(
)
BALTIMORE — What’s Joe Namath going to say this week?
Broadway Joe should have some words for red-faced Rex Ryan after the Ravens dismantled the Jets 34-17 in front of 71,247 rabid fans at M&T Bank Stadium last night.
It was the latest humiliation handed to the Jets (2-2), who consider themselves Super Bowl contenders. At the moment they look more like a team that will be watching the playoffs on TV.
“We’ve got to get better in a hurry,” Ryan said. “There’s no question about it, but we’re a team and adversity is part of this business, and you’ve got to face it.”
Instead of the Jets defense getting embarrassed this week, it was the offense that made the Ravens look like the ’85 Bears in a bizarre game that featured just one offensive touchdown. The Ravens scored a franchise-record three defensive touchdowns, all on turnovers by Mark Sanchez. Sanchez had four turnovers overall, three fumbles and an interception. He had another fumble the Jets recovered.
Sanchez finished with a quarterback rating of 30.5 on 11-of-35 passing for 119 yards.
“I think we wanted to him to try and beat us in this game,” Ravens defensive tackle Haloti Ngata said. “Once we knew they were going to start passing, we just pinned our ears back, and tried to get to him as fast as we could. I think we rattled him.”
It was not all Sanchez’s fault. The Jets offensive line was as sturdy as a wet piece of paper. The Ravens (3-1) were able to rush Sanchez without caution and pounded the Jets’ franchise QB.
The Jets offense has shown flashes this season, but has not measured up to the expectations it had in training camp when receivers Plaxico Burress and Derrick Mason came aboard. It mustered just 150 total yards in the game, 38 on the ground.
“There are some things that need to change,” Mason said. “Until we identify the cracks, we’re going to keep having the same problems.”
Last week, the Raiders ran all over the Jets, drawing criticism of Ryan by Namath. But even with how bad the offense was, the defense kept the Jets in the game. Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco was completely ineffective and Ray Rice could not find much running room.
The Jets face another stiff road test next week in New England against the 3-1 Patriots.
The Jets got a glimmer of hope in the third quarter when, trailing by 10, Aaron Maybin sacked Flacco and caused a fumble that Marcus Dixon recovered at the Ravens’ 27.
Sanchez crushed that hope immediately.
Under pressure from Terrell Suggs, Sanchez threw it out toward Santonio Holmes near the sideline. Ravens cornerback Lardarius Webb jumped in front of Holmes and returned the interception 73 yards to give the Ravens a 34-17 lead.
It was the first time in NFL history there were five returns (kickoff, fumble, interception) for touchdowns in one game. For the Jets’ Joe McKnight returned a kickoff a franchise-record 107 yards for a score and David Harris returned an interception 35 yards for another.
You knew it was going to be a long night for the Jets’ offense on their first play from scrimmage. Ed Reed blitzed and got to Sanchez untouched to knock the ball loose. A swarm of Ravens surrounded the ball, with Jameel McClain picking it up and running it 6 yards for a touchdown.
Sanchez wound up coughing the ball up on another fumble, that was returned for a touchdown and one that set up a field goal. In all Sanchez turnovers led to 24 Ravens points.
“This is a very capable offense,” Sanchez said. “We’re better than what we showed tonight.”
brian.costello@nypost.com