But in a dominating final 20 minutes, the Ravens, relying on some long completions from Flacco and a suffocating defense, scored the game’s final 16 points to pull away from the Houston Texans and post a 29-14 victory in front of an announced 71,154 at M&T Bank Stadium.

“It was really encouraging to see the way we responded in a tight game in the fourth quarter,” Ravens Coach John Harbaugh said. “To have to come out and really win the fourth quarter in that kind of fashion is a huge statement.”

Flacco threw for 305 yards and scored a rushing touchdown, Billy Cundiff tied a team record with five field goals, running back Ray Rice had 161 total yards and wide receiver Anquan Boldin had eight catches for 132 yards.

The Ravens took over the game in the second half, out-gaining Houston 269 yards to 151, dominating the time of possession and scoring on four of five drives before finally taking a knee.

Ricky Williams’s four-yard touchdown run — his first as a Raven — with just over four minutes to play all but sealed it as the Ravens improved to 4-1 overall heading into next Monday’s game against the 1-5 Jacksonville Jaguars, and 5-0 all-time against the Texans (3-3).

“You look everybody in the eye at halftime and you say, ‘let’s go, let’s go do this,’ ” Flacco said. “We had moved the ball on them. We had to stop hurting ourselves. That’s what makes it so good to win this football game. We were able to push through and really have a great second half.”

There were some tenuous moments and the capacity crowd went silent when Jones beat safety Ed Reed, and Schaub found him to give the Texans a 14-13 lead with 8 minutes 46 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

But two long Flacco completions to rookie Torrey Smith set up Cundiff’s 25-yard field goal that gave the home team a 16-14 lead.

The Ravens defense did the rest. Former Texan Bernard Pollard broke up a pass intended for Arian Foster on third and nine. A sack by Pernell McPhee on third and three ended the Texans’ next drive and forced a punt, and then the Ravens stopped Houston on fourth down on its final two possessions.

While the defense was its stellar self, the offense continued to battle inconsistency.

Looking sharp after the bye week, the Ravens went 97 yards in 16 plays on their first possession, ending in Flacco’s one-yard plunge into the end zone, the first first-quarter touchdown the Texans have given up all season.

Instead of setting the tone for a huge offensive day, the drive was followed by a quarter and a half of offensive frustration. Baltimore’s next three drives ended in a punt, a Flacco fumble that set up the Texans touchdown, a 43-yard Cundiff field goal and then a Flacco interception on a play where tight end Ed Dickson was wide open down the field. Several plays during that span ended with Flacco laying on the turf.

“Today was the day that it didn’t look pretty at first,” Rice said, “but in the second half, we got it all together.”

— Baltimore Sun

BALTIMORE – Beating the Baltimore Ravens on the road is a difficult task, even for a healthy team riding a crest of momentum.

So here come the Houston Texans, limping into town Sunday without their two best players and bringing a sore-armed quarterback whose final throw last week sealed a maddening loss to Oakland.

The Texans (3-2) listed 18 players on their midweek injury report. Andre Johnson, Houston’s leading receiver, is recovering from surgery on his right hamstring; Mario Williams, Houston’s sack leader, is gone for the season with a torn pectoral muscle; and Matt Schaub saw limited practice time because of a tender shoulder.

A year ago, Johnson had nine catches for 140 yards and two touchdowns in Houston’s 34-28 overtime loss to Baltimore. Williams never got to quarterback Joe Flacco, but the Ravens yielded four sacks while trying to nullify the big defensive end.

Baltimore (3-1) is delighted both won’t be around for the rematch.

“We know they’re going to have guys come in,” running back Ray Rice said. “But when you think about the next man up, you cannot replace an Andre Johnson, you cannot replace a Mario Williams. Those guys are names in the NFL that everyone knows. If we were playing them, we would have to account for those two guys.”

Flacco, who’s been sacked eight times in four games thus far, won’t have to look over his shoulder for an oncoming Williams.

“They’ve got a lot of good guys over there on defence, but anytime you take a guy like that out of the game, I don’t want to say it makes it easier, but it will definitely help us out a little bit,” Flacco said.

Baltimore has won 12 of its last 13 home games — including blowouts this year over Pittsburgh and the New York Jets by a combined 69-24 score.

And now, following a bye, the rested Ravens face a depleted Houston team coming off a 25-20 defeat to the Raiders in which Schaub threw an interception in the end zone as time expired.

“The more you think about it and the more you dwell on it, the more you’re hurting yourself for this week,” Schaub said. “So we’ve got to continue on and go to the next play.”

Which very well might be handoff to Arian Foster, who ran for 100 yards last season against Baltimore. No one has done it since.

“You have to hit him. He’s one of the most complete backs you can see,” Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis said. “We know with Andre being out and them going through some things offensively, they’re going to run the ball on us. I think we’re up for the challenge.”

A year ago, Foster won the NFL rushing title while running behind Pro Bowl fullback Vonta Leach. Now, after signing as a free agent with Baltimore in August, Leach is blocking for Rice.

“He’s one of my better friends in the NFL today,” Foster said of his former leading man. “I can’t wait to see him.”

Leach was replaced in Houston by James Casey, who has a chest injury and might be forced to sit out Sunday’s game.

“Well, next guy steps up,” said offensive co-ordinator Rick Dennison, a line that just might turn out to be the theme of Houston’s 2011 season. “It’s like anybody else — if we have somebody go down, we’re going to miss them, but somebody’s got to go out there and compete. Maybe our versatility isn’t what it was before, but we’ll make do.”

Schaub threw for 416 yards last week, but he realizes nothing will come easy against a defence that features Haloti Ngata, Terrell Suggs, Ed Reed and Lewis, who’s having another standout season at age 36.

“He’s still Ray Lewis. He still plays instinctive, reacts to what he sees. He’s seen virtually everything that you can throw at him,” Schaub said. “You just have to know where he is, much like No. 20 (Reed) back end. You’ve got to know where he’s at and 55 (Suggs) up front. They have a ton of playmakers, and you’ve got to account for them wherever they are.”

Baltimore scored three defensive touchdowns against the Jets and has forced 14 turnovers, tied for second in the league behind Buffalo (16).

“We’re trying to get off the football field,” Reed said. “We’re trying to cause havoc, we’re trying to put pressure on you, we don’t want you to score.”

BALTIMORE (AP) — Beating the Baltimore Ravens on the road is a difficult task, even for a healthy team riding a crest of momentum.

So here come the Houston Texans, limping into town Sunday without their two best players and bringing a sore-armed quarterback whose final throw last week sealed a maddening loss to Oakland.

The Texans (3-2) listed 18 players on their midweek injury report. Andre Johnson, Houston’s leading receiver, is recovering from surgery on his right hamstring; Mario Williams, Houston’s sack leader, is gone for the season with a torn pectoral muscle; and Matt Schaub saw limited practice time because of a tender shoulder.

A year ago, Johnson had nine catches for 140 yards and two touchdowns in Houston’s 34-28 overtime loss to Baltimore. Williams never got to quarterback Joe Flacco, but the Ravens yielded four sacks while trying to nullify the big defensive end.

Baltimore (3-1) is delighted both won’t be around for the rematch.

“We know they’re going to have guys come in,” running back Ray Rice said. “But when you think about the next man up, you cannot replace an Andre Johnson, you cannot replace a Mario Williams. Those guys are names in the NFL that everyone knows. If we were playing them, we would have to account for those two guys.”

Flacco, who’s been sacked eight times in four games thus far, won’t have to look over his shoulder for an oncoming Williams.

“They’ve got a lot of good guys over there on defense, but anytime you take a guy like that out of the game, I don’t want to say it makes it easier, but it will definitely help us out a little bit,” Flacco said.

Baltimore has won 12 of its last 13 home games — including blowouts this year over Pittsburgh and the New York Jets by a combined 69-24 score.

And now, following a bye, the rested Ravens face a depleted Houston team coming off a 25-20 defeat to the Raiders in which Schaub threw an interception in the end zone as time expired.

“The more you think about it and the more you dwell on it, the more you’re hurting yourself for this week,” Schaub said. “So we’ve got to continue on and go to the next play.”

Which very well might be handoff to Arian Foster, who ran for 100 yards last season against Baltimore. No one has done it since.

“You have to hit him. He’s one of the most complete backs you can see,” Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis said. “We know with Andre being out and them going through some things offensively, they’re going to run the ball on us. I think we’re up for the challenge.”

A year ago, Foster won the NFL rushing title while running behind Pro Bowl fullback Vonta Leach. Now, after signing as a free agent with Baltimore in August, Leach is blocking for Rice.

“He’s one of my better friends in the NFL today,” Foster said of his former leading man. “I can’t wait to see him.”

Leach was replaced in Houston by James Casey, who has a chest injury and might be forced to sit out Sunday’s game.

“Well, next guy steps up,” said offensive coordinator Rick Dennison, a line that just might turn out to be the theme of Houston’s 2011 season. “It’s like anybody else — if we have somebody go down, we’re going to miss them, but somebody’s got to go out there and compete. Maybe our versatility isn’t what it was before, but we’ll make do.”

Schaub threw for 416 yards last week, but he realizes nothing will come easy against a defense that features Haloti Ngata, Terrell Suggs, Ed Reed and Lewis, who’s having another standout season at age 36.

“He’s still Ray Lewis. He still plays instinctive, reacts to what he sees. He’s seen virtually everything that you can throw at him,” Schaub said. “You just have to know where he is, much like No. 20 (Reed) back end. You’ve got to know where he’s at and 55 (Suggs) up front. They have a ton of playmakers, and you’ve got to account for them wherever they are.”

Baltimore scored three defensive touchdowns against the Jets and has forced 14 turnovers, tied for second in the league behind Buffalo (16).

“We’re trying to get off the football field,” Reed said. “We’re trying to cause havoc, we’re trying to put pressure on you, we don’t want you to score.”

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Ed Reed of the Baltimore Ravens rouses the crowd during the game against the New York Jets at M&T Bank Stadium. / GETTY

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BALTIMORE – Beating the Baltimore Ravens on the road is a
difficult task, even for a healthy team riding a crest of
momentum.

So here come the Houston Texans, limping into town Sunday
without their two best players and bringing a sore-armed
quarterback whose final throw last week sealed a maddening loss to
Oakland.

The Texans (3-2) listed 18 players on their midweek injury
report. Andre Johnson, Houston’s leading receiver, is recovering
from surgery on his right hamstring; Mario Williams, Houston’s sack
leader, is gone for the season with a torn pectoral muscle; and
Matt Schaub saw limited practice time because of a tender
shoulder.

A year ago, Johnson had nine catches for 140 yards and two
touchdowns in Houston’s 34-28 overtime loss to Baltimore. Williams
never got to quarterback Joe Flacco, but the Ravens yielded four
sacks while trying to nullify the big defensive end.

Baltimore (3-1) is delighted both won’t be around for the
rematch.

“We know they’re going to have guys come in,” running back Ray
Rice said. “But when you think about the next man up, you cannot
replace an Andre Johnson, you cannot replace a Mario Williams.
Those guys are names in the NFL that everyone knows. If we were
playing them, we would have to account for those two guys.”

Flacco, who’s been sacked eight times in four games thus far,
won’t have to look over his shoulder for an oncoming Williams.

“They’ve got a lot of good guys over there on defense, but
anytime you take a guy like that out of the game, I don’t want to
say it makes it easier, but it will definitely help us out a little
bit,” Flacco said.

Baltimore has won 12 of its last 13 home games – including
blowouts this year over Pittsburgh and the New York Jets by a
combined 69-24 score.

And now, following a bye, the rested Ravens face a depleted
Houston team coming off a 25-20 defeat to the Raiders in which
Schaub threw an interception in the end zone as time expired.

“The more you think about it and the more you dwell on it, the
more you’re hurting yourself for this week,” Schaub said. “So we’ve
got to continue on and go to the next play.”

Which very well might be handoff to Arian Foster, who ran for
100 yards last season against Baltimore. No one has done it
since.

“You have to hit him. He’s one of the most complete backs you
can see,” Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis said. “We know with Andre
being out and them going through some things offensively, they’re
going to run the ball on us. I think we’re up for the
challenge.”

A year ago, Foster won the NFL rushing title while running
behind Pro Bowl fullback Vonta Leach. Now, after signing as a free
agent with Baltimore in August, Leach is blocking for Rice.

“He’s one of my better friends in the NFL today,” Foster said of
his former leading man. “I can’t wait to see him.”

Leach was replaced in Houston by James Casey, who has a chest
injury and might be forced to sit out Sunday’s game.

“Well, next guy steps up,” said offensive coordinator Rick
Dennison, a line that just might turn out to be the theme of
Houston’s 2011 season. “It’s like anybody else – if we have
somebody go down, we’re going to miss them, but somebody’s got to
go out there and compete. Maybe our versatility isn’t what it was
before, but we’ll make do.”

Schaub threw for 416 yards last week, but he realizes nothing
will come easy against a defense that features Haloti Ngata,
Terrell Suggs, Ed Reed and Lewis, who’s having another standout
season at age 36.

“He’s still Ray Lewis. He still plays instinctive, reacts to
what he sees. He’s seen virtually everything that you can throw at
him,” Schaub said. “You just have to know where he is, much like
No. 20 (Reed) back end. You’ve got to know where he’s at and 55
(Suggs) up front. They have a ton of playmakers, and you’ve got to
account for them wherever they are.”

Baltimore scored three defensive touchdowns against the Jets and
has forced 14 turnovers, tied for second in the league behind
Buffalo (16).

“We’re trying to get off the football field,” Reed said. “We’re
trying to cause havoc, we’re trying to put pressure on you, we
don’t want you to score.”

© 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Entering Sunday, Ray Rice was tied for 12^th in the NFL with 66 carries to go along with 16 catches. Because something good happens seemingly every time Rice touches the ball, I’ve heard numerous people say that the Ravens need to get him the ball even more. That may be true, but it’s appropriate to point out that Rice has seen a significant increase in touches compared to the first four games of last year. His 82 touches are 11 more than he had through four weeks last year when he had 60 rushes and 11 receptions. And that holds true even though Rice has played sporadically in fourth quarters because really only one of the Ravens’ games this season has been still in doubt at that point in the game. 

Since the Ravens signed Bryan McCann during the bye week, there hasn’t been an opportunity to ask coach John Harbaugh about where the young cornerback fits in the team’s plans. That question will obviously be more pertinent if several of the injured members of the secondary return this week as expected. But I’d have to imagine that the Ravens, who signed McCann to a two-year deal, are hoping that he plays his biggest role in the return game. The Ravens have used Lardarius Webb and Ed Reed on returns, and their beat-up secondary simply can’t afford to lose either with an injury. I understand the importance of special teams and I know injuries happen, but they seem to happen a lot to Ravens on kickoffs and punts. Jimmy Smith, Haruki Nakamura and David Reed have all been hurt on special teams.

The Ravens have dealt with their share of injuries, but they certainly are catching a break with the timing of their matchup against the Houston Texans. Not only did the Ravens have a bye week to potentially get back some of their ailing players, but the Texans may have lost their best defensive player yesterday in a 25-20 loss to the Oakland Raiders as outside linebacker Mario Williams left in the second quarter with a pectoral injury. Williams had gotten his fifth sack of the season earlier in the game. The severity of Williams’ injury is unknown, but with All-Pro wide receiver Andre Johnson (hamstring) expected to miss the game, the Texans could be without their top offensive and defensive player.

I’m a little late – OK about a week  – with this observation, but I thought one of the best moments during the Ravens’ 34-17 victory over the New York Jets eight days ago was that stretch where they ran the ball 11 straight plays spanning the third and fourth quarters. Fullback Vonta Leach and a couple of the offensive linemen kept motioning to the sidelines as if to say to them, “Let’s keep this going.” With Leach facing off against his old teammates this week, I can’t imagine he won’t be in the ears of the Ravens’ coaches, encouraging them to run it early and run it often. 

Wasn’t fullback Le’Ron McClain’s main gripe when he was with the Ravens that he didn’t get to handle the ball enough? He signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in the offseason and through five games, McClain has seven carries for 17 yards, and three catches for 19 yards. And that’s on a team that lost their starting running back (Jamaal Charles) in the first quarter of Week 2 with a knee injury. Just for comparison’s sake, McClain had 13 rushes for 33 yards and seven catches for 52 yards through the first five games with the Ravens last season.

BALTIMORE (AP) — The Baltimore Ravens have a week off to savor their latest win over Rex Ryan.

Ryan, on the other hand, can’t lament this defeat for long because he and the New York Jets have got another grudge match coming up.

Baltimore scored three touchdowns off turnovers by Mark Sanchez in a 34-17 victory Sunday night. The win was the perfect way to end the first quarter of the season and head into a bye week.

“We’re going to watch the tape, note the mistakes, get better and get prepared for the next game,” safety Ed Reed said.

Baltimore’s three scores on defense were the most in franchise history.

Jameel McClain took a fumble by Sanchez 6 yards for a touchdown on New York’s first offensive play, Jarret Johnson scored on a 26-yard fumble return and Lardarius Webb put the Ravens up by 17 points in the third quarter by taking an interception 73 yards into the end zone.

The Ravens (3-1) held the Jets (2-2) to 150 yards and seven first downs in taking over sole possession of first place in the AFC North.

“The best defensive effort I thought I had ever seen or the most amazing defensive performance I thought I’d ever seen was the Pittsburgh game with seven turnovers,” coach John Harbaugh said, referring to Baltimore’s season-opening 35-7 rout.

“But this topped it. That’s pretty impressive, to say the least.”

What made it even better was that it came against Ryan, who served 10 years with the Ravens until taking the Jets job before the 2009 season.

“He created this and now he has to deal with us,” Johnson said. “It was fun.”

Not so for Ryan.

“I’ve been around football a long time and I’ve never seen anything like that,” Ryan said. “The performance by their defense was spectacular. They were coming after us. That’s a Ravens defense. It reminded me of the 2000 and 2006 defenses.”

Next up for the Jets: A trip to New England for a game against the Patriots.

A week ago, New York gave up 234 yards rushing in a loss to the Oakland Raiders. This defeat can be attributed to Sanchez, who threw an interception and fumbled four times, losing three.

He went 11 for 35 for 119 yards, and the only score he produced was a field goal by Nick Folk after a 25-yard drive.

“He struggled mightily, there’s no question about it,” Ryan said. “It wasn’t his best day, that’s for sure, but he’s our quarterback and I believe in him.”

New York has lost seven straight to the Ravens, the last two with Ryan on the Jets sideline. New York’s touchdowns came on a 107-yard kickoff return by Joe McKnight and a 35-yard interception return by David Harris.

The Ravens got 17 points off three fumbles by Sanchez to take a 27-7 lead in the second quarter, and although the Jets cut the gap to 10, they were unable to complete the comeback.

“We all had our share in this loss,” Sanchez said.

“I’m fine pointing out my mistakes; as far as my mistakes, I’ll take the blame for it.”

The Jets came out trying to pass. In hindsight, it might not have been a good idea.

“The passing game early in the season has been doing pretty well,” tight end Dustin Keller said. “We’re a run first team and without that, we can’t do what we want to do. So we have to correct that.”

Plaxico Burress, who had three catches for 33 yards, said, ”We’ll be fine. I’ve been through this before, where you lose a couple games in a row. We’ll come out Wednesday focused on winning in New England.”

Down 27-17, New York got the ball on the Baltimore 27 after Joe Flacco fumbled when Jets linebacker Aaron Maybin picked up his first career sack.

On the next play, Webb picked off a pass by Sanchez intended for Santonio Holmes on the right sideline and sprinted into the end zone with 8:49 left in the third quarter.

Game over.

“There is no need to panic right now,” Burress said. “There is too much football left.”

Notes: Ravens LB Sergio Kindle made his NFL debut after missing all last season with a fractured skull and being inactive for the first three games this year. … Jets LB Bryan Thomas hurt his ankle in the first quarter and did not return. LB Garrett McIntyre hurt his head in the second quarter. … Baltimore has won 12 of its last 13 at home. … The Ravens are 19-1 when scoring at least 30 points under offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. … Flacco went 10 for 31 for 163 yards. His 37.4 QB rating was only slightly higher than Sanchez’s 30.5.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

BALTIMORE (AP) – Mark Sanchez kept giving the ball away, and the Baltimore Ravens were only too happy to take it the other way into the end zone.

The Ravens scored three touchdowns on defense, all off turnovers by Sanchez, and cruised to a 34-17 victory over the New York Jets on Sunday night in a bizarre game that featured an NFL-record five returns for scores.

Baltimore’s three touchdowns on defense were the most in franchise history. Jameel McClain took a fumble by Sanchez 6 yards for a score on New York’s first offensive play, Jarret Johnson scored on a 26-yard fumble return and Lardarius Webb put the Ravens up 34-17 in the third quarter by taking an interception 73 yards into the end zone.

It was a performance that would have made Rex Ryan proud — if he was still Baltimore’s defensive coordinator. Unfortunately for Ryan, he is now New York’s head coach.

The three touchdowns on defense equaled Baltimore’s output for the entire 2010 season. The Ravens also held the Jets to 150 yards and seven first downs in taking over sole possession of first place in the AFC North.

New York (2-2) has lost seven straight to the Ravens (3-1), the last two with Ryan on the Jets sideline. New York’s touchdowns came on a 107-yard kickoff return by Joe McKnight and a 35-yard interception return by David Harris.

The Ravens got 17 points off three fumbles by Sanchez to take a 27-7 lead in the second quarter, and although the Jets cut the gap to 10, they were unable to complete the comeback.

Down 27-17, New York got the ball on the Baltimore 27 after Joe Flacco fumbled when Jets linebacker Aaron Maybin picked up his first career sack.

On the next play, Webb picked off a pass by Sanchez intended for Santonio Holmes on the right sideline and sprinted into the end zone with 8:49 left in the third quarter.

A week ago, the Jets gave up 234 yards rushing in a loss to the Oakland Raiders. This defeat can be attributed to Sanchez, who threw an interception and fumbled four times, losing three. He went 11 for 35 for 119 yards, and the only score he produced until the fourth quarter was a field goal by Nick Folk after a 25-yard drive.

It was 20-7 before Johnson scored after Sanchez fumbled when hit by Haloti Ngata. After a replay, the officials ruled that Sanchez’s arm was moving forward, but he did not have the ball in his hand, confirming the touchdown call.

Ryan was so angry he called a timeout to vent his frustration. After speaking his mind and getting no satisfaction, Ryan stalked the sideline and threw his arms up in a display of angst.

Minutes later, though, the Jets got their own defensive score. Harris picked off a pass from Flacco and took it 36 yards for a touchdown, and New York added a field goal to close to 27-17 at halftime.

But the Jets got only two first downs in the second half.

The Ravens fumbled the opening kickoff and Flacco was called for intentional grounding on the game’s first offensive play, but the Jets got off to a far more horrid start. After New York was called for holding on a punt return, Sanchez fumbled on first down when hit by Ed Reed on a safety blitz and McClain took the loose ball into the end zone.

The crowd was still buzzing when McKnight went on his 107-yard jaunt, the longest play in Jets history and the longest ever against the Ravens. McKnight ran up the middle without being touched until Chykie Brown grazed his arm on the Baltimore 2.

After a field goal by Billy Cundiff, the Ravens forced a punt and Flacco scrambled right, then to his left before completing a 12-yard pass to Ray Rice on a third-and-8. Following a 28-yard pass to Anquan Boldin, Rice ran in from the 3 for a 17-7 lead.

The Jets’ misery wasn’t close to being done. Sanchez couldn’t handle a high snap from Colin Baxter, starting for the injured Nick Mangold, and Ravens defensive end Paul Kruger recovered at the New York 23 to set up another field goal.

Baltimore scored three touchdowns off turnovers by Mark Sanchez in a 34-17 victory Sunday night. The win was the perfect way to end the first quarter of the season and head into a bye week.

“We’re going to watch the tape, note the mistakes, get better and get prepared for the next game,” safety Ed Reed said.

Baltimore’s three scores on defense were the most in franchise history. Jameel McClain took a fumble by Sanchez 6 yards for a touchdown on New York’s first offensive play, Jarret Johnson scored on a 26-yard fumble return and Lardarius Webb put the Ravens up by 17 points in the third quarter by taking an interception 73 yards into the end zone.

The Ravens (3-1) held the Jets (2-2) to 150 yards and seven first downs in taking over sole possession of first place in the AFC North.

“The best defensive effort I thought I had ever seen or the most amazing defensive performance I thought I’d ever seen was the Pittsburgh game with seven turnovers,” coach John Harbaugh said, referring to Baltimore’s season-opening 35-7 rout. “But this topped it. That’s pretty impressive, to say the least.”

What made it even better was that it came against Ryan, who served 10 years with the Ravens until taking the Jets job before the 2009 season.

“He created this and now he has to deal with us,” Johnson said. “It was fun.”

Not so for Ryan.

“I’ve been around football a long time and I’ve never seen anything like that,” Ryan said. “The performance by their defense was spectacular. They were coming after us. That’s a Ravens defense. It reminded me of the 2000 and 2006 defenses.”

Next up for the Jets: A trip to New England for a game against the Patriots.

A week ago, New York gave up 234 yards rushing in a loss to the Oakland Raiders. This defeat can be attributed to Sanchez, who threw an interception and fumbled four times, losing three. He went 11 for 35 for 119 yards, and the only score he produced was a field goal by Nick Folk after a 25-yard drive.

“He struggled mightily, there’s no question about it,” Ryan said. “It wasn’t his best day, that’s for sure, but he’s our quarterback and I believe in him.”

New York has lost seven straight to the Ravens, the last two with Ryan on the Jets sideline. New York’s touchdowns came on a 107-yard kickoff return by Joe McKnight and a 35-yard interception return by David Harris.

The Ravens got 17 points off three fumbles by Sanchez to take a 27-7 lead in the second quarter, and although the Jets cut the gap to 10, they were unable to complete the comeback.

“We all had our share in this loss,” Sanchez said. “I’m fine pointing out my mistakes; as far as my mistakes, I’ll take the blame for it.”

The Jets came out trying to pass. In hindsight, it might not have been a good idea.

“The passing game early in the season has been doing pretty well,” tight end Dustin Keller said. “We’re a run first team and without that, we can’t do what we want to do. So we have to correct that.”

Plaxico Burress, who had three catches for 33 yards, said, “We’ll be fine. I’ve been through this before, where you lose a couple games in a row. We’ll come out Wednesday focused on winning in New England.”

Down 27-17, New York got the ball on the Baltimore 27 after Joe Flacco fumbled when Jets linebacker Aaron Maybin picked up his first career sack.

On the next play, Webb picked off a pass by Sanchez intended for Santonio Holmes on the right sideline and sprinted into the end zone with 8:49 left in the third quarter.

Game over.

“There is no need to panic right now,” Burress said. “There is too much football left.”

Notes: Ravens LB Sergio Kindle made his NFL debut after missing all last season with a fractured skill and being inactive for the first three games this year. … Jets LB Bryan Thomas hurt his ankle in the first quarter and did not return. LB Garrett McIntyre hurt his head in the second quarter. … Baltimore has won 12 of its last 13 at home. … The Ravens are 19-1 when scoring at least 30 points under offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. … Flacco went 10 for 31 for 163 yards. His 37.4 QB rating was only slightly higher than Sanchez’s 30.5.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

The Ravens aren’t afraid of blitzing on every play. They’re not afraid of sending a safety or a nickel back after the quarterback. They’re not afraid of leaving a cornerback one-on-one with a receiver.

After a couple of years of playing it safe, the Baltimore defense showed a national television audience and its former boss that the Ravens haven’t just dusted off their old, aggressive game plan. They’ve expanded it.

Three defensive touchdowns in the Ravens’ 34-17 victory over the New York Jets at M&T Bank Stadium came as the result of relentless pressure. Past Ravens defenses prided themselves on leading the NFL in fewest yards given up or setting the record for fewest points allowed.

This Ravens defense wants turnovers, and they want to turn them into touchdowns. Baltimore’s defense outscored the Jets’ offense 21-3. Actually, Baltimore’s defense outscored its own offense.

So, how great can this Ravens defense become?

“We can be special,” Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs said. “It all depends on where we go from here.”

Defenses in Baltimore are defined by championships, which means there is a ways to go before you can rank this group. All you can say is that Baltimore is on the right path.

The Ravens are relentless and it started with the defense’s first snap. Baltimore safety Ed Reed came unblocked and stripped Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez from the blind side, which led to Jameel McClain’s 6-yard fumble return for a touchdown.

In the second quarter, defensive tackle Haloti Ngata crashed into Sanchez’s back, forcing the ball loose and leading to a 26-yard fumble return by Jarret Johnson. In the third quarter, Suggs’ pressure caused Sanchez to hurry a throw to the outside, where cornerback Lardarius Webb jumped in front of Santonio Holmes and ran back the interception 73 yards for a touchdown.

“It reminded me of the 2000 and 2006 defenses,” said Jets coach Rex Ryan, who was on the Ravens’ staff for both of those defenses. “They were coming after us.”

This defense, though, accomplished something the the defenses in 2000 (which set the NFL record for fewest points) and 2006 (which is the only Ravens defense that finished No. 1 in a season) never did — score three touchdowns in one game.

It didn’t matter that the special teams allowed a 107-yard kickoff return or quarterback Joe Flacco had an interception returned for a score. What made the Baltimore defense’s effort amazing was how it carried the team.

In 2000, the Ravens’ defense remained strong through a five-game touchdown drought. On Sunday night, the defense didn’t bend despite a 35 1/2-minute drought for Flacco, who didn’t complete a pass in the second or third quarters.

With the Ravens holding a 28-17 lead in the third quarter, Flacco fumbled to give the ball to the Jets at the Baltimore 27-yard line. On the next play, Webb once again showed there was no panic on defense when he delivered his interception return for a touchdown.

[+] Enlarge

Mitch Stringer/US PresswireThe Ravens were able to pressure Mark Sanchez all night and forced the Jets to cough up three fumbles.

“Any defense that can create turnovers and score touchdowns is pretty much unstoppable,” Ngata said.

This is a drastically different look from last season, when the Ravens had a more conservative approach under defensive coordinator Greg Mattison. They didn’t give up many points (third-fewest in the NFL). But they didn’t put much pressure on the quarterback (the 27 sacks were a franchise low).

When Mattison left to become the defensive coordinator at the University of Michigan, Baltimore promoted secondary coach Chuck Pagano, who said the Ravens would “wreak havoc” in his first news conference.

He has lived up to those words, especially against the Jets. According to ESPN Stats & Information, the Ravens blitzed at least one defensive back on 13 of Sanchez’s 38 dropbacks. Only twice this season had a quarterback taken more snaps against blitzing defensive backs (Jay Cutler and Sam Bradford, both in Week 2).

Those blitzes resulted in nearly as many turnovers (two) as completions (three).

“He’s not afraid of anything,” linebacker Ray Lewis said of Pagano.

The real fear must be for quarterbacks when they watch the Ravens’ defense get announced before the game. You get the sense that’s what pitchers must have felt when they went against the Yankees’ Murderers’ Row in 1927. Out of the Ravens’ tunnel comes Ngata. Then Suggs. Then Reed. And of course, Lewis.

What must quarterbacks think when they watch film of the Ravens hammering Sanchez, Ben Roethlisberger and Bradford?

“Get the ball out quick or you’re going to get hit,” Suggs said with a laugh.

But quarterbacks aren’t getting the ball out quickly enough. Last week in St. Louis, Baltimore recorded 11 quarterback hits. On Sunday night, there were 10 quarterback hits which were delivered by seven players.

The performance was more special because it was against Ryan, the Ravens’ defensive coordinator from 2005 to 2008.

“He created us,” Johnson said, “now he had to deal with us.”

Baltimore’s defense could become stronger after this week’s bye with the return of two injured cornerbacks, rookie first-round pick Jimmy Smith and veteran Chris Carr.

“I do sense something special with this defense and with this team,” Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh said. “I think there’s a spirit in this team that’s hard to describe and I wish I could put it into words for you. I saw it the first day the guys came back. We’ll see where it takes us.”

Note: Harbaugh handed out game balls to Pagano; O.J. Brigance, the team’s director of of player development who celebrated his birthday last week while still battling ALS; and Pat Modell, the wife of former majority owner Art Modell. Pat Modell is seriously ill.

BALTIMORE (AP) — It was a performance that would have made Rex Ryan proud – if he was still defensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens .

Unfortunately, Ryan is now head coach of the New York Jets . And he watched in horror as the unit he helped create scored three touchdowns off turnovers by Mark Sanchez in Baltimore’s 34-17 victory Sunday night.

Baltimore’s three scores on defense were the most in franchise history. Jameel McClain took a fumble by Sanchez 6 yards for a score on New York’s first offensive play, Jarret Johnson scored on a 26-yard fumble return and Lardarius Webb put the Ravens up by 17 points in the third quarter by taking an interception 73 yards into the end zone.

Don’t think for a moment that Baltimore didn’t take pleasure in doing it in front of Ryan, who served 10 years with the Ravens before taking the Jets job before the 2009 season.

“He created this and now he has to deal with us,” Johnson said. “It was fun.”

Not so for Ryan.

“I’ve been around football a long time and I’ve never seen anything like that,” Ryan said. “The performance by their defense was spectacular. They were coming after us. That’s a Ravens defense. It reminded me of the 2000 and 2006 defenses.”

This, however, was a one-of-a-kind performance. Three touchdowns in one game? Heck, that equaled the output of Baltimore’s defense for the entire 2010 season. The Ravens also held the Jets to 150 yards and seven first downs in taking over sole possession of first place in the AFC North.

“The best defensive effort I thought I had ever seen or the most amazing defensive performance I thought I’d ever seen was the Pittsburgh game with seven turnovers,” coach John Harbaugh said, referring to Baltimore’s season-opening 35-7 rout. “But this topped it. That’s pretty impressive, to say the least.”

The Ravens flustered Sanchez from the outset. On New York’s first play, Ed Reed caused a fumble on a safety blitz and McClain took the ball into the end zone. It was the first of four fumbles by Sanchez, three of which Baltimore recovered.

“Throughout the course of the beating, he got rattled a little bit,” Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs said. “Once we hit a few times, he kind of got uncomfortable.”

A week ago, the Jets gave up 234 yards rushing in a loss to the Oakland Raiders . This defeat can be attributed to Sanchez, who threw an interception and fumbled four times, losing three. He went 11 for 35 for 119 yards, and the only score he produced until the fourth quarter was a field goal by Nick Folk after a 25-yard drive.

“He struggled mightily, there’s no question about it,” Ryan said. “It wasn’t his best day, that’s for sure, but he’s our quarterback and I believe in him.”

New York (2-2) has lost seven straight to the Ravens (3-1), the last two with Ryan on the Jets sideline. New York’s touchdowns came on a 107-yard kickoff return by Joe McKnight and a 35-yard interception return by David Harris .

The Ravens got 17 points off three fumbles by Sanchez to take a 27-7 lead in the second quarter, and although the Jets cut the gap to 10, they were unable to complete the comeback.

“We all had our share in this loss,” Sanchez said. “I’m fine pointing out my mistakes; as far as my mistakes, I’ll take the blame for it.”

Down 27-17, New York got the ball on the Baltimore 27 after Joe Flacco fumbled when Jets linebacker Aaron Maybin picked up his first career sack.

On the next play, Webb picked off a pass by Sanchez intended for Santonio Holmes on the right sideline and sprinted into the end zone with 8:49 left in the third quarter.

It was 20-7 before Johnson scored after Sanchez fumbled when hit by Haloti Ngata . After a replay, the officials ruled that Sanchez’s arm was moving forward, but he did not have the ball in his hand, confirming the touchdown call.

Ryan was so angry he called a timeout to vent his frustration. After speaking his mind and getting no satisfaction, Ryan stalked the sideline and threw his arms up in a display of angst.

Minutes later, though, the Jets got their own defensive score. Harris picked off a pass from Flacco and took it 36 yards for a touchdown, and New York added a field goal to close to 27-17 at halftime.

But the Jets got only two first downs in the second half.

BALTIMORE — The defense of the Baltimore Ravens reminded its former boss, Rex Ryan, just how thoroughly it can dominate a game. The Ravens scored three touchdowns on defense and managed not to mess things up too badly on offense, coasting to a 34-17 triumph over the Ryan-coached New York Jets here Sunday night at M&T Bank Stadium.

The Ravens scored a pair of first-half touchdowns on returns of fumbles by Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez on sacks. They added a second-half touchdown by cornerback Lardarius Webb on an interception return of a Sanchez pass.

“The performance by their defense was spectacular,” Ryan said.

The three defensive touchdowns for the Ravens set a franchise record. They improved their record to 3-1 and beat the Jets for a seventh consecutive meeting. Tailback Ray Rice had a first-half rushing touchdown as the Ravens built a 27-7 lead.

The Ravens did little else on offense, as quarterback Joe Flacco completed only 10 of 31 passes and had an interception returned for a touchdown. Flacco had two completions in the game’s final three quarters. He also lost a fumble.

“It wasn’t too pretty,” Flacco said. “But any time you get a win in the NFL, it’s a good one, especially when you are playing a good team like that. Our defense really showed up today.”

Flacco still had a better night than Sanchez did. Sanchez had four fumbles, losing three of them. He connected on 11 of 35 passes, with no touchdowns and an interception. The Jets’ touchdowns came on a first-half kickoff return by Joe McKnight and linebacker David Harris’s second-half interception return. The Jets’ record dropped to 2-2 with their second straight loss.

“You never expect to go out and have a performance like that,” Jets tight end Dustin Keller said. “We should never go out and play like that. To go out and be flat like that is unacceptable.”

In all, the game featured four touchdowns scored by the defenses and one by the special teams. The two offenses managed only one touchdown between them.

“I’ve been around football a long time,” Ryan said. “I’ve never seen anything like that before.”

Ryan was returning to Baltimore to face his former team, having served as the Ravens’ defensive coordinator before getting his head-coaching opportunity in New York.

“He created us,” said linebacker Jarret Johnson, who scored one of the Ravens’ defensive touchdowns. “Now he had to deal with us.”

The Jets were hoping for a bounce-back performance. They were coming off a loss in Oakland a week earlier in which they were uncharacteristically unable to stop the run, surrendering 234 rushing yards to the Raiders.

But their early gaffes enabled the Ravens to build their sizable first-half lead. The Jets forced a punt on the Ravens’ opening possession but had to start their first drive at their own 10-yard line. Ravens safety Ed Reed blitzed from Sanchez’s blind side and hit the quarterback, knocking the ball from Sanchez’s hand. Ravens linebacker Jameel McClain picked up the ball and maneuvered into the end zone for the touchdown, and the officials ruled in a replay review that Sanchez’s arm had not been moving forward in a throwing motion before he lost the ball.

The New York Jets and Baltimore Ravens
clash in Week Four of the National Football League (NFL) season
and while the teams have much in common there is a sense of
rivalry fired by Jets head coach, and former Raven, Rex Ryan.

Both teams are 2-1 this season, have been regulars in the
American Football Conference (AFC) playoffs in recent years but
neither has made the Super Bowl since the Ravens triumph
following the 2000 season.

Each have outstanding players on defense – Ed Reed and Ray
Lewis for Baltimore, Darrelle Revis for the Jets – but have
some lingering question marks over their quarterbacks.

Ravens quarterback, 26-year-old Joe Flacco, and New York’s
Mark Sanchez, two years his junior, have both proven to be
worthy of their high ranking in the draft but neither have
sealed their status by taking their team to the biggest game.

But it is on the sidelines where the tension between the
two teams can be felt.

Ryan spent 10 years with the Ravens, ending as defensive
co-ordinator, and it still rankles that current Ravens coach
John Harbaugh pipped him to the top job at the club.

Although Ryan’s Jets lost to the Ravens last year he
believes he has proven his worth in New York and also feels the
need to spell that out.

“We have not beat them since I’ve been here, that’s for
sure, but the fact of the matter is, we all said we were going
to meet in the AFC championship game. Now, we haven’t won the
AFC championship game, but we’ve got there two years in a row.
The Ravens haven’t. So you can throw that one right back at
them as well,” Ryan said earlier this week.

“I’ve gone to the playoffs every year, and I’ve gone to the
championship game every year since I’ve been here as well. But
who cares? This is what it is. They know I did a great job
there for 10 years.”

It should be a gripping encounter in Baltimore on Sunday
that will conclude a day which is expected to offer some tests
for the NFL’s three undefeated teams.

The Buffalo Bills are the most surprising team at 3-0 and
they will fancy their chances of extending their winning start
to the season when they visit the Cincinnati Bengals (1-2).

The Detroit Lions (3-0) take on a Dallas Cowboys team that
were boosted by their victory over the Washington Redskins on
Monday while the Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers will
expect a fourth victory at Denver.

The New England Patriots, who suffered a shock defeat to
Buffalo last week, face another tricky test on the road against
an Oakland Raiders (2-1) team that is showing signs of being a
playoff threat this season.

The Raiders have gone eight seasons without a winning
record and will test the Patriots defense against the run in
the first game between the two teams in three years.

Michael Vick’s rather bruising season for the Philadelphia
Eagles (1-2) should continue at home to the San Francisco 49ers
if he recovers from a hand injury in time.

The Eagles are smarting from their defeat to the New York
Giants and desperate to avoid a third straight loss while the
49ers (2-1) are looking for another road win after last week’s
13-8 win at Cincinnati.

BALTIMORE (AP) — The Baltimore Ravens had just beaten their bitter rivals in record-breaking fashion, and some of the players felt inclined to put some perspective on their 35-7 manhandling of the defending AFC champion Pittsburgh Steelers.

Although their overwhelming victory Sunday provided a bit of payback for January’s playoff loss — and don’t think the Ravens did not remember that game — coach John Harbaugh and his players have turned their attention toward this season.

And Baltimore could not have possibility started it any better.

Joe Flacco threw three touchdown passes, Haloti Ngata led an inspired defense that forced a team-record seven turnovers, and the Ravens rolled to their most lopsided victory in a hotly contested series that began in 1996.

“The whole thing about ghosts, demons, monkeys on your back — that’s not real to us,” Harbaugh said. “This is the 2011 Baltimore Ravens.”

Ray Rice ran for 107 yards and scored twice for the Ravens, who bolted to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and never let up. It was a rematch of a second-round playoff game in which the Steelers rallied to beat Baltimore 31-24.

That day, the Ravens let a 21-7 halftime lead evaporate with three turnovers in the third quarter. At halftime of this one, Baltimore linebacker Ray Lewis spoke loudly in the locker room after his teammates compared the two games.

“They were saying, ‘We’ve been here before,’” Lewis said. “No, we haven’t been here before. This is a whole new year.”

This time, the Ravens got three takeaways in the third quarter to turn a 21-7 advantage into a rout.

Revenge? Not quite. Just a chance to move on.

“That playoff taste? Now it’s over,” Rice said. “They beat us in the playoffs, all right. We got that burden off our shoulders, boom, we’re one up on them. That’s how we got to approach this.”

Ngata was the driving force Sunday, causing a fumble and deflecting a pass that produced an interception. Ed Reed also picked off two passes for the Ravens, who mercilessly harassed nemesis Ben Roethlisberger.

Roethlisberger had won seven straight starts against the Ravens, but in this one he was 22 for 41 for 280 yards and three interceptions.

“I guess they were waiting for this one,” Roethlisberger said. “It’s not the way you want to start it for us, obviously (but) I’d rather this be a Week 1 loss than a Week 13, 14, 15 loss.”

The defeat ended Pittsburgh’s eight-game winning streak in season openers. The Steelers committed six turnovers after halftime and were dominated on both sides of the field.

“We got beat into submission,” linebacker James Farrior said.

Flacco went 17 for 29 without an interception, getting the best of Roethlisberger and giving the Ravens an early advantage over their AFC North foes.

“This was a huge win for us against Pittsburgh today, but without us playing great in these next 15 games, it’s not going to mean anything,” Flacco said.

In the past 51 games, only twice has Pittsburgh allowed a runner to reach 100 yards. Rice did it both times.

Rice had more yards at halftime on rushes (89) and catches (38) than Pittsburgh did on its 26 offensive plays (113).

Before the game, both teams and the crowd of 71,434 marked the 10-year anniversary of 9/11 by standing silent while “Taps” was played over the public address system.

Then a giant American flag was unfurled, covering the entire field. Players on both sidelines held the flag in place while the national anthem was sung.

The Steelers won the coin toss and deferred to the second half, giving the Ravens the chance to get the ball first. Baltimore made the most of the opportunity — and didn’t take much time doing so.

Rice ran for 36 yards on the first play, then carried for 3 yards to the 27 before Flacco lofted a touchdown pass to Anquan Boldin.

Baltimore turned a Roethlisberger miscue into a touchdown to make it 14-0 late in the first quarter. Roethlisberger fumbled when sacked by Terrell Suggs and Ngata recovered the ball at the Pittsburgh 37.

Flacco’s 29-yard completion to tight end Dennis Pitta set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Rice.

The Steelers then got their first score of the 2011 season, an 11-yard touchdown pass from Roethlisberger to Emmanuel Sanders.

Baltimore went up 21-7 with an 84-yard march in which Flacco converted three third-and-6 situations, the last with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Rice on third down.

In the third quarter, Ngata forced a fumble on the first play from scrimmage by driving into Rashard Mendenhall immediately after the running back took a handoff. Ngata recovered the loose ball, and Flacco threw an 18-yard TD pass to Ed Dickson on the next play.

To add insult, Baltimore added a 2-point conversion when holder Sam Koch ran the ball in on a fake kick.

After the kickoff, Ngata tipped a Roethlisberger pass and Lewis made the interception. But the Ravens were stopped on a fourth-and-1.

An interception by Reed led to a field goal by Billy Cundiff for a 32-7 lead.

NOTES: Pittsburgh LB James Harrison left in the fourth quarter with a bruised knee. … Ravens rookie CB Jimmy Smith sprained his ankle on a first-quarter kickoff and did not return. … Suggs had three sacks to become the Ravens’ career leader with 71½, passing Peter Boulware. … Reed has 12 career multi-interception games.