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Ravens use defense to topple Jets

Oct 3, 2011 - 6:24 AM Baltimore, MD (Sports Network) - Baltimore's defense accounted for three touchdowns as the Ravens took a 34-17 victory over the Jets.

Jameel McClain, Jarret Johnson and Lardarius Webb each scored for the Ravens on the defensive side of the ball as they won for the second straight week.

"It was a team victory but our defense carried us," Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said. "I couldn't be more proud of this team."

Ray Rice carried the ball 25 times for 66 yards and a score, the lone offensive touchdown for Baltimore (3-1).

Joe Flacco completed just 10-of-31 passes for 163 yards and was intercepted once.

Joe McKnight returned a kickoff 107 yards for a touchdown and David Harris returned an interception for a score to account for the Jets' touchdowns, and the five total return touchdowns set an NFL record.

But New York's two weren't enough for the Jets to win in head coach Rex Ryan's return to Baltimore. Ryan spent 10 years with the Ravens organization before taking over the head coaching duties for New York in 2009.

Mark Sanchez went 11-of-35 through the air for just 119 yards and an interception in New York's (2-2) second straight defeat.

"I think the credit goes to their defense. We're not pointing fingers. It wasn't our best day, there's no question about it. It wasn't even close," Ryan said. "But the opponent probably had as much to do with it as anything."

Derrick Mason caught two passes for 37 yards, leaving him one yard shy of 12,000 for his career. He is trying to become the 18th player in NFL history to surpass that mark.

Baltimore was forced to punt on its first possession of the game and New York took over on its own 10-yard line. On the first play of the drive, Ravens safety Ed Reed blitzed off the edge and hit Sanchez from behind, forcing a fumble. McClain recovered the ball and ran it in for the score to give the Ravens a quick 7-0 lead.

But McKnight took the ensuing kickoff seven yards deep in the end zone and returned it, untouched, all the way down the field for a touchdown.

Rice's 52 yard catch-and-run then set up a 38-yard field goal by Billy Cundiff, putting the Ravens back on top.

After the Ravens forced a Jets punt, Flacco hit Rice and Anquan Boldin on consecutive passes to get into the Jets' red zone. Rice capped the eight-play drive with a three-yard touchdown run to make it a 17-7 game late in the first.

On New York's next drive, Jets' center Colin Baxter -- who is filling in for injured Pro Bowl center Nick Mangold -- snapped the ball off of Sanchez's shoulder and the Ravens recovered the fumble at the New York 23. Baltimore could not get a first down, though, and settled for a Cundiff 38-yard field goal.

Each team traded punts before the Jets took over on their own 18-yard line. After Sanchez scrambled for a first down, he dropped back to pass and was blindsided by Haloti Ngata. The ball popped into the air and was recovered by Johnson, who ran into the end zone for a 26-yard return. The play was reviewed as Sanchez was in his throwing motion when he got hit, but the referee upheld the fumble call and the Ravens increased their lead to 27-7.

New York was forced to punt yet again, but on the Ravens' next possession, Harris intercepted Flacco at the Baltimore 35 and rumbled in for a score.

A Nick Folk 40-yard field goal just before the two-minute warning made it a 27-17 contest at the half.

Aaron Maybin caused a Flacco fumble on the Ravens' first drive of the second half and the Jets took over deep in the Baltimore zone. But Sanchez was picked off on the next play by Webb, who took the interception 73 yards for a touchdown.

After the Jets were forced to punt for the fifth time, Baltimore took over with 6:36 left in the third and reeled off 11 straight runs to carry the game into the fourth quarter. The Ravens drove to the New York 37, but had to punt the ball away.

New York managed to get into Baltimore territory just once in the fourth -- thanks to a Ricky Williams fumble. But the Jets went three-and-out on that drive and did not record a first down for the remainder of the game.

Game Notes

Flacco improved to 21-5 at home in his career...Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis needs half a sack to reach 40 for his career and become the first player to record 40 sacks and 30 interceptions...New York totaled 150 yards on offense, while Baltimore managed 267.