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Mike White had the MetLife Stadium crowd chanting his name during the New York Jets’ 31-10 win against the Chicago Bears on Sunday. But the quarterback and Jets coach Robert Saleh were low key about the new starter’s monster game.
“It’s awesome,” White said postgame. “Just going out there playing football with your friends and guys you’ve been with for a couple years now. … Just to be out there and be a part of it and help the team win is always fun.”
Of course, White was more than just “a part of it.”
Mike White DOMINATES in the Jets win 💪
🛫 22/28
🛫 315 pass yards
🛫 3 TD
🛫 149.3 QBR( 🎥 @NFLonFOX) pic.twitter.com/VNpEtKHGpq
— ESPN (@espn) November 27, 2022
The 27-year-old completed 22 of 28 passes (75.9 percent) for 315 yards and three touchdowns. He tossed a pair of TDs to Garrett Wilson, one for 54 yards. He also found Elijah Moore for a 22-yard TD reception, the first this season for the disgruntled wide receiver.
“That’s the real New York Jets football,” Moore told SNY.
That could be perceived as a dig at Zach Wilson, who was benched this week in favor of White. Moore and Wilson have struggled to build chemistry all season long, leading to Moore’s trade request last month.
"We all knew he could ball, but man, he went crazy today"
Garrett Wilson talks with @JeaneCoakley about Mike White's day, his 2 touchdowns and his emotions seeing Elijah Moore get in the end zone: pic.twitter.com/Vg6CmB7Sif
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) November 27, 2022
Sunday was not a day for controversy. White led the Jets to a touchdown on their first drive in a game for the first time this season. He set the tone by completing six of seven passes for 69 yards on the drive, which ended with an eight-yard touchdown toss to Garrett Wilson.
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“He did a great job,” Saleh said of White. “He didn’t need to anybody but Mike White … we just wanted him to play within himself and efficient. And I think he did that.”
Robert Saleh was as impressed with White’s ability to complete the easy passes as he was with the long touchdowns. It’s a stark contrast to Wilson, who’s struggled to convert the easy throws, a major reason he was inactive this week.
“(White) made easy look easy,” Saleh added.
Saleh on Mike White: “He made easy look easy. … We didn’t need him to be anybody other than Mike White.” He said White played “within himself.” pic.twitter.com/oQEcz5E6Wx
— Andy Vasquez (@andy_vasquez) November 27, 2022
As for the fans chanting his name, Mike White said it was fun, to a point.
“It’s always cool. I’m not gonna sit here and give you some quarterback cliché that I wasn’t focused on that,” White explained. “Towards the end of the game I think it would be a lot cooler if they didn’t do it while we’re trying to snap the ball, but, nah, I’m not going to complain too much about that.”
After White led the Jets (7-4) to an important win and a season-high 466 total yards, there wasn’t much to complain about. Quite the turnaround from last week when tensions were raised after Wilson’s poor day on and off the field.
