SEATTLE — Mike White had no want to discuss the suffering he must have experienced on Sunday while playing with a rib ailment. This Jets catastrophe was his responsibility.
“Doctors cleared me to play,” White said after Sunday’s 23-6 loss to the Seahawks, which eliminated the Jets from postseason contention. “The men in that locker room deserve a certain standard, and I knew what I was getting myself into when I signed up.” Doctors cleared me for travel. I practiced throughout the entire week. In essence, I am stating, “Those guys deserve a certain quality, and I did not live up to or play to that standard today.”
When White was cleared to play prior to the game, it gave the Jets hope, since they needed to win out and hope that the Patriots would lose one of their final two games in order to make the playoffs for the first time since 2010. The offense had been incompetent and chaotic with Zach Wilson at the helm the week prior against Jacksonville, and White, who guided the Jets to their previous victory on November 27, was their best hope.
However, despite his injuries, White performed as poorly to Wilson the week prior. His ultimate stat line consisted of 23 of 46 completions for 240 yards, zero touchdowns, and two interceptions. White’s second interception to Mike Jackson served as the game-winning play, preventing the Jets from ever again approaching the end zone.
White stated, “It hurts, it’s difficult, it’s gut-wrenching.” All of the aforementioned are true.
White’s popularity has not diminished in the Jets’ locker room, where the rest of the offense immediately assumed equal blame for a performance in which the squad failed to surpass 300 yards.
“Everyone will blame the quarterback regardless, everyone will point the finger at the quarterback regardless. This has been the case all year,” stated tight end C.J. Uzomah. “This is not a one-person job. It is the full group. We have not taken action. We have not completed the necessary tasks. Of course he’s going to do that, he’s the quarterback; nonetheless, he’s not responsible for it. This is on us. In the previous number of games, we have not performed well.
On Sunday, Seahawks quarterback Mike White delivers a pass while under pressure.
Getty Pictures
However, White’s future could be at the top of the list of recriminations. If the Jets had made the playoffs, White would have likely been in position to start the next season. Now, nobody knows what Joe Douglas, the general manager, will do, but this performance will certainly factor into his choice.
White described the failure to score a touchdown as “shocking.” Not what you intend to do as an offense.