The question every New York Jets fan is waking up and asking themselves today. On this Victory Monday, after one utterly convincing performance, should the Jets be declaring Mike White as their starting quarterback for the rest of 2022?
Of course, this all follows up with what was stated by head coach Robert Saleh just last week. He made known that the plan is to go back to Zach Wilson at some point. Following yesterday, though, one would very well have to believe that can easily change.
White had one awesome game in which he finished 22-28, completing 78.6% of his passes. He threw for 315 yards (11.3 per attempt). White had three touchdown passes with no interceptions. As a result, he concluded the day with a remarkable 149.3 rating.
Simply put, it was the best, full, four-quarter game of quarterback play that the Jets have had all year. And knowing the immense talent that the Jets have across the board, finally, having even some above-average play from the position immediately reflected the talent level of this roster awfully well in a 31-10 beatdown.
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How should the Jets approach the situation with Mike White?
After the win yesterday, it seems as simple as could be, the Jets should be going with White for the rest of this season. Especially with only six games left, it seems pretty obvious. Unfortunately, though, there are a few layers to this scenario as to why the Jets may ultimately opt to be cautious in doing so.
For starters, while his day yesterday could not be any better, it also just happens to be one game. It is important not to overreact entirely. Before proclaiming White the guy for the rest of the year, the Jets may want to see another strong performance or two.
As mentioned above, Coach Saleh did just say a week ago that the idea was to get Wilson back on the field. He summed up this situation for Wilson as essentially a “reset.” One in which he can get his mind right and get back to focusing on the fundamentals. The Jets did just select Wilson a year ago with the second pick in the draft. Both the arm and athletic talent are undeniable. Wilson is still very young and has the upside as such a recent, significant investment for the organization.
The final point worth noting is that the Bears have a poor defense and are certainly far from the ideal team to fully get a grasp on for any player.
While to me, it could not be more of a no-brainer, the Jets players clearly seem to love White and rally around him anytime he takes the field.
White also happens to provide this football team with exactly what it needs. A consistent, professional presence under center who can just be an accurate distributor. One who plays with toughness and understands the timing within the structure of the offense. Simply minimize mistakes, allow the tremendous skill talent the Jets have at their disposal to work, and let the defense play their shutdown brand.
From the Jets’ standpoint, however, though, as much as we may all want White to be the starter for the final six regular season games, to expect an official announcement to be made this week is unlikely.
What to anticipate from the Jets with regard to White is, for now, a week-to-week approach. He absolutely has to start this upcoming week in Minnesota. Should White play another stellar game in Week 13 and carry that on over into Week 14, then we can expect the Jets to officially name White as the starter the rest of the way.