Lost amidst yet another Jets victory, which gave them a 9-2 record, which is their second-best start in franchise history through 11 games, was the toughness right tackle Damien Woody showed by playing with a sprained right knee.
Woody, who was injured Sunday and didn’t practice all week, talked the coaches into starting him after pregame warmups.
“I wasn’t moving the best, but I told them I wanted to play and they deferred to my decision,” Woody said.
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In a mildly surprising move, safety Eric Smith
started in place of regular starter Brodney Pool
.
This was a clear shift in personnel that defensive coordinator Mike Pettine
talked about on Tuesday in an effort to curb the big plays the defense has been allowing.
Smith, who said he was told on Monday he would start, was used as big part of trying to contain Bengals TE Jermaine Gresham
, who entered the night as the NFL’s leading rookie receiver with 42 catches.
Gresham finished with just two catches for 36 yards last night.
The Jets, based most recently on their poor job with Houston TE Joel Dreessen
(four catches, 106 yards and a touchdown) last week, have had problems covering tight ends all season.
In the past three games, the Jets have allowed 16 receptions, 252 yards and two TDs to tight ends.
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The Jets, shut out in the first quarter last night, have now gone all six home games without scoring a touchdown in the opening quarter, seven games in a row overall and it was the ninth game in 11 this season they have gone without a touchdown.
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When S Jim Leonhard
picked off Carson Palmer
in the second half, it was only the sixth Jets interceptions of the season and their first in six weeks, dating back to Dwight Lowery
‘s pick of Brett Favre
on Oct. 11.
Rex Ryan
said interceptions come in bunches and they did in the first half last night as CB Antonio Cromartie
picked off a Palmer pass in the end zone with 5:18 remaining in the half.
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RG Brandon Moore
started his 100th consecutive game as a Jet last night and was introduced first in the pre-game intros.
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The Jets lead the all-time series against the Bengals 17-7, including 12-2 at home and 9-0 at the Meadowlands.
They have beaten the Bengals in the last four meetings and in nine of previous 10, including the regular-season finale last season and in the playoffs.
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The Jets have allowed two 100-yard rushers in 30 games under Ryan and one of them came from Bengals RB Cedric Benson
, who gained 169 yards on them in last season’s playoff meeting.
Benson, who has 747 rushing yards this season, was held to 41 yards on 18 carries last night.