Jets' defense does what it can to change perceptions

Bart Scott seemed genuinely perturbed that people were questioning the effectiveness of the Jets' defense of late.

The Jets entered Thursday night's game against the Bengals ranked seventh in the NFL in total defense. Many observers, however, felt they weren't playing like a top-10 unit because their passing defense had been suspect in the fourth quarters of the three-game winning streak they brought into the game.

"We knew we hadn't played a complete game and we knew we could play so much better," Scott said after the Jets beat the Bengals, 26-10. "We understood that. We didn't need the public to start panicking, talking about us like we are the worst defense in the -- league. So sometimes you want to let a laying bear sleep. You don't want to -- the bear off; somebody is going to get bit."

The Jets sent the Bengals back to Cincinnati with a sizable flesh wound after the licking they put on them Thanksgiving night. They held the Bengals to 163 total yards and 46 rushing yards, both season lows.

The total-yardage figure was the fewest allowed by the Jets since they surrendered 124 yards against the Buccaneers last December. They also limited wideouts Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco to a total of 58 yards on seven receptions, two more positives in an overall effort they felt was their best, most complete performance of the season.

"I think it was," Rex Ryan said. "I think our first game against New England was pretty good as well. I think from a statistical standpoint, that was our best game. Like I said before, judge us by what happens at the end of the year when you rank it all you want. I think I know where we're going to be. That's what we keep saying. Nobody wants to listen, but that's the truth.

"All I have is history, my history. I know where it's going to be. If this group communicates and we don't have mental mistakes, then we're going to be tough for anybody to move the ball against. I understand New England is moving it up and down the field against everybody. But we'll see. I have confidence that that won't be the case this week."

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The Jets harassed Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer, yielding only 117 passing yards, sacking him three times and picking him off twice - their first interceptions since Week 5 against the Vikings.

"We got a lot of pressure," Antonio Cromartie said. "I think we got a little simpler in our defense and we just played our hearts out. We wanted to come out and set an example because we know we are the best defense in the NFL."

That pressure, Trevor Pryce believes, was so prevalent because the Jets had a cushion for most of the second half.

"We got ahead," said Pryce, who sacked Palmer in the end zone for a safety late in the fourth quarter, "and in desperation, they had to start blocking with only five instead of six or seven and max protecting. They had to get everybody out in a route."

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Just don't tell the Jets it's the first time in a while their pass rush has been noticeable.

"[People are] talking about why don't we have any pass rush. Ya'll don't even know what kind of defense we are in," Scott said. "We are rushing three people. A lot of times, when it looks like we are bringing pressure and three-techniques, we are not even in a blitz situation. We are in man-to-man playing coverage.

"It may look like we are blitzing, but we are actually not. The guys that are blitzing have people in coverage. [People] are saying we don't have no damn pass rush. We aren't pass rushing, we are playing coverage. It may look like [we don't]. That's what we want it to look like."

Something else they want? To figure out a way to consistently finish teams off in the fourth quarter the way they did against the Bengals.

"We are trying to learn how to close games out," Pryce said. "That's why me and Jason [Taylor] were brought here - to close some games out. We are trying to find the ways where we don't have to go through the whole two-minute offense and that kind of thing. It's something we can build on."