In the first half on Sunday, the Jets took the lead, 7-0, and the defense took the crowd at M&T Bank Stadium out of the game, holding the Baltimore Ravens to 4 first downs, 23 yards rushing and 49 net yards passing. The Ravens, now winners of five straight games, could only grab a field goal. For 30 minutes, the defense was near-flawless.

And then. ...

"Man, to not get a victory when I think those guys really played the first half exactly, exactly how we wanted to," HG Aaron Glenn said after the Ravens' 23-10 win. "We come out of the half 7-3. We knew in the second half they were going to have a surge, and those guys did."

In limiting QB Lamar Jackson to 6-of-11 passing and controlling RB Derrick Henry, limiting him to 14 yards on 5 carries, the Jets managed a single sack of Jackson, by Jowon Briggs in the second quarter. The secondary, with Azareye'h Thomas back in the lineup after completing concussion protocol, held Zay Flowers without a reception and TE Mark Andrews to 2 receptions for 2 yards.

The second half, however, was a different story as the Ravens (6-5) were the beneficiaries of a couple of crucial Jets penalties on third-down plays that eventually resulted in short TD runs by Henry. An unfortunate fumble by RB Breece Hall saw a strong Jets drive end just as it appeared the Green & White (2-9) were about to make it a one-score game.

Early in the third quarter, Baltimore faced a third-and-15 play at their own 21-yard line. A Jackson pass intended for Andrews along the visitor's sideline resulted in an interference call on S Isaiah Oliver, putting the ball on the Jets' 45-yard line. Nine plays later, Henry rambled in from 2 yards out to put Baltimore ahead, 10-7.

Then with 5:05 left in the third and the Ravens dealing with a third-and-7 play at the Jets' 20, S Tony Adams was called for interference on a pass intended for Flowers. The Ravens got the ball at the Jets' 3-yard line and on fourth-and-2 Henry scored again for a 17-7 Baltimore lead.

Jets CB Brandon Stephens, who had another strong game making 4 tackles and playing tight defense, chose his words carefully when he was asked about the referees' calls on those two third-down plays.

"It's not for me to say," said Stephens, who played the first four years of his NFL career with the Ravens before signing with the Jets in free agency. "I mean, we just got to get off the field on third down, whatever it takes. The penalties are going to come in this game, but we just got to limit [them] and try not to have those on third downs. Pivotal third downs. Every third down is pivotal."

The Jets went to Charm City after a mini-bye that came after a loss to the Patriots on Nov. 13. In seven games, they have not been able to come away with a victory at Baltimore. In the head-to-head series, the Jets are 2-11 against the Ravens.

"The biggest thing with teams like that when you're matched up on both sides is about turnovers, penalties and getting off the field on third down," LB Quincy Williams said. "And then also sacking the quarterback, just making those plays. Really, the biggest thing is being consistent coming out for the second half, continuing what we were doing in the first half, everybody doing their job not trying to be Superman just being consistent." He added: "Man, we got to get out the field on third down. And we can't have costly penalties at those times where we got to get off the field."

The Jets came into the game No. 23 in the league against the rush, allowing 130.9 yards a game and held the Ravens to fewer than 100 (98). In addition, Baltimore converted only 2-of-11 times on third down (18.2%), but the Ravens converted the two times on fourth down.

In his comments, Glenn conceded that he had several issues -- one involving the Jets' inability to make substitutions after the Ravens completed theirs on the goals -- and with the crucial calls.

"There were a number of calls that I question, but again, one thing we're not going to do is make excuses," he said. "I mean, it happens in this league, and I just thought, when they sub, that you have to give us time to sub. It is what it is."