HOW DOES BO NIX HANDLE THE JETS’ PRESSURE?
A week ago, quarterback Bo Nix turned in his best performance as a professional as he completed 25-of-36 passes for 216 yards and a 85.0 quarterback rating. He also rushed nine times for 47 yards and a touchdown.
Against a Jets defense that entered Week 4 tied for second in the NFL in sacks and ranks fourth in pass defense, though, Nix will face another stiff challenge. Unlike the Bucs — who tend to bring pressure via extra rushers — the Jets are among the best in the league in bringing pressure with just four rushers. With the unit’s ability to disrupt the passer while also dropping seven players into coverage, Jets head coach Robert Saleh’s unit poses a difficult test.
“It’s a different type of team than we’ve played,” Payton said Wednesday. “These guys generate pressure with a four-man rush, and they do it extremely well. When you’re caught holding the ball in coverage and they play a number of different coverages, maybe not as much pressure as we saw a week ago necessarily. In fact, it’s dramatically different and yet those guys up front are playing really well.”
The Jets also bring pressure from different areas of the pocket. Will McDonald IV ranks second in the NFL in sacks entering Week 4, and he had a pair of sacks and six quarterback pressures in Week 3. On the inside, two-time Pro Bowler Quinnen Williams can push the pocket.
“At that position where he’s playing, he’s been the best in the league at affecting the quarterback at defensive tackle, and you see it on tape,” Payton said of Williams.
Nix, who played his first sack-free and turnover-free game as a pro against the Bucs, will again need to avoid mistakes against the Jets’ pressure. His ability to escape the pocket and avoid pressure may ultimately prove to be a deciding factor in Sunday’s game.
“When it works right and you’re doing it well,” Nix said of escaping the pass rush,…
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