INDIANAPOLIS — Now, we get to see what Mike White has in store for an encore.
The Jets’ backup quarterback became an overnight sensation after throwing for 405 yards and three touchdowns in Sunday’s win over the Bengals. With Zach Wilson still dealing with a knee injury, White gets a shot to show the Bengals game was not a fluke on Thursday night against the 3-5 Colts here.
“We’re going to go out there with the same exact mindset,” White said. “I know it sounds corny, but it’s the truth. Coming in [Monday], we had the same mindset as we did last week coming in after the Patriots game. We have to come in, close the book on this game, and especially with a short week, there’s a lot of work to be done in a little amount of time.”
All eyes will be on White after days of discussion about whether he should remain the starter even after Wilson is healthy. That conversation will end quickly if he performs poorly Thursday night.
The stage will be bigger for White and the 2-5 Jets as they play their only prime-time game of the season. White said his last prime-time game came at South Florida when he was a freshman.
“It’s funny, my very first college start was on Halloween on a Thursday night in Houston,” White said. “Then my first NFL start was on Halloween, so that was pretty cool. But yeah, I made my very first start on a Thursday in college at USF. So, that’s a little different than ‘Thursday Night Football’ in the NFL, and I’m not trying to compare the two by any means, but just have to stick to the script that the coaches laid out for us, trust the plan and trust our process that our coaches are putting us forward and just have complete faith in it.”
The Jets are facing a reeling Colts team that lost 34-31 to the Titans in overtime on Sunday. Colts quarterback Carson Wentz threw two brutal interceptions in the loss and the heat has been on Wentz this week. The Jets are looking to win their first game on the road, where they are 0-4.
Jets coach Robert Saleh said he has not seen any difference in White this week after becoming an instant New York celebrity after Sunday’s game.
“He’s even-keeled,” Saleh said. “He’s got a big smile on his face, he’s very deliberate in the way he goes about his business. First walk-through [Wednesday] morning was no different. He’s calm, he’s cool, he’s collected and I think he exudes confidence. So, it’s an exciting time for him. And it’s not often you get an opportunity like Mike is getting, and continue to take advantage of it.”
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