With Jets No. 1 quarterback Zach Wilson still recovering from a knee injury suffered in the first game of the preseason and not expected to make his regular-season debut until at least Week 4, veteran Joe Flacco started New York's season-opening 24-9 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Flacco wasn't particularly good, but he will start again this week in Cleveland even as much of the fan base is calling for Mike White. The Browns are -6 at Caesars Sports book.
Yes, Flacco tallied 309 passing yards against the Ravens but it took him a whopping 59 attempts to do so, an average of only 5.2 yards per attempt. He was sacked three times, hit 11 times and pressured 19 times on 62 dropbacks. The Jets coaching staff didn't solely blame the 37-year-old for the team's offensive struggles but also poor interior offensive line play – he played behind a reshuffled offensive line, with George Fant returning to left tackle and rookie Max Mitchell starting at right tackle — and receivers dropping balls.
The Browns have a more effective pass rush than the Ravens, led by Myles Garrett. So it's easy to understand the Jets are opting to keep Flacco on the field this week with his experience. Garrett had two sacks in Week 1 and is the +450 favorite to lead the league in sacks. He is two away from breaking the Browns' career sack record held by Clay Matthews (62.5).
White, a 2018 fifth-round pick out of Western Kentu cky, saw action in four games last year and threw for a memorable 405 yards and three scores in a victory over Cincinnati but last saw the field in a game that counted in Week 10 against Buffalo. He struggled mightily then, with four picks and zero touchdowns.