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Week 2 Game Recap: New York Jets 13, Baltimore Ravens 20
What you need to know
| New York Jets |
Second year signal caller Kellen Clemens made his first NFL start against the vaunted Baltimore Ravens defense, and it was a trial by fire. Clemens started the game showing understandable nerves, getting picked off on his second attempt by Baltimore safety Ed Reed. He rallied though, showing great courage under intense pressure (he was sacked four times and harassed many more) and grew more confident and comfortable throughout the game. He led the Jets on an valiant fourth quarter comeback, falling short of tying the game only on a tipped pass (that should have been caught) that was snagged by Ravens' star linebacker Ray Lewis for an interception. Clemens struggled with his accuracy, barely completing 50% of his pass attempts and frequently forcing his receivers into tough catch situations. The Baltimore pass rush was in his face all day, and he was frequently picking himself up off the ground after suffering a hard hit. Despite the unique challenge the Ravens defense proved to be, Clemens showed great resolve by playing through moments of obvious pain. As the dust settled on the game, it became clear that the Jets have a viable number two quarterback and possibly a QB controversy.
Running back Thomas Jones ran the ball frequently and with great strength and power, but the holes just weren't there against the stout Baltimore defense. He had no double digit rush gains and wasn't much of a factor in the red zone. Jerricho Cotchery had a great game lining up wide, snagging seven receptions and displaying impressive tackle breaking and rush after the catch skills on his way to 165 yards receiving. On the less impressive side of things, third receiver Justin McCareins had a performance he would certainly want back. He dropped two key late game would-be touchdown passes, including the game deciding ball that he tipped into the arms of a diving Ray Lewis.
Despite the loss, and the relatively ugly performance of their first three quarters, the New York Jets have quite a few positives to take away from the game. While not causing any turnovers, their defense tightened significantly in the second half, at the same time as their offense started to click. Clemens showed the potential to develop into a worthy starter one day, and showed impressive intangibles like heart and decisiveness that likely can't be coached. Both Coles and Cotchery look capable of putting up number one receiver numbers any given week, while Thomas Jones ran the ball with conviction, if not terribly great production.
Injury notes: kick off and punt returner Justin Miller left the game in the first half and did not return; Clemens appeared a bit shaken up after a hit or two, but stayed in the game and his performance was not affected.
| Baltimore Ravens |
There likely isn't a quarterback controversy in Baltimore, although Kyle Boller played well enough to justify one in relief duty for the injured Steve McNair (groin). Boller played a sharp game, distributing the ball to eight different receivers while completing 65.7 % of his passes. Most importantly, he protected the football, leading the Ravens to a no-turnover game after the six-turnover debacle in Cincinnati in week one.
After building a seemingly safe halftime lead on the strength of two Boller touchdown passes and a 28 yard Matt Stover field goal, the Baltimore defense had to fend off a furious fourth quarter rally by the New York Jets offense. The defense was up to the task, holding off a last ditch effort when Ray Lewis intercepted a tipped pass in the end zone, giving Baltimore the ball with the ability to run out the clock. The defense was aggressive as always, and frequently took advantage of first-time starter Kellen Clemens. The pass rush sacked him four times although the number could have been much higher---it seemed as though there were several Ravens defenders in the New York backfield nearly every time Clemens dropped back. In addition to Ray Lewis' late game interception, safety Ed Reed had an interception in the game's early going.
Running back Willis McGahee was a workhorse, carrying the ball 26 times for 97 yards. He didn't show much explosiveness though, as his longest run was for nine yards. McGahee did a great job of running with consistency and protected the ball well. He also caught his first ever receiving touchdown on a two-yard pass from Boller in the first quarter.
Todd Heap had a great game, characteristic of the All-Pro tight end. His touchdown reception at the end of the first-half was highlight reel worthy, as he made a one handed grab while simultaneously concentrating on keeping both feet in bounds. The play was initially called an incompletion, but a booth review overturned it into a score.
Injury notes: Trevor Pryce left the game with a reported broken right wrist; left tackle Jonathan Ogden missed the game with his injured toe; Demetrius Williams left the game late in the fourth quarter after landing hard on his shoulder after an attempted catch.
What you ought to know
| QB Kellen Clemens, Pass: 19 - 37 - 260 - 1 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 3 - 2 - 0 |
Clemens' first NFL start was as shaky as expected but ultimately full of promise. He started with an apparent case of nerves, which was totally understandable given the situation and the caliber of the defense he was facing. After shaking off his nerves (and an early interception), Clemens slowly found his groove until he found himself leading his team on a potential game tying drive at the end of the fourth quarter. Had he not been twice failed by the hands of Justin McCareins, the Jets would have tied the game and had a great chance to win, considering momentum and the way each team was performing at the end of the game. Clemens did everything he could to will his team to victory, but it just wasn't quite enough.
His favorite targets were his starting wide receivers, Coles and Cotchery. Clemens found Chris Baker for a four yard touchdown strike in the fourth quarter to bring the Jets within seven of Baltimore. He struggled with his accuracy, barely completely 50% of his passes while frequently putting his targets in positions where they had to stretch to make catches, placing them in danger of missing the ball and/or taking a big hit for even attempting to snag the ball. Clemens' second interception wasn't truly his fault, although the ball could've been placed lower where it would have been easier for McCareins to haul in. He averaged 7.0 yards per attempt.
| RB Thomas Jones, Rush: 24 - 67 - 0, Rec: 2 - 20 - 0 (4 targets) |
Jones ran with power throughout the game, hitting the hole hard and driving into defenders. The holes just weren't really there for him though, as he had no double digit yardage gains, and only averaged 2.8 yards per carry. To his credit, Jones wasn't an effective part of the offense due mostly to game situation and the strength of the offense, as he clearly ran with a conviction that was very impressive. He had a nice 21 yard reception in the first quarter on a dump off pass from Clemens. He bobbled a pass in the third quarter that center Nick Mangold caught for a loss of three yards; it was the second year player Mangold's first NFL catch. Jones fumbled early in the fourth quarter, but a teammate on the offensive line quickly pounced on it for the recovery.
| RB Leon Washington (1 targets) |
Washington primarily participated on special teams after Justin Miller left the game, but also had one fourth quarter target on the Jets' final drive of the game.
| WR Jerricho Cotchery, Rec: 7 - 165 - 0 (11 targets) |
Cotchery had a great game, and only got better as the quarters and minutes ticked by. His 165 yards were 41 yards better than his previous career high. He showed great toughness in multiple runs after the catch where he simply refused to be tackled, including a very impressive run where he held his would-be tackler at bay for an extra 15 yards or so. Clemens clearly developed a rapport with Cotchery, as his targets increased in each of the four quarters. He did all of his damage in the second half, catching seven of his eight targets during the Jets' rabid comeback attempt.
| WR Laveranues Coles, Rec: 6 - 57 - 0 (12 targets) |
Coles led the team in targets, but also seemed to bear a disproportionate brunt of Clemens' inaccurate passes. He was frequently trying to either scoop a low pass off the turf or snag a high target out of the sky. Coles was the target on Clemens' first interception of the game. He was thrown to eight times in the fourth quarter (including one look in the end zone), but many of these were off the mark.
| WR Brad Smith, Rec: 1 - 8 - 0 (2 targets) |
Both of Smith's looks came in the third quarter, although the second looked a lot more like a throw away out of bounds by Clemens.
| WR Justin McCareins, Rec: 1 - 10 - 0 (6 targets) |
McCareins can be nothing but disappointed in his performance, as he twice dropped potential game tying touchdown receptions on the Jets last drive of the game. Despite his drops, Clemens continued to target him in situations requiring clutch hands, although this apparent trust was misplaced. The game essentially ended on McCareins second touchdown drop (although it was definitely a tough pass above his head) which was popped into the welcoming arms of Ray Lewis who secured the ball for an interception and downed it for a touchback. McCareins likely isn't going to be the most popular guy in New York this week.
| TE Chris Baker, Rec: 1 - 3 - 1 (1 targets) |
Baker made the most of his only target, tiptoeing into the right side of the end zone for New York's only touchdown, midway through the fourth quarter.
| TE Sean Ryan (1 targets) |
Ryan saw one look in the passing game in the first quarter, but otherwise wasn't a factor.
| PK Mike Nugent 2 - 3 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 7 points |
Nugent made his only PAT and field goals of 50 and 21 yards. He gave Jets' fans a scare when he hobbled off the field after making a touchdown saving play on Baltimore's Yamon Figurs long second quarter kick off return. Nugent missed a 53 yard attempt in the second quarter wide left, although it wasn't clear if his apparent injury affected his kicking technique. The injury likely wasn't an issue, as Nugent had no difficulty punching in a 21 yard field goal early in the fourth quarter.
| NYJ Rush Defense |
New York's rush defense gave up 118 yards on 34 attempts for an average of 3.5 yards per attempt. They allowed no touchdowns and their longest allowed run was a 12 yard scramble by Baltimore quarterback Kyle Boller. They gave up seven rushing first downs and failed to create any turnovers.
| NYJ Pass Defense |
New York's pass defense gave up 185 yards on 23 of 35 passing for an average of 5.3 yards per attempt. They allowed two touchdowns but created no turnovers. The pass rush didn't generate any pressure or sacks on Kyle Boller.
| QB Kyle Boller, Pass: 23 - 35 - 185 - 2 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 3 - 7 - 0 |
Boller took full advantage of his starting opportunity, leading the Ravens' offense effectively and efficiently while throwing for two scores and producing no turnovers. He had a great deal of chemistry with veteran receiver Derrick Mason and All-Pro tight end Todd Heap, passing to each at least four targets more than any other Raven. Both of Boller's scoring strikes came in the first half; the first went to McGahee near the goal line, and the second was a perfectly executed pass to Heap at the end of the first half. He directed the Ravens' offense with confidence and made good decisions. Boller targeted and completed passes to eight different receivers. He was protected well by his offensive line and didn't suffer a single sack or big hit. Boller completed 65.7% of his passes for 5.3 yards per attempt.
| RB Willis McGahee, Rush: 26 - 97 - 0, Rec: 2 - 6 - 1 (2 targets) |
McGahee's second game as a Ravens was very consistent, although not explosive. He ran the ball for 26 times (seven more than in week one), but didn't have a double digit gain. McGahee ran with a good mix of power and speed, but didn't break many tackles and didn't have quite enough burst to ever get past the Jets' secondary. He scored the first receiving touchdown of his career on a two yard swing pass late in the first quarter. McGahee had a 3.7 yards per carry average and caught both of the passes thrown his way.
| RB Musa Smith, Rush: 3 - 8 - 0, Rec: 1 - 10 - 0 (1 targets) |
Smith infrequently spelled McGahee and saw some action on third downs in obvious passing situations. His one catch was good for a first down on Baltimore's first scoring drive. Smith appears to be the clear number two back on the depth chart.
| RB LeRon McClain, Rush: 2 - 6 - 0, Rec: 1 - 9 - 0 (1 targets) |
McClain primarily served as a blocking fullback, but found himself the target of a nine yard pass on the Ravens third drive of the game. He had two short yardage carries in the first half.
| WR Derrick Mason, Rec: 8 - 54 - 0 (11 targets) |
Mason was Boller's security blanket in the first half, in which he received ten of his 11 looks for the game. He showed very good hands and at times very nimble moves as he worked various quick patterns for short gains. Mason's longest catch of the game was 12 yards, but his true value lied in his dependable catches that moved the ball and the chains. He made a few exceptional plays, including a nice snag while falling down and an open field move that made a Baltimore defender completely whiff. Mason was only targeted once in the second half, although the game situation (Baltimore had a comfortable lead) dictated having only 11 passes attempted in the second half, compared to 24 in the first.
| WR Mark Clayton, Rec: 1 - -1 - 0 (2 targets) |
Clayton was rarely targeted and proved to be a non-factor in the game. He was questionable earlier in the week with his injured ankle, but it was unclear if the injury was the cause of his low numbers. Clayton was targeted twice; he lost a yard on a wide receiver screen that was easily sniffed out by the New York defense and had no chance on a late game pass that was tipped halfway between Boller and himself.
| WR Demetrius Williams, Rec: 1 - 13 - 0 (5 targets) |
Williams was Boller's favorite downfield target, although the two only managed to hook up one time for a 13 yard gain. Williams' last target ended with an apparent injury, but no further details were released during the game.
| TE Todd Heap, Rec: 7 - 76 - 1 (9 targets) |
Heap's sure handed play made him Boller's second favorite target. Heap didn't have any looks until after the end of the first quarter, but then proceeded to have eight balls come his way over the course of the second and third. His touchdown catch near the end of the first half was proof-positive of his credentials as a Pro Bowl tight end; he made a one handed snag while keeping both feet in bounds at the left side of the end zone. It was a spectacular play sure to be on all the highlight shows for the week and likely the year. Heap led the Ravens in receiving yards.
| TE Quinn Sypniewski, Rec: 2 - 18 - 0 (2 targets) |
Sypniewski had the first multiple target and multiple catch game of his young career. On the downside, he was also flagged for a false start penalty.
| PK Matt Stover 2 - 3 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 8 points |
Stover connected on both of his PATs and made field goals of 50 and 43 yards. He missed a 46 yard field goal in the second half that he shanked right of the goal posts.
| BAL Rush Defense |
Baltimore's rush defense played excellently, only giving up 2.6 yards per rush (27 attempts for 69 yards) while allowing no touchdowns. They gave up only three rushing first downs and allowed no run longer than nine yards.
| BAL Pass Defense |
Baltimore's pass defense stifled Kellen Clemens with four sacks, multiple pressures, and two interceptions. They allowed 260 yards for an average of 7.0 yards per attempt. They allowed one late touchdown, a great catch at the side of the end zone by Jets' tight end Chris Baker.
