Mike White Showed He's Better Than Zach Wilson in Victory Over Bears
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There was a steady downpour of water falling from the sky at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey during the Jets' convincing 31-10 victory over the Bears.
It was either rain, or perhaps it might have been tears from Zach Wilson's sympathizers as his back-up quarterback Mike White was on point Sunday.
Now I understand why New York went with Joe Flacco under center to open the season instead of White.
Had White been in there, Wilson might never have gotten his job back after being injured.
Despite the persistent damp weather conditions, White "made it look easy," against Chicago in the words of his Head Coach, Robert Saleh.
His stat line speaks for itself: 22/28 (78.6%) for 315 yards and three touchdowns.
Everything about the Jets' offense was clicking on all cylinders with White at the helm.
His ball handling in the pocket was smooth as the slick field, whether he was handing the ball off or throwing it.
White was crisp and decisive just the way I remember him from last season on game film, against New England and Cincinnati.
He processed what he was seeing quickly and it looked like he consistently knew where he was going with the ball, which is why he only got sacked once. This also explains why he didn't look like he was running for his life the way Wilson often looks.
White was poised and downfield focused as he drove the wet ball with tight spirals from the opening drive, and the thing that really struck me was his ball placement.
While he never really stretched the field deep, his ball placement in the short to intermediate route levels was on the money. Putting the ball right where it needed to be additionally put New York's receivers in position to pick up additional yardage after the catch on many occasions, which they did.
This is the way the Jets offense is supposed to look. It was also nice to see receivers Braxton Berrios and Elijah Moore getting back into the act.
If someone didn't know any better White looked like he was the No. 2 pick overall in the 2021 NFL Draft.
For fans who were sold on Wilson thanks to a pervasive mainstream media narrative that overhyped him, it had to almost feel like they were watching an episode of the Twilight Zone.
However, rest assured, this wasn't fiction.
This was the reality I've been writing about now since I first saw Wilson play at BYU, and since I've been covering the Jets over this past year.
White is a better quarterback than Wilson.
Why?
He is more New York than Wilson. He's more confident, therefore the team is more responsive and everything else flows from there.
I was really happy to see White shine beneath the clouds against the Bears. I've been banging on my keyboard over this past year that it should have been this way all along.
Why?
Because he gives the Jets their best chance to win.
MORE:
- Jets' Rookie Helps to Revive Run Game With Historic Debut
- Mike White Leads Jets to Blowout Win Over Bears
- Bears' Trevor Siemian Starts Against Jets Despite Pregame Injury
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