What do Saleh and Douglas really think of Mike White?

[dbatesman]

Weird question, but bear with me. The team clearly thinks White has potential has a long-term #2, since they promoted him a few weeks ago (and openly said as much). There is also, of course, the matter of the 400-yard game against the eventual AFC champs last season.

So…why start Flacco the first three games this season? Why have him on the roster at all? Was there an explanation for this that I somehow missed?

[doitny]

easy. if White played well like they thought he would there is a QB controversy. but no matter what Flacco did he is a dinosaur with no future here so much easier to bench him for Zach when he was ready. 

they would be forced to play White until he had a bad game and Zach they need to see more games from him. well now they did. and he is not good. 

they probably think White is the best QB on the roster.

 

[SuicidalSince98]

Did you all forget that we wanted white cut for strevler in pre season 

[T0mShane]

21 minutes ago, dbatesman said:

Weird question, but bear with me. The team clearly thinks White has potential has a long-term #2, since they promoted him a few weeks ago (and openly said as much). There is also, of course, the matter of the 400-yard game against the eventual AFC champs last season.

So…why start Flacco the first three games this season? Why have him on the roster at all? Was there an explanation for this that I somehow missed?

Conspiracy answer: If White was good the first three games, it would have been nearly impossible to pull him for Zach Wilson. Recall that the last impression we had of Zach, he was pitching an easy INT to an Eagles LB before blowing his knee tripping over a blade of grass.

Mid answer: They saw Flacco as a steady hand who could provide a baseline level of competence at the QB position for a few weeks.

[dbatesman]

10 minutes ago, T0mShane said:

Mid answer: They saw Flacco as a steady hand who could provide a baseline level of competence at the QB position for a few weeks.

So this is the one I don’t get. They didn’t think White could do that? Then why promote him?

[T0mShane]

3 minutes ago, dbatesman said:

So this is the one I don’t get. They didn’t think White could do that? Then why promote him?

I think they thought Flacco was a steady hand, then they watched him throw it 50 times per game at 5.8 YPA and said screw it(?) Ultimately, I think it’s simply vibes. White is allegedly incredibly popular in the locker room, and the bar is very low. Saleh could just be trying to Heinicke his way through the rest of the year.

[slimjasi]

11 minutes ago, dbatesman said:

So this is the one I don’t get. They didn’t think White could do that? Then why promote him?

To me, the 400 yard game should have earned MW the backup role this year. 
 

I also wonder what they really think of white 

[Stark]

26 minutes ago, SuicidalSince98 said:

Did you all forget that we wanted white cut for strevler in pre season 

No “WE” didn’t 

[dbatesman]

16 minutes ago, T0mShane said:

I think they thought Flacco was a steady hand, then they watched him throw it 50 times per game at 5.8 YPA and said screw it(?) Ultimately, I think it’s simply vibes. White is allegedly incredibly popular in the locker room, and the bar is very low. Saleh could just be trying to Heinicke his way through the rest of the year.

But what about their respective performances last season would make them think Flacco was a steadier hand than White? I’m not coming at you, I’m really just asking generally because it makes no sense to me. Bottom line, I think White is a better player than Flacco, and that this was evident all of last season. They apparently didn’t agree, until a few weeks ago, when they suddenly did. What the hell is going on up there?

[JiFtheOracle]

1 hour ago, dbatesman said:

Weird question, but bear with me. The team clearly thinks White has potential has a long-term #2, since they promoted him a few weeks ago (and openly said as much). There is also, of course, the matter of the 400-yard game against the eventual AFC champs last season.

So…why start Flacco the first three games this season? Why have him on the roster at all? Was there an explanation for this that I somehow missed?

I asked the same question.  Obvious conspiracy answer is no QB controversy but I do wonder if the schedule played a factor w/ Flacco since he was an old AFCN QB?  Idk, otherwise. 

[PorP]

1 hour ago, dbatesman said:

Weird question, but bear with me. The team clearly thinks White has potential has a long-term #2, since they promoted him a few weeks ago (and openly said as much). There is also, of course, the matter of the 400-yard game against the eventual AFC champs last season.

So…why start Flacco the first three games this season? Why have him on the roster at all? Was there an explanation for this that I somehow missed?

Good question.

My best guess is that the front office is still building for the future while balancing win now.  

I truly believe the D shaped way faster then planned and it caught the staff by surprise. 

Flacco isn't the future,  MW might be and is also currently a better option than Zach. 

Depending on thier thought,  MW could be the only option. 

[dbatesman]

9 minutes ago, JiFields said:

I asked the same question.  Obvious conspiracy answer is no QB controversy but I do wonder if the schedule played a factor w/ Flacco since he was an old AFCN QB?  Idk, otherwise. 

I’m not a big conspiracy guy, but that’s the only answer that makes sense!

[Vader]

31 minutes ago, T0mShane said:

I think they thought Flacco was a steady hand, then they watched him throw it 50 times per game at 5.8 YPA and said screw it(?) Ultimately, I think it’s simply vibes. White is allegedly incredibly popular in the locker room, and the bar is very low. Saleh could just be trying to Heinicke his way through the rest of the year.

He’s trying to unify the entire team which was / is splintered and find a spark that propels them to the playoffs (currently out) and with a formula that can win once there 

[PS17]

55 minutes ago, doitny said:

easy. if White played well like they thought he would there is a QB controversy. but no matter what Flacco did he is a dinosaur with no future here so much easier to bench him for Zach when he was ready. 

they would be forced to play White until he had a bad game and Zach they need to see more games from him. well now they did. and he is not good. 

they probably think White is the best QB on the roster.

 

This implies they were comfortable throwing the first three games to satisfy Zach’s ego. Some next level pampering. Please don’t do this again, Jets.

[Integrity28]

4 hours ago, dbatesman said:

Weird question, but bear with me. The team clearly thinks White has potential has a long-term #2, since they promoted him a few weeks ago (and openly said as much). There is also, of course, the matter of the 400-yard game against the eventual AFC champs last season.

So…why start Flacco the first three games this season? Why have him on the roster at all? Was there an explanation for this that I somehow missed?

White presented a true threat to ZW. Saleh and Douglas were committed to ZW development literally up until today. Flacco over ZW = easy transition for ZW to re-enter the lineup, under the “he’s the future” plan.

White got moved up after several sub-standard games upon ZW’s return, which I believe is when they began preparing their “oh snap, ZW is a mess” plan B… all prompted by the sudden winning record - forcing the urgency.

I don’t think any of this is mysterious. They were stuck between two trajectories. Now they’ve committed to one… which makes MW a practical solution that alleviates the dependency on the aforementioned plan A.

[Ron Rico]

43 minutes ago, dbatesman said:

So this is the one I don’t get. They didn’t think White could do that? Then why promote him?

They had no idea how good the rookie class was going to be. They started the season assuming that they were all a work in progress, and when that's the assumption going in, you put your elder statesman QB with a SB ring front and center.

[SuicidalSince98]

1 hour ago, T0mShane said:

Conspiracy answer: If White was good the first three games, it would have been nearly impossible to pull him for Zach Wilson. Recall that the last impression we had of Zach, he was pitching an easy INT to an Eagles LB before blowing his knee tripping over a blade of grass.

Mid answer: They saw Flacco as a steady hand who could provide a baseline level of competence at the QB position for a few weeks.

Reality check: white was trash in pre season and this entire forum wanted him cut for Streveler 

[T0mShane]

24 minutes ago, dbatesman said:

But what about their respective performances last season would make them think Flacco was a steadier hand than White? I’m not coming at you, I’m really just asking generally because it makes no sense to me. Bottom line, I think White is a better player than Flacco, and that this was evident all of last season. They apparently didn’t agree, until a few weeks ago, when they suddenly did. What the hell is going on up there?

I agree with you 100% and I do think it’s weird. But, I think there was probably a level of comfort Saleh felt rolling out there with Flacco in much the same way Bowles had Fiztpatrick and McCown. But I don’t know. Flacco hasn’t been good for a long time. I’m more curious why they let him throw 50+ times per game. Even if they were down 30 in every game, that still would have been too much.

[T0mShane]

1 minute ago, SuicidalSince98 said:

this entire forum wanted him cut for Streveler 

No serious person said this. 

[doitny]

6 minutes ago, PS17 said:

This implies they were comfortable throwing the first three games to satisfy Zach’s ego. Some next level pampering. Please don’t do this again, Jets.

well after what you have seen this year do you believe Zach won a competition in TC ? no way. 

how do you tell everyone this year is all about developing Zach and then he doesnt starts as soon as he can? that he cant beat the backups in TC? 

but everyone does it. a top 10 QB has to play.

[RutgersJetFan]

Non-conspiracy possible reason: White played quite a bit in the preseason and didn't look like he was capable of carrying a very young team that was borderline on everything possible. It made more sense to go with Flacco at the time. Now they know what they have with the defense and some of the playmakers, they might as well shoot their shot with a guy that has the same floor as Flacco but a higher ceiling. 

[Irish Jet]

1 hour ago, dbatesman said:

Weird question, but bear with me. The team clearly thinks White has potential has a long-term #2, since they promoted him a few weeks ago (and openly said as much). There is also, of course, the matter of the 400-yard game against the eventual AFC champs last season.

So…why start Flacco the first three games this season? Why have him on the roster at all? Was there an explanation for this that I somehow missed?

I think they probably did think Flacco was better but the difference is negligible and on a young team with new players his experience probably put him over the top.

Both Flacco and White have played a similar enough level. They seem to be hitting .500 on their appearances which isn’t great but much better than Zach.

I think they elevated White to evaluate him as a long term backup. The way Saleh was speaking about Wilson playing again this year, they probably still see that as his ceiling and this may be part of that process. 

[PS17]

8 minutes ago, T0mShane said:

No serious person said this. 

There were a ton of people saying this. Same old Ratliff preseason mania all over again. 

[GangGreened]

20 minutes ago, SuicidalSince98 said:

Reality check: white was trash in pre season and this entire forum wanted him cut for Streveler 

No.

[British Jet]

Multiple things can be true. 

The coaching staff might believe Mike White has a better command of the offense right now. 
The coaching staff might believe Mike White is a better QB than Zach Wilson right now. 
The coaching staff might also believe that Zach Wilson’s ceiling is infinitely higher than Mike White’s. He just needs to get his sh*t together first. 

[rex-n-effect]

If you think they didn't send out White the first three games because he was the best QB and might cause a controversy, then you also have to believe the coaches were willing to lose the first three games of the season to coddle Zach. You know, the same coaches that unceremoniously benched Zach mid-season despite having a winning record.

Only Jets fans could think a backup maybe performing well while backing up the starting QB means there's a controversy. Backups are supposed to play well at any position. 

[Spoot-Face]

1 hour ago, Stark said:

No “WE” didn’t 

^^this

 

 

 

 

I wanted Flacco cut for Streveler.

[Jetsfan80]

2 hours ago, dbatesman said:

Weird question, but bear with me. The team clearly thinks White has potential has a long-term #2, since they promoted him a few weeks ago (and openly said as much). There is also, of course, the matter of the 400-yard game against the eventual AFC champs last season.

So…why start Flacco the first three games this season? Why have him on the roster at all? Was there an explanation for this that I somehow missed?

 

1 hour ago, T0mShane said:

Conspiracy answer: If White was good the first three games, it would have been nearly impossible to pull him for Zach Wilson. Recall that the last impression we had of Zach, he was pitching an easy INT to an Eagles LB before blowing his knee tripping over a blade of grass.

Mid answer: They saw Flacco as a steady hand who could provide a baseline level of competence at the QB position for a few weeks.

 

1 hour ago, JiFields said:

I asked the same question.  Obvious conspiracy answer is no QB controversy but I do wonder if the schedule played a factor w/ Flacco since he was an old AFCN QB?  Idk, otherwise. 

 

47 minutes ago, Integrity28 said:

White presented a true threat to ZW. Saleh and Douglas were committed to ZW development literally up until today. Flacco over ZW = easy entry for ZW to re-enter the lineup.

White got moved up after several sub-standard game upon ZW return, which I believe is when they began preparing their plan B ZW is a mess plan… all promoted by the winning record forcing urgency.

I don’t think any of this is mysterious. They were stuck between two trajectories. Now they’ve committed to one… which makes MW a practical solution that doesn’t deter the aforementioned plan A.

 

32 minutes ago, RutgersJetFan said:

Non-conspiracy possible reason: White played quite a bit in the preseason and didn't look like he was capable of carrying a very young team that was borderline on everything possible. It made more sense to go with Flacco at the time. Now they know what they have with the defense and some of the playmakers, they might as well shoot their shot with a guy that has the same floor as Flacco but a higher ceiling. 

 

29 minutes ago, Irish Jet said:

I think they probably did think Flacco was better but the difference is negligible and on a young team with new players his experience probably put him over the top.

Both Flacco and White have played a similar enough level. They seem to be hitting .500 on their appearances which isn’t great but much better than Zach.

I think they elevated White to evaluate him as a long term backup. The way Saleh was speaking about Wilson playing again this year, they probably still see that as his ceiling and this may be part of that process. 

 

Correct answer:  The coaches believe Mike White gives Garrett Wilson the best chance at taking home another Pepsi Zero Sugar Rookie of the Week honor.  

[FidelioJet]

Or....

Conspiracy answer:

They love Mike White and want him to be the future...but had to get Zach out of the way.

Let Zach play through the Murderer's Row of defenses he just had to deal with, including the greatest defensive mind in history of the game -twice in 3 games...knowing after this gauntlet Zach would do enough poorly to be able to pull him...

Just in time to bring Mike White to play out the season against mostly the garbage of NFL defense.

 

[SuicidalSince98]

12 minutes ago, FidelioJet said:

Or....

Conspiracy answer:

They love Mike White and want him to be the future...but had to get Zach out of the way.

Let Zach play through the Murderer's Row of defenses he just had to deal with, including the greatest defensive mind in history of the game -twice in 3 games...knowing after this gauntlet Zach would do enough poorly to be able to pull him...

Just in time to bring Mike White to play out the season against mostly the garbage of NFL defense.

 

Wilson played the the hardest defensive schedule in the nfl last year, and then the schedule this year was brutal. 

[GreenFish]

1 hour ago, T0mShane said:

I think they thought Flacco was a steady hand, then they watched him throw it 50 times per game at 5.8 YPA and said screw it(?) Ultimately, I think it’s simply vibes. White is allegedly incredibly popular in the locker room, and the bar is very low. Saleh could just be trying to Heinicke his way through the rest of the year.

This is pretty much it. We will never know which one is the answer though.

But we will soon know how good Mike White can be. 

[doitny]

and we forgot about the OL. we knew they were going to take time to jell since they didnt play together in one preseason game. maybe they thought Flacco could handle the pressure better.

[The Crusher]

2 hours ago, dbatesman said:

Weird question, but bear with me. The team clearly thinks White has potential has a long-term #2, since they promoted him a few weeks ago (and openly said as much). There is also, of course, the matter of the 400-yard game against the eventual AFC champs last season.

So…why start Flacco the first three games this season? Why have him on the roster at all? Was there an explanation for this that I somehow missed?

Because the minute Mike White becomes a consistent winner Joe Douglas has to take the ruler over the knuckles. Him and  the coaching staff been trying to balance his rep against winning football games. They gotta show Woody and Chris they gave Zach every chance, that it wasn’t a matter of a bad pick but an unlucky pick. If Mike White  can win some games and get us near the playoffs then we get a number one (likely a FA)  to his number two and everyone kelps  their jobs. We legitimately compete for a championship next year. Knock the dam training wheels  off! 

[doitny]

25 minutes ago, FidelioJet said:

They love Mike White and want him to be the future...but had to get Zach out of the way

Keyshawn said something like that from a NY Jet coach he knows. 

[SickJetFan]

did u not all watch the pre season games?  White laid an egg against 2nd and 3rd stringers - when he finally put together 1 scoring drive that included a 1 yard pass to Berrios who ran it for 20 yards to make a TD then stalled on the next few drives before Stev won the game.  Yet Saleh went out of his way to compliment the lame performance that didnt pass the test of the average fan.

Seemed to me they wanted White to beat out at least Flacco but he could not even beat out the walk-on Stev.