10/20 — The Jets announced this afternoon that TE Chris Baker has been ruled out of Sunday's game against the Bengals due to a back injury. Baker did not make the team flight to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, which landed a short while ago.

Baker was listed on the Jets' injury report for the first time this season with a back injury coming out of the Philadelphia game. He was listed as limited in all three practices this week and as questionable on Friday for the game. He was downgraded to out Saturday.

Baker had some modest streaks at work. Including the playoff game at New England in January, he had started in 11 straight games and had played in all 23 games since Eric Mangini took over as head coach. He missed the last eight games of the '05 season with a leg fracture.

He also had caught at least one pass in 17 consecutive regular-season games, a streak that will continue because he has to play in a game without a catch for that streak to end.

Mangini did not announce who would replace Baker in the starting lineup or as the primary tight end. The Jets' unofficial depth chart lists Sean Ryan behind Baker, followed by Jason Pociask, Joe Kowalewski and long-snapper James Dearth. Ryan has played in all six games, Kowalewski in three, and Pociask, inactive for all six games, has yet to make his NFL playing debut.