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He was only
sacked one time, but that doesn’t tell the whole story.
Mike White was under constant duress in Minnesota. His pass protection was average at best.
Keep in mind, while the Vikings only registered one sack, they had eight quarterback hits.
Watching the game in person, then back on video, it just seemed like the pockets were coming apart very fast.
The Vikings have a very good defensive line led two talented ends in Danielle Hunter and Zadarius Smith, and massive nose tackle Dalvin Tomlinson, and they were really getting after it yesterday.
White did a great job of making fast decisions and getting the ball out.
Zach Wilson had an issue doing this during his time as a starter the last couple of years. Right after Wilson was benched I had a chance to interview ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio on SiriusXM. As you all know, “Sal Pal” does a great job of breaking down film and data. He said something about Wilson that was an eye-opener:
“He’s holding the ball too long,” Paolantonio said. “His snap-to-release time is the slowest in the NFL off all starting quarterbacks the last two seasons. Slowest in the NFL among all starting quarterbacks – not good.”
So you’d have to figure this would have been a big problem in a loud stadium with the Vikings front bringing the heat consistently.
So of the throws White made, without great pockets, were pretty impressive. That throw to C.J. Uzamah down the right seam was a beauty. Another one that comes to mind is that cross over the deep middle to Corey Davis for 31 yards late.
I’m telling you, there were very few great pockets, and White did a heck of job making quick decisions and getting the ball out fast.
That is what you’ve got to do in the NFL. There are very few plays where you are going to have QB utopia and have 6-7 seconds to throw.
While his performance was far from perfect, especially in the first half, you have to give White credit for often dealing with far-from-ideal pockets, and getting the ball out fast . . .
Robert Saleh has done a solid job coaching the Jets this year. While perhaps they waited too long to make a QB change, he did eventually do it (not all teams would with the second pick of the draft in his second year), and the defense has taken a quantum leap this year. The improvement of the Jets’ defense from last year to this year has been remarkable. They went from perhaps the worst defense in the league last year, to one of the NFL’s best this year. And it’s not just a much-improved defense, but one of the NFL’s toughest. While there are no moral victories in the NFL, they put quite a licking on Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins, who probably had a hard time getting out of bed this morning. The Jets’ defense is filled with a bunch of tough SOBs, and Saleh sets that tone.
But while Saleh has done a solid job, this Zach Wilson “intent” thing is a little bit of a head-scratcher.
Brian Costello asked him today if it’s still his “intent” for Wilson to play this year?
“I’m still right there with that same intent,” Saleh said.
Costello continued to press him with questions about this, and at the end of one answer, the coach said, “Right now it’s Mike’s opportunity, and I really would love to just focus on Mike and his opportunity and give him every chance to succeed.”
If they really want to “focus on Mike,” maybe it’s best not to keep saying it’s his “intent” for Zach Wilson to play again this year.
Saying you intend to get a current reserve QB back on the field this year, is that giving White “every chance to succeed?”
It’s a case of mixed messages, that have to confuse White and other players.
The semantics here are a little perplexing.
But maybe that is all this is – semantics . . .
December 5, 2022
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