Flacco looks to avoid Miami’s pass rush
Veteran QB tabbed to start for Jets over inexperienced White
The New York Jets watched film of Miami’s defense and it was easy to see why the Dolphins are giving teams fits.
Their defense is aggressive and brings the pressure up front by frequently using a Cover Zero scheme — a blitz-filled pass rush that shuts down the short game and dares offenses to try to beat them deep.
“They know that you know it’s coming,” Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said.
It worked to perfection against Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens in a stunning 22-10 win last week. The Dolphins (3-7) used it to stifle Houston in a 17-9 victory over the Texans two weeks ago. It also gave Buffalo fits three weeks ago, when the Bills were held to three points in the first half before winning 26-11.
“We saw what executing can do and once we saw it, it was like, ‘All right, let’s do it. Let’s keep doing it, let’s keep doing it,’” Dolphins linebacker Jerome Baker said. “And now it’s just staying on that same process and that same pace.”
It was a big reason for the Jets’ switch at quarterback to Joe Flacco on Sunday at MetLife Stadium over the inexperienced Mike White who had been under center the past three games with Zach Wilson out with a sprained knee ligament.
“Joe has got the ability to process and get the ball in and
out of his hands as quickly as possible,” Jets coach Robert Saleh said. “I have a lot of faith in Mike LaFleur and his ability to game-plan with his staff and put players in position where there’s space to be had.
“But it goes back to Joe’s experience and recognizing coverages pre-snap and knowing exactly where the ball needs to get as quickly as possible to, one, avoid hits, but, two, get the ball where it needs to go in space.”
The Jets (2-7) better hope Flacco learned from his start against them last season, when
the Dolphins swarmed him in Miami’s 24-0 win. He was 21 of 44 for 186 yards and an interception, and was sacked three times.
“They’re not afraid to go put everybody at the line of scrimmage and leave what I’m sure they feel like is the strength of their defense, their secondary, out on islands,” Flacco said, “and know that they’re going to get some pressure on the quarterbacks and the guy’s going to have to get the ball out of his hands quickly.
“So, it limits your offense to a certain extent.”
Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa will become the sixth quarterback to start for the Dolphins in a game where Miami faces Flacco.
The 36-year-old Flacco is 7-1 against Miami, the loss coming last season. His offenses scored at least 26 points in all seven of the other meetings, all wins.