I agree with this, although I think on some level he believes what he says. I also think he's competitive enough to know that he shouldn't be taking the hot hand off the field during a playoff hunt when the other guy hasn't even looked like a competent backup
Even if White shits the bed in one of the upcoming games, they need to roll him back out there the following week. See how he handles it mentally, how he adjusts, how the team reacts. Going back to Zach after one bad game would be a mistake. The only way Zach should see the field again this year is if the Jets get knocked out of playoff contention.
Why is that stupid FQB label so important to so many? Why can't we just look for competent play at the position in the here and now and let the cards fall where they may in the future? If the Jets ever get another franchise quarterback we'll all know when it happens. Lighting anybody up in one game doesn't make an FQB.
What I pray for is Mike White wins out every game and we go on to win the SB. That’s what I pray for, what I expect is for us to bomb gloriously and go into next season with some slouch like Minshew gently eroding all hope over 4 years of what could’ve been. I’m old enough to know better. What will actually happen will probably be somewhere between. For a moment though just to step out of reality-how nice would it be if Mike White just fucking dominates? Why not us for once? I probably answered that above already though. I’ll say this-MW has outstanding leadership qualities, takes responsibility like a leader, gains the trust of the locker room like a leader…. Maybe last year’s taste of incredible success followed by his disaster in BUF really gave him the drive to really fucking study the game over the off-season? A success like that could really have forged his confidence that he can do this at a high level, and his subsequent humiliation is a lesson he needs to put in work like he never has before if he really wants it. He seems like the type of guy that would. Again…. Dreaming.
When Saleh was sort of the same way regarding injuries this Summer (Becton, Zach, Duane Brown etc) it was annoying and led me to have doubts about his leadership and truthfulness. But, this time it's the right way to handle it. I do believe our head coach is "getting it" and getting better at it.
If Mike White is 75% of the QB that we saw in Chicago, than Zach is more than likely done for the year. If White continues to look as good as he did last week, Zach is probably gone in the offseason. It sucks for Zach, but the team is just too good for a QB who is either awful, or developing at a snails pace. Those two games against the Patriots were the nail in the coffin. Jets would have easily won both with better QB play. Saleh really had no other option here. Cant risk losing the locker room for a prayer that Zach develops into something.
Excellent point. The term franchise QB is a massively overused term. You can count in one hand true FQBs and reflects years of superior "carry the team on your back performance". At this moment probably three; Brady, Rodgers and Mahomes and two of the three are at the end of their careers. that is it. You have some excellent QBs right behind them that might well become FQB soon, but not there yet. Fact iis, when you have a competent team surrounding a good or at least competent QB you can go very far. It all starts there. Zach's setbacks quickly became the weak link on an otherwise win now team. So it quickly magnified the need for change , half a game too late IMO but damned good that the leadership had the balls to make it happen. .
Great video here from Sabo how MW forced the Bears defense out of playing an unbalanced overly aggressive style of defense.
Agreed, he threw a few pretty dangerous passes. The one that resulted in the long TD for G Wilson was the closest, but that's how close it can be from bad to great. Against a better defense he probably would have been picked, but now he has more reps to avoid that. I really like what he brings as a QB, I just don't get the need for people to immediately elevate a player above what they have actually done.
I don't even think that throw was dangerous. 5:02 of the video. On a replay you can see the ball between hands at the top fingers level of a LB, maybe he can slightly touch it, but there is no chance he can catch it. Just right. Could he have thrown it 5 inches higher completely above him - sure. But this still is a good throw and no chance for INT. Here are all the throws I think Mike could have done better: 2:00. Zach like miss, wide open GW, easy short pass, keeps it too low instead of leading GW for a possible YAC TD. 3:20. Most dangerous pass of the game. Tight window, had to throw a faster ball, but puts a bit too much touch on it, safety had a small chance to get it, but it would have been VERY difficult. Ball ends up hitting GW on the back shoulder, who could have caught it, but I would not call it INT worthy. A slightly higher velocity on the throw, and it is a completion. 4:15. Hospital ball to GW. Probably the second most dangerous throw of the day. Could have been picked off if GW doesn't get a hand on it, but still not to the point where it was likely to be intercepted. Incomplete is probably a fair result of that play. 6:24. Sack. Pumps to throw to Conklin, but doesn't throw. There is a DB behind him, but 4 yards separation. If he rifles it to Conk, that's a 5 yard gain out of 6 needed for 1st, maybe even a first down. Instead a sack. 9:02. GW wide open in the middle, he is looking there, but moves away, and throws it away in the direction of Johnson. Not sure why he does not pull the trigger. There were a couple of passes to Davis at 2:59 and 6:55 that was in a tight coverage and DB made a great play, but he gave Davis a chance, so I can't blame him too much for that. Overall these 5 plays I think are learning ops for Mike, but nothing INT worthy for me where he was fortunate not to be picked off. This is very different than Cincy game last year, where he had a good game overall, but had several INT worthy egregiously bad passes. Compared to the 22 completions for 315 and 2 TDs and two other decent throws where he gave a chance to Davis, this was a masterful performance.
Here's Michael Nania's weekly breakdown. Nice to just see the film of each throw. I really noticed MW's poise, pocket movement, going through reads and keeping eyes downfield, and quickly finding the open receivers that maximize yardage (in many cases). He doesn't leave many plays out there.. What a difference from ZW tape. He looked like a legitimate NFL QB last week. If this is who he is, he's a starter no doubt https://jetsxfactor.com/2022/12/01/ny-jets-mike-white-grade-chicago-bears/
THERE IT IS GANG! The release time is out, and our boy Mike White was slinging it as quick as Tom Effing Brady
Add quick release to his strengths. I don't see what more we could want in a QB than what White did Sunday. A little more mobile? A little bigger arm? Seems like nitpicking. Of course, he needs to be consistent and continue his high level of play, which is the giant question mark and not sure if he'll be able to. But to me, that and can he stay healthy are the only two
Because of the politics involved White will have to remain near perfect for the next few games. However every QB has down games and bad games and sooner or later that will happen to White also. It's just what the NFL is at this point even in an era dominated by precision passers. Sooner or later you run into a strong defense and *they* have the great game not you. Kirk Cousins passed for 105 yards in the 40-3 loss to the Cowboys and had a 15.2 QBR that day. He also had a 3 pick game against the Eagles in the Vikings other loss.
If this is who he is, we have elite QB, not just legitimate. Last Sunday was top 5-10 performance in the entire NFL. He will not be able to play like this every game, and it's not fair to expect this either. But, if he has elite game here in there like last Sunday, some solid games, some good ones, and not too many bad ones, we are to your point looking at a legit above average QB, and will need to extend Mike for a long term deal this off-season before March 15 when he can talk to other teams. Not unlike what JD did with Berrios this year. All that's left is for Mike to continue playing really well
And this is exactly why I hope he gets a longer leash than he did last year. I'd give him the rest of the season unless he strings consecutive, putrid games. I'm hopeful Saleh, the CS & FO have a good pulse of the locker room and what Zach needs to do before he's ready for game action and won't just throw him back against Buffalo if White has a down game this week
