Joe Flacco is still Joe Cool, according to Jets teammates, coaches
Joe Flacco of the Jets calls a play during the first quarter against the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium on Monday, Nov. 9, 2020. Credit: Jim McIsaac
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Joe Flacco is still Joe Cool.
"He’s just laid back," rookie running back Michael Carter said. "Cool. Just calls the play. Hands are in his pocket. Cool guy. Just cool — like the other side of the pillow. RIP Stuart Scott."
Flacco’s experience was a major factor in the Jets deciding to start him at quarterback on Sunday, but it’s also his ability to remain unflappable against an aggressive defense.
The Dolphins are a heavy Cover-zero defense that can rattle quarterbacks with their blitzes. Offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said Flacco having seen that plenty in his career is "huge."
The Jets are starting Flacco over Mike White. He was rattled and made some poor decisions in a four-interception game against the Bills.
Flacco joined the Jets three weeks ago. He had knowledge of the system from playing in a similar offense in Baltimore and Denver. LaFleur said they don’t have to change that much.
"He’s played so much ball that the cool part about him is when he steps out on the field, he’s seen it all," LaFleur said. "Just little tweaks and stuff to the offense with cadences and all that kind of stuff is what he’s getting used to. But it’s Cool Joe. He’s been there before, so we expect some good stuff from him."
The Dolphins affected Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson last week by blitzing often. The inexperienced White likely would have seen plenty of blitzes if he played. The Jets are relying on Flacco to get rid of the ball quickly and don’t expect him to be rusty since he hasn’t started in nearly a year.
"He’s very confident when he steps on the field," LaFleur said. "It’s like a second home for him. I would think he’s going to be pretty comfortable when he gets out there."
Mike’s fault
LaFleur took the blame for the delay-of-game penalty on 4th-and-1 in the first half Sunday against Buffalo. He said Robert Saleh asked him if he should "burn" a timeout. LaFleur felt confident they could get the play off. They didn’t, and were forced to punt
"I thought for the life of me we were good. I was wrong," LaFleur said. "That was an absolute killer just in terms of the momentum."
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