EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — In his first NFL start, Mike White delivered one of the most improbable passing performances in NFL history, heard his name chanted by the home crowd and rallied the New York Jets to a stunning 34-31 upset Sunday over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Replacing injured rookie Zach Wilson, the No. 2 overall draft pick, White passed for three touchdowns and 405 yards — the Jets’ first 400-yard passing day since 2000 and the most by a first-time starter since Cam Newton’s 422 yards for the Carolina Panthers in 2011.
At the end of a storybook afternoon, White’s coach — Robert Saleh — might have sparked a future quarterback controversy. Asked if White could be the Jets’ long-term answer, Saleh left it open-ended. He didn’t commit to Wilson, who is expected to miss at least one more game with a sprained knee.
“We’ll go day-to-day, but anything is possible, right? Anything is possible,” Saleh said.
“It goes back to that whole theory, the difference between player A and player Z is opportunity and reps,” Saleh continued. “That’s what this league is. That’s professional sports. That’s why [guys] come out of nowhere; someone gets an opportunity. What Mike does with his opportunity, he’s got the world in front of him. He’s just got to take advantage of it.”
White will start Thursday night on the road against the Indianapolis Colts, Saleh said. If he plays well, the Jets (2-5) will have a huge decision to make.
White, 26, a former Dallas Cowboys draft pick who has been cut five times in his NFL career, rallied the Jets from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter. They entered the game as an 11.5-point underdog — making this their third-largest upset win over the past 40 seasons.
Throwing all short passes, White completed 37 of 45 attempts. He showed plenty of poise, rebounding from two first-half interceptions and a neck injury that forced him to miss a few snaps.
From the outset, White, who completed his first 11 passes, energized the Jets’ previously…
Source : espn
