NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS

November 25, 2013

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Table of Contents

ASSOCIATED PRESS ................................................................................................................................................ 2

5 THINGS TO KNOW AFTER RAVENS BEAT JETS 19-3 (David Ginsburg) .................................................................... 2

JETS, SMITH SPUTTER IN 19-3 LOSS TO RAVENS (David Ginsburg) ........................................................................... 4

NEWSDAY .............................................................................................................................................................. 6

Antonio Cromartie admits his hip injury is a real pain (Kimberley Martin) ............................................................... 6

Jets' Ed Reed loses to former team (Neil Best) ......................................................................................................... 6

Jets grades: Offense is holding back rest of team (Kimberley Martin) ...................................................................... 7

Jets Q&A: Josh Cribbs ran lots of Wildcat and loves it (Kimberley Martin) ............................................................... 8

Jets need to give quarterback Geno Smith another shot (Neil Best) ........................................................................ 9

Jets' offense, Geno Smith's passing gone with the wind in 19-3 loss to Ravens (Kimberley Martin) ..................... 11

THE RECORD ........................................................................................................................................................ 11

Jets replay: Week 12 vs. Baltimore (J.P. Pelzman) .................................................................................................. 12

Jets notes: An unusual penalty (J.P. Pelzman)......................................................................................................... 12

Deep trouble again for Jets (Jeff Roberts) ............................................................................................................... 13

Jets lose to Baltimore, 19-3 (J.P. Pelzman) .............................................................................................................. 15

STAR-LEDGER ....................................................................................................................................................... 16

D'Alessandro: What Rex Ryan really wants to say about Geno Smith. . . is unprintable. (Dave D’Alessandro) ...... 16

Jets' Geno Smith says 'miscommunication' on snap count resulted in strange fumble at Baltimore (Darryl Slater) ................................................................................................................................................................................. 17

Jets' Chris Ivory sprains ankle, while Antonio Cromartie aggravates hip in loss to Ravens (Darryl Slater) ............. 18

Jets wide receivers make just three catches as passing attack stutters against Ravens (Michael Fensom) ........... 18

Ed Reed unable to stem Jets defense's vulnerability to deep passes (Michael Fensom) ........................................ 19

Jets fall flat in loss to Ravens, drop second in a row for first time (Darryl Slater) ................................................... 20

NEW YORK POST .................................................................................................................................................. 22

Hill finds playing time hard to come by (Brian Costello) ......................................................................................... 22

Jets squander another solid effort by Wilkerson & Co. (Brian Lewis) ..................................................................... 23

Jets may be just who we thought they were (Mike Vaccaro) ................................................................................. 24

Gang’s deep-ball woe continues vs. Reed’s former squad (Brian Lewis) ................................................................ 25

Jets report card (Brian Costello) .............................................................................................................................. 26

Jets blitz: Another bad day for Geno; Jacoby burns secondary (Brian Costello) ..................................................... 27

Geno steers the Jets on another flight to ‘L’ (Brian Lewis) ...................................................................................... 27

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS ...................................................................................................................................... 29

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As Geno Smith struggles, NY Jets stuck with rookie QB - or a drastic change (Manish Mehta) .............................. 29

Rex Ryan offers no guarantees of Geno Smith's starting job after NY Jets lose to Ravens (Seth Walder).............. 31

NY Jets' Chris Ivory, Antonio Cromartie injured in loss to Ravens (Seth Walder) ................................................... 32

NY Jets need to prepare for Dolphins, who go deep in loss to Carolina Panthers (Kevin Armstrong) .................... 32

NY Jets' Ed Reed toasted by Joe Flacco's deep pass to Jacoby Jones (Seth Walder) ............................................... 33

Jets offense is dismal in 19-3 loss to Ravens (Seth Walder) .................................................................................... 34

NEW YORK TIMES ................................................................................................................................................ 35

Jets’ Dreams Crash Into Harsh Reality in Loss to Ravens (Ben Shpigel) .................................................................. 35

WALL STREET JOURNAL ....................................................................................................................................... 37

The Jets Bumble, Bungle and Botch (Stu Woo) ....................................................................................................... 37

ESPN NEW YORK .................................................................................................................................................. 39

Notes: Jets conjure up Alosi memories (Rich Cimini) .............................................................................................. 39

Rex risks losing team with Geno decision (Rich Cimini) .......................................................................................... 40

Deep ball mars Reed's homecoming (Jane McManus) ............................................................................................ 41

Antonio Cromartie suffers hip injury (Jane McManus) ........................................................................................... 42

Rapid Reaction: New York Jets (Rich Cimini) ........................................................................................................... 43

METRO NEW YORK .............................................................................................................................................. 44

Jets fall under .500 with lackluster effort in Baltimore (Kristian Dyer) ................................................................... 44

NJ.COM ................................................................................................................................................................ 45

Wildcat does little to take pressure off Smith (A.J. Perez) ...................................................................................... 45

Jets' loss moves them outside of playoff spot (A.J. Perez) ...................................................................................... 46

Jets' comedy of errors includes snap that goes awry (A.J. Perez) ........................................................................... 46

Jets vs. Ravens: Instant analysis and quick hits (A.J. Perez) .................................................................................... 47

SUNDAY’S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS ...................................................................................................................... 48

ASSOCIATED PRESS

5 THINGS TO KNOW AFTER RAVENS BEAT JETS 19-3 (David Ginsburg) Associated Press November 25, 2013

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FBN_JETS_RAVENS_FOLO?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

BALTIMORE (AP) -- The Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets own the same record and share several identical problems as they strive to remain relevant in the muddled AFC playoff race.

The Ravens beat the Jets 19-3 Sunday, yet the fashion in which the victory was accomplished hammered home the obvious shortcomings of the defending Super Bowl champions.

Baltimore (5-6) scored only one touchdown, on a 66-yard pass from Joe Flacco to Jacoby Jones, and settled for four field goals from Justin Tucker. Although the Ravens finished on the positive end of a rare

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blowout, they still have problems running the ball, protecting their quarterback and producing touchdowns.

Just like the Jets.

Baltimore averaged 2.2 yards per rush and yielded four sacks. New York (5-6) got 102 yards rushing, went 1 for 12 on third down, had eight of 12 drives last exactly three plays and did not score over the final 51 minutes.

"We're not doing very well on third downs," center Nick Mangold said. "We've got to run the ball a little better."

Maybe that would take some of the pressure off rookie quarterback Geno Smith, who completed 9 of 22 passes for 127 yards and was sacked three times. Over his last six games, Smith has thrown 10 interceptions and one touchdown pass.

"This is not on one individual," Jets coach Rex Ryan said. "This is on us, collectively."

The receivers haven't exactly proven to be dependable targets.

"I thought we dropped too many balls, and that's where it started offensively," Ryan said.

The Jets were so out of sync that they lost a fumble when the snap hit the man in motion, and they burned their third timeout of the second half with 14:53 left in the fourth quarter.

Here are five things we learned about the Jets and Ravens:

GENO ON HOT SEAT: One week earlier, after Smith struggled in a 37-14 loss to Buffalo, Ryan immediately gave his quarterback a vote of confidence by saying he'd start against the Ravens.

After Smith struggled Sunday, there was no such proclamation.

"I'm not going to talk about any individual, starter or backup or whatever," Ryan said when asked whether Smith would start next week against the Dolphins.

Smith said: "Everybody always wants a new quarterback in there. I just keep trying to improve and work on myself. I know I can lead this team to the playoffs."

MANY HAPPY RETURNS: Coming into Sunday's game, Jones returned just two punts for a mere 3 yards. Of course, that was because Tandon Doss took over that role after Jones was injured in the season opener.

But coach John Harbaugh made a switch on Sunday after Doss allowed Ryan Quigley's punt to bounce and roll for a 67-yarder. Jones handled punts the rest of the afternoon and was splendid, gaining 108 yards on five returns.

"I thought our special teams played really well the whole game and the punt returns were a big part of what we did," Harbaugh said.

AN ADDED DIMENSION: Baltimore spent some time in preseason working on ways to utilize backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor. On Sunday, the Ravens finally found an opportunity to implement that package.

Taylor was a big part of the offensive game plan. He lined up in shotgun, as a slot receiver and in the backfield alongside Flacco.

"We've talked about getting Tyrod more involved. It's a challenge," Harbaugh said. "You have a great athlete, a special athlete who happens to play quarterback. And he is a quarterback. I want to

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emphasize that. But he's also got other skills that can help us. We felt like it was something that could help our run game a little bit, especially against this defense."

DEEP THOUGHTS: By December, Ryan figured his defensive backfield would have addressed its propensity for allowing deep pass completions. But in addition to the 66-yarder to Jones, Flacco burned the New York secondary with a 60-yard completion to Torrey Smith.

"It's been our Achilles heel, giving up the deep ball," Ryan lamented. "You can be so good for so long, but you got to do it for 60 minutes."

The addition of former All-Pro safety Ed Reed helped some, but not enough. So what's the next step?

"I know the defense is pretty decent, but it's something where we're not there and we haven't fixed it yet," Ryan said. "We'll work it until it does get fixed, and I have all the confidence in the world we'll fix it."

NOVEMBER MAGIC: The Ravens improved to 10-1 at home in November since Harbaugh took over in 2008, and they've got one game left this month - on Thanksgiving night against Pittsburgh at M&T Stadium.

Baltimore has won eight in a row at home during the month, and by adding another notch can get back to .500.

"Every week is a must-win," Torrey Smith said. "If you lose, things aren't going to be looking pretty for you. We just have to keep giving ourselves a fighting chance."

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JETS, SMITH SPUTTER IN 19-3 LOSS TO RAVENS (David Ginsburg) Associated Press November 24, 2013

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FBN_JETS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

BALTIMORE (AP) -- Eleven games into the season, the New York Jets have the kind of problems that are usually addressed in training camp.

Coach Rex Ryan is trying to figure out what to do with a rookie quarterback stuck in a slump, an ineffective running game and a receiving corps prone to dropping passes.

It didn't matter that his defense held the Baltimore Ravens to a single touchdown in a 19-3 loss Sunday, because the Jets were awful when they had the ball. Geno Smith went 9 for 22 passing for 127 yards and two interceptions, New York converted only one of 12 third-down tries and the Jets failed to score over the final 51 minutes.

"We weren't consistent running the football, and we tried to run it," Ryan said. "We kind of lacked some consistency. At times, it looked like we'd run it well and at times not so much. It's hard to be consistent with those drops and I think that's another problem, another issue, we thought we'd moved past. But apparently we're not there yet.

"Clearly, we've got a ton of work to do."

New York (5-6) had alternated wins and losses in its first 10 games, but the pattern ended here with its second straight defeat. Ryan, who also served as defensive line coach with Baltimore from 1999-2004, fell to 0-3 against his former team.

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"We knew, quite honestly, that their defense was going to be tough sledding," Ryan said. "With that, we've got to be more efficient on third down. That's a big reason (for) the struggles."

The Jets' offense was so out of sync that they burned their third timeout of the second half with 14:53 left in the fourth quarter.

Over his last six games, Smith has thrown 10 interceptions and one touchdown pass.

"This is not on one individual," Ryan said. "This is on us, collectively."

Obviously, that's the message Ryan conveyed to his players.

"We got to back him up," offensive tackle Willie Colon said of Smith. "We didn't do that today."

But Smith's numbers have created conjecture that Ryan might be close to changing quarterbacks.

"Everybody always wants a new quarterback in there," Smith said. "I just keep trying to improve and work on myself. I know I can lead this team to the playoffs."

The Ravens tried several ploys to spice up their stagnant offense, most notably using backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor in a variety of formations. Not only did Taylor receive a direct snap and run, but he also handed off the ball and caught a pass in his most extensive action of the season.

None of it produced a touchdown, though, until Jacoby Jones got behind former teammate Ed Reed and made a fine catch of Joe Flacco's deep throw for a 66-yard touchdown that made it 19-3 with 5 seconds left in the third quarter.

The defending Super Bowl champion Ravens (5-6) had lost four of five before bouncing back to keep their playoff hopes alive. Jones had four catches for 103 yards and returned five punts for 108 yards.

But Baltimore won on the strength of its defense. The unit forced three turnovers, including two interceptions by Corey Graham, and had three sacks.

"What can you say about our defense?" coach John Harbaugh said. "It was a dominant defensive performance."

It was the fewest points allowed by Baltimore since December 2009, a 48-3 win over Detroit.

"I feel like we were dialed in today," linebacker Terrell Suggs said. "There's always a little something added when we're playing Rex. We're proud of the fact what we didn't give up a touchdown, and getting off the field on third down was huge."

Justin Tucker kicked a 53-yard field goal for a 12-3 lead early in the third quarter after a 20-yard punt return by Jones gave Baltimore the ball at the New York 33.

Graham subsequently ended two New York drives with interceptions in the third and fourth quarters.

"They made some plays," Graham said, "but when it came down to it, we made the bigger plays. We knew we had to outplay their defense, and that's what we were able to do."

The Jets trailed 9-3 at halftime despite completing only three passes, gaining 73 yards, making three first downs and losing the ball after the snap hit the man in motion.

Using Josh Cribbs in the wildcat formation on several plays, New York went up 3-0 with a drive in which Smith caught an 18-yard pass from Cribbs and completed an 18-yarder to Greg Salas.

The Ravens answered with field goals on their next two possessions. The second kick was set up by a 60-yard completion from Flacco to Torrey Smith, who got behind Antonio Cromartie and made a nice over-the-shoulder grab.

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Notes: The Ravens have at least one sack in 22 straight games, tying a franchise record. ... Jets LB Troy Davis left with a chest injury in the second half and did not return. ... Torrey Smith has 859 yards receiving, a new career high.

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NEWSDAY

Antonio Cromartie admits his hip injury is a real pain (Kimberley Martin) Newsday November 24, 2013

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/antonio-cromartie-admits-his-hip-injury-is-a-real-pain-1.6490832

BALTIMORE - The crowd dispersed, giving Antonio Cromartie a moment for some honest self-reflection.

He's played through nagging hip pain for the bulk of the season, and as the leader of the Jets' secondary, he has given no excuses. But after a performance in which he was torched by Torrey Smith on a 60-yard completion, Cromartie conceded his injury is an issue.

"Lately, it's maybe been hurting us just from the standpoint of I'm hurting,'' he said after the Jets' 19-3 loss to the Ravens on Sunday. "I'm just trying to fight through it and play football the best way I can.''

He watched the final minutes of the fourth quarter from the sideline because of his injury.

"I planted wrong and it gave out on me a little bit. This is the first time, really, this season that it's really bothered me this much besides when it happened in 2008,'' Cromartie said, referring to the hip fracture he sustained when he was with the Chargers.

It's been a familiar postgame scene these past few weeks: The Jets' No. 1 cornerback fielding questions about the deep-ball completions that seem to easily go over his head. Each week, Cromartie promises to do better and to use proper technique -- and each week, he explains why those things didn't happen on yet another back-breaking play.

Ten months after representing the Jets in the Pro Bowl, he finds himself in unfamiliar territory: being a potential weak link in their secondary.

"I was healthy last year, too,'' he said with a chuckle, referring to the difference in his game. "But at the end of the day, if I'm on the field, I'm 100 percent. And that's how I approach it. I feel that when I'm on the field, I can give our team a better chance of playing better defense and getting the right calls that we need to try to get in.''

Entering Sunday's game, Cromartie had allowed completions of 43, 53 and 60 yards in the three previous games. He intercepted a poorly thrown pass by Joe Flacco -- his second pick in three games -- but Smith easily beat Cromartie down the sideline on the 60-yard catch.

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Jets' Ed Reed loses to former team (Neil Best) Newsday November 24, 2013

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/jets-ed-reed-loses-to-former-team-1.6490807

BALTIMORE - Ed Reed now is 0-2 against his former team in Baltimore this season, losing to the Ravens both as a Texan and a Jet, and he didn't see his team score a touchdown in those games.

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In a 19-3 loss, the future Hall of Fame safety played a central role in the game's only touchdown.

Leading 12-3 in the final seconds of the third quarter, the Ravens, knowing they were about to lose the wind at their back for the duration of the game, went deep.

The Jets expected that, playing a "quarters" defense designed to guard against a long ball.

Somehow, Joe Flacco was able to find Jacoby Jones for a 66-yard scoring pass, even with cornerback Dee Milliner and Reed in the immediate vicinity.

Jets coach Rex Ryan said "that one's kind of a 'Ripley's Believe It or Not.' "

It appeared Reed was unable to locate the ball in the air, but Ryan said, "I'm not going to pin it on any one individual. Certainly not on one guy. Certainly not Ed Reed. He'd probably be third on that list, in all honesty."

Said Reed: "I never really saw the ball. I should have played it different. I probably should have just grabbed Jacoby and took the pass interference instead, given the position I was in."

Reed, like the coaches, said he knew what was coming.

"I mean, they had the wind; it's just that simple," he said. "It was like, here comes a shot . . . What would you do? I tell one of the fastest guys to just run deep and locate the ball, and that's what he did."

Reed made one big play for the Jets, breaking up what would have been a first-quarter touchdown pass in the end zone when he leveled Jones.

Reed initially was flagged, presumably for hitting a defenseless receiver, but after a discussion, the officials waved off the penalty.

Was he surprised to see the flag? "No, no," he said, laughing. "This league has changed so much. It's such a bang-bang play. I've been there before. Many guys are going to be there. You just hope they can get together and make the correct call."

Reed said being back in Baltimore is "always special," even though he ended up on the wrong end of the final score again.

"You hate to be on this side of the fence, but somebody wins and somebody has to lose," he said. "It's a child's game we play. We had fun. We have to make our corrections and have to be ready to play next week."

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Jets grades: Offense is holding back rest of team (Kimberley Martin) Newsday November 24, 2013

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/jets-grades-offense-is-holding-back-rest-of-team-1.6490806

OFFENSE

F When kicker Nick Folk gives you the best chance of scoring, you have issues. The Jets mustered just 220 yards of total offense while the Ravens netted 312. Geno Smith had another awful performance, completing 9 of 22 passes for 127 yards. In the last six games, the rookie quarterback has thrown one touchdown pass and 10 interceptions. He leads the NFL with 23 turnovers. But coach Rex Ryan seemed more miffed about the unit's inconsistent pass protection and the dropped passes by his receivers.

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Santonio Holmes caught one pass for 12 yards and Stephen Hill failed to catch a ball for the third straight game.

DEFENSE

C+ Muhammad Wilkerson has 10 sacks, the most by any Jet since John Abraham recorded 10.5 in 2005. Calvin Pace's seven sacks are the most he's had since 2009. And the Jets' front seven is allowing an average of 2.9 yards per carry. Still, their struggles continue. The back end continues to be the unit's biggest issue. Antonio Cromartie was beaten on a 60-yard reception by Torrey Smith, and Dee Milliner and Ed Reed were collectively outplayed on Jacoby Jones' 66-yard score. "We can't let other teams have explosive plays," said Wilkerson, who recorded two sacks. "We can't have the same mistakes beat us."

SPECIAL TEAMS

B Without Folk, the Jets never would have gotten on the board. The kicker nailed a 27-yard field goal to give the Jets an early 3-0 lead and he is 24-for-25 on the season. Ryan Quigley punted a career-high 67-yarder to start the second quarter. Though he averaged 51.4 yards on eight punts, his net was 37.9. Josh Cribbs averaged 13 yards on two punt returns and 23 yards on four kickoffs (including a 28-yarder). The Jets, however, gave up a 37-yard punt return to Jones.

COACHING

D At some point, the coaching staff has to consider changes at quarterback and in the secondary. Ryan's refusal to commit to Smith or bench him is a head-scratcher. After last week's blowout at Buffalo, the Jets coach promised he and his staff would take "a hard look" at what they're asking players to do and play-calling. Well, how's that working?

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Jets Q&A: Josh Cribbs ran lots of Wildcat and loves it (Kimberley Martin) Newsday November 24, 2013

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/jets-q-a-josh-cribbs-ran-lots-of-wildcat-and-loves-it-1.6490808

What did Josh Cribbs say about getting so many Wildcat snaps?

"The more you can do for your football team, the better," he said.

The Jets receiver, and former Kent State quarterback, said he "definitely" expected to be featured in a heavy dose of Wildcat Sunday. "I love running it," said Cribbs, who took six direct snaps in the game, including three during one third-quarter series. "I know every athlete on this team would love to have the football in their hands."

It was assumed that the coaches would stick to the running game with wind gusts of 40 mph expected and the unexpected continuation of rookie quarterback Geno Smith's struggles for the sixth consecutive week.

So did the Wildcat disrupt Smith's rhythm?

He said no.

"Every single chance I get to pass the ball, I think I'm in rhythm, which is the reason we practice it so much," said Smith, who was 9-for-22 for 127 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions.

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"I don't think it throws me off at all," he added. "It definitely helps our offense. It gives the defense something else to look at it, and we're pretty much good at it. We usually pick up a decent amount of yards in the running game."

Center Nick Mangold agreed, saying of Cribbs: "I thought Josh gives us a heck of an explosion back there. In the end, we're all just trying to win games. And whatever we do to do that, we want to do."

Speaking of Mangold, what was his explanation for the botched-snap fumble?Mangold seemed to put the blame on receiver Greg Salas, who ran into the ball as it was being snapped. The play resulted in a fumble that was recovered by Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs.

"I guess it was snapped early, I don't know," Salas said in the locker room.

Mangold had a much different take. Asked specifically if Salas was in the wrong place, the center replied: "Yeah. Wrong place, wrong time. Again, it's rare. I've gone eight years I think without that happening. I think it happened once in college. In a practice. So it's obviously a rarity, but it's devastating when it happens."

Luckily for the Jets, the Ravens couldn't capitalize on the play as Antonio Cromartie intercepted a poorly thrown pass by Joe Flacco at the Jets' 9.

How are the Jets on the injury front?Chris Ivory sprained his left ankle on his first carry of the game (the third play from scrimmage on third-and-1 from the Jets' 33). When asked if it was a high or low sprain, the running back said: "They think both." He's expected to have an MRI.

Salas and rookie cornerback Dee Milliner had finger X-rays after the game. They said everything checked out OK.

Did Rex Ryan give an explanation for the unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty on the Jets' bench?

With 7:52 left in the third quarter, the Jets were flagged because a coach obstructed an official on the sideline during a Ravens punt return. The penalty flag instantly conjured up memories of former Jets strength and conditioning coach Sal Alosi, who tripped a Dolphins player on the sideline during a game in 2010.

Ryan, however, said the contact between the coach and the official was unintentional. "He's on the white," he said of the coach. "It was not like he was on the field, but I know it's a point of emphasis to be off of that area. It's not intentional, and you get caught up in the moment. We saw one of our players get hit. Those things happen. It's unfortunate. We're not the only team [that it's happened to]. At that time, I was expecting a different call."

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Jets need to give quarterback Geno Smith another shot (Neil Best) Newsday November 24, 2013

http://www.newsday.com/sports/columnists/neil-best/jets-need-to-give-quarterback-geno-smith-another-shot-1.6490536

Like all coaches of flailing quarterbacks -- especially ones with no significant NFL resume -- Rex Ryan knows his postgame comments will be parsed for any hint of what he might be thinking.

Sure enough, no fan or reporter listening Sunday could help noticing that unlike the Sunday before, the Jets coach did not confirm Geno Smith will start when the Jets play next. He also did not say Smith wouldn't.

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"I'm not going to talk about one individual," Ryan said after a 19-3 loss to the Ravens in which Smith continued a run of poor play, now one touchdown pass and 10 interceptions over six games. "That's not where I'm at tonight."

That left the rest of us to assess where we are at as observers and . . . well, no wonder Ryan clammed up. This is a tough one.

The Jets are in a no-win situation of their own making, with a young veteran in Mark Sanchez who long ago was lost to an unnecessary preseason injury, an undrafted backup in Matt Simms who is known more for his last name than his long-term pro prospects and 35-year-old David Garrard, who hasn't played since 2010.

It is not clear whether Ryan considers Simms a serious alternative, but Smith has been so bad lately that callers to sports talk radio have every right to nominate him to start against the Dolphins next Sunday.

But since Newsday actually pays me to have a vote -- even though it counts as much as yours does -- it says here Smith should get at least one more shot, particularly with winnable home games against Miami and Oakland ahead and the postseason still in play.

Remember, as if you could forget after all this repetition: The season largely is about assessing what the Jets have in their young players.

For a while, all seemed well. But since that rousing victory in Atlanta on Oct. 7, Smith has struggled so badly that it would take a stunning late-season turnaround for the Jets to enter the offseason thinking they are set at the position.

If that doesn't happen, so be it. It looks to be a strong quarterback draft in 2014. But there are only two reasons to bench Smith at this stage.

The first is if the Jets consider Simms, who played sparingly at the major college level and went undrafted last year, is a potential quarterback of the future and want to see what he can do. That is a long shot.

The second is that Smith would benefit from a timeout of sorts to collect his thoughts -- a strategy that has worked for some future stars in the past.

Absent that, why not keep trotting him out and hope for the best, no matter how bleak things seem right now?

As for Smith, he was his usual stoic self after a 9-for-22, 127-yard, two-interception debacle. He dismissed the notions that he was sabotaged by dropped passes, poor protection or cold, windy conditions.

"You can say a number of things; I just haven't played well," he said.

Is he concerned about the inevitable calls for him to be replaced? "No," he said. "Two losses and that's this league, man, everyone wants to put a new quarterback in. I understand that. But I'm not worried about anything other than trying to get better as a player.

"I'm not going to sit here and say my job is 100 percent secure, because every single guy in this locker room has to prove himself daily and that's the way we work around here."

Does he still think he is the best man to lead the Jets to the playoffs? "I know I am," he said.

So far, teammates are sticking by him -- publicly, at least. When asked about his confidence in Smith, Santonio Holmes said, "My confidence level in Geno? That he's going to continue being our starter and

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he's going to get better each and every week and he's going to lead us where we need to be, sooner or later."

Soon, it will be too late.

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Jets' offense, Geno Smith's passing gone with the wind in 19-3 loss to Ravens (Kimberley Martin) Newsday November 25, 2013

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/jets-offense-geno-smith-s-passing-gone-with-the-wind-in-19-3-loss-to-ravens-1.6489079

BALTIMORE - Upon Ed Reed's arrival, Rex Ryan dared his opponents to test the Jets deep.

The Jets coach promised Reed would bring leadership, grit and ballhawking skills to his beleaguered secondary. But with the game hanging in the balance today, Reed came up small when it mattered most.

Ravens receiver Jacoby Jones beat the veteran safety and rookie cornerback Dee Milliner on a 66-yard touchdown in the third quarter to seal a 19-3 Jets' defeat.

The Jets' alternating streak of wins and losses is now over. They're now 1-8 all-time vs. Baltimore and 0-5 at M & T Bank Stadium. The last time the Jets (5-6) won in Baltimore was 1983, a 10-6 victory over the Colts.

But the play of Reed, a former Raven, and the Jets secondary was only one of many problems they encountered Sunday. First was the wind, which rendered Geno Smith's passing game virtually nonexistent.

Smith completed just 9 of 22 passes for 127 yards and threw two interceptions; he leads the NFL with 18 interceptions.

The Jets' heavy dose of Wildcat, especially early in the game, was a sign the coaching staff trusted the ball in the hands of receiver Josh Cribbs (a former college quarterback) and running back Bilal Powell, instead of Smith.

And perhaps their instincts were right. Their pass protection was often porous, the quarterback's passes often were offline and his receivers repeatedly dropped passes.

If the Ravens resembled anything close to the Super Bowl championship team of 2012, they would have blown the doors off the Jets from the start. But instead they let the Jets hang around for much of the game. That is, until Joe Flacco connected with Jones with seconds remaining in the third quarter.

His 66-yard TD catch capped a three-play, 88-yard drive and gave the Ravens a 19-3 lead.

The kickers were the stars of the first half, with Justin Tucker's three field goals giving the Ravens a 9-3 halftime lead.

Nick Folk gave the Jets an early 3-0 lead, nailing a 27-yard field goal with 6:52 to go in the first quarter.

Antonio Cromartie, who had an interception, left the game late in the fourth quarter with a hip injury. Muhammad Wilkerson (two), Calvin Pace (one), Quinton Coples (0.5) and Sheldon Richardson (0.5) all had sacks.

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THE RECORD

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Jets replay: Week 12 vs. Baltimore (J.P. Pelzman) The Record November 25, 2013

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/233265471_Jets_replay__Week_12_vs__Baltimore.html

Turning point

During the third quarter, the Jets put together their best drive since the first period, moving 49 yards in eight plays to the Baltimore 31. But the drive stalled there, and Geno Smith had a pass intercepted by Corey Graham at the Baltimore 12. Three plays later, Joe Flacco hit Jacoby Jones with a 66-yard pass for the only touchdown of the game to give the Ravens a 19-3 lead.

Star of the game

Despite winds clocked at 26 mph at game time, Baltimore kicker Justin Tucker connected on all four of his field-goal attempts. He hit from 30, 26, 33 and 53 yards, and the 53-yarder gave the Ravens a commanding 12-3 lead over the Jets and their punchless offense. Tucker has made 22 consecutive field-goal attempts.

Costly mistakes

Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco was intercepted by Antonio Cromartie on second-and-9 from the Jets' 17 in the second quarter, two plays after the Ravens had recovered a Jets fumble. … Jets DT Kenrick Ellis was called for a face-mask penalty, negating his sack of Flacco. … Smith's second interception ended the Jets' last legitimate scoring chance. Graham again picked him off, this time in the end zone.

Eye-catching

Jets OLB Quinton Coples tackled backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor for a 7-yard loss on an attempted end-around in the third quarter. Coples sniffed out a similar play in the win over New Orleans on Nov. 3, when he nailed Saints TE Josh Hill for an 8-yard loss. … Jets coach Rex Ryan successfully challenged the call on a pass to Santonio Holmes in the third quarter, getting an incompletion reversed into a 12-yard gain. The drive later stalled. … DL Leger Douzable had a 10-yard kickoff return in the second quarter when Baltimore opted not to kick the ball deep to dangerous returner Josh Cribbs.

Looking ahead

The Jets (5-6) return home for the first of two consecutive games at MetLife Stadium. The Jets, who are 4-1 at home, will face Miami (5-6) at 1 p.m. on Sunday before hosting Oakland at 1 p.m. on Dec. 8. The Dolphins, who beat the Jets in East Rutherford last season, blew a lead in the final minute Sunday and lost to the Carolina Panthers, 20-16.

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Jets notes: An unusual penalty (J.P. Pelzman) The Record November 25, 2013

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/233265271_Jets_notes__An_unusual_penalty.html?page=all

Unusual penalty

On Jacoby Jones’ 37-yard punt return in the third quarter, the Jets were called for a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

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But this was a rare type of penalty. An unidentified assistant coach was cited for "interfering with officials" during the play by running into one of them.

Coach Rex Ryan said afterward he thought the coach was "on the white" portion of the sideline as opposed to being on the field.

"It was not like he was on the field," Ryan said, "but I know it’s a point of emphasis to be off of that area. It was not intentional and you get caught up in the moment. We saw one of our players get hit [on a block]. Those things happen. It’s unfortunate. At that time, I was expecting a different call."

The play stirred memories of a December 2010 loss to Miami in which Jets’ strength and conditioning coach Sal Alosi tripped Dolphins special-teamer Nolan Carroll as he ran by. Alosi resigned soon afterward.

Struggles continue

Former Rutgers standout Ray Rice followed up a season-high 131-yard rushing effort in Baltimore’s overtime loss at Chicago with a subpar game, one of many for him in 2013. He gained only 30 yards on 16 carries and is averaging 2.9 yards, by far the lowest in his six-year NFL career. He averaged 4.0 yards per carry in 2010.

"I’ve got to give it to them," Rice said of the Jets’ defense. He admitted there wasn’t much running room, but added, "that’s not a knock on our [offensive] line. They blocked very well, but when you face an excellent defense like that you just take whatever you can get. We’re just glad to be able to come out with this win."

Bruised Gang Green

Jets RB Chris Ivory sprained his left ankle on his first carry, yet he stayed in and finished with 35 yards on nine carries. He said afterward it was little swollen but that he was "all right."

Greg Salas and Dee Milliner both underwent X-rays on injured fingers. Both players said they were OK.

LB Troy Davis left the game with a chest injury and didn’t return.

Briefs

DE Muhammad Wilkerson continued his excellent season. He had two sacks of Joe Flacco and now has 10 sacks, marking the first time the third-year pro has reached double figures in a season in that category. OLB Calvin Pace also had a sack and has seven this season. … WR Stephen Hill, who was targeted only once, went without a reception for the third consecutive game. However, the second-year pro started after speculation he might be benched.

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Deep trouble again for Jets (Jeff Roberts) The Record November 25, 2013

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/233265171_Deep_trouble_again_for_Jets.html?page=all

BALTIMORE — The future Hall of Famer never saw the pass, at least not until it rested safely in Jacoby Jones’ arms.

By then Ed Reed was hopelessly late.

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The nine-time Pro Bowl safety knew Baltimore would throw long on that third-quarter drive. But the Jets secondary still could not stop Joe Flacco from connecting with Jones on a 66-yard touchdown, the final blow in the Ravens’ 19-3 victory Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium.

The often-torched secondary once again yielded a decisive breakdown, no matter how many drills it ran last week to prevent them. It allowed receptions of 66 and 60 yards, raising the number of 40-yard plus passes it has yielded to 12.

And it happened in Reed’s second homecoming to the city he played in for 11 seasons.

"We knew they were about to take a shot," he said. "And it’s bad that we knew they were throwing the ball deep and not play it. ...

"We were like, ‘Here comes the shot. At some point, they’re going to throw the ball deep ’cause they got the wind [behind them].’ What would you do? Tell one of your fastest guys to just run deep."

And that’s exactly what the Ravens (5-6) did, targeting Dee Milliner.

"That one was kind of a Ripley’s Believe It Or Not," coach Rex Ryan said. "Obviously, we knew what we talked about during the week. It’s been our Achilles’ heel — giving up the deep ball."

The Jets’ slow procession into the postgame locker room was funereal. They were silent. Heads down. Faces blank. With Geno Smith struggling like he is, the secondary knows it has to be perfect. And it wasn’t even close.

The Jets played a "quarters" coverage on the 66-yard touchdown, with four defensive backs spread deep and across the field. The formation is designed to eliminate deep passes.

But Milliner allowed Jones (four catches, 103 yards) to get behind him on a post pattern. And Reed was too late racing over. Milliner took all the blame.

"That’s all me," he said.

Earlier, Flacco (17-of-26, 273 yards) connected with Torrey Smith for 60 yards. The second-quarter bomb set up a Justin Tucker field goal.

There were other lost opportunities, with Antonio Allen and Milliner both dropping interceptions.

"That could have turned the game around right there," Milliner said of his first-quarter drop.

Cromartie left the game in the fourth having aggravated his nagging hip injury. He planted wrong "and it gave out on me a little bit."

"This is the first time really this season, during my career that it’s really bothered me this much besides when it happened in 2008," he said.

However, the secondary’s play was not all bad.

Cromartie snared an interception at the Jets’ 9 that saved at least three points.

And Reed drilled Jones in the end zone, preventing a first-quarter touchdown by jarring the ball out of his hands.

"At the end of the day, we let the ball get over our heads," Cromartie said.

"That [66-yard touchdown] was a game-changer and something that we’ve been harping on all year and we can’t have it."

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Jets lose to Baltimore, 19-3 (J.P. Pelzman) The Record November 24, 2013

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/Jets_lose_to_Baltimore_19-3.html?page=all

BALTIMORE – Well, the Jets finally broke their win-one, lose-one pattern. Only not in the way they would have liked.

After becoming the first team in NFL history to alternate wins and losses through its first 10 games, the Jets lost their second straight game Sunday. Rookie quarterback Geno Smith threw two interceptions as Baltimore eased past the punchless Jets, 19-3, at M&T Bank Stadium.

The Jets (5-6) fell to 1-5 on the road this season. Baltimore (5-6) got a long touchdown pass from Joe Flacco and four field goals from Justin Tucker. The Jets still are part of a multi-team tie for the last AFC wild-card playoff spot with five games remaining.

Smith (9-for-22, 127 yards) also was charged with a lost fumble, giving him 23 turnovers this season, 18 interceptions and five lost fumbles. In the second quarter, a shotgun snap from center Nick Mangold never reached Smith, deflecting off wide receiver Greg Salas as he went in motion in front of Smith. Nevertheless, Smith was charged with the turnover. Smith said afterward it was the mistake was the result of a “miscommunication.”

The Jets got 55 of the 73 yards of total offense they mustered in the first half on their second possession of the game. Nick Folk capped the nine-play drive with a 27-yard field goal with 6:52 left in the first quarter. Some creative play calls by offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg helped the drive.

The best was a Wildcat play in which kick-return specialist Josh Cribbs, a college quarterback at Kent State, switched roles with Smith. Cribbs, who also plays wide receiver, threw a 13-yard pass to Smith on the second play of the drive. Smith had lined up wide.

Baltimore answered on the next possession, moving 63 yards in 11 plays to score on Tucker’s 30-yard field goal, tying the score at 3.

A big play against the Jets’ secondary on Baltimore’s next drive set up Tucker’s next three-pointer, a 26-yarder that gave the Ravens a 6-3 lead with 10:15 left in the first half. Flacco went deep and connected with Torrey Smith, who beat struggling cornerback Antonio Cromartie for a 60-yard gain to the Jets’ 22. Cromartie, who later had an interception of Flacco, left the game in the fourth quarter with a hip injury.

Later in the second period, Tucker’s 33-yard field goal put Baltimore ahead 9-3. That finished a 45-yard drive that included Flacco’s 27-yard pass to tight end Ed Dickson.

Tucker made a 53-yard field goal 4:59 into the third quarter to give Baltimore a 12-3 lead. It was set up by Jacoby Jones’ 20-yard punt return to the Jets’ 33.

The Jets finally got something going on offense later in the quarter, but the drive stalled at the Baltimore 31. After a holding penalty on left guard Brian Winters, Smith threw an interception to Corey Graham at the Baltimore 12. Two plays later, Flacco hit Torrey Smith for a 14-yard gain to the Baltimore 29.

After an offsides penalty on the Jets’ Muhammad Wilkerson, Flacco threw deep again. This time, Jones caught a 66-yard scoring pass. He beat both rookie cornerback Dee Milliner and safety Ed Reed, a former Raven who was a nine-time Pro Bowler for Baltimore.

Graham also had an interception in the Baltimore end zone in the fourth quarter to end a Jets’ drive.

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STAR-LEDGER

D'Alessandro: What Rex Ryan really wants to say about Geno Smith. . . is unprintable. (Dave D’Alessandro) Star-Ledger November 25, 2013

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2013/11/what_rex_ryan_really_wants_to_say_about_geno_smith_its_unprintable.html

BALTIMORE – So somebody inquired whether Geno Smith is still the guy to lead the Jets’ charge to the postseason, and Rex Ryan replied after an inaudible gulp, “As I’ve said before, we’ll look at the tape. I’m not going to talk about one individual.”

Sounds like the general really wants to plant his flag here, doesn’t he?

This was a typical afternoon on the road for Rex’s offense – another defensive brawl engaged, blood spilt, battlefield rent asunder, followed by the calm of knowing that it was utterly pointless, since the coach still hasn’t a clue whether Geno can deal with a job that consumes him more often these days.

You can quantify it any way you choose – this time, the rook was 9-for-22 for 127 yards, 85 of those yards in the last two drives of a 60-minute chloroform bath – but nothing happened during the Ravens’ 19-3 rout that gave Ryan any kind of hope that Geno is making progress.

So Rex shovels meaningless phrases and contrives phantom excuses – he kept bringing up the subject of dropped passes, but we counted only three, or two fewer than Baltimore’s total – and then he hopes you’re polite enough to drop the subject.

“He’s had better days,” the coach finally said of Geno. “The two interceptions. . .you’re trying to throw it up there and give your guy a chance to make the play. If not, it’s almost like a punt.”

Actually, both of Geno’s interceptions were underthrown, launched from inside Ravens territory (at the 42 and the 28), so it was nothing like a punt. It was just Geno, overmatched as usual, and sure, sabotaged a bit by a group of receivers who are showing signs of teammates who have lost faith in their leader.

But it may have occurred to you that this is now Rex’s default position: Expect little, settle for a little less, stall for time. Also: Never concede that the QB is the focal point of the offense, even if that’s the case in every other NFL city.

And it occurs to you: What else can a coach say at this point?

He has a kid who put up video game stats in college, playing in a QB-friendly system that really didn’t require a sage head or a pro skill set, since every college defense has a max of one good cornerback.

So Marty Mornhinweg, a superb QB coach, spoon-feeds Geno a sophisticated West Coast offense, and doesn’t even give him the whole field to worry about. But since he’s got a rookie’s pocket awareness and a substandard release, he vacillates between passable and deplorable, and the rest of us are forced to have to live with turnovers.

Rex can’t say that, as much as he’d like shout it all from the nearest rooftop. So five times he said that he has to visit the tape room before offering a cogent opinion.

We’ve seen Geno enough to know he cares, that he’s a worker, and he’s practiced in clichés such as, “It starts with better execution by me, the quarterback.”

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For as long as he has the job, anyway.

But he’s really the only option at this point. Rex would tell you that himself, but we have a suspicion that he’s not exactly cognizant of whether his QB can uphold the faith -- an accusation made here before. Indeed, we’re still not sure he watches the offense at all: He didn’t know anything about a fumbled snap in the third period, noting that he'd like to (what else) consult tape, and then concluded, “It’s probably not a good thing.”

Sure, if Rex is preoccupied with preparing the next defensive series, that’s not a terrible use of his time, because the defense was terrific again. Joe Flacco started four drives in Jets territory – at the 18, 33, 31, and 49 – and the Ravens came away with three points.

But Ryan’s less-that-artful dodge about quarterback play proves what we’ve been saying for three years now: He doesn’t care about offense, never will. For this head coach, offense still represents an inconvenience, a department where you swap out your OC every 12 months. And when you factor in a weak quarterback, it gives Ryan license to ignore it.

So as long as he knows he can’t win with Geno or Mark Sanchez, Rex accepts it, plays around it, and hopes somebody – anybody -- can manage the game until he can get his defense back on the field.

Only this isn’t so much game management as it is orchestrated bedlam.

The media will pile on for a while, and start rattling about a QB switch. If you ask the players about it, you get rolled eyes. This remark from guard Willie Colon was typical: “You’re going to make me curse, so next question,” he said. “I’m trying not to curse.”

Curses make a good videotape soundtrack, we hear.

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Jets' Geno Smith says 'miscommunication' on snap count resulted in strange fumble at Baltimore (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger November 24, 2013

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2013/11/jets_geno_smith_says_miscommunication_on_snap_count_resulted_in_strange_fumble_at_baltimore.html

BALTIMORE – Jets center Nick Mangold has been in the NFL since 2006. Before that, he was a three-year starter at Ohio State. In Sunday’s 19-3 loss at the Ravens, one of the rarest occurrences of Mangold’s career happened, though it is not one he will celebrate.

With 9:18 remaining in the second quarter and the Ravens up 6-3, Jets rookie quarterback Geno Smith lined up in shotgun formation on third-and-13 at the Jets’ 26-yard line. Wide receiver Greg Salas aligned to Smith’s right and motioned back toward the line of scrimmage. Then Mangold snapped the ball. It caromed off Salas’ left thigh.

Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs fell on the ball. The Ravens would end up getting nothing out of the turnover, because Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie intercepted Joe Flacco on the second play of the ensuing drive. But the strange fumble still merited an explanation afterward.

Mangold said he was snapping the ball on Smith’s count.

“Wrong place, wrong time,” Mangold said, explaining the mistake. “It’s rare. I’ve gone eight years I think without that happening. I think it happened once in college in a practice. It’s obviously rare but it’s devastating when it happens.”

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Said Salas: “It was a counter motion where I go across the center and come backside A gap (motioning back to Smith’s right rather than to the left side of the formation) and run my route. I don’t know what happened. The ball got snapped prematurely. I was right there. It hit me. I don’t know what went wrong on that play.”

Though Smith didn’t directly cause the turnover, it was officially credited to him. He also threw two interceptions in the game. Smith now has 18 interceptions and 23 total turnovers this season. Mark Sanchez had 26 turnovers in each of the past two seasons. Smith has played just two games this season without a turnover. He has thrown an interception in every other game besides those two – wins over the Falcons and Saints.

Smith said the fumble off Salas stemmed from “miscommunication on the snap count. That was it.”

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Jets' Chris Ivory sprains ankle, while Antonio Cromartie aggravates hip in loss to Ravens (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger November 24, 2013

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2013/11/jets_chris_ivory_sprains_ankle_while_antonio_cromartie_aggravates_hip_in_loss_to_ravens.html

BALTIMORE – After the Jets’ 19-3 loss Sunday at the Ravens, running back Chris Ivory limped to the X-ray room to have his left ankle examined.

Ivory said he injured his ankle on the game’s third play, when he ran for no gain. He said the X-ray appeared to show no bone damage, but that the Jets’ medical staff believes he has both a high and traditional ankle sprain. High ankle sprains can be notoriously nagging, but Ivory played through the injury Sunday. He totaled nine carries for 35 yards.

“They’re going to keep an eye on it,” Ivory said. “They’re going to evaluate it more (Monday).”

Late in Sunday’s game, Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie aggravated a nagging hip injury that had significantly bothered him early in the season. He downplayed the aggravation afterward.

“It wasn’t an impact injury at all,” Cromartie said. “Just something (where) I planted wrong and it gave out on me a little bit.”

Cromartie said he plans to “keep trying to rehab and go from there.” He is not sure if the injury will continue to be an issue, he said.

“This is the first time really, this season, during my career that it’s really bothered me this much besides when it happened in 2008,” Cromartie said, referring to a hip fracture he suffered that season while playing with San Diego.

Wide receiver Greg Salas and cornerback Dee Milliner both underwent finger X-rays after the game. Salas’ X-ray was precautionary. He has been listed on the Jets’ injury report with a finger injury. Backup linebacker Troy Davis, who plays mostly on special teams, sustained a chest injury on punt coverage, went to the locker room and did not return to the game. Ravens linebacker Courtney Upshaw popped Davis hard on the play.

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Jets wide receivers make just three catches as passing attack stutters against Ravens (Michael Fensom) Star-Ledger

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November 24, 2013

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2013/11/jets_wide_receivers_make_just_three_catches_as_passing_attack_stutters_against_ravens.html

BALTIMORE -- Wind gusts cycloned through M&T Bank Stadium this afternoon, unable to decide which direction they wanted to head at a 40-miles-per-hour clip. Coupled with a Baltimore Ravens defense that now has allowed only 11 touchdowns in 10 games gritting its teeth on the other side of the line, the Jets decided to keep the ball on the ground, rushing 28 times.

Greg Salas, the Jets’ leader with 48 receiving yards today, said the aim of the offense was to supplement the Jets defense, ferocious in its own right.

“I think that was the plan, especially in these conditions, to come out and run and play good complimentary football with the defense,” Salas said. “Play the field position battle.”

Then he added, “The passing game never really got off that well.”

Santonio Holmes labeled it a lack of “execution.” Regardless of the designation, the Jets have passed for over 200 yards just once since Week 4. Completing nine of 22 pass attempts, Geno Smith had just 127 yards today. Josh Cribbs, a wide receiver, had 13 yards with, oddly enough, a completion to Smith.

For another week, Jets wide receivers struggled. Besides Salas, the only other representative from the unit with a catch against the Ravens was Holmes. He scooped one of the four passes tossed his way, a gain of 12 yards.

David Nelson did not catch any of the five passes hoisted toward him. Stephen Hill, the target of one pass, did not have a catch for the third consecutive game.

Coming off a poor display in Buffalo last week, Rex Ryan praised the performance ahead of his offense before this trip. But the work on the practice field in Florham Park, where execution is mastered, did not travel.

“We don’t play against the Ravens team in practice,” Holmes reminded. “We play against our own team. And today we played against the Ravens.”

The Ravens defense looks different this season. Ray Lewis has retired and Ed Reed watched from the opposing sideline today. But the unit is no less formidable. It allowed just 220 yards, sacked Smith three times and intercepted him twice.

“I think they pressured the quarterback quite a bit and they made big plays in the secondary,” Holmes said, describing a formula that has worked around here for quite a while.

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Ed Reed unable to stem Jets defense's vulnerability to deep passes (Michael Fensom) Star-Ledger November 24, 2013

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2013/11/ed_reed_unable_to_stem_jets_defenses_vulnerability_to_deep_passes.html

BALTIMORE -- When Jacoby Jones began waltzing in the end zone this afternoon, you would have assumed the Baltimore Ravens wide receiver could hear the fat lady singing. With the Jets offense stalled, a 16-point lead was unassailable.

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As it turned out, that score was gratuitous -- the Jets only managed a field goal against a stern Ravens defense -- but certainly not devoid of symbolism.

Jones had scored on a 66-yard heave, a spiraling missile that once again breached the Jets’ secondary. After the Jets allowed the Ravens to connect on two more long passing plays today that led to 10 points, Rex Ryan once again spoke of his defense’s Achilles’ heel.

“We haven’t fixed it yet,” Ryan said. “All I know is we will work it until it does get fixed, and I have all the confidence in the world we’ll fix it.”

Until that moment, the Jets coach can also have confidence in the fact that opposing quarterbacks will continue to enter the huddle, look receivers in the eye and utter those choice words: “Go long.”

The Ravens took their licks today, as the Buffalo Bills, New Orleans Saints and Cincinnati Bengals have done in previous weeks. Mike Wallace, the Miami Dolphins’ speedy deep threat, will surely envision himself in the shoes of Torrey Smith, who hauled in a 60-yarder against Antonio Cromartie, and Jones.

With Cromartie shadowing Smith around the field until sidelined late in the game with a recurrence of a hip injury, rookie cornerback Dee Milliner faced off against Jones, who posted his second career 100-yard receiving game. On four catches, he had 104 yards.

The Ravens rushed to the line of scrimmage with 15 seconds remaining in the third quarter, with Milliner over Jones. The Jets called a “quarters” coverage, designed to stagger four defensive backs deep across the field.

When the Ravens took control of the ball moments earlier, Ed Reed warned his teammates that a deep pass would come on the drive. The veteran safety’s reasoning?

“They’re going to throw the ball deep because they’ve got the wind,” Reed said. “What would you do? Tell one of your fastest guys to run deep.”

Milliner took blame for letting Jones steam past him, but Reed also looked out of position.

“I never really saw the ball,” Reed said. “I should have played it different.”

Assigned to patrol the middle portion of the field, as he had done so many times in M&T Bank Stadium as a member of the Ravens, Reed also let Jones pass. Joe Flacco’s toss led Jones further toward the goal line. And soon, the victory dance began.

“That one is kind of a ‘Ripley’s Believe It Or Not’,” said Ryan, noting the coverage should have protected such a strike. “It’s hard to figure out that.”

Reed had five tackles, and balanced the miscue on the Jones touchdown by jarring the ball from his former teammate in the end zone with a vicious hit during the Ravens’ second possession.

After 11 seasons in Baltimore, Reed returned to face his former employer for the second time this year in an opposing jersey. Once again, he was treated like a guest of honor. The Jets named him a captain, and Ravens cornerback Lardarius Webb requested Reed’s jersey after the game.

But like earlier in the season with the Houston Texans, Reed walked off on the wrong end of a Ravens romp.

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Jets fall flat in loss to Ravens, drop second in a row for first time (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger November 24, 2013

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http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2013/11/jets_ravens_final.html

BALTIMORE – Jets offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg stood on the sideline Sunday afternoon, a 20-degree wind chill whipping in his face as he spoke play calls into his headset microphone.

Mornhinweg tried seemingly everything. He called direct snaps to wide receiver Josh Cribbs on four of the game’s first nine plays. On one of them, Cribbs threw a 13-yard pass to rookie quarterback Geno Smith, who had lined up wide.

That drive, the Jets’ second possession of the game, yielded a field goal. But no matter how deep Mornhinweg dug into his playbook, or how much he limited Smith’s passing responsibilities on a blustery day, the Jets would get nothing else against Baltimore, which beat them 19-3 and bruised their playoff chances.

On the Jets’ third drive, Mornhinweg motioned Smith from under center to a wide receiver’s position, and direct snapped to running back Bilal Powell, who ran for no gain. In the third quarter, Mornhinweg called three more direct snaps to Cribbs, who threw an incomplete pass on one of them.

The Jets’ offense, in its first season with Mornhinweg’s West Coast system, had never looked wackier. It had also never been less effective.

A week after losing at Buffalo and gaining 267 yards, their second fewest of the season, the Jets managed a season-low 220 against the Ravens. The Jets had 13 drives. Seven went three plays and out. Another went four and out. Yet another ended on the third play when Nick Mangold’s snap caromed off motioning receiver Greg Salas, and the Ravens recovered. The Jets converted just 1 of 12 third downs.

Two weeks ago, the Jets emerged from their off week as legitimate contenders for the AFC’s second and final wildcard spot. With two defeats since – their first back-to-back losses (or wins) of the season – the Jets (5-6) face an uphill climb in the final five games.

“We’ve probably got to win out now,” said tight end Kellen Winslow. “Who are we kidding?”

Things aren’t quite that dire yet. But the Jets’ loss and the Titans’ win over the Raiders means the Titans have the final wildcard spot, for now. Miami’s loss to Carolina sent the Dolphins (5-6) into a critical meeting this week with the Jets, who they will host in the season finale. If the Jets want that Week 17 game to matter for their playoff chances, they probably need to beat the Dolphins on Sunday at MetLife Stadium. It is really the only place the Jets have been able to win. They are 1-5 on the road.

Regardless of the venue, the Jets can ill afford to repeat their mistakes from Baltimore. Again Sunday, the Jets’ deep-ball defense floundered, as it has for most of the season. Joe Flacco’s 66-yard touchdown pass to Jacoby Jones in the third quarter, which put the Ravens up 19-3, comprised more than 20 percent of the 312 yards the Jets allowed.

But Smith did little to help his team. He completed 9 of 22 passes for 127 yards and two interceptions – a stat line that deserves some context. Both of Smith’s picks came on deep balls – one in the third quarter that essentially served as a punt, the other on a shot to the end zone with 4:23 left in the game, when the Jets were down by 16 points. Some of Smith’s day was not as bad as it seemed, from the final numbers. Some was worse. Before the Jets’ final two drives, Smith completed 4 of 15 passes for 42 yards.

“I take it upon myself to be the first one to say I didn’t play well,” said Smith, who has 18 picks. “I’ve got to pick it up and find a way to spark the offense somehow, someway.”

Avoiding nearly impossible third-and-longs would be a start. The Jets had just two third downs shorter than 5 yards. The others were third-and-6, 6, 8, 9, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14 and 17. Tight end Jeff Cumberland

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said the Jets’ 1-of-12 showing on third down is “not good enough to win any games.” But few teams can succeed with so many third-and-longs, particularly against a defense as stingy as Baltimore’s, which entered Sunday third in the NFL on third downs and 13th overall.

The Ravens (5-6) were as good as usual Sunday. The Jets’ defense, too, looked as strong against the run as it has all year, surrendering 67 yards and 31 carries.

“I thought our defense fought tough,” said right guard Willie Colon. “We’ve got to back them up by getting points.”

The Jets’ offense is “out of life lines right now,” Colon said. Solve it, or sink. Still, he will encourage Smith to overcome his struggles by taking the “marathon, not a sprint” approach. But many more showings like Sunday and this season will begin to slip away, and the focus will shift from a playoff race to coach Rex Ryan’s unsteady job security.

“We know where we want to get to,” Ryan said. “We’re not going to get there playing the way we did today.”

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NEW YORK POST

Hill finds playing time hard to come by (Brian Costello) New York Post November 24, 2013

http://nypost.com/2013/11/24/hill-starts-but-playing-time-hard-to-come-by/

BALTIMORE — Stephen Hill remained in the starting lineup, but his role in the game plan shrunk dramatically.

Hill was on the sideline for a large chunk of Sunday’s 19-3 loss to the Ravens after starting the game. He mostly played on third down, then got more time when the Jets had to go to a pass-only offense after falling behind. Hill, the second-year receiver, had no catches for the third straight game. He bristled when asked about his playing time.

“Man, ain’t nobody worried about no snaps,” he said. “Golly. Ain’t got to worry about snaps; just go out and play, that’s it. I don’t know why y’all ask me about stuff like that. It don’t make sense.”

Hill was targeted just once in the game and that was on the Jets’ final drive.

“It really doesn’t matter,” Hill said. “It don’t matter at all. I just want to win.”

Jets coach Rex Ryan said this week Hill’s performance this season had been disappointing and the team would look at cutting his role back.

The Jets sustained a couple of injuries that bear watching. CB Antonio Cromartie left the game in the fourth quarter with a hip injury. His hip has been bothering him all season, and it flared up again Sunday.

“It’s that same nagging injury, so for me the biggest thing is just to see what’s going on with it, keep trying to rehab and go from there,” he said.

RB Chris Ivory said he sprained his left ankle on his first carry in the game early in the first quarter, but played through the pain. He had an X-ray after the game and said the trainers want to evaluate him again Monday. He said the injury could be a high ankle sprain, but that seems unlikely considering he was able to play through it.

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The Jets had a bizarre fumble in the second quarter when C Nick Mangold’s shotgun snap to QB Geno Smith hit WR Greg Salas in the leg as he went in motion. The ball was recovered by Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs.

“Obviously, you’re not supposed to throw it into the receiver,” Mangold said. “That’s kind of a given. Unfortunately it was just bad timing. We had a motion on there. It’s just one of those things that rarely comes up. It’s a shame when it does.”

Smith said there was miscommunication on the snap count. The fumble was credited to Smith even though he never touched the ball.

In the “shades of Sal Alosi’ department, the Jets bench was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct after someone on the Jets bench impeded the official on the sideline trying to track a punt return. It was unclear if the person was a coach, but he got in the official’s way. It looked as if he was yelling about a block on the punt return and got too close to the field.

“It was not intentional, and you get caught up in the moment,” Jets coach Rex Ryan said. “We saw one of our players get hit. Those things happen. It’s unfortunate.”

Alosi, the Jets strength coach at the time, tripped a Dolphins player on a punt in 2010. He lost his job a few months later.

The Jets used the Wildcat effectively early in the game. Josh Cribbs even threw two passes out of the formation, one a completion to Smith for 13 yards. It was the first time a QB caught a pass for the Jets since Dec. 8, 1991, when Ken O’Brien caught a 27-yard pass from WR Al Toon at Detroit. … P Ryan Quigley hit a career-long 67-yard punt in the second quarter.

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Jets squander another solid effort by Wilkerson & Co. (Brian Lewis) New York Post November 24, 2013

http://nypost.com/2013/11/24/jets-squander-another-solid-effort-by-wilkerson-co/

BALTIMORE — There is an axiom that football is the ultimate team game, that you can’t win just on one side of the ball. With every performance by their defensive line the Jets squander, the axiom is proven true.

Gang Green’s defensive line, led by burgeoning star Muhammad Wilkerson, was stellar yet again Sunday. But the team’s offense proved bad enough to overcome the defensive line’s excellence once again in a 19-3 loss at Baltimore.

Wilkerson had two sacks, three quarterback hits and a tackle for a loss Sunday. But even that wasn’t enough.

“We lost. We didn’t play Jets’ football,” said Wilkerson, whose 10 sacks are already the most by a Jet since John Abraham had 10 ½ back in 2005. “We’ve got to stop the run, and don’t let the ball get over our head. That’s the game plan. We’re a talented group, and we can’t let that happen.”

But he insisted the offense’s woes behind struggling rookie quarterback Geno Smith haven’t heaped even more pressure on the defense.

“I never feel pressure,’’ said Wilkerson. “I’m always prepared. You always have to be prepared for everything.’’

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To be fair, the Jets’ defensive line sure looked prepared. Even with Pro Bowler Ray Rice in the backfield, they held the Ravens to 2.2 yards per carry, even better than the paltry 2.9 they’ve limited foes to all year.

And of the defense’s four sacks, Wilkerson and rookie defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson combined for 2 ½, along with four tackles for losses and four more quarterback hits.

“We did all right; gave up a few big plays, not too many. But we’ve got to do better on the big plays, we’ve got to get turnovers, regardless. We’ve got to help the offense out as much as we can,’’ said Richardson. “We’ve got to turn it around, got to turn this ship around. That’s it.’’

The Jets held the Ravens to a modest 362 yards, and Baltimore coach John Harbaugh tried trickery to move the ball against Gang Green, including mobile backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor taking direct snaps and even catching passes.

“The Jets played their hearts out. Excellent defensive front, especially,’’ said Harbaugh. “Excellent defense. They put a lot of pressure on you.’’

Now, with the way Smith has regressed, the pressure is on the Jets. They have fallen to 5-6 after losing back-to-back games for the first time all season, and by the looks of it any win they get may have to come on the backs of the defensive line.

“We’ve got to try and win every game,’’ said Wilkerson. “That’s our mind-set at every game: We’ve got to try and win.’’

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Jets may be just who we thought they were (Mike Vaccaro) New York Post November 24, 2013

http://nypost.com/2013/11/24/jets-may-be-just-who-we-thought-they-were-all-along/

BALTIMORE — As they trundled off the field and through the corridors of M&T Bank Stadium, the Jets could hear the animated voice of the Ravens’ radio announcer, Gerry Sandusky, as he took great delight in filling the listeners of WBAL radio with a sharp spasm of hope.

“And the Ravens improve to 5-6 on the season,” Sandusky crowed, etching a final stamp on this 19-3 Ravens victory, “and they are RIGHT … BACK … in the PLAYOFF … HUNT!”

And in their ears and in their hearts, one by one, man after man, the Jets had to have thought the same thing as they tore off their tape and pulled at their pads.

We’re 5-6, too.

So why does our season feel deader than disco?

“We have five one-week seasons left,” linebacker David Harris would say, his soft voice plainly audible from the other side of a thoroughly defeated locker room. “It’s still not over.”

Mathematically, he is right. And because the AFC has devolved into a muddled, muddied mess of mediocrity, he is also technically correct, because as we wake up this morning everyone seems to be 5-6 except for the Canton Bulldogs and the Frankford Yellow Jackets.

But we have officially entered a realm with the Jets that looks an awful lot like the one we thought might define their season from the very start. The Jets took an early 3-0 lead and then spent the remaining 3 ½ quarters looking, to put it kindly, non-competitive.

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“We didn’t play Jets football,” defensive end Mo Wilkerson said, but that was the troubling part: that was exactly what they played, at least by the standard they’ve set the past two weeks, by the way they’ve looked in losing three of their last four games, all on the road, by an average of 26 points.

They were one of the NFL’s feel-good stories through nine games and five wins, enjoying a lot of outrageous good fortune along the way, sprinkling in just enough resilience that they were able to look themselves in the mirror and not believe the whole season was exclusively the result of a winning lottery ticket.

Now?

Now the rookie quarterback has taken a couple of extra-large steps backward, such a turnover machine that he was officially charged with a fumble on a ball he never even touched, when a snap accidentally (we assume) hit wide receiver Greg Salas as he was running in motion.

“I have to be better,” Geno Smith said, for the 824th time this season, proving that accountability, while a splendid trait, isn’t nearly as useful to a team as adequate quarterback play would be.

And the defense, which has had its moments this year, had a few other kinds of moments Sunday, stuffing the run to satisfaction (though against these Ravens this year, that’s hardly worthy of a medal) but yielding another batch of big plays, highlighted by the 66-yard scoring hookup from Joe Flacco to Jacoby Jones that ended the game’s lingering charade of competitiveness. Jones caught the ball in the middle of three Jets, allowing one of them, Ed Reed, to have his official Jets indoctrination.

Rex Ryan called that one “A Ripley’s Believe-it-or-Not.”

Believe it. The Jets, as it turns out, and with apologies to Dennis Green, may well be exactly what we thought they were. There is a growing sense that the rest of this season looks like it might be a macrocosm of this game: just enough hope to maintain your interest, not nearly enough firepower, and basic football skill, to make anything of it.

“We have to be smart and we have to be honest with ourselves,” guard Willie Colon said. “What are we doing wrong? And why are we doing wrong? We have to figure that out, and we have to do it in a hurry.”

He’s right about four of those five things. But maybe it’s best that the Jets try to go back to fooling themselves. Not so long ago they were 5-4 and actually getting weary of all the questions about their worthiness as a playoff contender.

That would be an awfully good problem to have again.

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Gang’s deep-ball woe continues vs. Reed’s former squad (Brian Lewis) New York Post November 24, 2013

http://nypost.com/2013/11/24/gangs-deep-ball-woe-continues-vs-reeds-former-squad/

BALTIMORE — Ed Reed had a Hall of Fame-caliber run in Baltimore, with nine Pro Bowls and a Super Bowl ring. But in Sunday’s homecoming with the Jets he looked venerable and vulnerable, partly culpable on a game-clinching deep touchdown and powerless to keep his old team from routing his new one 19-3.

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“It’s always special being here. You hate to be on this side of the fence, but somebody’s got to win and somebody’s got to lose,’’ said Reed, 35. “It was a great football game. It’s a child’s game we play, and we had fun. But, like I said, we’ve got to make our corrections and be ready to play next week.’’

There is much to be corrected. Reed was signed to fix the Jets’ weakness: Defending the deep ball. Turns out that Achilles’ heel is still an open wound.

With the Jets trailing 12-3 at M & T Bank Stadium, the Ravens victimized their former free safety. With 15 seconds left in the third quarter and the wind at Baltimore’s back, coach Rex Ryan correctly predicted a deep ball and went to the quarters defense. It didn’t help.

Jacoby Jones got by cornerback Dee Milliner, and even though Reed tried to come over and help, it was to no avail. Jones split them for a 66-yard score, doing his homage to “Dancing With the Stars” partner Karina Smirnoff in the end zone to add insult to the Jets’ injured pride.

“Because of how I was running I never really saw the ball. I should’ve played it different,’’ Reed said. “I probably should’ve just grabbed Jacoby, taken the pass interference instead, being in that position I was in. But he made a play.

“Jacoby adjusted to the ball real well. I could’ve just grabbed him, took the pass interference. … Just simple adjustments we’ve got make. We know how to play quarters, we know where to be on that, we knew they were about to take a shot. It’s bad that we knew they were throwing the ball deep and not play it.’’

Reed had made a nice play in the first quarter on Jones, jarring the ball loose in the end zone to prevent a touchdown and make the Ravens settle for a field goal. And on the long score, Milliner accepted full culpability, while Ryan said it was a complete breakdown, with two players more responsible than Reed had been.

“I’m not going to pin it on any individual, certainly not on one guy, certainly not on Ed Reed,’’ said Ryan. “He’d probably be third on that list, if you want all honesty.’’

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Jets report card (Brian Costello) New York Post November 24, 2013

http://nypost.com/2013/11/24/jets-report-card-72/

OFFENSE

This was as bad a performance as the Jets have had in a while. They gained just 220 yards and 76 of those came in the fourth quarter. Rookie QB Geno Smith (9-of-22, 127 yards, 2 INT, 1 fumble) had another terrible game. The Jets moved the ball a little in the Wildcat formation, but that has to be a wrinkle, not something you run all game. The leading receiver was Greg Salas, who had 48 yards. It was particularly ugly on third down (1-for-12).

GRADE: F

DEFENSE

It was the same old story. The front seven did an outstanding job stopping the Ravens run and the back end gave up a few big plays. The Ravens ran for just 2.2 yards per carry as the front bottled them up. DE Muhammad Wilkerson had two sacks, bringing his season total to 10. But the Jets gave up a 66-yard touchdown with CB Dee Milliner and S Ed Reed letting WR Jacoby Jones get behind them.

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GRADE: C

SPECIAL TEAMS

P Ryan Quigley put three punts inside the Ravens’ 20-yard line on a windy day in Baltimore and K Nick Folk hit his only field goal try. But the Jets return game continues to struggle. With the offense hurting, the Jets could use a big return to lift the team but have not gotten it.

GRADE: C+

COACHING

At some point Rex Ryan has to do something drastic to shake his offense up. If it’s not benching Smith, then he has to be creative. This offense stinks right now. Marty Mornhinweg threw some creative looks at the Ravens early out of the Wildcat, but he has to figure out a way to give Smith more help. Ryan’s defensive game plan was good. You can’t pin this one on the defense. One of the coaches was flagged for getting in the ref’s way on a punt return. That was a dumb penalty to get and the sideline can never get penalties.

GRADE: D

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Jets blitz: Another bad day for Geno; Jacoby burns secondary (Brian Costello) New York Post November 24, 2013

http://nypost.com/2013/11/24/jets-blitz-another-bad-day-for-geno-jacoby-burns-secondary/

Geno Smith went 9-for-22 for 127 yards with two interceptions and a fumble against Baltimore on Sunday.

Photo: UPI

HERO: Ravens wide receiver Jacoby Jones came up with the play of the day on a 66-yard touchdown that iced the game for Baltimore. The play was the only touchdown of the game. Jones beat rookie cornerback Dee Milliner and safety Ed Reed on the play. Jones finished with four catches for 103 yards and the score.

ZERO: Jets rookie quarterback Geno Smith looks lost. He went 9-for-22 for 127 yards with two interceptions and a fumble in the game. The fumble was not truly his fault, but he now has 23 turnovers this season. Smith could not figure out a way to get the Jets offense out of neutral all day.

UNSUNG HERO: Ravens kicker Justin Tucker made four field goals and kept giving the Ravens points when their offense stalled. It was an extremely windy day, but Tucker was unfazed.

KEY STAT: 1 — The number of third-down conversions for the Jets in 12 tries. The one conversion did not come until late in the third quarter.

QUOTE: “I know I am.” — Geno Smith when asked if he still believes he’s the man to lead the Jets to the playoffs.

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Geno steers the Jets on another flight to ‘L’ (Brian Lewis) New York Post November 24, 2013

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28 | P a g e

http://nypost.com/2013/11/24/jets-embarrassed-in-baltimore/

BALTIMORE — Can Matt Simms really be any worse than Geno Smith right now?

The question has to be asked inside the Jets’ offices after watching Smith stumble and bumble his way through a 19-3 loss to the Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday.

It was the Jets’ second straight loss, the first time they lost consecutive games after alternating wins and losses through the season’s first 10 games.

In a word, Smith was awful. He threw two more interceptions, was terrible on third down and failed to provide any evidence he is the quarterback to lead this team. Simms is even more inexperienced than Smith, but it is fair to now wonder whether the Jets would be better off with him under center.

Smith understands people are going to want to see Simms after he completed 9-of-22 passes for 127 yards with the two interceptions. He was also credited with a tough fumble on a shotgun snap that hit a man in motion, bringing his season total for turnovers to an NFL high of 23.

“Two losses and that’s this league, man. Everyone wants to put a new quarterback in and I understand that,” Smith said. “I’m not worried about anything other than trying to get better and I’m not going to sit here and say that my job is 100 percent secure because every guy in this locker room has to prove themselves daily.”

Asked if he still believes he is the man to lead the Jets to the playoffs, Smith defiantly said: “I know I am.”

It did not look like it Sunday and it has not looked like it in a while. Smith has now gone 19 quarters without throwing a touchdown pass, dating back to the first quarter of the Patriots game on Oct. 20. In his last six games, he has thrown one touchdown and committed 12 turnovers.

“He’s had better days,” coach Rex Ryan said. “The turnovers, you know, the two interceptions, forced the issue down there. It looked like you’ve got to take a shot in that situation. … The numbers look bad, but at the time of the game and all that, it’s not the worst thing.”

Ryan had a bigger issue with drops by wide receivers than with Smith. Ryan seems to be falling into the same trap he did with a young Mark Sanchez, avoiding saying anything critical of the quarterback. But that is not going to fly in a locker room that knows it would have a better record right now with a better quarterback.

The Jets went 1-for-12 on third down and gained just 3 yards in the second quarter. A combination of good Jets defense and bad Ravens offense kept the score close until Jacoby Jones beat Jets defensive backs Dee Milliner and Ed Reed for a 66-yard touchdown at the end of the third quarter that made the score 19-3.

The loss drops the Jets to 5-6, where they are still tied for the sixth spot in the AFC playoff race somehow, but now would lose out on tiebreakers.

Jets players said the right things about Smith in the locker room, avoiding any direct criticism of the rookie quarterback but you can feel the resentment building, particularly among defensive players.

Smith was not the only one to blame on the offense, though. The offensive line gave up three sacks and the wide receivers failed to make many plays for Smith. Greg Salas and Santonio Holmes (combined three catches) were the only wide receivers to catch a ball. David Nelson had zero despite five targets and Stephen Hill had his third straight game with no catches.

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“We have to be smart and we have to be honest with ourselves,” guard Willie Colon said. “What are we doing wrong? And why are we doing it wrong? We have to figure that out, and we have to do it in a hurry.”

The Jets’ only lead was 3-0. Ravens kicker Justin Tucker made four field goals to push it to a 12-3 lead as Baltimore had trouble moving the ball on a tough Jets defense.

This is the second straight game in which Smith’s play has been abysmal. After notching a 10.1 passer rating last week in Buffalo, he improved slightly to 22.3 this week.

“I just haven’t played well,” Smith said. “I don’t want to put my finger on anything [specific]. I just haven’t played well. It’s been very hot and cold. I’ve got to find a way, like I said, to spark this offense, whether it’s running the ball, maybe try to juke a guy, run a guy over, something to get things going.”

The Jets have five games left to make their playoff run. Right now, his teammates still support him.

“He’s going to continue to be our starter,” Holmes said, “and he’s going to get better each and every week and he’s going to lead us to where we need to be at sooner or later.”

The Jets’ next game comes next Sunday, which is Dec. 1. It’s starting to feel a whole lot later than sooner right now.

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NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

As Geno Smith struggles, NY Jets stuck with rookie QB - or a drastic change (Manish Mehta) New York Daily News November 25, 2013

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/mehta-jets-caught-rook-hard-place-article-1.1527971

BALTIMORE — Rex Ryan is in too deep now, too invested in a hard-working, mistake-prone rookie quarterback to jolt the Jets’ landscape by making a seismic change with the playoffs remarkably still in sight.

Geno Smith has been in statistical free-fall for the better part of six weeks, a sharp decline that has clouded everything for a franchise managing its present and future. His eighth multiturnover game in the Jets’ 19-3 loss to the Ravens on Sunday highlighted an anemic offensive performance that abruptly bumped the Jets out of the final wild-card spot.

Although Smith maintained that “there’s always light at the end of the tunnel” for a team that finally got off its season-long see-saw with its second consecutive loss, Ryan’s chances of breaking a two-year playoff drought to solidify his own future with the Jets shrinks with each clunker from his quarterback.

“He’s had better days,” Ryan kindly put it before taking an exit route he rarely takes when asked whether Smith will be the starter next week against the Dolphins.

“We’ll look at the tape,” Ryan said.

People will certainly clamor for a quarterback change now that Smith’s regression has lasted for a month and a half. The rookie followed up his four-turnover nightmare in Buffalo seven days ago with another forgettable performance: 9-for-22, 127 yards, three turnovers, including two interceptions and a 22.3 quarterback rating.

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“That’s this league,” Smith said. “Everyone wants to put a new quarterback in. I understand that. I’m not worried about anything other than trying to get better. . . . I’m not going to sit here and say that my job is 100% secure, because every single guy in this locker room has to prove themselves daily. That’s the way we work around here.”

Smith has never scurried for shelter in the wake of his poor performances, but accountability alone doesn’t change the harsh truth for a team that, with the tiebreakers factored in, now finds itself behind the Ravens, Steelers, Chargers and Titans for one available playoff spot with five games left.

Smith’s early-season flashes helped the Jets turn into more than cellar-dwellers, but his growing pains may ultimately keep them on the outside looking in. He’s been a statistical nightmare since his three-touchdown masterpiece against the Falcons in Week 5. Smith has thrown one touchdown pass and committed 12 turnovers in the past six games, raising questions about whether Ryan should make a change and turn to the more inexperienced Matt Simms.

Ryan, perhaps unwittingly, left the door open to that possibility by refusing to declare Smith his starter for next week’s critical game against the 5-6 Dolphins, but it would be a mistake to pull the plug now.

Ryan probably would have already turned to David Garrard if the veteran QB had anything left, but it’s clear that his role doesn’t extend beyond mentor. Simms is the sexy choice, but would Ryan place his team’s (and his own) playoff fate in a quarterback with only two quarters of experience on his resume? Way too risky.

Sticking with Smith makes the most sense. His teammates said they still have confidence in the rookie quarterback despite the glaring mistakes that seem to be occurring on a consistent basis these days.

“Young guys like that tend to go into a hole,” wide receiver Josh Cribbs said. “I just don’t want him to do that. Make sure he doesn’t. . . . He’s pretty good at bouncing back. . . . All we can do with him is go back to the drawing board. Forget about that and focus on the next week. Because when he is hitting on all cylinders, he can’t be stopped.”

Smith never got started against the reigning Super Bowl champions. The Jets went a head-shaking 1-for-12 on third down en route to a season-low 220 total yards. Smith & Co. had seven three-and-outs on 13 possessions. They only had three drives that didn’t result in a three-and-out or turnover.

“We know where we want to get to,” Ryan said. “We’re not going to get there playing the way we did today.”

T here were breakdowns everywhere on offense. From dropped passes to mediocre pass protection, the Jets looked out of sync from start to finish. Offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg dialed up plenty of Wildcat plays in the first half with Cribbs rather than take shots down the field with Smith, who had only six pass attempts by halftime.

It was hard to blame Smith for a turnover on a botched shotgun snap that bounced off of motion receiver Greg Salas in the second quarter, but his pair of second-half interceptions on deep passes were emblematic of his recent struggles.

Smith didn’t hesitate when asked if he believed that he was still the right man to help the Jets make a playoff push with just over a month left in the regular season.

“I know I am,” he said.

Maybe he is. Maybe he isn’t.

Ryan really has no choice but to stand by him.

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Rex Ryan offers no guarantees of Geno Smith's starting job after NY Jets lose to Ravens (Seth Walder) New York Daily News November 24, 2013

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/jets-streak-losing-ravens-top-ny-article-1.1527485

BALTIMORE — Rex Ryan wasted no time saying that Geno Smith was his starting quarterback after last week’s loss to Buffalo. On Sunday, the coach offered no such guarantees.

“I’m not going to talk about any individual,” Ryan said after the Jets’ 19-3 loss to the Ravens in which Smith couldn’t even move the team a little bit and threw two more interceptions. “Starter, backup, whatever. I want to watch the tape.”

Smith said he wasn’t worried about losing his starting job, but added, “I’m not going to sit here and say that my job is 100% secure because every single guy in this locker room has to prove themselves daily.”

Asked if he thinks he’s still the quarterback to lead the Jets to the playoffs, Smith said, “I know I am.”

When Willie Colon was asked about outsiders possibly calling for a quarterback change, the guard at least hinted at support of the rookie while declining to answer the question.

“You’re going to make me curse, so next question,” Colon said. “I’m trying not to curse.”

Santonio Holmes was asked if the offense’s issues were a result of Smith being a rookie.

“Why would I do that? Why would I blame it on my starting quarterback? Next question,” Holmes said.

The locker room was in that kind of volatile state after the Jets’ see-saw, in which they had alternated wins and losses from the very first week, finally came to a halt. Their second straight loss put them on the wrong side of .500 for the first time this season.

It also dropped them, at 5-6, out of the sixth playoff spot due to tiebreakers. With the Jets playing it ultra-conservative with Smith, they put forth another cringe-worthy day on offense that ended without a touchdown.

Smith finished the day 9-for-22 for 127 yards and the two picks.

“I’ll take it upon myself to be the first one to say that I didn’t play that well,” Smith said. “And I’ve got to pick it up. And I’ve got to find a way to spark the offense, somehow, some way.”

Of course, it could be backup quarterback Matt Simms who is under center when the Jets play for their season against the Dolphins next week.

Tight end Kellen Winslow refused to endorse one quarterback over the other.

“Got a lot of confidence in whoever’s out there,” Winslow said. “Whoever is our quarterback or whoever is representing the Jets we have confidence in.”

Gang Green’s playoff hopes took a double hit since the loss came against a team that’s in the wild-card chase.

The Ravens (5-6) now hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Jets, and leapfrogged them in the standings. Six AFC teams are tied at 5-6, with the Titans currently holding the sixth playoff spot.

“We’re out of lifelines right now,” Colon said.

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Lost in the mess of the offense was the fact that the defense largely played well. That the Jets were able to hold the Ravens to 19 points was an accomplishment, considering seven of Gang Green’s 12 drives ended in three-and-outs (and another with a fumble on the third play).

The defense wasn’t entirely blameless, however, as it was haunted again by the deep ball.

Joe Flacco threw two long passes that crushed the Jets, one to Torrey Smith over Antonio Cromartie for 60 yards in the second quarter and another for a 66-yard touchdown to Jacoby Jones with Ed Reed and Dee Milliner in coverage late in the third quarter.

“On defense, when you’re playing in a game like that, you’ve got to be sound, got to be good, and it has to be for 60 minutes,” Ryan said. “There’s probably three or four plays that we weren’t.”

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NY Jets' Chris Ivory, Antonio Cromartie injured in loss to Ravens (Seth Walder) New York Daily News November 24, 2013

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/jets-insider-ivory-cro-banged-loss-article-1.1527871

BALTIMORE — If the Jets have any hope of nabbing a playoff berth, they’ll need health to be on their side. Two important players, Chris Ivory and Antonio Cromartie, were nicked up in Sunday’s 19-3 loss.

Ivory said he sprained his ankle on his first run of the game. The running back was asked if it was an upper or lower ankle sprain, to which he responded, “Both.” Ivory said he believes he will undergo an MRI on the ankle. He remained in the game and rushed for 35 yards on nine carries.

Cromartie left the game in the fourth quarter with a hip injury, but did not seem particularly concerned.

“It’s good. Right now I’m OK, feel fine, just got to go from there,” Cromartie said.

SIDELINE SIDESHOW

The Jets were called for an unusual unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, for interfering with an official during a play. An unknown person on the Jets’ sideline stood on the white of the out-of-bounds marker, impeding an official during a punt in the third quarter. The play conjured images of the Sal Alosi trip play, when the former Jets’ strength coach stuck out a leg to trip Dolphin Nolan Carroll on a punt.

HILL SHUT OUT

Stephen Hill did not make a catch for the third straight game. Hill started but his snaps were limited. He was only targeted once.

DROPS KICKED

With many problems plaguing the team’s offense on Sunday, Rex Ryan chose to blame dropped passes for the meltdown. “It’s hard to be consistent when there’s drops. That’s another problem, another issue we thought we moved past, but apparently, we aren't there yet. Clearly, we have a ton of work to do.”

Ryan was upset, but the stats don’t back him up. The Jets only had two drops, one by David Nelson and one by Santonio Holmes.

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NY Jets need to prepare for Dolphins, who go deep in loss to Carolina Panthers (Kevin Armstrong) New York Daily News November 24, 2013

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33 | P a g e

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/gang-facing-long-day-sunday-fish-article-1.1527857

MIAMI — Fair warning to Jets defenders: deep balls are coming from the Dolphins, too.

Miami made good use of the longball Sunday against the Carolina Panthers at Sun Life Stadium. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill found Mike Wallace, the speedy wideout brought in during free agency, twice for receptions of more than 50 yards (first for 53, then for 57.)

Those were the longest gains of Wallace’s brief Miami tenure, but he was unable to haul in a last-minute heave when Tannehill needed him most. Unable to pull off the catch after sprinting across the field and turning both ways on a route called “Big,” Wallace and Miami watched the Panthers rally for a 20-16 win.

“You’re basically just on a hope and a prayer,” Tannehill said.

Coach Joe Philbin acknowledged the need to finish out plays and games.

“We had the ball in our hands,” Philbin said. “You have to catch the ball.”

The Dolphins (5-6) will try to seize more opportunities against the Jets (5-6) next Sunday when the AFC East rivals reunite at MetLife Stadium. Tied for second place in the division and fighting for an AFC wild card, both teams will attempt to rebound from losses. It will be up to Rex Ryan and his defense to make sure that Tannehill does not find Wallace behind the cornerbacks and safeties.

For Philbin and the Dolphins, it will be about maintaining momentum in the passing game.

“We kill ourselves,” Wallace said. “We gotta have a killer instinct. I don’t think we really have it right now.”

Like the Jets, the Dolphins have endured uneven play through 11 games, but Miami players and coaches also had to answer questions about off-field issues again last week. Ted Wells, the NFL’s special investigator charged with reviewing allegations of bullying that offensive lineman Jonathan Martin leveled against teammate Richie Incognito, visited the team. Wells spoke with Incognito over two days at the Dolphins’ practice facility. Philbin, Tannehill and others were interviewed as well. All of those involved insisted that the process did not take away from their preparation. Martin had previously met with Wells in midtown Manhattan on Nov. 15. All parties have cooperated thus far. Incognito remains suspended for his alleged actions toward Martin.

“Our guys were ready to play the game,” Philbin said. “I think that was evident.”

They just weren’t ready to finish it.

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NY Jets' Ed Reed toasted by Joe Flacco's deep pass to Jacoby Jones (Seth Walder) New York Daily News November 24, 2013

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/jets-new-pickup-reed-weep-article-1.1527855

BALTIMORE — Ed Reed was brought in to stop the deep ball. On Sunday, he gave it up, on what turned out to be the back-breaking play of the Jets’ 19-3 loss to the Ravens: a 66-yard touchdown to Jacoby Jones with five seconds left in the third quarter.

Joe Flacco heaved a long pass in Jones’ direction with Dee Milliner in coverage and Reed in the area. Reed appeared to be in position to make a play but didn’t turn around in time and drifted behind Jones.

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“We knew they were going to take a shot,” Reed said. “They had the wind at their backs. So we knew they were going to throw deep.”

Despite what appeared to be Reed’s error on the play, Rex Ryan wouldn’t throw the veteran under the bus.

“I’m not going to pin it on any individual, certainly not one guy, certainly not Ed Reed,” the coach said. “He’d probably be third on that list if you want all honesty.”

“We’re playing quarters coverage —that one was kind of a Ripley’s Believe it or Not,” Ryan added. “It’s been our Achilles heel, giving up the deep ball.”

Reed used one curious adjective to describe the game: fun.

“It’s a child’s game we play,” Reed said. “We had fun.”

The safety was referring to the fact he was able to return to Baltimore, where he enjoyed so much success, but it still could be seen as an eyebrow-raising word after a brutal loss.

Earlier in the game, Antonio Cromartie gave up a 60-yard pass to Torrey Smith, continuing Cromartie’s troubles with the long ball this season.

“Feels like I had a good position, felt like at the end of the play, towards the end, I felt like he just separated a little bit just from a little nudge with his elbow or something,” Cromartie said. “And (Smith) made a great catch on the ball.”

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Jets offense is dismal in 19-3 loss to Ravens (Seth Walder) New York Daily News November 24, 2013

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/jets-streak-losing-ravens-top-ny-article-1.1527485

Wake up Jets fans, you lost.

Gang Green's offense was so boring and lackluster Sunday that it may have caused Gang Green Nation to doze off mid-way through the Jets’ 19-3 loss to the Ravens in Baltimore. All year Rex Ryan has been trying to get the Jets to break the 10-game streak of alternating wins and losses, but this wasn't how he wanted the streak to end.

The loss especially hurts the Jets' playoff chances because it gave the a direct competitor a win. The Ravens leap-frogged the Jets in the wildcard standing by tying their record and holding the head-to-head tiebreaker.

The offense was so bad that the numbers look comical: Geno Smith was 9-for-22 with 127 yards, zero interceptions, two interceptions and a fumble.

The defense was largely magnificent, save for two long passes surrendered by Ed Reed and Antonio Cromartie. That the Ravens only scored 19 was remarkable given how inept the offense was.

The game started out as a defense-first snooze-fest.

With 9:18 left in the second quarter and down 6-3, the Jets made their first major error of the game. On what was supposed to be a shotgun play, the snap hit Greg Salas running in motion, leaving the ball bouncing on the ground. Bilal Powell should have fallen on it, but didn't, and it was scooped up by Terrell Suggs.

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Two plays later, however, the Ravens gave it right back when Joe Flacco threw a pass right at Antonio Cromartie, allowing the Jets to start a brand new drive on their own 29-yard line.

The Jets didn't capitalize on that turnover, and after the Ravens kicked another field goal, the half ended 9-3 in Baltimore's favor.

The Jets could not have been more conservative in the first two quarters, as Smith was just 2-7 passing for 21 yards. Gang Green ran five wildcat plays in the first half, including a Josh Cribbs completion to Smith for 13 yards.

Down 12-3 late in the third quarter, Smith actually lead the Jets on a drive. For the first time Sunday though, he was picked off, by Corey Graham on a deep pass to David Nelson on a long third down play that effectively acted as a punt.

Finally, however, the Jets defense broke. Flacco lofted a deep pass in the middle of the field to Jacoby Jones with Dee Milliner in coverage and Ed Reed in support. Reed misplayed the ball in the air, running behind Jones, allowing the receiver to make the grab and run into the end zone for a 66-yard touchdown to put the Ravens up 19-3 with five seconds left in the third quarter.

The Jets continued to scuffle on offense, and it wasn't until late in the fourth quarter when they attempted a desperation drive where Smith finally was finding his receivers. But it didn't last long, because as Smith tried to throw a ball to Greg Salas in the end zone, he was picked off again by Graham again on an underthrow, ending all hope for Gang Green.

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NEW YORK TIMES

Jets’ Dreams Crash Into Harsh Reality in Loss to Ravens (Ben Shpigel) New York Times November 24, 2013

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/25/sports/football/jets-dreams-crash-into-harsh-reality-in-loss-to-ravens.html?ref=football&_r=0

BALTIMORE — Justin Tucker, the Ravens’ kicker, lined up for a 26-yard field goal Sunday. The snap was solid. The hold was, too. And when he booted the ball through the uprights, the scoreboard at M&T Bank Stadium might as well have flashed: “Ravens Win! Ravens Win!”

Because that field goal buried the Jets. Really and truly buried them. It came less than five minutes into the second quarter. It gave Baltimore a 3-point lead. From then on, the Jets’ 19-3 loss contained a few scintillas of suspense. Among them:

■ Would they get burned on yet another deep touchdown pass? Yes.

■ How many interceptions would Geno Smith throw? Two.

■ Would a snap actually thwack Greg Salas while he was in motion, with Baltimore recovering the loose ball? Uh-huh.

Those all qualified. But never in doubt was how many points they would finish with.

“I guess over all, just about everything,” center Nick Mangold said when asked what ailed the Jets’ offense. He was not being flippant. He was being honest. Coach Rex Ryan said the Jets were girding for a low-scoring game, but this is not what he meant.

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The Jets did not score — never threatened to, either — after a Nick Folk field goal put them ahead midway through the first quarter. It is difficult to sustain drives when a team converts 1 of 12 third-down chances, or when its offensive line struggles in pass protection, or when its quarterback completes 9 of 22 passes.

All of these are recurring problems for the Jets, who have lost their last two games by a combined 39 points. Week after week, Smith vows not to turn the ball over; Ryan vows that the secondary will better defend deep passes; and various players proclaim that everything will be fixed, because it has to, it just does.

There are five games remaining in the Jets’ season. They dream of playing more. But their fans, at this point, may wish there were fewer. Ryan, straying from his normal postgame protocol, answered questions about individual performances by saying that he preferred to watch the game film first.

“This is on us collectively and how we can improve moving forward,” Ryan said.

And so, he did not address the job security of Smith, who in the last six games has completed 49.1 percent of his passes with a touchdown and 10 interceptions, struggles that at least invited the distant possibility of a quarterback change for next week’s game against Miami.

Ryan did not much discuss a flailing offense that has scored four touchdowns in its last 52 possessions.

And aside from acknowledging that Ed Reed ranked third in the hierarchy of culpability, Ryan did not explain how a defensive call intended to thwart the vertical passing game — quarters coverage — failed to prevent Joe Flacco’s 66-yard touchdown to Jacoby Jones. Not that those extra 7 points mattered much, anyway.

“We’ve got to fix our mistakes,” defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson said. “We can’t let the same mistakes beat us.”

Wilkerson could have said as much after losses in Tennessee or Cincinnati. The Jets, after rebounding from those defeats to win their next game, were hailed for their resilience and competitive spirit. Now that they have lost two straight games for the first time all season, their so-called elasticity will be tested even more.

The playoffs, to the Jets now, represent two four-letter words stacked atop each other. At 5-6, they remain in contention, and not only that, but in a six-way tie for the A.F.C.’s final wild-card spot. Their problem is that three of those teams — Tennessee, Pittsburgh and, now, Baltimore — hold the head-to-head tiebreaker advantage.

“We’re out of lifelines right now,” guard Willie Colon said.

And if one were thrown, could they catch it? Ryan attributed some of the Jets’ inefficiency to their dropped passes. There were a few, indeed. But enough to account for 60 minutes of woefulness? Unlikely.

Smith went around to members of his receiving corps afterward and reinforced his confidence in them. Many prominent members of the offense — Colon, Mangold, Santonio Holmes — responded in kind, but ultimately Ryan and his staff, with General Manager John Idzik, will decide whether a switch is necessary. Starting Smith’s backup, Matt Simms, would serve as an indictment both of Smith and of Idzik’s call to draft him.

“I’m not going to sit here and say that my job is 100 percent secure, because every single guy in this locker room has to prove themselves daily,” Smith said.

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37 | P a g e

Smith has proved himself capable every day but Sunday for the last seven weeks. The offensive coordinator, Marty Mornhinweg, evaluating Smith’s recent performance, said last week, “I’m not so sure he’s in a funk.” If not a funk, then what? A tailspin? A whirl?

Mornhinweg would not say, but his play-calling on Sunday answered the question. The Jets integrated Wildcat calls and running plays and anything that would inhibit Smith from throwing the ball.

Smith caught a pass, from Josh Cribbs, before he threw one. At halftime, he was 2 for 7 for 21 yards. On six of their first seven possessions, the Jets failed to record a first down. After Smith’s second interception, with about four minutes remaining, a good chunk of the crowd filed for the exits. Even the Ravens’ fans could not watch anymore.

The Jets’ 220 yards of total offense was a season low.

The Ravens were not cowed by their own struggling offensive line or Flacco’s season-long stretch of imprecision. If anything, they were emboldened, aware of the Jets’ miserable pass defense. Flacco’s touchdown to Jones split Dee Milliner and Reed, who did not look back for the ball, he said, because he could not find it.

That came after a 60-yard toss to Torrey Smith, which was the fifth of at least 53 yards allowed this season by Antonio Cromartie. Smith’s reception set up the afternoon’s most pivotal moment. Seven plays later, Tucker made that 26-yarder. The Ravens led, 6-3, with 10 minutes 15 seconds remaining in the first half. The game was over. And if the Jets do not resolve their issues quickly, their season soon will be, too.

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WALL STREET JOURNAL

The Jets Bumble, Bungle and Botch (Stu Woo) Wall Street Journal November 24, 2013

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304465604579218301639352512

BALTIMORE—The play that summarizes the Jets' season so far happened here, in the second quarter on Sunday, when center Nick Mangold tried to make a routine shotgun snap to quarterback Geno Smith.

The problem was Greg Salas was in the way. The receiver was in motion, running to his left, when the snap bounced off the inside of his left thigh, as if it were the blade of a miniature-golf-course windmill.

Baltimore eventually recovered the fumble and scored on the Jets, whose encore to that error was to make several more mistakes in what would become a clownish 19-3 loss that crimped their chances of making the playoffs.

Smith threw two interceptions and completed just nine of 22 pass attempts for 127 yards. The receivers dropped at least three passes. The defense, unsurprisingly, surrendered two pass plays of at least 60 yards.

And even the coaches bumbled—literally—as one of them got flagged for a 15-yard penalty after getting too close to the field and colliding with an official who was running down the sideline during a play.

"We have some things that need to be corrected," Smith said. "It starts with me."

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38 | P a g e

The defeat broke what had been a season-long pattern of winning a game and then losing one, but not in the way the Jets wanted. They have now bungled away two consecutive games, after their 37-14 fiasco in Buffalo last week.

With the loss, the Jets surrendered their hold on the AFC's sixth and final playoff spot. Before Sunday, they were assured of making the playoffs had they won their remaining games. As of early Sunday evening, they shared a record with three teams, Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Tennessee, that have already beaten them this season and thus hold a playoff tiebreaker over them.

"We know where we want to get to," said head coach Rex Ryan. "We're not going to get there playing the way we did today. That's the challenge moving forward. We have to get better in a hurry."

There are two things Ryan needs to fix: His offense, which for the third time this season failed to score a touchdown, and his pass defense, which entered Sunday's game having surrendered 20 passes of 30 yards or longer, the third-most in the league.

Ryan had spent this week trying to improve that pass defense, having his defensive backs take extra time working on individual long-pass drills that his father, former NFL coach Buddy Ryan, had taught him.

They didn't work. After the teams traded field goals in the first quarter, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco threw deep to receiver Torrey Smith down the right sideline in the second quarter. Smith, whom Jets coaches said was among the fastest guys in football, had simply outrun cornerback Antonio Cromartie, who finally pushed Smith out of bounds after a 60-yard gain.

"Torrey just battled for position, he won the position and made a great catch on the ball," Cromartie said.

After the pass, the Ravens scored a field goal to take a 6-3 lead, and then added another just after the first half's two-minute warning to make the score 9-3 at halftime. At that point, the Jets offense had gained just 34 passing yards and 46 rushing yards. They punted on four of their six first-half possessions.

The second half was even worse. They punted on the first two third-quarter possessions, while the Ravens kicked another field goal. On the third possession, Baltimore cornerback Corey Graham intercepted an underthrown Smith pass on a long third-down play.

Four plays later, Smith's counterpart, Flacco, struck again, throwing down the middle of the field to a streaking Jacoby Jones. The Jets had three defensive backs surrounding Jones, but were a step behind him.

Both safety Ed Reed and Jones said the winds, which were as strong as 40 miles per hour, affected the trajectory of the ball. "He adjusted to the ball really well," Reed said. "I probably should have grabbed him and taken the penalty."

Jones ran into the end zone to give Baltimore a 19-3 lead. The next two Jets' possessions were three and outs, and the one after that ended with Smith being intercepted on another underthrown pass.

Ryan said immediately after last week's loss in Buffalo that Smith would start the following week. On Sunday, he wouldn't say whether his rookie quarterback, who over his past four games has completed just 48% of his pass attempts for no touchdowns and seven interceptions, would start the next game against Miami.

"We'll look at the tape," Ryan said. "I'm not going to talk about one individual. That's not where I am tonight. This is on us collectively and how we can improve moving forward."

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ESPN NEW YORK

Notes: Jets conjure up Alosi memories (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York November 24, 2013

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/31842/notes-jets-conjure-up-alosi-memories?ex_cid=espnapi_public

BALTIMORE -- Three years removed from one of the most embarrassing plays in franchise history, the New York Jets triggered unpleasant memories Sunday with an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty on their sideline.

It happened on Jacoby Jones' 37-yard punt return in the third quarter of the Jets' 19-3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Jones reversed field and ran up the Jets' sideline. During the run-back, the Jets' Troy Davis was blindsided by Courtney Upshaw, a crushing block that drew a gasp from the crowd at M&T Bank Stadium. An unidentified Jets assistant coach, perhaps protesting the legality of the block, erupted and got too close to the sideline.

The Jets' bench was penalized for interfering with officials. At least they didn't try to trip any opponents players. Former Jets strength coach Sal Alosi infamously tripped a Miami Dolphins player in 2010, fueling national headlines. Ultimately, Alosi resigned under pressure.

Soon after Sunday's penalty, CBS went into the archives, showing a replay of the Alosi debacle.

"He's on the white (boundary) -- it's not like was on the field -- but I know it's a point of emphasis to be off that area," Rex Ryan said. "It wasn't intentional, and you get caught up in the moment. We saw one of our players get hit. Those things happen. It's unfortunate. We're not the only team (that it's happened to). At that time, I was expecting a different call."

Meaning a penalty on Upshaw. Davis suffered a chest injury and didn't return to the game. Ryan, caught on camera, seemed incredulous by the call, mouthing what appeared to be an expletive.

Mo better than the rest: One of the bright spots for the Jets was DE Muhammad Wilkerson, who recorded two of the four sacks. He has 10 sacks, the most by a Jets player since John Abraham recorded 10.5 in 2005. Wilkerson is on a roll, with seven in his last seven games. He also was flagged for roughing the passer, tackling Joe Flacco beneath the knees -- a hit that could result in a fine.

Razzle dazzle: One of the Jets' best plays (there weren't many to choose from) was a 13-yard pass from Josh Cribbs to QB Geno Smith out of the Wildcat. It was the first reception of Smith's career, becoming the first Jets quarterback to catch a pass since Ken O'Brien made a 27-yard reception from Al Toon in 1991.

Suspect pass pro: Geno Smith was sacked three times and under heavy pressure, especially in the first half, but the pass protection was "decent," according to Ryan. He seemed more upset with the receivers, lamenting dropped passes. Unofficially, there were two drops -- Santonio Holmes and David Nelson.

The invisi-Hill receiver: WR Stephen Hill was held without a catch for the third straight game. Ryan had threatened to demote the slumping Hill, but he was in the starting lineup. His snaps, however, was reduced.

Injury report: CB Antonio Cromartie left late in the game with a non-contact hip injury. He has been bothered by a hip ailment for much of the season, but he described this as worse than the previous

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injuries. RB Chris Ivory sprained ankle on his first carry of the game and will go for an MRI exam. He stayed in the game, which is always a good sign.

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Rex risks losing team with Geno decision (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York November 24, 2013

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/31836/rex-risks-losing-team-with-geno-decision?ex_cid=espnapi_public

BALTIMORE -- In a strange way, the New York Jets are suffering from their early success. If they started out like everyone expected, struggling in Year 1 of GM John Idzik's grand rebuilding plan, Geno Smith's issues would be considered normal growing pains for a rookie quarterback -- on-the-job training with a learning curve.

But the Jets ruined that narrative by playing their way into postseason contention, raising expectations. And now they have a serious problem because Smith is bringing down the team, and the locker room is losing confidence and patience, judging from what was said -- and not said -- after Sunday's brutal 19-3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium.

Coach Rex Ryan is caught between a rookie and hard place. He needs wins to save his job, but he risks losing his locker room if he sticks with Smith, who delivered yet another stinker -- three more turnovers, bringing his total to 23.

Ryan should stick with Smith for another week, if only because going to backup Matt Simms would be akin to a Hail Mary. Chances are, Ryan will opt for the status quo, but he wasn't ready to go there after the game, letting Smith twist in the wind -- and there was plenty of wind in Baltimore.

For the first time, Ryan refused to commit to Smith as next week's starter, falling back on the I-have-to-watch-the-tape answer -- the oldest line in the coaching handbook.

"I'm not going to talk about one individual," he said. "That's not where I'm at tonight."

You could read a lot into Ryan's noncommittal stance, but it doesn't mean he's done with Smith. He answered the same way during some of Mark Sanchez's epic struggles, only to stick with him as his starter.

For what it's worth, Smith remained undaunted. Asked whether he still believes he's the guy to take the Jets to the playoffs, he replied confidently: "I know I am."

That's how you want your quarterback to respond, but this isn't about words, it's about deeds -- and Smith is immersed in a serious funk. One touchdown pass and 10 interceptions over the past six games won't inspire confidence among teammates. The frustration was palpable in the postgame locker room.

No one publicly criticized Smith, but the confidence is waning. The coaches have simplified game plans to help him, vexing some players who believe it's hurting the overall offense.

Guard Willie Colon, fiercely supportive of Smith after last week's debacle against the Buffalo Bills, refused to address the possibility of a quarterback change.

"You're going to make me curse ... so next question," he said.

Santonio Holmes turned defensive when asked about Smith.

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"Why would I do that? Why would I blame it on our starting quarterback?" the wide receiver snapped. "Next question."

There were some supportive comments, but no one offered a strident endorsement of Smith, not even Ryan.

"He's had better days," said Ryan, whose offense produced a season-low 220 pounds and went for 1-for-12 on third down.

It's hard to be worse than Smith, which is the campaign platform of the pro-Simms contingent.

The Jets (5-6) tried to win this game without a quarterback. Well, not exactly, but they ran so much Wildcat in the first quarter that you wondered whether Marty Mornhinweg had scrapped his West Coast offense in favor of the single wing.

They tried to pull a Georgia Southern. Unfortunately for them, the Ravens (5-6) refused to play the role of Florida.

The Jets used the Wildcat on four of the first 11 snaps, including Josh Cribbs' 13-yard completion to Smith, of all people. All told, they ran eight Wildcat plays, trying to minimize Smith as much as possible. It looked like the coaches had more confidence in Cribbs throwing than Smith.

Smith completed only 9 of 22 passes for 127 yards, padding his total (if you can call it that) with some concession yardage in garbage time. The truth is, he was 4-for-15 for 42 through the first 56 minutes.

His final passer rating was 22.3.

A week ago, it was 10.1.

"Everybody wants to put a new quarterback in, and I understand that," Smith said. "I'm not worried about anything other than trying to get better as a player. I'm not going to sit here and say I'm 100 percent secure, because every single person in this locker room has to prove himself daily. That's the way we work around here."

Smith said he's "very hot and cold." Problem is, he hasn't been hot since that starry night in Atlanta two months ago. The offense has managed only one touchdown in its past 31 possessions with him at quarterback, resulting in the Jets' first set of consecutive losses. They could've played all night without reaching the Ravens' end zone.

Aside from the usual array of errant passes and happy-feet movements in the pocket, the most alarming play was the lost fumble -- an embarrassing play in which Nick Mangold's shotgun snap ricocheted off a receiver in motion, Greg Salas.

Smith never actually touched the ball, but the fumble was credited to him. No one blamed him for the blunder; it seemed obvious. Mangold said he simply snapped on Smith's command. That Smith was oblivious to Salas in motion speaks to a lack of awareness.

"I've gone eight years without that play happening," Mangold said. "I think it happened maybe once in college. Obviously, it's a rarity, but it's devastating when it happens."

Bad things keep happening to the Jets, and "we're out of lifelines," Colon said.

Maybe not. Ryan can poll his audience. If he does, it wouldn't end favorably for Smith.

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Deep ball mars Reed's homecoming (Jane McManus) ESPN New York

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November 24, 2013

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/31826/deep-ball-mars-reeds-homecoming?ex_cid=espnapi_public

BALTIMORE -- Ed Reed spent most of his career in Baltimore, so it’s no wonder the ties are deep. Before the game, Ravens cornerback Lardarius Webb asked Reed if he could have his jersey, and on the field in the frigid air after the 19-3 loss, Reed took it off and give it to him.

Reed also had a hand in the touchdown play that cemented the Ravens' win in the third quarter. He was right there as Joe Flacco threw a 66-yard pass to Jacoby Jones, Reed put his arms out to grab Jones by the hips, but there was too much momentum and speed and they all ended up in the end zone, Jets defensive back Dee Milliner and Dawan Landry at their heels.

“We knew they were going to take a shot,” Reed said. “They had the wind at their backs. So we knew they were going to throw deep, Jacoby made a play. He adjusted to the ball really well. I probably should have grabbed him and taken the penalty, but he was the one that made the play.”

"I’m not going to pin it on any individual,” Ryan said. “Certainly not one one guy, certainly not Ed Reed. He’d probably be the third on that list if you want all honesty.”

Milliner actually took the blame for the touchdown, saying it was on him.

“I was right there, just got to go get the ball,” Milliner said. “Flacco threw a good ball, threw away from both the defenders and Jacoby made a good catch.”

Milliner also dropped an interception in the first quarter, which he said would have changed the momentum of the game right away. Antonio Allen dropped another one. The only one who did grab one was Antonio Cromartie, who later left the game with a hip injury, and also allowed a 60-yard pass to Torrey Smith.

“Overall, we did OK,” Cromartie said. “There were a few passes that got away from us, and there were also some plays that we could have made. We will just keep working at it.”

Afterward Reed played a bit of the philosopher.

“It’s always special being here,” Reed said. “You hate to be on this side of the fence. Somebody’s got to win, somebody’s got to lose. It was a great football game. It’s a child’s game we play. We had fun. We’ve got to make our corrections and be ready to play next week.”

Using words “great football game” and “fun” in the context of the decisive 19-3 loss may seem particularly tone-deaf, but then again Reed is coming back home, which adds a little perspective.

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Antonio Cromartie suffers hip injury (Jane McManus) ESPN New York November 24, 2013

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/story/_/id/10031577/antonio-cromartie-new-york-jets-injures-hip-baltimore-ravens?ex_cid=espnapi_public

BALTIMORE -- New York Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie left Sunday's 19-3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens after reinjuring his hip.

"It wasn't an impact injury at all," Cromartie said. "Something I just planted wrong, and it gave out on me a little bit."

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It is not a new injury for Cromartie, who first broke his right hip in 2008 when he was with the San Diego Chargers. Since then, Cromartie's name has occasionally shown up on the injury report, but this appears to be a more persistent problem. He first mentioned that his hip was painful in September, and noted that he'd had the issue since training camp.

"It's the first time really this season, during my career, that it's bothered me this much except when it happened in 2008," Cromartie said. "It's just a point of seeing what's going on with it and go from there."

Statistically, Cromartie hasn't been as dominant a cornerback this season. On Sunday, he gave up a 60-yard pass to Torrey Smith, his sixth pass of 43 or more yards this season.

"That same nagging injury," Cromartie said. "The biggest thing is just see what's going on with it, keep trying to rehab it."

New York coach Rex Ryan referred to the deep ball as the Jets' "Achilles' heel" on Sunday. Part of that is due to the way Cromartie has struggled. Cromartie received less attention when former Jets corner Darrelle Revis played alongside him and generally took an opponent's top receiver. But last year, Cromartie played well after Revis was injured.

Cromartie wasn't the only Jet who was injured in Baltimore.

Jets running back Chris Ivory sprained his left ankle on his first carry of the game. Although that play was for no gain, Ivory went on to accrue 35 yards on nine carries.

Linebacker Troy Davis left the game with a chest injury. Rookie cornerback Dee Milliner and wide receiver Greg Salas had their fingers X-rayed after the game, but both said they were fine.

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Rapid Reaction: New York Jets (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York November 24, 2013

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/31806/rapid-reaction-new-york-jets-6?ex_cid=espnapi_public

BALTIMORE -- A few thoughts on the New York Jets' 19-3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium:

What it means: So much for the win-one, lose-one trend. The Jets (5-6) dropped their second straight, damaging their wild-card hopes. They fell to 2-6 in the conference, which means their chances of winning a tiebreaker are remote, as of now. It's hard to win when you can't score, and the Jets were utterly inept on offense, producing only 199 total yards and going just 1-for-12 on third down. Yes, it was windy, but that didn't stop the Ravens (5-6). Geno Smith was terrible, the pass protection stunk, the receivers were invisible and the play calling was predictable. In short, it was a total disaster.

Stock watch: Smith continued his funk, looking hopeless against the Ravens' pass rush. For the first 54 minutes, he had only four completions and 42 yards. He finished with two interceptions, increasing his total to 18. His passer rating was an unsightly 14.7, one week after a 10.1 stinker. The question is, what now? Our prediction is that Rex Ryan will stick with Smith because Matt Simms is an unproven commodity. Either way, the Jets are in a lousy position.

Reed's lousy homecoming: The Jets signed former Ravens great Ed Reed to help their problems against the deep ball. So what happens? The future Hall of Famer looked old and slow on Jacoby Jones' 66-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter, which iced the game. Jones beat rookie CB Dee Milliner (so

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what else is new?) and got behind Reed, who was in his customary deep-middle spot. He showed no recovery speed whatsoever, and that was that -- the first touchdown of the game. Earlier, CB Antonio Cromartie was burned on a 60-yard reception. The Jets emphasized the deep ball in practice, yet they allowed Joe Flacco to throw for 273 yards in brutally windy conditions. The secondary is a bust.

Trickeration: Offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg tricked up the running game, featuring a heavy dose of the Wildcat, especially early in the game. The Jets also threw a pass out of the Wildcat, with Josh Cribbs finding Smith for 13 yards. All things considered, it might have been the Jets' best play of the game. Clearly, Mornhinweg's goal was to keep the Ravens' rugged front seven off-balance with different looks. The strategy also was a way to take pressure off the turnover-prone Smith.

Sal Alosi revisited: The Jets' bench was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct in the third quarter because an assistant coach got in the way of an official on a long punt return by Jones. Naturally, it conjured up memories of the infamous Alosi trip in 2010. This time, it wasn't intentional. The unidentified coach simply got caught up in watching the play and wandered too close to the boundary. Leave it to the Jets to entertain us with a nostalgic moment. They got lucky because it didn't lead to any points by the Ravens.

What's ahead: The Jets return home for their first meeting of the season with the Miami Dolphins.

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METRO NEW YORK

Jets fall under .500 with lackluster effort in Baltimore (Kristian Dyer) Metro New York November 24, 2013

http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/nfl/2013/11/24/jets-fall-under-500-with-lackluster-effort-in-baltimore/

The offense struggled yet again for the Jets in a 19-3 loss at Baltimore on Sunday, a loss that underscored the eliteness of the defense and putridness of the offense.

The Jets have now lost two straight and are 5-6 as they quickly enter desperation mode the rest of the season.

On offense, the Ravens were limited to just one touchdown, albeit a pretty one when Joe Flacco linked up with Jacoby Jones for a 66-yard touchdown near the end of the third quarter. Jones split cornerback Dee Milliner and safety Ed Reed to haul in the long pass.

Four field goals by Justin Tucker, including a 53-yard effort with the wind at his back early in the third quarter, sparked the Ravens through much of the game, lifting an offense that moved the ball at times but couldn’t punch it into the end zone.

The Ravens were flat on offense, but the Jets couldn’t sustain drives. In the face of a withering pass rush, the Jets failed to air it out and their ground game managed just 3.84 yards per carry.

Rookie quarterback Geno Smith was simply terrible again as he finished the game 9-of-22 for 127 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. Smith hasn’t thrown a touchdown since Oct. 20, a span of four full games.

It doesn’t all fall on his shoulders, but Smith right now isn’t making the team better.

What we learned …

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1. Reed’s big play

In his second return to Baltimore, Reed produced one of the game’s biggest plays early on. With 2:03 left in the first quarter, Reed, who spent 11 previous seasons with the Ravens, met Jones with a shot that dislodged the ball from the wide receiver’s body. A late flag was flown but the referees huddled and decided that Reed’s hit was not illegal. However, Reed would be victimized later in the game on a deep ball from Flacco to Jones. Reed turned and ran with Jones, but couldn’t quite keep up as the ball fell into Jones’ hands for a 66-yard touchdown. It was a sign of Reed’s diminished play and one of the reasons he was cut by Houston.

2. No time for Geno

It wasn’t all the fault of the offensive line, but they certainly didn’t help matters with what was an incredibly poor display against a very good Ravens pass rush. Very often, there wasn’t a pocket for Smith, forcing him to rush passes and consistently throw from his toes. For a quarterback who struggles with ball placement and accuracy, the amount of pressure he was under only exacerbated the struggles of the offense. Smith was sacked only three times but was hit throughout the game.

3. Best rush in the league

As good as the Ravens’ rush was, the Jets’ pass rush was just as good or better on Sunday. It is evident the future of this team is in its defensive line. They are so dominant they kept the Jets in this game despite a horrid display by the offense. The line had four sacks — two by Muhammad Wilkerson and one apiece by Sheldon Richardson and Calvin Pace — and Jets defenders were consistently in the Ravens backfield with six tackles for a loss. It was a good day for nose tackle Damon Harrison, who had five tackles but consistently generated a strong interior push that opened things up for Wilkerson and Richardson off the edge.

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NJ.COM

Wildcat does little to take pressure off Smith (A.J. Perez) NJ.com November 24, 2013

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2013/11/wildcat_does_little_to_take_pressure_off_smith.html

BALTIMORE The game plan to beat the Jets this season has been fairly straightforward.

Stack the box, take away the run and force rookie QB Geno Smith and his corps of receivers to beat you. That tact has worked well the last two weeks, including the Ravens' 19-3 victory at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday.

"We definitely wanted to make him be a quarterback today," Ravens linebacker Daryl Smith said.

Jets offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg tossed in some more wildcat as wide receiver Josh Cribbs lined up behind center eight times. Cribbs threw out of the formation twice, completing a 13-yard pass to Smith (his first career reception). Cribbs also ran for 20 yards.

Hardly the kind of spark the Jets' offense needed to take the pressure off Smith.

"Usually, we are good at it and it gets us lots of yards," Smith said. "It gives defenses something else to think about. It doesn't throw me off at all. It helps our offense."

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Just not on Sunday. The Jets had 220 net yards of offense. Smith was 9-for-22 passing for 127 yards and two interceptions. (He was also tagged with a fumble, although it's hard to fault him on that.) He had a passer rating of 22.3, still better than the 10.1 he logged in the loss to the Buffalo Bills last week.

"Geno knows he's a great football player," said Greg Salas, who was the Jets' top receiver with 48 yards on three catches. "Geno knows he's a great football player. We have to do more to help him. The quarterback gets too much of the blame and they get too much praise. We have to figure out what we need to do to help him out."

Added Jets coach Rex Ryan: "This is on us collectively and how we can improve moving forward."

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Jets' loss moves them outside of playoff spot (A.J. Perez) NJ.com November 24, 2013

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2013/11/jets_loss_moves_them_outside_of_playoff_spot.html

BALTIMORE -- A 5-6 team would make the playoffs if the season ended Sunday.

The Jets -- who along with the Tennessee Titans, Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, Miami Dolphins and San Diego Chargers -- wouldn't be that club.

The Tennessee Titans get that nod with a 23-19 victory over the Oakland Raiders on Sunday. (The Titans have the tiebreaker over the rest of the bunch.)

The Jets, who lost to the Ravens, 19-3, on Sunday, entered the day with the final AFC Wild Card slot.

Either the Oakland Raiders or the Tennessee Titans ---- who are playing each other in late-day action --- will also end up 5-6. The Raiders would get that final wild card berth since they'd have the tiebreakers with a victory.

The full tiebreaker rules can be found here.

The Jets have five games left to crawl into the playoff picture, a place that not many gave them a chance to be in before the start of the season.

"We just need to continue to work," Jets offensive lineman Brian Winters said. "We have to continue to execute. The next week of preparation is going to be huge for us."

The Jets return to MetLife Stadium to face the Dolphins on Sunday.

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Jets' comedy of errors includes snap that goes awry (A.J. Perez) NJ.com November 24, 2013

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2013/11/jets_comedy_of_errors_includes_snap_that_went_awry.html

BALTIMORE -- It was a play that encapsulated the day for the Jets.

Jets center Nick Mangold snaps the ball toward quarterback Geno Smith, who is in shotgun formation. The problem: Receiver Greg Salas, who was in motion on the second-quarter play, clipped the ball with his leg after the ball was snapped.

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Longtime Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs fell on the fumble for one of the Jets' three turnovers in a 19-3 loss at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday. Smith was credited with the fumble in the official stats.

"The ball was snapped early, I guess," Salas told NJ.com. "I'm not sure what happened. I was supposed to go across and counter back in, and then run my route. It shocked me. Nothing like that has ever happened to me before."

Here's the replay of the sequence.

"It's just one of those things that rarely come up," Mangold said. "It's a shame when it does. I've gone eight years without that happening. I think it happened once in college, in a practice, but obviously a rarity."

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Jets vs. Ravens: Instant analysis and quick hits (A.J. Perez) NJ.com November 24, 2013

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2013/11/jets_vs_ravens_instant_analysis_and_quick_hits.html

The Jets alternated wins for the first 10 games of the season.

That streak ended with a 19-3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday. The Jets have lost back-to-back games, dimming their playoff hopes.

Moreover, the loss highlights that the Jets' offense isn't going anywhere fast with under rookie quarterback Geno\ Smith. The three points the Jets scored were the fewest since the San Francisco 49ers shut them out in September 2012.

Here are some instant observations from Baltimore, where the Jets still have never beaten the Ravens:

Geno vs. the wind: The winds were swirling (gusting to about 40 mph at times) and the wind-chill factor was 22 degrees when the game started -- hardly ideal conditions for passing, not that Smith has proven to be consistent in more favorable conditions. (He is a rookie, after all.)

Smith was 9-for-22 for 127 yards with two interceptions, giving him 18 for the season. Ravens QB Joe Flacco also had a pick (his career-high 14th), but threw for 273 yards and a touchdown.

The wildcat lived: For one afternoon in November, anyway. The Jets went to it early, running it four times on their first two drives.

The Ravens countered with backup QB Tryon Taylor behind center and Flacco lined up wide. The formation could be an indictment, maybe for both quarterbacks, who have had their struggles. There were no major plays out of the wildcat, although Smith had his first career catch (13 yards) in the first quarter and Taylor had a 17-yard run.

A rare turnover: The Jets got an interception in the second quarter as Antonio Cromartie stepped in front of a Flacco pass.

(The turnover came right after the Ravens recovered a fumble when a snap out of the shotgun hit the receiver in motion, Greg Salas, in the leg. Smith was tagged with the fumble, officially.)

It was just the Jets' sixth pick of the season. The secondary, however, was gashed by Flacco and his receivers twice: a 60-yard pass Torrey Smith in the second quarter and a 66-yard TD pass to Jacoby Jones at the end of the third quarter. The latter put the Ravens up, 19-3 with the PAT, and basically put the game away.

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Good and bad Reed: Free safety Ed Reed, who played his first 11 NFL seasons in Baltimore, was credited with his first pass defense on the season when he broke up a would-be TD in the first quarter.

Reed was called for an illegal hit on Jacoby Jones on the third-down play, but the flag was picked up and the Ravens settled for a field goal.

But Reed and corner Dee Milliner were burned on the Jones TD. The Jets have now allowed 12 pass plays of 40 yards or more --- four over the last two games.

Third-down troubles: Efficiency on third down wasn't a highlight, not that there were many highlights for the Jets' offense.

The Jets failed to complete their first seven third downs and finished the game 1-for-12. The most crucial came with the two minutes left in the third quarter. Not only did Smith throw an incompletion on third-and-6, but lineman Brian Winters was called for a hold, knocking the Jets out of field goal range. Smith threw an interception on the next play.

Injury news: There were no surprises among the inactives -- linebacker Jeremy Kerley (knee) and receiver Jeremy Kerley (elbow) were not in uniform.

The Jets lost linebacker Demario Davis in the third quarter after a brutal block by Courtney Upshaw on a Ravens punt return. Davis took a knee on the sideline before he headed to the locker room, and the Jets announced Davis would not return due to a chest injury.

Making things worse, the Jets were called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after a coach interfered with an official on the sidelines on the play. Cromartie (hip) also went out late in the game.

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SUNDAY’S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS

Associated Press November 24, 2013

http://www.chron.com/default/article/Sunday-s-Sports-Transactions-5008334.php

BASKETBALL National Basketball Association NBA — Fined Sacramento F Travis Outlaw $15,000 for making excessive and unnecessary contact with Los Angeles Clippers G J.J. Redick during a Nov. 23 game. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS — Assigned C Dewayne Dedmon and G Nemanja Nedovic to Santa Cruz (NBADL). HOCKEY National Hockey League TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING — Recalled F Nikita Kucherov and D Dmitry Korobov from Syracuse (AHL). WINNIPEG JETS — Reassigned D Julian Melchiori to St. John's (AHL). American Hockey League SAN ANTONIO RAMPAGE — Announced D Dylan Olsen was recalled by Florida (NHL). Recalled D Josh McFadden from Cincinnati (ECHL). Southern Professional Hockey League PEORIA RIVERMEN — Acquired D Bryant Doerrsam from Louisiana for cash. COLLEGE CALIFORNIA — Announced women's junior basketball F Gennifer Brandon has taken leave of absence for personal reasons.

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