New York Jets touted rookie Zach Wilson is still the quarterback of the future, but for now, the starting job belongs to backup Mike White. And diehard fans would be hard-pressed to argue otherwise.
In his first career start, with Wilson sidelined with a knee injury, White sparked an unexpected celebration, throwing for 405 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-31 upset win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday at MetLife Stadium. According to ESPN, White's 37 completions were the most by any player in his first career start in NFL history.
"There's no quarterback controversy here. Zach Wilson is the quarterback of the Jets. Now, Mike White deserves a few more starts," Brandon Tierney said during Monday's Tiki and Tierney show. "Even when Zach is healthy -- and he's not ready yet -- you've got to sit his behind down. Until he shows he can hit those six-yard passes, which he hasn't the shown the ability to do yet...
"Zach Wilson will still be the man. But I think the Jets organization learned a lot yesterday. How they called the game and now by Wilson watching what White did, it makes everyone better at the end of the day... I do think it was important for Robert Saleh and the staff to get some positive vibes, energy..."
White, poised and prepared, wasted no time attacking the Bengals' defense. He started the afternoon with 11 straight completions, and helped orchestrate the Jets' first first-quarter scoring drive of the season. White's signature play came late in the fourth quarter, as he connected with Tyler Kroft on a 13-yard, go-ahead touchdown pass. Until White arrived, the Jets were a ghastly 0-38 over the past five seasons when trailing by 11-plus points in the fourth quarter.
Overall, White completed a whopping 37 of 45 passes, and became the first Jets quarterback to throw for 400 yards in a game since Vinny Testaverde in Dec. 2000. Following the game, Jets head coach Robert Saleh announced that White will start his second NFL game on Thursday night, when the Jets visit the Indianapolis Colts.
The entire Jets conversation between Tiki and Tierney can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow the Tiki and Tierney Show on Twitter @TikiAndTierney and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.