When asked for his thoughts on starting his first NFL game, Mike White kept it cool.
“I’m starting an NFL game,” White said. “So that’s pretty freaking cool.”
And so was White’s performance.
The Jets lined up in victory formation to finish off a 34-31, upset win over the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium. It was a resilient performance from the Jets, they came back from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter.
The Jets improved to 2-5 on the season. The Bengals dropped to 5-3.
White was terrific this week. He completed 37 of 45 pass attempts for 405 yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions. The 2018 5th-round draft pick of the Dallas Cowboys averaged 9.0 yards per pass.
White went 7-for-7 on the opening drive. He took what was there with underneath throws and check downs. Michael Carter capped off the10-play, 75-yard drive with an 8-yard touchdown run.
White completed his first 11 pass attempts before throwing an interception on New York’s second drive. On first down, White’s throw to Jamison Crowder was tipped and then picked off by Jessie Bates III. After the Jets defense came up big with a goal-line stand, White’s second interception came on a poor throw intended for rookie running back Michael Carter.
But, overall, White looked prepared and played with poise. He was decisive on his throws and capitalized off a solid performance from the offensive line.
White’s performance was a revelation for most watching, but all week head coach Robert Saleh and offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur were confident he’d be ready for the moment.
And LaFleur, from the booth for the first time this season, called his best game. The first-year coordinator dialed up quick passes for White to get his confidence up early. Throughout the game there were no multiple attempts at looking to hit a home run. LaFleur did a great job putting his playmakers in position to move the chains.
White helped set the tone for what was a team effort. Carter ran 15 times for 77 yards and caught 9 passes for 95 yards. His dual-threat abilities kept the Bengals defense off balance all day.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the football, the Jets defense played with passion and showed a bend-but-don’t-break mentality. After the Jets scored on the opening drive, the defense took Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and their offense right back off the field with a three-and-out.
The defense responded again with a huge goal-line stand to pick up their offense after White’s first interception. Quinnen Williams sacking Burrow on fourth down ignited the home crowd.
Late in the fourth quarter, with the Jets trailing 31-26, Shaq Lawson deflected Burrow’s pass and intercepted it at the Bengals 14-yard line. White then took the Jets offense back into the end zone with a 13-yard touchdown to tight end Tyler Kroft.
LaFleur went back into his bag of tricks with Crowder taking a flip from Elijah Moore and throwing it back to White for a two-point conversion to make it 34-31.
And how electric was White this week? He became the first Jets quarterback to throw for 400 yards since Vinny Testaverde on Christmas Eve, 2000. Wow!
The Jets turned the ball over three times and it almost cost them against the explosive Cincinnati offense. Burrow finished 21 of 34 for 259 yards, three touchdowns, one interception.
Image: Robert Sabo
