Cromartie inconsistent but never in doubt

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- The first indicator came early in the afternoon, when he practiced fully without limitations.

However, the true gauge on Antonio Cromartie's health and just how well his bruised ribs and bruised lung have healed came hours later. The Jets cornerback already was back to his trash-talking ways, taking a shot at Ravens rookie Torrey Smith, whom he could be covering Sunday night in Baltimore.

"He had one big game. That's it," Cromartie said Thursday. "He has five catches for his whole three-game career. That's it. So . . . "

Cromartie is "very" confident he'll play Sunday and is expected to wear light protection to help absorb any blows he might take to his midsection. He said he didn't experience any problems in yesterday's practice, and Rex Ryan said Cromartie looked solid, pulling in three interceptions.

"I feel good now," Cromartie said. "After the game, I felt like a fish out of water. I really couldn't breathe. But right now, I'm feeling good. I feel 100 percent. I have a little soreness here and there, but that's about it.

"I guess we'll really find out how good I feel once I make the first tackle."

Cromartie, who likely won't return kickoffs Sunday, was injured while tackling Darrius Heyward-Bey after a 5-yard gain with about nine minutes left. He lowered his right shoulder to lay the hit on the Raiders wideout and was slow to get up, leaving the game and not returning.

Getting hurt was the final blow in a poor game for Cromartie. He was called for pass interference twice and flagged twice for defensive holding. He also muffed a kickoff, which Oakland recovered and cashed in for a 31-17 cushion.

"If you want to have a true penalty," Cromartie said, "there was probably only one true penalty and that's when I got a slant-and-go from Darrius Heyward-Bey on their sideline. Other than that, my biggest thing was to make sure I stayed aggressive and keep playing my game."

He might have to change one aspect of it, though. Cromartie has been penalized 12 times in two seasons with the Jets, and Ryan said it might be attributable to a technique flaw because of his 6-2, 210-pound frame.

"For a bigger corner, a taller corner, his hands are a little higher," Ryan said. "I think sometimes that gets called more frequently. Anything below the waist is usually fine. There is nothing that's ever called below the waist. We just have to lower his hands a little bit because that's the way the NFL's always been played."

Cromartie's play can be maddening to coaches. He was burned for two scores in the season opener and bounced back with two interceptions in Week 2 before last week's rough game.

"We need him to be more consistent," defensive coordinator Mike Pettine said. "We don't need the great game up here, and then all of the sudden it's a clunker the next week. We need to get Cro to the point where we can be a little middle of the road with him, where he's solid.

"Sometimes he's so competitive, and he wants to please. It's one of those things where he feels he's letting everybody down, and I think that snowballs on him. That's the key with Cro, is getting him consistent."

If nothing else, he's confident.

"Honestly, I don't care who I play," Cromartie said. "My job is to shut down that receiver. So whoever I [go] against, they are going to have a hard day."