It's a distraction. Winter takes advantage of it by diving in with his left arm swinging for her face. She manages to flip herself back out of the way before he can connect solidly with her face, but he manages to clip her ankle, so she lands badly.

He presses, and she lashes out with her whip, but that's what metal arms are for. The flaming leather wraps around his forearm, burns through the sleeve there, and gives him a chance to wrap metal fingers around the whip itself and hold fast. She can't use it if she can't pull it back, and he has the weight advantage. She'll have to either waste time yanking on it, or let it go and lose that weapon, giving Jaeger a chance to start setting up the protective dome they need behind her so she can't leap further away from him.

The fact that his arm is going to pay for this in fried circuits and melted connectors is something he's prepared to deal with. Later.