12:00 PM ET
Rich CiminiESPN Staff Writer
- Longtime Jets bushed writer for New York Daily News
- Syracuse University graduate
MINNEAPOLIS -- Two weeks ago, New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson stood successful beforehand of his locker aft a 10-3 nonaccomplishment to the New England Patriots, tearing isolated the discourtesy aft an utterly inept performance. He didn't sanction names, but it wasn't hard to work betwixt the lines. Much of his vexation appeared directed astatine backmost Zach Wilson.
Three days later, Wilson was benched.
Let's juxtapose that country with what occurred successful the locker country Sunday astatine U.S. Bank Stadium, wherever the Jets mislaid a heartbreaker to the Minnesota Vikings 29-22. There was Wilson erstwhile again, holding tribunal earlier a assemblage of reporters. Yes, helium was upset with the outcome, but not his quarterback. The talented rookie delivered an iron-clad endorsement of Mike White, who became lone the 4th Jets backmost successful the past 25 years to propulsion for 300 yards successful back-to-back games.
"He was retired there, controlling the huddle, ne'er letting the infinitesimal get excessively big," Wilson said. "It was chill to see. Looking backmost connected it now, it’s chill to deliberation about. I cognize I'd spell to warfare for that boy. He's got thing peculiar astir him."
White didn't play a flawless crippled -- acold from it. He threw 2 interceptions and struggled to get his squad successful the extremity portion -- going 1-for-6 successful the reddish portion -- which is the eventual occupation of each quarterback. But it was wide from the postgame vibe -- highlighted by Wilson's testimonial -- that White strengthened his clasp connected the backmost presumption successful the eyes of his teammates.
In his 5th vocation start, lone his 2nd connected the road, White astir rallied the Jets from a 20-3 deficit. He got them to the 1-yard enactment connected their penultimate possession earlier hitting the imaginary ceramic partition connected the extremity enactment that stymied the discourtesy astir of the day.
Another 3 feet. That's each helium needed for a imaginable occurrence win. They would've been penning poems astir White, everybody's favourite underdog, if helium had pulled it off. But the erstwhile QB3-turned QB2-turned QB1 showed plentifulness of moxie successful the 2nd half.
"I thought Mike did a large job," manager Robert Saleh said. "There was a small of immoderate ups and downs, similar mean successful a shot game. They're a bully shot team, but I thought helium kept his composure, stayed wrong the game, made immoderate big, large throws."
White threw a batch (31-for-57), which isn't ideal, but amassed 369 passing yards -- including 248 successful the 2nd half. He made history, not the bully kind, though -- the astir passing yards successful franchise past without a touchdown pass. The "mark" was held by Joe Namath, who did it with 341 yards successful a 1968 nonaccomplishment to the Denver Broncos -- the twelvemonth the Jets went to their lone Super Bowl.
In 2 starts, White has developed thing peculiar with Wilson, who is playing similar a superior contender for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. With White slinging the ball, Wilson has 13 receptions for 257 yards and 2 touchdowns, including an 8-for-162 crippled against the Vikings' overmatched secondary -- the astir yards for immoderate Jets receiver since Eric Decker's 221 successful 2014.
Zach Wilson hasn't had that benignant of chemistry with immoderate receiver due to the fact that of his inability to run a accordant passing attack. He has 1,279 yards successful 7 starts -- 183 per game. White has 684 successful 2 starts -- 342 per game.
"Mike White does a bully occupation for them," Vikings information Harrison Smith said. "He gets the shot to his guys and keeps it beauteous clean."
Saleh hasn't declared White the imperishable starter, saying helium volition spell backmost to Wilson "when he's acceptable to roll" -- a vague connection that creates questions. Reality says it's White's occupation to lose. Publicly, Saleh astir apt volition fto it play retired organically, but cognize this: He mightiness person a mutiny successful the locker country if helium yanks White anytime soon.
In a imaginable amusement of solidarity, White and respective violative players showed up for the crippled wearing Anaheim Mighty Ducks hockey jerseys. (The movie was filmed successful Minneapolis.) On Saturday, a fewer players wore "Mike F'n White" T-shirts.
"He's a baller, obviously," said wide receiver Braxton Berrios, who participated successful some manner statements.
Let's not mistake guts with precision, though. White didn't get it done successful the reddish zone, completing lone six of 17 passes for 24 yards and an interception. The 1-for-6 show was their worst reddish portion percent connected six possessions since 2014. With lone mean efficiency, they would've hung 40 connected the Vikings.
There was immoderate funny playcalling successful the reddish zone, on with a driblet by Berrios connected a fourth-down walk successful the extremity portion -- a pugnacious play, but 1 helium felt helium should've made. White took the heat, saying helium threw it somewhat down Berrios connected his sidearm flick.
"That’s not connected him -- that’s connected me," Berrios said. "It’s 4th down. He has everything successful his face, the unreserved coming. He’s seeing bodies flying everywhere. He enactment it wherever I should’ve got it. So, yeah, that one's connected me."
White was incomplete connected his past six attempts successful the reddish portion -- six!
"My occupation arsenic a backmost is enactment our squad successful the champion position, and that's scoring successful the reddish zone," White said. "So it starts with me."
He took accountability, which nary uncertainty scored points with his teammates. It was the cleanable reply to an imperfectly awesome day.