NY Jets rookie QB Mark Sanchez struggled early, though recovered to throw a TD before he left the game for the night. Despite the score, the Baltimore Ravens held on to defeat the Jets 24-23. The Jets scored a touchdown with :22 seconds remaining and could have tied the game, but as is the norm during NFL preseason went for two points and the win. Baltimore improved to 2-0 on the NFL preseason while the Jets dropped to 0-2.
Sanchez, who is trying to win the Jets starting QB job, was hit by Ray Lewis on his first drive and threw an errant pass that was intercepted and returned for a touchdown. After the game, he spoke of the play:
“Not obviously the way you want to start. I thought I was doing the right thing; I felt Ray come free on the right side from the protection. I was checking it down to the flat, perfect. Haloti just jumped right in front of the ball and made a really athletic play.”
Ravens defensive leader Ray Lewis talked about the young QBs inexperience:
“You put a young guy like Sanchez in there and you see our defense, it can be difficult. You saw his eyes get big, and he was jumping around in the pocket. Bottom line: We gave a lot of looks and disguises and we confused him a little bit.”
Sanchez agreed that it was tough adjusting to real world game conditions:
“Oh, they were flying. They were flying around. You practice for it and you see it on film. These guys were doing it. You’re trying to keep one eye on Ed Reed and one eye on Ray Lewis and a D-lineman gets you.”
Jets head coach Rex Ryan was proud of how Sanchez faced up to the pressure:
“I’m proud of the way he responded. It ain’t going to be perfect; sometimes you have these type of nights. You’ve got to give credit where credit is due, and most of that goes to their defense.”
The Jets will continue their preseason slate as they take on their local rivals the New York Giants next Saturday night. Baltimore will travel to Carolina for a game against the Panthers. The Jets will get the NFL regular season underway on Sunday, September 13th as they travel to Houston to play the Texans. The Ravens will host the Kansas City Chiefs.
Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and respected authority on . His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.
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