Jets pound the ground with Forte

There wasn’t a magic formula, no radical change in play-calling, to explain the drastic about-face in the Jets’ running game. It was simple, really. “It was because we just kept sticking to it this game,” left guard James Carpenter said. “Sometimes, in the beginning [of games], it doesn’t go how you want it, but at the end, if you keep [trying], usually they crack. I think that’s what happened today.” The Jets pounded the best run defense in the sport, producing 155 yards on the ground — just 8 yards less than they managed in their previous three games — in their slump-busting 24-16 victory over the Ravens on Sunday. Matt Forte ran for 101 of those yards on 30 carries, and added 54 yards through the air on four receptions, looking more like the player who was so important over the season’s first two weeks than the one who struggled so mightily over the last month. He didn’t break any big runs — Forte’s longest was a 15-yard dash — but he consistently picked up yards after first contact, a rarity of late. Forte was given a chance to get in a rhythm, mostly because the defense played so well, and the Jets actually had a chance to play with a lead for the first time in weeks instead of needing to play catchup. And he was a factor in the passing game for the first time since the opening weekend, scoring on a 13-yard screen pass that gave the Jets a 14-13 lead late in the first half. He also had a 31-yard gain on another short reception.

“It felt good. We popped a couple of runs,” Forte said. “We’re still waiting on the big long one, and we ran the ball pretty efficiently in the red zone. I was proud of that.”

Most impressively, the Jets were able to win the battle at the line of scrimmage against the Ravens despite playing the entire second half without center Nick Mangold, who suffered an ankle injury. Backup West Johnson filled in well, as the Jets got a push all afternoon, opening big holes for Forte, particularly over the final two quarters, when he ran for 68 of his 100 yards.

“When you run the ball, it takes a toll, especially in the second half,” Forte said. “You have to keep pounding the ball, and that’s how the running game works.”

In the last few weeks, there was some criticism aimed at Forte, that at the age of 30, perhaps he had lost a step. But coach Todd Bowles defended him, saying if the guys up front play better, Forte would produce. Sunday was an apt example.

“Every game he runs really hard,” Carpenter said. “Sometimes, the offensive line’s got to block better, and I think that’s what happened.”