Geno Smith replaced Ryan Fitzpatrick as the starting quarterback in a loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 6, but after initially claiming that Fitzpatrick would remain the starter going forward after the game, Todd Bowles went back on the statement. Now, Smith will be under center when the Jets face the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.
That game will kick off at 1 p.m. ET and will be broadcast by CBS. The only way to view an online stream of the game is via Sunday Ticket Online.
Smith struggled in his initial stint as a starter, throwing 21 interceptions against 12 touchdowns in his rookie season. His second year didn’t go much better, and the Jets acquired Fitzpatrick, who looked great in 2015. This offseason, the Jets and Fitzpatrick had a drawn-out contract dispute.
But ultimately, Fitzpatrick, a career journeyman, seemed like he’d found a permanent home and rejoined the Jets for this season. It hasn’t gone quite as well as the Jets hoped, with Fitzpatrick leading the team to the league’s worst scoring offense at 15.8 points per game and second-worst in turnovers with 15.
If interceptions are the problem, it hardly seems reasonable to turn to Smith, a player who has only attempted six passes this season but who has already thrown an interception. Still, Fitzpatrick had five touchdowns against 11 interceptions when he was benched.
Smith will have to be on the lookout for Baltimore linebacker C.J. Mosley, who has three interceptions so far this season, tied with the likes of Aqib Talib. Mosley is dealing with a hamstring injury, though, and missed practice earlier in the week, so he likely won’t be at 100 percent if he does play.
Baltimore has struggled this season, and the team is currently riding a three-game losing skid after winning their first three games. The AFC North is always a competitive division, and they face two divisional rivals in a row after Sunday’s game against the Jets.
The Ravens have a lot to prove at this point. They have beaten the Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills. Through six games, only the win over the Bills is looking like a quality win, with losses to the New York Giants, Oakland Raiders and Washington.
They’re hoping to avoid a quarterback change of their own as Joe Flacco deals with a sore right shoulder. He missed practice during the week and has been sacked 11 times over the team’s three losses. The Ravens simply can’t sustain that over the course of a season, and Flacco already has something of an injury history.
Flacco has been decent this season, but not great. He’s completed 164 of 264 passes for 1,589 yards with five touchdowns against four interceptions. You can hardly blame him for his recent troubles given the sacks Baltimore’s offensive line has allowed. The Ravens also haven’t done much in the running game, though Terrance West is playing passable football as the starter.
West has 414 yards on 88 carries, a 4.7 yards per carry average. He will be going up against a Jets run defense that ranks sixth in the league.
Below is all you need to watch Sunday’s game.
How to Watch Ravens vs. Jets on Sunday
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Location: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J.
TV: CBS
Announcers: Ian Eagle, Rich Gannon, Evan Washburn
Online: Sunday Ticket