by Mike White came to save the day for the New York Jets
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ“What’s the most noticeable difference between #2 and #5, apart from the incredible physical advantage of the former over the latter?”
Well, quite simply, #5 brings an element of fearless moxie to the table that #2 just can’t match.
The football quarterback position is one of many talent evaluators that are continually wrong. The mystery behind Why it’s the obvious case that’s raging, but it shouldn’t be Phone a mystery after the 2022 New York Jets quarterback’s case is reviewed.
Zach Wilson, 23, entered the season as the undisputed face of the franchise. Selected No. 2 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, no one would dispute that the kid brings an incredible physical advantage to the table.
His feet are lightning fast, his arm is electric, and his release is absurdly quick – perfectly suited for today’s National 3-Step Football League. No one would dare challenge those attributes against the current hero of the day, Mike White.
Yet, interestingly, the guy with the least talent is more apt to lead the charge.
Mike “Effin” White rushes for over 300 yards and three touchdowns to lead New York #Jets to a 31-10 win over the Chicago Bears. pic.twitter.com/2i4D7IsAEH
— Jets X-Factor (@jetsxfactor) November 27, 2022
White, 27, had 315 yards and three touchdowns (without interceptions) in the Jets’ 31-10 loss to the Chicago Bears on Sunday. Carrying the team to 7-4, White found himself gloriously stuck in a familiar atmosphere with admiration everywhere as a backdrop.
“Mike White, Mike White, Mike White,” the MetLife Stadium crowd chanted continuously throughout the rainy afternoon.
Mike White is very *human* in the way he speaks with the media. A hard thing to explain, no doubt, but he makes it easy and smooth when he touches on topics or certain rooms.
He’ll never complain about those “Mike White” chants either. #Jets pic.twitter.com/LWlUj7izXo
—Robby Sabo (@RobbySabo) November 27, 2022
Although no one would ever mistake the number 5 for an arrogant individual, the human element of the kid was on display in the post-game presser.
“It’s always cool,” White told media after being asked about the chants. “I’m not going to sit here and give you a quarterback cliche. There are times when I’m not (hearing the fan chants), but towards the end of the game (I am).
Just make sure your football IQ matches the football spirit of the new Jets starting quarterback.
“I think it would be a lot cooler if they didn’t do it while we’re trying to break the ball up,” White joked. “But no, I’m not going to complain too much about that.”
White’s communication is very human and relatable, a stark contrast to that of Wilson, whose machine-like persona couldn’t help being spotted even from Mars. And then there’s the question of the quarterback’s spirit and mentality, both of which have been excellent against the Bears.
Not only did White lead the Jets on a nine-game, 75-yard opening drive that culminated in an 8-yard Garrett Wilson touchdown reception, but he also — in tandem with offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur — did something something that this unit failed to do. do often this season.
Garrett Wilson’s track record in 1v1 situations is absurd. Corner here, with an inside rod, strips the Bears DB, and Mike White finds him for 6. #Jets pic.twitter.com/moIL2ZbsXy
—Robby Sabo (@RobbySabo) November 27, 2022
He stretched the field in a way that forced the defense to adapt.
Down 10-7 in the second quarter, in a game that featured a less-than-dominant Jets defense, White fired one down the middle with no fear. Wilson turned it into a 54-yard touchdown.
The reason QBs are so hard to rate is because of the MENTAL attributes it takes to play the position. It’s about a certain STATE OF MIND, not fear, sentiment, leadership, etc.
Mike White isn’t scared, as he reunites with Garrett Wilson for another 6. #Jets leads 14-10. pic.twitter.com/qyIO3SkOie
—Robby Sabo (@RobbySabo) November 27, 2022
By this point in the game, Chicago had settled in defensively. Although Matt Eberflus’ defense is quite similar to Robert Saleh’s — a relaxed shell feeling that keeps everything in front — the Bears unit came out with an aggressive attitude.
The Bears filled the box, played a bunch of concepts at 1 and the defensive backs also broke balls earlier than usual, which was more the case after White led the charge in the first drive.
What the Jets needed was a quarterback to launch him into the field, when it was essential to do so. (That idea is similar to how the Jets needed White to destroy the Cincinnati Bengals two Halloweens ago — take what the defense gives you.). What the Jets offense needed was a quarterback to right the ship.
What the Jets fandom needed was a leader who exhibited a fearless attitude.
Every professional athlete understands the following: If you play injury-free, you are more likely to be injured. At quarterback, if you play not to return the ball, you are more likely to return it.
You just have to to know that free throw goes in, that putt falls in the hole or that pass is going to go in the narrow window in the middle.
Zach Wilson never really knew because his trust was left in Utah. For some reason, he just played with the fear firmly rooted in his mind.
Just look at his play against the New England Patriots before and after Devin McCourty’s interception. Initially confident in the game, the turnaround went over to the losing side after sailing over Tyler Conklin’s head and nearly turning the ball over.
It simply cannot be. A quarterback doesn’t have to be so shaky no matter how much pressure comes from a defensive coaching staff.
Mike White played like he had nothing to lose, while Zach Wilson played with the weight of the world on his shoulders.
“It’s great,” White said of the post-game results. “Going out there and playing football with your friends, guys you’ve been with for a few years now (it’s great).”
Perhaps Elijah Moore noticed the most, the Jets’ disgruntled weapon who scored his first touchdown of the season on Mike White Day.
Just a confident pocket presence from Mike White, understanding the deep concept coming to meet the sideline vertical.
Elijah Moore this salary. #Jets pic.twitter.com/UDRS7dY6rl
—Robby Sabo (@RobbySabo) November 27, 2022
Yet another third down, and yet another Mike White clutch play, this time understanding his surroundings and what was materializing in real time. He remembered the tighter splits, the concept developing longer and drifting just enough while anticipating Moore’s game-changing corner route while weaving under the vertically moving Corey Davis.
So, yeah, those who claim Zach Wilson is the most talented quarterback will be right 99% of the time. That’s until you start to get deeper into the nuance of actually playing the position.
What about the state of mind?
What about the mentality?
What about tenacity?
What about awareness?
What about personality?
How about showcasing a fearless skill set that a team follows down an alley with dangerous people looking to do record harm?
That’s why evaluating quarterbacks is one of the hardest things in the world. It is almost impossible to predict how individuals will react in a given situation, surrounded by specific people, in the face of the weight of the world which stacks the odds in case of failure.
— New York Jets (@nyjets) November 27, 2022
Michigan skinny shrimp Tom Brady, a sixth-round pick in 2000, is just a such an example of being wrong. There have been countless others.
Mike White aims to add his name to this list.
The kid who grew up near Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and moved from South Florida to West Kentucky, couldn’t be sniffed out by an NFL franchise while working the edge of the roster active and the Jets’ practice squad. And now he suddenly has Halloween 2021 against the Cincinnati Bengals and the 2022 Chicago Bears crush in his back pocket.
Even better, he now has the confidence of his teammates and the organization as a whole on his side. And it’s thanks to being equipped with the right quarterback mindset – one who plays fearlessly, energetically, shamelessly and with nothing to lose – a mentality that stands in stark contrast to the previous quarterback.
Worse still, for Zach Wilson, the New York Jets, his teammates, love Mike “Effing” White, just like number 5 loves his teammates.
“When it wasn’t my time to play, I was very supportive of them and had fun with them too, but just being out there and being part of it and helping the team, and helping the team win is always fun,” White said after the game.
Although that Chicago Bears defense stinks and the kid still has a lot to prove, Mike “Effing” White has arrived fearlessly for the New York Jets, once again, and just in time for a talented team looking to do damage this season.
