Jets at Ravens
THE STORY: Rex Ryan is happy to tell anyone who will listen that he has the best defense – and best team, for that matter – in the NFL. The brash coach of the New York Jets will be staring at an opposing defense that is equally unwavering in that belief when his team pays a visit to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night. The Ravens carry a swagger on defense like few other teams, and much of that is due to Ryan, who was an assistant coach and defensive coordinator with Baltimore for 10 years before taking over the Jets.
TV: NBC, 8:20 p.m. ET. LINE: Ravens -3.5, O/U 41
ABOUT THE JETS (2-1): New York suffered its first loss due to its inability to stop the run at Oakland. The Raiders gashed the Jets’ defense for 234 yards on the ground, including 171 by Darren McFadden. It was the highest rushing total allowed by the Jets since Ryan took over prior to the 2009 season. They are ranked 31st in the league against the run. QB Mark Sanchez suffered a broken nose in throwing for a career-high 369 yards, but only 19 of those went to WR Santonio Holmes. Holmes has caught a TD pass in six straight games against Baltimore.
ABOUT THE RAVENS (2-1): Baltimore’s defense almost pitched a shutout last week, and it was complemented by a record-setting offensive performance in a 37-7 dismantling of the St. Louis Rams. Joe Flacco threw for three touchdowns and a career-high 389 yards and the Ravens amassed a franchise-best 553 yards. Rookie WR Torrey Smith caught three TD passes in the first quarter alone as Baltimore bolted to a 27-0 halftime lead. Ray Rice rushed for 81 yards and had 83 yards receiving, giving him 409 yards from scrimmage in the first three games. The Ravens had five sacks and limited the Rams to 244 total yards.
EXTRA POINTS:
1. Ravens LB Ray Lewis needs a half-sack to reach 40 for his career, which would make him the first player in league history with 40 sacks and 30 interceptions.
2. Jets RB LaDainian Tomlinson became the third player in NFL history to score 160 touchdowns, joining Jerry Rice (208) and Emmitt Smith (175).
3. Baltimore has won the last six meetings with the Jets. That includes a 10-9 win last season in which the Ravens held New York to 176 yards of offense – the lowest output under Ryan.