Who Should I Start? Mike White or Easton Stick

Saturday, August 9, 7:27 PM

Buffalo Bills quarterback Mike White came out of the gates slowly but finished strong in a 34-25 preseason-opening loss to the New York Giants on Saturday. White, who's competing with Mitchell Trubisky for the backup role behind Josh Allen, took over after halftime and missed on his first four attempts. Tight ends Jackson Hawes and Zach Davidson each dropped a pass, but White was unfazed. He went on to complete eight of his last nine throws to finish 8-for-13 for 112 yards and two touchdowns. White rolled to his right to find wide receiver KJ Hamler in the end zone for a 39-yard score on a fourth-and-four play and later dumped off a seven-yard TD to running back Darrynton Evans. It was a good day for White, a former New York Jet and Miami Dolphin, but it came after Trubisky held his own in the first half. The two will continue a wide-open battle for the No. 2 job against the Chicago Bears on Aug. 17.

Saturday, August 9, 4:13 PM

With Atlanta Falcons No. 1 quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and backup Kirk Cousins sitting out Friday, third-stringer Easton Stick got the start against the Detroit Lions. Stick impressed in a 17-10 loss, completing 15 of 18 attempts for 149 yards and a touchdown. The former fifth-round pick spent the first six seasons of his career with the Los Angeles Chargers before joining the Falcons in free agency this past spring. Stick appeared in six games with the Chargers (four starts) and completed 64% of passes with three touchdowns and an interception. If the Falcons keep three quarterbacks, Stick looks like the front-runner for the role, though he is competing with Emory Jones. The 25-year-old Jones has no regular-season experience in the NFL, but he did go 4-for-5 for 49 yards and add nine more yards on two rushes in relief of Stick on Friday. Stick and Jones will continue battling for a roster spot on Aug. 15 against the Tennessee Titans.