Gameday Live 1: Ravens beat Jets, 10-9

Injury note: Kris Jenkins left the game with 8:16 left in the first quarter after injuring his left knee. He is out for the game. 

Good evening Jets fans. This is the day you’ve all waited for, Jets vs. Ravens opening night 2010. Marcus Henry (no, not the wide receiver who was cut) is here to bring you all the action from the New Meadowlands.

With the Darrelle Revis holdout, “Hard Knocks”, the Jets being investigated for acting inappropriately toward a female reporter, there was enough offseason buzz in around the Jets to last an entire season. Now it’s time for the Jets to put away the microphones, ditch the podiums and play the game.

What should the Jets be concerned about?

Mark Sanchez: Can he rebound after a widely inconsistent rookie season? The former USC standout threw 12 touchdowns and 20 interceptions last season. The good news was Sanchez caught a little fire in the playoffs, completing 41 of 68 passes with four TDs and two interceptions in three games. So which Sanchez will the Jets see? The Sanchez who tossed five picks against the Bills and four against the Patriots or the Sanchez who led the team to a 3-0 start?

Shonn Greene: Greene showed Jets management a lot last year, so much that the team was willing to part with Thomas Jones and Leon Washington. Greene ran for 135 yards in the Jets first-round win over the Bengals and 128 in their upset of the San Diego Chargers the following week. But Greene went down with a rib injury in the second half of the Jets AFC title game against the Colts and didn’t return. Can he stay healthy? If he can’t, the pressure on Sanchez will increase by 100 percent.

Defense: The Jets defense practically carried the team last season. While the team returns most of its key ingredients from last season, there will be a couple of missing pieces. Calvin Pace is out, which means Jason Taylor will be expected to go the entire way at OLB. Can he play an entire game at full speed? Revis missed nearly all of training camp due to his holdout. Is he in good enough shape to play shutdown corner tonight? If the answer to both of those questions is yes, the Jets should be fine on defense.

The game was delayed a half-hour due to lightening. Opening kickoff is set for about 7:25. We'll be back.

First quarter summary: Jets 3, Ravens 0

Jets scoring drive: 4 plays, 6 yards; 1:36
Nick Folk 23-yard field goal

Key play: Shaun Ellis and Bryan Thomas sacked Joe Flacco and forced on fumble on the Ravens first play from scrimmage. Sione Pouha recovered on the Ravens' 11, setting up the first scoring drive for the Jets.

The Ravens gained some ground on their second possession with a 16-play, 50-yard drive. Todd Heap had two catches for 22 yards and Anquan Boldin had a 14-yard catch on the drive. But Jets LB Bart Scott ended the drive with a forced fumble of Baltimore's Willis McGahee. Sione Pouha recovered and the Jets took over on their own 22.

Second scoring summary: Ravens 7, Jets 6:

Jets first scoring drive: 7 plays, 27 yards; 3:23
Nick Folk 28-yard field goal

Key Plays: Jim Leonard returned a punt 32 yards. He was sprung by a big block by Dwight Lowery. Sanchez connected with Justin Keller for what would've been a 33-yard gain on the next play, but it was nullified due to an illegal shift penalty on Braylon Edwards.Shonn Greene had an eight-yard run and had an extra 15 added after a horse-collar penalty was called on the Ravens, setting the Jets up with a 1st-and-10 on Baltimore's 19.  The Jets didn't get any closer than the 16-yard line. 

More Key Plays: After commiting a 28-yard pass interference penalty and getting burned by Derrick Mason for a 13-yard, first-down play, Antonio Cromartie picked off Joe Flacco two plays later and returned it to the Ravens' 31-yard line. Cromartie took the ball up the right sideline, cut back across the field and gained an extra 20 yards thanks to a big block by Darelle Revis, setting up the Jets with a 1st-and-10 on the Ravens; 31. The Jets euphoria ended quickly, however, as Shonn Greene fumbled two plays later. The Ravens took over on their own 24 with just under 4 minutes left in the quarter.

Ravens scoring drive 11 plays, 76 yards; 4:03
Willis McGahee 1-yard run:

The Ravens drove to the Jets 28 and kicked a 46-yard field goal. But Braylon Edwards was flagged for running into the kicker, giving the Ravens a new set of downs and the ball on the Jets 23. The Ravens took advantage. The Ravens, thanks to a pass interference penalty that set the them up with a 1st-and-goal on the 1, scored on a 1-yard run by McGahee with six seconds left. Billy Cundiff made the extra point to give Baltimore a 7-6 lead.

RAVENS LEAD THE JETS 7-6 AT THE HALF

Jets Halftime stats - Passing: Sanchez 4-7, 23 yds; Rushing: Greene 5-18, Tomlinson 4-29; Receiving: Greene 1-9, Richardson 1-5, Cotchery 1-4

Third quarter summary

Ravens lead 10-6 after three quarters

Ravens first scoring drive: 9 plays, 85 yards; 4:30
Billy Cundiff 25-yard field goal

Key Plays: The Jets defense looked tough early, forcing Baltimore into a 3-and-7 from its own 11. But Flacco hit Boldin for a 38-yard play (against Rookie Kyle Wilson), setting up Baltimore with a 1st-and-10 on the 49. Bolden caught a 27-yard pass (against Wilson) two plays later, setting up the Ravens on the Jets 15.

Penalties have killed the Jets. They have been penalized 13 times for 120 yards. 10 of those came in the first half.

Fourth quarter update

Ravens lead 10-9

Jets scoring drive: 4 plays, 5 yards; 1:30
Nick Folk 48-yard field goal

Key plays: Tony Richardson caught a 4-yard out pass to set the Jets up with a 3-and-5 on the Ravens 30. Sanchez had Jerricho Cotchery open for what would've been a 6-yard play and a first-down, but the usual sure-handed Cotchery dropped the pass. Folk connected on a 48-yard field goal.

The Jets offense has failed time and time again (0-for-9 on third downs). Trailing 10-9 with 6:13 to go and the ball on their 8, Tomlinson got the ground going with runs of 18 and 6 yards. But the positive feelings were quickly doused as Shonn Greene dropped an easy pass and right guard Matt Slauson got beat for a sack. The Ravens took over with 4:27 left in the game.

The Jets made one last effort after taking over with just under 2 minutes left, but could only manage one first down on the drive. Facing a 4th-and-14, Keller caught a pass, but stepped out just short of the first-down marker, ending the threat. A perfect end to an imperfect game.

The Ravens win, 10-9. It's the Ravens sixth straight win over the Jets.

*Note: Shonn Greene has had one touch in the second half, the pass he dropped on 2nd-and-4 on the Jets fourth possession of the 2nd half.

Post-game thoughts: Same ol' Jets. As in the same as last year's team; a strong defensive effort and a weak offense. The Jets were 1-for-10 on third downs. Jets wide receivers had three catches for 27 yards. Braylon Edwards (1 catch, 9 yards) was invisible and so was Dustin Keller (2 for 13 yards). Sanchez' best pass play was to Keller for 33 yards, but it was nullified because of a penalty on Edwards. The Jets practically benched Shonn Greene after that fumble. He didn't get a touch until the Jets fourth possession of the second half. And he dropped that pass.

As much as the Jets defense was penalized (Cromartie and Wilson both had pass interference penalties and were picked on a lot), they still stood their ground, surrendering just 10 points. But offensively, there was no spark. Tomlinson became the Jets main ballcarrier in the second half. The passing game was no threat to the Ravens as the Jets tried to employ some short passing. It's clear the Jets are going to have to get more creative with the routes and teach Greene how to hold on to the ball better.

Bummer for Jets fans. But it gets better next week when they host the Patriots. Good night from the New Meadowlands.