New York Jets

As second-year quarterback Zach Wilson continues to go through a much-needed reset of his mechanics, he will not see the field for the New York Jets once again.

Jets head coach Robert Saleh told reporters on Friday that Wilson will be inactive for the second straight week, and veteran Joe Flacco will be the backup to Mike White when the team faces the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

The Jets benched Wilson last week after his abysmal performance in a 10-3 loss to the New England Patriots. Saleh said the team felt "the young man needs a reset." The 23-year-old also raised eyebrows with his post-game comment that he didn't feel like the offense let the defense down in that game, for which he eventually had to apologize to his teammates.

In Wilson's absence, White took full advantage of his starting opportunity with a 315-yard, three-touchdown performance in a 31-10 win over the Chicago Bears last Sunday. White appears to have won over the team and the fan base, which would make it difficult for Wilson to get back on the field in 2022.

However, Saleh said on Monday that the team's plans hadn't changed and there is still hope to get Wilson back out there this season. As the Jets are fighting for a playoff spot, they would need Wilson to be at his absolute best if he were to be reinserted into the lineup.

After his demotion, Wilson has been running the scout team offense in practice. On Thursday, New York offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur told reporters, "You can see the improvement every single day" in the BYU product.

For now, White will continue running the show. He will have another prime opportunity to showcase his skills, as the Vikings pass defense is ranked last in the NFL.

The New York Jets entered Week 12 in something of an odd situation. At 6-4, the Jets were very much in the postseason picture in the AFC, but New York wasn't being talked about as a legitimate postseason threat for one overriding reason:

The offense was awful.

In an effort to get the offense on track, the Jets made a switch at quarterback this week, benching second-year pro Zach Wilson in favor of Mike White. The move worked like a charm against the Chicago Bears, and after arguably the team's best offensive performance of the season, White appears to be entrenched as the Jets' starter.

And New York suddenly has the look of the kind of team that no one wants to face in the AFC playoffs.

After what happened in Week 11, Jets head coach Robert Saleh didn't really have any choice but to make a switch at quarterback. It wasn't just that the Jets barely cracked 100 yards of total offense or that Wilson completed 41 percent of his passes for just 77 yards.

The tipping point came after the Jets lost 10-3 to the Patriots. When asked by reporters whether he thought New York's anemic offense had let the defense down, Wilson tersely replied, "no."

The lack of accountability reportedly didn't sit well with Wilson's teammates. And with the Jets having lost two of three, Saleh made the call, though he told reporters that the demotion wasn't necessarily permanent.

"The biggest thing with Zach is that the young man needs a reset," Saleh said. "His decision-making has been fine; his practice habits, all that stuff, have been fine; but there's some basic, fundamental things that have gotten really out of whack for him.

"This is an opportunity for him to really sit back, focus on those things, find a way to get reconnected to all those things we fell in love with during the draft process. It's something I feel like he's going to be able to do. I think asking him to do all those things while preparing for a game is unfair."

However, given how White looked in his first start, Wilson's benching isn't going to be a one-week deal, either.

Simply put, White was outstanding against the Bears. For the game, the second-year pro completed 22 of 28 pass attempts for 315 yards and three touchdowns. White didn't turn the ball over and posted a robust passer rating of 149.3.

It was White's second stellar performance in just four career starts. And as ESPN's Rich Cimini pointed out, it puts White in some rather select company.

Mike White is the 5th QB in NFL history to record multiple games with 300 Pass yds and 3 Pass TD within his first 4 career starts.

White joins Kurt Warner (3), Patrick Mahomes (2), Mark Rypien (2) and Austin Davis (2). #Jets

— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) November 27, 2022

White's outstanding performance also drew raves from Saleh.

"He did a great job," Saleh told reporters. "He didn't need to be anybody but Mike White. We didn't need to turn into the greatest show on turf, we just needed—wanted him to play within himself and play efficiently, and I thought he did. He made easy look easy. I thought he did a really good job of that."

White's effort rippled down to the rest of the offense. Rookie wideout Garrett Wilson caught five passes for 95 yards and two scores, including a 54-yarder. Second-year wide receiver Elijah Moore, whose role in the offense had evaporated to the point he requested a trade earlier this season, caught a pair of passes for 64 yards and a score.

Tight end Tyler Conklin, who started the season hot only to vanish once Wilson got back in the lineup, reeled in three passes for 50 yards.

The Jets run game got a boost, too. Since rookie phenom Breece Hall went down with an ACL tear several weeks ago, the Jets rushing attack had faltered. But despite veteran James Robinson being a healthy scratch, the Jets piled up 158 rushing yards on 32 carries.

Amazing what can happen if opposing defenses can't stack the box with impunity.

After the game, an elated Moore pointed to Sunday's effort as an indication of what these Jets are capable of.

"That's what happens when we play New York Jets football. ... That's the real New York Jets football," Moore told Jeane Coakley of SNY after the game. "That's the definition of team football. I can't do nothing but thank Mike. Thank the defense. We played as a team."

The Jets did indeed play as a team. Granted, it came against a Bears team that ranked 22nd in total offense entering Week 12 and without Justin Fields. Nonetheless, the Jets allowed just 292 yards of offense, logged a pair of sacks, forced a turnover and allowed just four third-down conversions in 13 attempts.

New York's defense playing well is hardly a surprise, as the unit has carried the team for much of the season. The Jets entered Sunday sixth in the league in total defense, 10th against the pass, ninth in scoring defense and fifth in sacks. This is a unit that held the Bills to just 17 points in a Week 9 win. But as last week's loss to the Patriots showed, a stellar defensive effort is of little use if the team doesn't score any points.

It admittedly came against a Bears defense that has struggled at times this season, but White's performance on Sunday offers hope that the offense can at least hold its own moving forward and that the team's biggest liability could become an asset.

It's not like it doesn't have passing-game weaponry. It was just of little use to a unit that couldn't move the ball through the air.

White's big game couldn't have come at a better time for the Jets, not just because New York had lost two of three. With New England losing at Minnesota on Thanksgiving, the Jets moved past the Patriots and into third place in the AFC East.

The Jets are also headed into an absolutely pivotal and brutal two-week road trip. Their validity as a contender may well be determined in Minnesota and Buffalo.

The Jets team we watched pitch and lurch around Gillette Stadium in Week 11 likely doesn't have much of a chance to beat the Vikings or Bills. Even if the defense plays lights out, that version of the offense was too limited to hang with the league's heavyweights.

However, if the Jets can get play like from White on any sort of consistent basis, it's a whole new ballgame. The Jets already had an elite defense and offensive weapons. All the Gang Green symphony needed was a conductor. A maestro who could lead the team into the postseason for the first time since 2011.

Mike White just might be that guy.

And these Jets could well be a tough out the rest of the way this season.

The New York Jets are reportedly hopeful Zach Wilson will take back over as their starting quarterback at some point this season.

The second-year quarterback was benched in favor of Mike White for Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears. Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reported Wilson's tenure is "definitely not over."

Later on Sunday, Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reported Wilson has "lost confidence in himself" and that the Jets had also lost confidence in him. Glazer noted Wilson will not return to the starting lineup until he regains his confidence.

Wilson, 23, missed the first three games of this season because of a meniscus tear and a bone bruise in his right knee. Veteran Joe Flacco took over in his stead, leading the Jets to a 1-2 record.

Wilson struggled in his 2021 rookie season, throwing for 2,334 yards, nine touchdowns and 11 interceptions while completing just 55.6 percent of his passes. He took 44 sacks, and the Jets went 3-10 in his 13 starts.

But with the addition of rookie wideout Garrett Wilson and rookie running back Breece Hall, there was the expectation that the Jets would be more dangerous on offense in 2022, offering their young quarterback far more weapons. In turn, the hope was that Wilson would take a big step forward in his sophomore campaign.

Instead, it's been an unmitigated disaster. Wilson has thrown for 1,279 yards and four touchdowns against five interceptions while seemingly losing the locker room in the process. After throwing for just 77 yards in last week's loss to the New England Patriots, Wilson refused to take any responsibility for the loss—a move that caused frustration among Jets teammates.

Wilson apologized to teammates this week and addressed the situation with reporters.

"It was the only thing I could think of the last couple of days," Wilson said. "I wanted the opportunity to talk to those guys and really make it from the heart."

Now the Jets turn to White, who has not appeared in a game this season. White threw for 953 yards and five touchdowns against eight interceptions while playing in Wilson's stead in 2021. Flacco will serve as his backup after moving behind White on the depth chart.

Through the first three weeks, Flacco threw for 901 yards, five scores and three interceptions, completing 58.7 percent of his passes while taking nine sacks.

It wasn't an elite showing, but it was good enough to help the Jets memorably steal a Week 2 comeback win over the Cleveland Browns.

The Jets will hope White provides similar magic moving forward.

New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh still has high hopes for Zach Wilson despite Wednesday's benching.

"Zach's career here is not over," Saleh told reporters Wednesday. "I know that's gonna be the narrative, I know that's what everyone wants to shout out and that's not even close to the case. The intent, the full intent, is to make sure Zach gets back onto the football field at some point this year."

Saleh believes Wilson needs a "reset" after his recent struggles.

Mike White is slated to start for the Jets in Week 12 against the Chicago Bears, while veteran Joe Flacco will be the backup.

The Jets are 5-2 this season with Wilson as a starter, but the second-year player has just a 72.6 quarterback rating this season with four touchdown passes and five interceptions.

Wilson especially struggled in the 10-3 loss to the New England Patriots last game, finishing 9-of-22 for 77 yards.

Saleh described the offense as "dog s--t" after the game.

There are still high hopes for Wilson as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 draft. The former BYU quarterback has displayed his upside in the past with his athleticism and strong arm, but consistency remains an issue.

White is also unlikely to take over the job full time with just three starts in his career since being drafted in 2018.

It provides an opening for Wilson to regain his role as the team's starter down the line.

Week 10 of the 2022 NFL season is now behind us, bringing us one step closer to the playoff race.

With the postseason on the horizon, let's take a look at the playoff picture heading into Week 11 as well as key matchups.

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NFC

1. Philadelphia Eagles, 8-1

2. Minnesota Vikings, 8-1

3. Seattle Seahawks, 6-4

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 5-5

5. New York Giants, 7-2

6. Dallas Cowboys, 6-3

7. San Francisco 49ers, 5-4

8. Washington Commanders, 5-5

9. Green Bay Packers, 4-6

10. Atlanta Falcons, 4-6

11. Arizona Cardinals, 4-6

12. Detroit Lions, 3-6

13. Los Angeles Rams, 3-6

14. Carolina Panthers, 3-7

15. New Orleans Saints, 3-7

16. Chicago Bears, 3-7

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AFC

1. Kansas City Chiefs, 7-2

2. Miami Dolphins, 7-3

3. Tennessee Titans, 6-3

4. Baltimore Ravens, 6-3

5. New York Jets, 6-3

6. Buffalo Bills, 6-3

7. New England Patriots, 5-4

8. Los Angeles Chargers, 5-4

9. Cincinnati Bengals, 5-4

10. Indianapolis Colts, 4-5-1

11. Cleveland Browns, 3-6

12. Denver Broncos, 3-6

13. Pittsburgh Steelers, 3-6

14. Jacksonville Jaguars, 3-7

15. Las Vegas Raiders, 2-7

16. Houston Texans, 1-7-1

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Projected NFC Matchups

Bye: Philadelphia Eagles

(2) Minnesota Vikings vs. (7) San Francisco 49ers

(3) Seattle Seahawks vs. (6) Dallas Cowboys

(4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. (5) New York Giants

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Projected AFC Matchups

Bye: Kansas City Chiefs

(2) Miami Dolphins vs. (7) New England Patriots

(3) Tennessee Titans vs. (6) Buffalo Bills

(4) Baltimore Ravens vs. (5) New York Jets

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The Green Bay Packers are still on the outside looking in, but they earned their biggest win of the year by defeating the Dallas Cowboys 31-28 in overtime Sunday to end a five-game losing streak. Green Bay will continue to try to climb the ladder, but it faces another tough team in Week 11.

The Packers will host the Tennessee Titans in what might be one of the better Thursday Night Football matchups of the season. The Titans are coming off a 17-10 win over the Denver Broncos and have a firm grip on first place in the AFC South.

At this point in the season, the Packers need every win they can get if they hope to keep pace in the playoff hunt. Thursday's game could be a good opportunity for Green Bay to take advantage of a short week against a team that hasn't scored 20 points since Oct. 9.

After their loss to the Packers on Sunday, the Cowboys fell to third place in the NFC East. Dallas still has a solid position in the playoff race, but things won't get easier in Week 11 when it visits the surging Minnesota Vikings, who are riding a seven-game winning streak.

In the AFC, all eyes will be on the East division, which would have all four of its teams in the playoffs if the season ended today. The key game will be between the New York Jets and New England Patriots.

A win by the visiting Jets would propel them into first place in the AFC East and a top-four seed in the playoffs. However, a loss could drop them to last place in the division. New York suffered a 22-17 loss to New England at MetLife Stadium on Oct. 30 and will surely be out for revenge.

The Buffalo Bills will be looking to end a two-game skid when they host the Cleveland Browns. Buffalo's 33-30 overtime loss to Minnesota might have been the game of the year, but it dropped the team to third place in the AFC East.

The Bills still have one of the most talented rosters in the league and maintain their status as title contenders. They will have a prime bounce-back opportunity against a team that was defeated 39-17 on Sunday by the Miami Dolphins, who are off in Week 11.

Finally, the Kansas City Chiefs will have the chance to further cement their hold on the No. 1 seed when they visit the AFC West rival Los Angeles Chargers. The Chargers need a win to stay on the cusp of the playoffs, which should make for a fiery matchup.

When the 2022 season began, the AFC East was considered a foregone conclusion. It was the Buffalo Bills' world, and the Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots and New York Jets were just living in it.

However, a funny thing has happened on the way to Buffalo's supposed coronation. After getting stunned by the Jets in Week 9, the 6-2 Bills are less than a game up on New York and Miami (both 6-3), which outlasted the Bears in Chicago. With the Patriots also taking care of business at home Sunday against the Colts to improve to 5-4, every team in the AFC East is above .500 after nine weeks.

A division that was supposed to be a runaway is wide open heading into the second half of the 2022 regular season. More than that, the AFC East has become the most intriguing division race in the league.

Week 9 wasn't supposed to go this way for the Bills. After downing the Green Bay Packers last week, the Bills had won four straight, including a statement win at Arrowhead Stadium over the Kansas City Chiefs. At 6-1, the Bills had the best record in the AFC and were regarded by most as the best team in the conference. Buffalo entered Sunday's games as a double-digit favorite over the Jets, which were coming off a loss to the Patriots.

The problem is that no one told the Jets they were supposed to lose. In fact, there are a lot of things people apparently forgot to tell the Jets about their prospects in 2022.

You would be hard-pressed to find anyone outside the Jets locker room who gave the team a chance to do much of anything this season. But despite being without starting quarterback Zach Wilson to open the season, the Jets hit Week 9 as a 5-3 team.

While the Jets had a winning record, though, the team lacked a true statement win. New York blew out the Dolphins back in Week 5, but that was when Miami was forced to roll out its third-string quarterback.

Gang Green got its statement win Sunday.

New York's upset win was the team's season in a nutshell. Despite losing rookie running back Breece Hall to a season-ending ACL tear a few weeks ago, New York piled up 175 rushing yards against one of the NFL's best defenses. New York's defense played Buffalo's explosive offense as well as any team has this season, limiting the Bills to a season-low 17 points, including just three in the second half.

As has been the case all season long, the Jets got big contributions from first-round rookies Garrett Wilson (eight catches, 92 yards) and Ahmad Gardner (seven tackles, interception). Wilson didn't light it up through the air, but he didn't make mistakes, either.

And most importantly, despite playing in a back-and-forth game as a heavy underdog, the Jets never panicked. As head coach Robert Saleh told reporters after the game, this is a team that believes it can win games.

"We're too young to flinch," Saleh said. "I know a lot of people are going to be surprised, right? I don't think there's a person surprised in the locker room."

To say that's a change in culture is an understatement.

For the Bills, the loss was hardly the end of the world. Buffalo remains the No. 1 seed in the AFC and the front-runner in the division. The Bills possess a top-three offense and a top-three defense and may well be the most complete team in the league. They just didn't look it on Sunday, and after a shaky performance against the Jets, Bills quarterback Josh Allen put the blame for the loss squarely on himself.

"It's tough to win in this league when you're playing a good team and your quarterback plays like s--t," Allen said. "Made some bad decisions tonight. Really cost our team."

It isn't panic time in Buffalo—not even close. But the Bills' two losses this season are both inside the division. The Jets and Dolphins are both right on their heels, and each of them has a head-to-head win over the Bills. The margin for error in Western New York is gone, and next week the Bills have to take on a one-loss Vikings team.

While the Jets were stunning the Bills at Met Life Stadium, the Dolphins were taking care of business in Chicago. Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa had another big game, throwing for 302 yards and three scores while drawing praise from head coach Mike McDaniel.

"The growth has been unbelievable in how he's playing the position, learning the whole system and then how he's handling the ebbs and flows of natural, in-game momentum," McDaniel told reporters. "Saw it again today."

Granted, it helps to have Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle to throw to, but Tagovailoa has made massive strides as a passer in 2022. And while the Dolphins are 6-3, all three losses came in games where Tagovailoa either sat out or was forced from the contest. Tagovailoa has finished six games this season. The Dolphins have won all six.

Then there's the 5-4 Patriots, who have seemingly been all but forgotten. New England pummeled the Colts 26-3 Sunday with a dominant defensive performance that left head coach Bill Belichick absolutely beaming while speaking to reporters.

"We got pressure on early downs and created some long-yardage situations," Belichick said. "Anytime you have good pass rush, you have good coverage. And anytime you have good coverage, you have good pass rush."

OK, so he wasn't actually beaming. But he was surely smiling on the inside, because while the Pats may not have the offensive firepower of the Bills and Dolphins, they have a defense that will keep them in most games.

There isn't a bad team in the division. There are no easy outs. And with plenty of games against one another still to be played, the second half of the race in the AFC East should be fascinating.

The AFC East isn't the only division in the league high on intrigue. There are three teams in the NFC East with at least six wins, including the league's last undefeated team. The NFC West and AFC West haven't lived up to preseason expectations, but both divisions are loaded with talent.

But if drama is your thing, the AFC East is the place to be. Because whether it's the loaded Bills, the explosive Dolphins, the upstart Jets or Darth Hoodie's Patriots, there isn't a bad team to be found. It's a race that could (and probably will) go down to the wire.

And as it turns out, the ending to that story may not be as preordained as we thought.

Zach Wilson is presumably the quarterback of the present and the future for the New York Jets.

Head coach Robert Saleh said Monday the plan is for the AFC East team to stick with the second-year quarterback even if he struggles, per Connor Hughes of SNY. Saleh also said there wasn't any consideration of benching him during Sunday's 22-17 loss to the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium even though he played poorly.

Wilson was sidelined at the start of the season, and veteran Joe Flacco went 1-2 as a starter in his place.

The Super Bowl XLVII MVP was solid but unspectacular while completing 58.7 percent of his passes for 901 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. The one victory came against the Cleveland Browns in shocking fashion when the Jets recovered a late onside kick and scored a touchdown to prevail.

Wilson returned for a Week 4 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers and helped lead New York to four straight victories.

Those came against presumed contenders as well, with wins over the Steelers, Miami Dolphins, Green Bay Packers and Denver Broncos. While losing to New England is never ideal in New York, especially given the recent history of the rivalry, the team is still in solid position at 5-3.

Only the 6-1 Buffalo Bills are ahead of the Jets in the AFC East standings, and they would be in the playoffs as a wild card if the season ended today.

Still, Sunday marked the 13th straight time the Jets have lost to the Patriots. Wilson threw for 355 yards and two touchdowns, but he also had three interceptions and completed less than 50 percent of his passes, going 20-of-41.

On the season, the BYU product has completed 54.9 percent of his passes for 1,048 yards, three touchdowns and five interceptions after finishing his rookie season with a 55.6 percent completion rate for 2,334 yards, nine touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

The numbers are uninspiring, but New York selected him with the No. 2 overall pick of the 2021 NFL draft and will surely look to see if he can turn the corner as the franchise quarterback it envisioned.