No one cared that the Jets were injured for years. The schedule is what it is is we play them one at a time and it was "our" turn to not have to worry most of the game about winning - finally. Wet one to sit through though.
It feels like such a treat to see competent QB play from someone in a Jets shirt. He looked like a 10 year veteran, knowing exactly where to throw and nailing all of them without any fuss, in teeming rain!
Granted, there were a couple of plays that would have been picks on another day, but I’m well past apologising for Jets success. At the same time though, the defence would have also made some plays on another day that they didn’t yesterday.
It feels pretty damn good to be talking about a Jets victory this morning, it's been a pretty hectic and stressful week for Jets fans. Bears were banged up, but I was still so impressed with the decision making and accuracy of White, also his ability to complete passes under pressure by sliding and climbing the pocket. We've always said the style of offense we run is predicated on yards after the catch, so it's the QB's job to get the ball in the hands of his playmakers, which is exactly what White did.
Yeah about the injuries, while my instinct is also to sympathise with the Bears, we have 60% of our starting offensive line and our best running back out, and if we lose it’s LOLJETS regardless, hence why I’m past apologising for winning.
I can’t envisage the boy making 95% of the throws White did, with the same surrounding personnel in presumably the same playbook.
I agree with that. Everyone is very quick to point out the injuries of other teams, but we were playing without two of arguably our best offensive players in Hall and AVT, and then throw in the likes of Becton and Fant etc. We don't need to apologise for anything, all we can do is beat what's put in front of us with what we have, exactly what we did.
seeing the Vikes v Bills game a bit ago, their secondary is not as good as ours, certainly not their CB's. I think LaFleur can cook up something for them utilizing our 12 package and run game, too.
Great to see Herbig back in the line, he's a beast! and seeing Mitchell come in, pick up where he left off was great, too. Bam Knight was a revelation this past game; I like the way he hits the hole quicker than MC (MC does this little dance just before hitting the hole, I guess waiting for it to appear, but damn that gets me furious as he loses fwd motion and leaves yards on the field when he does).
Vikes Offense; I think our pass rush can do some serious damage, but the biggest concern is Justin Jefferson, imo. From a purely fan-who-loves-football perspective, it is a joy to see that kid play. He's outstanding, maybe the best in the game right now - and I gotta tell ya, I see a little bit of him in Garrett Wilson. Man, wouldn't that be something, eh? if Garrett turns out to be that kind of player.
So, how does Ulbrich arrange to cover Jefferson? You know DJ usually mans the right side, and Sauce the left, but I really really think this may be a day for leaving Sauce on JJ all game long, just like Revis used to do, following the opposing #1 receiver all game long ( the Island version 2.0).
I think Mike White can have a very good game here, even as good as he played yesterday, I think there's room for the game to "slow down" some more for him - and I think those dangerous passes he sometimes throw will come with less frequency as the game does slow down and he gets better.
Gawd, I love being a Jets Fan. Merry Christmas all!
Just rewatched the TD pass to Moore. Absolute perfection, the way White shuffled slightly to the left where there was room and away from the pressure side (blindside defensive end went inside the left tackle) without losing his throwing shape i.e. left shoulder pointed at the target and feet set to throw and no scrambling like the boy would have done. He also found Moore in stride which looked difficult for that route and was key in making it a touchdown. Had he thrown it to Moore and not the spot he needed to catch it he would have either been tackled short of the goalline or the defensive back might have been able to contest it. These are the little things we’re not used to seeing; our bar for good QB play is usually so much lower.
Absolutely, that was one of my favourite passes on the day alongside the first pass to Moore and the 2nd TD to Wilson. You're absolutely right about the mechanics, making sure he was in the right position to deliver the perfect pass and the slide actually made that pass possible as it allowed the route to develop. I think it was Judon last week who said when you pressure Zach his eyes fall, White keeps his eyes downfield and that makes the world of difference.
Jets played in a monsoon, next week they play inside in Minnesota, a formidable team indeed. Mike White looks like the next Chad Pennington, throws a nice ball, promotes a lot of YAC, Jets have a lot of happy WR’s. The TE’s were effective in both the Running & Passing game.
The Jets have some depth at the Runningback position, kudos to both Bam Knight & Ty Johnson. We now have meaningful games in December.
White throws a very catchable ball and we've heard that before. It really does make a difference to receivers, in the pouring rain I don't believe we had a single drop yesterday did we? There was one where it hit Corey in the chest, but I thought the DB did a good job getting his hand in there to make it difficult.
I loved how complementary the team was. It worked across the board.
So nice to see a QB move up and slide in the pocket and keep his eyes downfield. Wilson clueless in this regard and could not get ball to wide open receivers. If MW stays healthy we have a chance now to contend. No shot with boy blunder in charge.
Absolutely Gary. I know that it was a banged up Bears team, but it was about mechanics and execution with White. If he completely plays the way he did on Sunday then we will be competitive against anyone.
MLF had a great game. He's so good when he gets blocking and competent QB play
When our OL opens run block holes, our rushing game gets going, and that seems to have a significant correlation with our offensive success. Can you pull the updated stats on this?
Also our QB play is so much better when the QB is rarely sacked and barely pressured.. Zach Wilson was under constant duress in some games and never got a rhythm. I assume there's also a high correlation of pass blocking with our offensive success.
Put them together, and it justifies the investments JD keeps making on the OL. Strong OL makes everything work!
I liked that LaFleur threw on first down more, and on second and short too.
Of course, even the most ardent Zach supporter could not deny the film study showing missed throws and never seeing wide open receivers. The system was getting receivers open, Zach just wasnt finding them.
A better defensive effort and the same offense gives a real chance against most everyone.
It's been many years since I felt like we had the right GM in place and likely the right HC and coordinators. We have most of the pieces, lots of talent. This elation might all crash like right after the Pats games, but for now, this is awesome. Exciting times!
Ordinarily, I would be looking at the 2023 draft now. JD & Saleh have overcome their problems, Massive Offensive Line problems, WR’s being divas, poor performance, now QB issues but somehow the overcome
Mike White is the answer…for now. I think the thing that struck me most yesterday was the reaction of the rest of the team when we scored, both to the scorer, particularly Elijah Moore, and of course to Mike White. I don’t think I’ve seen the team that hyped when we’ve scored all season. The team genuinely want to see Mike White succeed it seems. What that says about Zach’s relationship with them we can all decide for ourselves.
The opening drive was a joy to watch and suddenly you could see how this offence is supposed to work.
Minnesota next week will be a different matter, it may all come crashing down, it may not, but I feel that with the change of QB Saleh has steadied things and given the Jets a shot at seeing out the season on a high.
As for Zach, if MW puts in a string of performances as efficient as yesterday why would you put him back in ? Mike has grasped his chance and here’s hoping he keeps that starting spot, it’ll mean the Jets are winning.
Me too. May come back to haunt me next week, but the Vikings don't scare me at all. They're a good team, but so are we. As long as we play up to our best, then I think our best can take down their best.
instead of leaving DJ on the right side, Sauce on the left, what do you think of having Sauce full time on Jefferson? A great advantage to Sauce is how long his arms are; he can afford to be just a half step behind the receiver and those arms to disrupt any almost-perfectly placed pass into the receiver's basket.
Unless Cousins is delivering a pass to a full speed, arms-outstretched Jefferson, I think Sauce can put him on Island v2.0.
Or maybe I'm just still feelin' the buzz from the gummies...
Just think of how much of an emotional rollercoaster these 11 games have evoked. I feel like a shuttlecock which has been belted back and forth over the net but this Monday, I feel as though a gentle zephyr has come up behind our side of the court and it feels so energizing!!
Absolutely. Emotions tend to run parallel to the team. Last week you could feel the frustration from the players and that feeds into the fanbase. This morning we see the complete opposite, the jubilation and positivity.
Great wrapup. I was also thinking, ZW would drool for this situation.
No DL pressure, rushing game rocking, missing 3 from secondary and traded top LB.
Might have been the perfect get right game for ZW but he played so poorly that he lost his right to that opportunity. It's an ideal situation for any QB, but White maximized this opportunity.
I still think ZW can be a good QB when he has proper blocking. Perhaps one day he'll get another chance
It was an ideal QB opportunity and we saw White take advantage. So awesome to watch!
I'd love to see White take this confidence to the Minnesota and Buffalo matchup and crush it on prove the doubters that he's for real
The only issue I have when someone suggests Zach would have been able to do what White did (not you, but something I've seen on social media) is that Zach has shown the inability to make the simple throws. White made it look so easy, it's easy for us to sit back and go "Well Zach could have done that", but it's only easy if you make it look easy, the pass to Wilson that went for 12 yards on the screen is a similar pass that Wilson sailed 10 yards over Braxton's head last week.
The offensive line looked good because Chicago don't have a great pass rush, but also because White got the ball out in 2.46 seconds, which was the 4th fastest of any QB this week. Zach on average takes over 3 seconds to release the ball, which makes it harder for the linemen to sustain blocks. So the line was good because of White, just as much as White was good because of the line, it's all complementary.
He also showed two things that Zach struggles with, which leads me to believe that Wilson wouldn't have been as successful. He worked his progressions far quicker than Wilson and he slid and climbed in the pocket instead of bailing and running. The little slide bought him enough time to find Moore on the TD and the working through progressions led to two big plays from Zonovan and Johnson, the Johnson one coming just before the Wilson 2nd TD.
I hope Zach can right the ship and come back strong, but IMO he wouldn't have performed like White performed yesterday.
Good point on that half second difference, that's big.
Za h Wilson missed so many basic throws, after he got rattled from all of the pressure. QB's change after they're under constant duress, developing bad habits to survive. ZW now has a bunch to correct. (bailing out early, bad footwork, not trusting his eyes, turning his back to the field, too long to make decisions yet rushing his throws when he does, doesn't step into the pocket, et al).
My point is that these things happen when you can't protect a young developing QB. The same thing might happen to White if we fail to protect him. JD certainly made the effort with OL but ultimately we failed him and now his head is a mess.
Maybe Wilson would have started fresh this game, and given us the same type of performance and we'd feel he's back on track. or maybe it'll take a few weeks (or months!) to fix his fundamentals. We can't know the answer on that.
Hoping White is our Pennington. Smart decisions, sees the field well, quick reads, accurate ball, yet not that strong of an arm.
Hi Todd. I have to disagree with this: JD certainly made the effort with OL but ultimately we failed him and now his head is a mess.
JD invested high draft picks and FA's on the OL. The injuries created the weakness not the GM.
MW played well against a mediocre Defense. The test comes this week and next week.
I agree completely with this: Hoping White is our Pennington. Smart decisions, sees the field well, quick reads, accurate ball, yet not that strong of an arm.
David, always enjoy reading your analysis. You're accurate and concise. Looking forward to what you see for us versus the Vikes. I think we stand a very good chance to beat them if White and company can repeat the magic and the D can continue to do their thing. Blessings!
No one cared that the Jets were injured for years. The schedule is what it is is we play them one at a time and it was "our" turn to not have to worry most of the game about winning - finally. Wet one to sit through though.
Absolutely right Steve. I don't have sympathy for injuries elsewhere while we're playing OT6 to start the game.
"But most of the Jets wins were vs backups!"
Blah blah just win baby
EXACTLY-we could have said that when teams were beating us with Gase as coach -
VICTORY MONDAY!!!
It feels like such a treat to see competent QB play from someone in a Jets shirt. He looked like a 10 year veteran, knowing exactly where to throw and nailing all of them without any fuss, in teeming rain!
Granted, there were a couple of plays that would have been picks on another day, but I’m well past apologising for Jets success. At the same time though, the defence would have also made some plays on another day that they didn’t yesterday.
It feels pretty damn good to be talking about a Jets victory this morning, it's been a pretty hectic and stressful week for Jets fans. Bears were banged up, but I was still so impressed with the decision making and accuracy of White, also his ability to complete passes under pressure by sliding and climbing the pocket. We've always said the style of offense we run is predicated on yards after the catch, so it's the QB's job to get the ball in the hands of his playmakers, which is exactly what White did.
Yeah about the injuries, while my instinct is also to sympathise with the Bears, we have 60% of our starting offensive line and our best running back out, and if we lose it’s LOLJETS regardless, hence why I’m past apologising for winning.
I can’t envisage the boy making 95% of the throws White did, with the same surrounding personnel in presumably the same playbook.
I agree with that. Everyone is very quick to point out the injuries of other teams, but we were playing without two of arguably our best offensive players in Hall and AVT, and then throw in the likes of Becton and Fant etc. We don't need to apologise for anything, all we can do is beat what's put in front of us with what we have, exactly what we did.
QB rating of 149 , seriously, Vikings may get us back to reality, but it was a joy to see
Absolutely. Vikings are a different level, but I feel more confident with Mike out there.
hey all - Jets WIN!!! Luvin it.
seeing the Vikes v Bills game a bit ago, their secondary is not as good as ours, certainly not their CB's. I think LaFleur can cook up something for them utilizing our 12 package and run game, too.
Great to see Herbig back in the line, he's a beast! and seeing Mitchell come in, pick up where he left off was great, too. Bam Knight was a revelation this past game; I like the way he hits the hole quicker than MC (MC does this little dance just before hitting the hole, I guess waiting for it to appear, but damn that gets me furious as he loses fwd motion and leaves yards on the field when he does).
Vikes Offense; I think our pass rush can do some serious damage, but the biggest concern is Justin Jefferson, imo. From a purely fan-who-loves-football perspective, it is a joy to see that kid play. He's outstanding, maybe the best in the game right now - and I gotta tell ya, I see a little bit of him in Garrett Wilson. Man, wouldn't that be something, eh? if Garrett turns out to be that kind of player.
So, how does Ulbrich arrange to cover Jefferson? You know DJ usually mans the right side, and Sauce the left, but I really really think this may be a day for leaving Sauce on JJ all game long, just like Revis used to do, following the opposing #1 receiver all game long ( the Island version 2.0).
I think Mike White can have a very good game here, even as good as he played yesterday, I think there's room for the game to "slow down" some more for him - and I think those dangerous passes he sometimes throw will come with less frequency as the game does slow down and he gets better.
Gawd, I love being a Jets Fan. Merry Christmas all!
CGVet58
Just rewatched the TD pass to Moore. Absolute perfection, the way White shuffled slightly to the left where there was room and away from the pressure side (blindside defensive end went inside the left tackle) without losing his throwing shape i.e. left shoulder pointed at the target and feet set to throw and no scrambling like the boy would have done. He also found Moore in stride which looked difficult for that route and was key in making it a touchdown. Had he thrown it to Moore and not the spot he needed to catch it he would have either been tackled short of the goalline or the defensive back might have been able to contest it. These are the little things we’re not used to seeing; our bar for good QB play is usually so much lower.
Absolutely, that was one of my favourite passes on the day alongside the first pass to Moore and the 2nd TD to Wilson. You're absolutely right about the mechanics, making sure he was in the right position to deliver the perfect pass and the slide actually made that pass possible as it allowed the route to develop. I think it was Judon last week who said when you pressure Zach his eyes fall, White keeps his eyes downfield and that makes the world of difference.
MW’s mobility is better than advertised, runs a very nice boot.
100%. He's not going to break off a Justin Fields 70 yard run, but he can escape pressure.
Jets played in a monsoon, next week they play inside in Minnesota, a formidable team indeed. Mike White looks like the next Chad Pennington, throws a nice ball, promotes a lot of YAC, Jets have a lot of happy WR’s. The TE’s were effective in both the Running & Passing game.
The Jets have some depth at the Runningback position, kudos to both Bam Knight & Ty Johnson. We now have meaningful games in December.
White throws a very catchable ball and we've heard that before. It really does make a difference to receivers, in the pouring rain I don't believe we had a single drop yesterday did we? There was one where it hit Corey in the chest, but I thought the DB did a good job getting his hand in there to make it difficult.
I loved how complementary the team was. It worked across the board.
So nice to see a QB move up and slide in the pocket and keep his eyes downfield. Wilson clueless in this regard and could not get ball to wide open receivers. If MW stays healthy we have a chance now to contend. No shot with boy blunder in charge.
Absolutely Gary. I know that it was a banged up Bears team, but it was about mechanics and execution with White. If he completely plays the way he did on Sunday then we will be competitive against anyone.
Worth every penny (or cent).
Thanks for all your efforts DWH.
Go Jets
Agreed!
MLF had a great game. He's so good when he gets blocking and competent QB play
When our OL opens run block holes, our rushing game gets going, and that seems to have a significant correlation with our offensive success. Can you pull the updated stats on this?
Also our QB play is so much better when the QB is rarely sacked and barely pressured.. Zach Wilson was under constant duress in some games and never got a rhythm. I assume there's also a high correlation of pass blocking with our offensive success.
Put them together, and it justifies the investments JD keeps making on the OL. Strong OL makes everything work!
Vindication for MLF, the system works.
Agree.
I liked that LaFleur threw on first down more, and on second and short too.
Of course, even the most ardent Zach supporter could not deny the film study showing missed throws and never seeing wide open receivers. The system was getting receivers open, Zach just wasnt finding them.
A better defensive effort and the same offense gives a real chance against most everyone.
It's been many years since I felt like we had the right GM in place and likely the right HC and coordinators. We have most of the pieces, lots of talent. This elation might all crash like right after the Pats games, but for now, this is awesome. Exciting times!
Ordinarily, I would be looking at the 2023 draft now. JD & Saleh have overcome their problems, Massive Offensive Line problems, WR’s being divas, poor performance, now QB issues but somehow the overcome
Mike White is the answer…for now. I think the thing that struck me most yesterday was the reaction of the rest of the team when we scored, both to the scorer, particularly Elijah Moore, and of course to Mike White. I don’t think I’ve seen the team that hyped when we’ve scored all season. The team genuinely want to see Mike White succeed it seems. What that says about Zach’s relationship with them we can all decide for ourselves.
The opening drive was a joy to watch and suddenly you could see how this offence is supposed to work.
Minnesota next week will be a different matter, it may all come crashing down, it may not, but I feel that with the change of QB Saleh has steadied things and given the Jets a shot at seeing out the season on a high.
As for Zach, if MW puts in a string of performances as efficient as yesterday why would you put him back in ? Mike has grasped his chance and here’s hoping he keeps that starting spot, it’ll mean the Jets are winning.
Like our chances, Jets have some weapons, MW seems to utilize all of them, Defense gets a little rest with MW out there , complimentary football
Me too. May come back to haunt me next week, but the Vikings don't scare me at all. They're a good team, but so are we. As long as we play up to our best, then I think our best can take down their best.
Weak CB’s, on the flip side our CB’s will be challenged by Jefferson & Co.
It could be a high scoring affair and I can't wait for it. What a great test for Sauce
Sauce and Reed have a fun challenge ahead
instead of leaving DJ on the right side, Sauce on the left, what do you think of having Sauce full time on Jefferson? A great advantage to Sauce is how long his arms are; he can afford to be just a half step behind the receiver and those arms to disrupt any almost-perfectly placed pass into the receiver's basket.
Unless Cousins is delivering a pass to a full speed, arms-outstretched Jefferson, I think Sauce can put him on Island v2.0.
Or maybe I'm just still feelin' the buzz from the gummies...
CGVet58
Just think of how much of an emotional rollercoaster these 11 games have evoked. I feel like a shuttlecock which has been belted back and forth over the net but this Monday, I feel as though a gentle zephyr has come up behind our side of the court and it feels so energizing!!
Absolutely. Emotions tend to run parallel to the team. Last week you could feel the frustration from the players and that feeds into the fanbase. This morning we see the complete opposite, the jubilation and positivity.
Great wrapup. I was also thinking, ZW would drool for this situation.
No DL pressure, rushing game rocking, missing 3 from secondary and traded top LB.
Might have been the perfect get right game for ZW but he played so poorly that he lost his right to that opportunity. It's an ideal situation for any QB, but White maximized this opportunity.
I still think ZW can be a good QB when he has proper blocking. Perhaps one day he'll get another chance
It was an ideal QB opportunity and we saw White take advantage. So awesome to watch!
I'd love to see White take this confidence to the Minnesota and Buffalo matchup and crush it on prove the doubters that he's for real
The only issue I have when someone suggests Zach would have been able to do what White did (not you, but something I've seen on social media) is that Zach has shown the inability to make the simple throws. White made it look so easy, it's easy for us to sit back and go "Well Zach could have done that", but it's only easy if you make it look easy, the pass to Wilson that went for 12 yards on the screen is a similar pass that Wilson sailed 10 yards over Braxton's head last week.
The offensive line looked good because Chicago don't have a great pass rush, but also because White got the ball out in 2.46 seconds, which was the 4th fastest of any QB this week. Zach on average takes over 3 seconds to release the ball, which makes it harder for the linemen to sustain blocks. So the line was good because of White, just as much as White was good because of the line, it's all complementary.
He also showed two things that Zach struggles with, which leads me to believe that Wilson wouldn't have been as successful. He worked his progressions far quicker than Wilson and he slid and climbed in the pocket instead of bailing and running. The little slide bought him enough time to find Moore on the TD and the working through progressions led to two big plays from Zonovan and Johnson, the Johnson one coming just before the Wilson 2nd TD.
I hope Zach can right the ship and come back strong, but IMO he wouldn't have performed like White performed yesterday.
Good point on that half second difference, that's big.
Za h Wilson missed so many basic throws, after he got rattled from all of the pressure. QB's change after they're under constant duress, developing bad habits to survive. ZW now has a bunch to correct. (bailing out early, bad footwork, not trusting his eyes, turning his back to the field, too long to make decisions yet rushing his throws when he does, doesn't step into the pocket, et al).
My point is that these things happen when you can't protect a young developing QB. The same thing might happen to White if we fail to protect him. JD certainly made the effort with OL but ultimately we failed him and now his head is a mess.
Maybe Wilson would have started fresh this game, and given us the same type of performance and we'd feel he's back on track. or maybe it'll take a few weeks (or months!) to fix his fundamentals. We can't know the answer on that.
Hoping White is our Pennington. Smart decisions, sees the field well, quick reads, accurate ball, yet not that strong of an arm.
Hi Todd. I have to disagree with this: JD certainly made the effort with OL but ultimately we failed him and now his head is a mess.
JD invested high draft picks and FA's on the OL. The injuries created the weakness not the GM.
MW played well against a mediocre Defense. The test comes this week and next week.
I agree completely with this: Hoping White is our Pennington. Smart decisions, sees the field well, quick reads, accurate ball, yet not that strong of an arm.
Go Jets!
David, always enjoy reading your analysis. You're accurate and concise. Looking forward to what you see for us versus the Vikes. I think we stand a very good chance to beat them if White and company can repeat the magic and the D can continue to do their thing. Blessings!
Do you think the OL is improved compared to what White had last year? I think it's about the same.
LG AVT to Laken is similar
LT Fant to Brown is similar, maybe upgrade on run blocking, worse on pass blocking?
RG LDT to Herbig is similar, maybe slight upgrade?
C CMG is same
RT Moses to Max Mitchell is similar, maybe upgrade on pass blocking but slight downgrade on run blocking at this point?
Apologies to Ty Johnson, who I had "out the door", a great day.
It's very nice to have depth at the RB position, real depth.
We opened some huge holes for him. That was exciting to see
Also it's another game of Corey Davis on the field with a strong running game. Our YPC seems like almost a full yard higher with him on field.
I'm looking forward to the stat pack to hear how Mitchell looked after forced back into the lineup. I was surprised he didn't start