The New York Jets have three quarterbacks. Zach Wilson, the future, Mike White, the current, and Joe Flacco, nobody is sure why he’s in the fold since he didn’t rush to get to New Jersey from Philadelphia when the Jets traded for him.
Mike White has played in two games. He finished one out, and he got his first NFL win in big-time fashion with three touchdowns and 405 yards. The Jets desperately needed that win over the Cincinnati Bengals. It helps team morale, and it helps young players develop.
The Jets offense looked a lot better under White because they used the Patriots game plan, and Mike Lafleur was moved up in the booth, as it should be, and they said Wilson like Lafleur on the field. Ok, if that’s what they’re saying. But a lot changed, and you can’t say that Wilson won’t get similar results. That’s unfair.
There was a small chance that Wilson was going to come back early to play on Thursday. That would have been bad, and White took care of that problem. Can Mike White beat the Indianapolis Colts? Sure, Carson Wentz can lose the game all on his own but let’s look at the big picture here. There is no quarterback controversy.
No smart Jets fan thinks Wilson can’t cut it, and it’s over, and White will be the guy to lead them to a .500 season. That’s a big dream. What White is doing is showing Wilson he can do this in this offense, and just watch me do it. That’s the bonus here. Many were hoping Flacco would give Wilson some wisdom, but I doubt that will happen now. Especially if he doesn’t play.
Experts love when this happens to the Jets because they know the fanbase is inclined to welcome a quarterback controversy. They have before, and they would do it again. The fans just want wins. I get that. But don’t trade the short-term on an unknown. Not yet. It’s way too early for that.
Let this play out. Let Robert Saleh feel good about another win when it looked like that wouldn’t happen again this season. Let the defense do a bit better too, they’re not off the hook. They did some good things, but a dropped touchdown and a bad personal foul call bailed them out of this.
If the Jets win two in a row, then they’ll have a short-term decision to make. Not even the Jets will draw long-term conclusions from White’s early performances.
