 snapped a four-game losing streak. Smith injured his right knee while taking a sack from Baltimore's Matthew Judon. Fitzpatrick was efficient after losing his job earlier in the week. Coach Todd Bowles decided to start Smith over Fitzpatrick , who had thrown an NFL-leading 11 interceptions and just five touchdown passes. Smith was 4 of 8 for 95 yards and a TD to Quincy Enunwa. Justin Tucker put the Ravens (3-4) back up 16-14 as time expired in the first half with his third field goal, a 44-yarder. Joe Flacco started for Baltimore after being questionable with a sore shoulder . He went a team-record 176 consecutive throws without an interception before Buster Skrine picked off his pass in the third quarter and returned it 51 yards to the Ravens 3. But the Jets faltered and had to settle for Nick Folk's 22-yard field goal and a 17-16 lead. The defense made it two possessions in a row with a takeaway - after coming in with just four all season - as Marcus Gilchrist picked off Flacco and returned it 27 yards to the Ravens 24. This time, the Jets cashed in, but not before some hot potato with the football. On second-and-goal from the 6, Forte ran up the middle for 3 yards and had the ball ripped out of his hands. Timmy Jernigan recovered for Baltimore and tried to advance, but Brandon Marshall stripped the ball and recovered it for the Jets. Three plays later, Forte ran it in from 1 yard. Forte finished with 101 yards and a TD on 31 carries and four catches for 54 yards and a score. He also joined Marshall Faulk, Marcus Allen, Thurman Thomas and Herschel Walker as the only players with 8,000 yards rushing, 4,000 yards receiving and 20 TD receptions. With 3:04 left, Folk had a chance to seal the victory, but his 51-yard field goal attempt was blocked by Brandon Williams. Again, the Jets' defense came up big, with Marcus Williams knocking away Flacco's desperation heave as the Ravens dropped their fourth straight - and second in a row at MetLife Stadium after losing 27-23 to the Giants last week. SMITH'S QUICK STARTSmith got New York on the board in the first quarter when he tossed a short pass to Enunwa, who motored down the left sideline and outran two Ravens for a 69-yard touchdown. An excited Smith ran all the way down the field to celebrate with Enunwa as fireworks went off at MetLife Stadium. It was Smith's first touchdown pass since Week 8 of last season at Oakland, when he stepped in for an injured Fitzpatrick. It was also Smith's first start since the 2014 season finale at Miami, where he threw for 358 yards and three TDs while compiling a perfect 158.3 quarterback rating in a 37-14 win. WHOOPSBaltimore took a 7-0 lead when rookie Lachlan Edwards, punting on the Jets' first offensive series, had the snap go through his hands. Edwards then couldn't corral the football as Moore recovered and ran it in for 2 yards. BYRD HONOREDThe Jets honored the late Dennis Byrd with a pregame video tribute after he was killed last weekend in a car accident in Oklahoma. Byrd was an inspiration to many after he overcame brief paralysis and walked again just a few months after injuring his neck during a play in 1992. The defensive lineman, who played for the Jets for four seasons, died in a two-vehicle collision last Saturday. He was 50. The Jets showed a video tribute after player introductions, and a moment of silence was held before the national anthem. Members of Byrd's immediate family served as honorary captains for the game. Byrd's former teammates and close friends Scott Mersereau, Paul Frase and Marvin Washington also joined the family at midfield for the coin toss.)
The last time Geno Smith faced the Baltimore Ravens, he was in his 11th start as a rookie in 2013. He didn't fare very well, completing just 9 of 22 passes and throwing two interceptions as his New York Jets lost 19-3 in Baltimore. It was part of a forgettable rookie season for the quarterback, who completed just 55.8 percent of his passes and threw 21 interceptions vs. 12 touchdowns. He wasn't much better in his second season, which is why the Jets traded for Ryan Fitzpatrick in March 2015 and ended up making him the starter. However, with Fitzpatrick benched Wednesday, Smith is back at the helm -- at least for now. As the Jets (1-5) host the Ravens (3-3) on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on CBS, his task is to try to spark an offense that ranks last in scoring (15.8 points per game) and No. 2 in turnovers (15)." I felt it was time for a change," New York coach Todd Bowles said. "We got up there in the turnover category. We hadn't put any points up. We're trying to get a spark somewhere, so I made the change." The Ravens hope they don't have to make a change at the same position. Quarterback Joe Flacco has been sacked 11 times over the past three games -- all losses -- and is dealing with a sore right shoulder that kept him out of practice Wednesday." I have a little shoulder soreness," Flacco said. "A little bit of rest right now is probably the best thing." Coach John Harbaugh said Flacco still has a "legitimate chance to play" against the Jets. Backup Ryan Mallett would start if Flacco cannot. In two games filling in for an injured Flacco last season, Mallett completed 58 of 97 pass attempts (59.8 percent), with two touchdowns and two interceptions." Ryan (could be) a starter in this league," Harbaugh said. "That will not be a problem if he plays. I'll feel very confident if Ryan Mallett is out there playing." That said, Harbaugh clearly would prefer his starter." Joe will be out there if he can be," the coach said. "There's no tougher guy than Joe. To me, he will be out there. It's my belief he'll be out there." Considering the quarterback situations in this game, both teams will try to run the ball. However, the ground yardage might be hard to come by. The Ravens could be without top pass rusher Terrell Suggs (torn biceps), but they still have the top run defense in the NFL, giving up just 69.7 yards per game. The Jets' running attack ranks 19th at just 92.5 yards per game. Part of that is a lack of carries -- Matt Forte and Bilal Powell have combined for just 28 the past two weeks. Smith, a more mobile quarterback than Fitzpatrick, could help that effort. The Jets also will hope Smith can take advantage of an injury-ravaged Ravens secondary and get the ball to top wide receiver Brandon Marshall, who has 27 receptions for 433 yards and two touchdowns. Baltimore hopes to have starting cornerback Jimmy Smith back in the lineup after he sustained a concussion last week against the Giants. But the secondary is also dealing with several other injuries: Tavon Young (undisclosed), Jerraud Powers (groin) and Shareece Wright (hamstring). The status of that trio is uncertain. The Ravens also will try to establish their running game, with Terrance West working to take some pressure off an offensive line that has not been able to protect Flacco. West has emerged as Baltimore's top back, rushing for 208 yards on 32 carries in the past two games. Of course, the Jets have almost as staunch a run defense as the Ravens, ranking sixth in the NFL at 85.5 yards allowed per game. Baltimore's reshuffled line will have to contend with Leonard Williams (five sacks) and company. Bowles plans to make a few personnel moves on defense, although he would not give any details." (None) that I feel like revealing," Bowles said, "but I've made some changes." One potential switch would be benching cornerback Buster Skrine, who was flagged for four penalties Monday night in New York's 28-3 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. He could be replaced by Marcus Williams, who has nine interceptions in 27 career games.
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