things play out today, tomorrow and Wednesday.
“We are preparing as if we have him.”
White first left the game against the Bills for one snap after defensive lineman Ed Oliver hit him. Then late in the third quarter, Bills linebacker Matt Milano nearly broke White in half as he stayed down for a few minutes before walking to the sideline and eventually back to the locker room to be checked out by doctors.
White returned to the game in the fourth quarter, trying to spark a Jets offense that looked lifeless with backup Joe Flacco under center. He did lead the Jets down to score a late 26-yard field goal by Greg Zuerlein, but the Bills held on for the eight-point victory.
“That’s football,” White said about the hits he took. “That’s the part you don’t miss because it hurts, but it’s part of it that you do miss because you do want to prove to your guys that I want to hang in there and take the hits necessary to move the ball down the field that you want to lay it out there for them.
“I feel good. I don’t feel like I’m 100 bucks because I just played a football game, but I feel good. I picked my kids up out of the cribs this morning, played with them for a little bit. They tackled me and I felt fine.”
In his three starts since Saleh benched Zach Wilson, White has improved the Jets offense significantly. He has thrown for 952 yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions and completed 62% of his passes. In his seven starts before he was benched three weeks ago, Wilson threw for 1,279 yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions.
Regardless of White’s play, the Jets have lost two consecutive games to the Vikings and now the Bills. The team has also lost four of their last six games to fall out of the AFC’s third and final wild-card spot.
Right now, the Jets are in eighth place in the conference as they have the exact same record [7-6] as the Chargers, who are in seventh. But Los Angeles has a better conference record [5-5], which is the tiebreaker.
The Jets have four games left this season all against teams who all have playoff aspirations. Sunday, Gang Green will host the Lions, one of the NFL’s hottest teams, as they’ve won five of their last six games.
Then on a short week on Dec. 22, the Jaguars will travel to MetLife Stadium to play the Jets. The Green and White will end the regular season on the road against the Seahawks and the Dolphins.
Following the game against the Bills, Saleh said, “we’re going to see these guys again,” as he believes the Jets will make the playoffs despite the recent funk. White echoes Saleh’s sentiments and is confident the Jets can make the postseason.
“Our goal is to see them again because that means we would be in the playoffs,” White said. “It’s December football, especially from here on out, every game is essentially a playoff game for us.”
“We have to treat it as such with urgent and professionalism going in, knowing this time of the year you can get banged up. Reps might not be there as much as they were at the beginning of the season, as you have to take advantage of what you do get.
“I know we have some young guys on the team and they’re still getting their taste of what an NFL season is like this time of the year. It is attacking those with the right mindset and urgency and that’s how you have to attack these last four games.”
Williams also day-to-day, Davis in concussion protocol
White wasn’t the only Jets player who suffered an injury against the Bills. The team also lost defensive tackle Quinnen Williams in the first half after he injured his calf and fell down to the ground without being contacted by a player.
Williams sacked Bills quarterback Josh Allen twice in the first half before leaving the game. Saleh said Williams is 50-50 to play against the Lions. In 13 games, Williams has already had the best season of his career as he has 11 sacks along with 47 tackles and 12 tackles for loss.
Jets wide receiver Corey Davis will be in concussion protocol following a brutal hit on his only catch of the game as he came down and his head hit the turf. Saleh said Davis was feeling “really good” on Monday and they’re hopeful the Jets have him available against the Lions.
Davis missed three games earlier this year because of a knee injury he suffered against the Broncos on Oct. 23. He has 26 receptions for 460 yards and two touchdowns in 10 games.
Cornerback Brandin Echols (quadriceps strain) and linebacker Marcell Harris (ankle) will not play against the Lions. Harris may be out for the season.
