The Ravens’ defense overpowered the Jets on Sunday night, and a guy who usually doesn’t get noticed much has earned some recognition from the league office.
Linebacker Jarret Johnson has been named the AFC defensive player of the week for his role in the 34-17 victory.
Johnson returned a fumble 26 yards for a touchdown that put the Ravens up 27-7 in the second quarter. He also had two hits on Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez and three tackles.
Of course, the touchdown shouldn’t have counted, since the ball came loose after defensive tackle Haloti Ngata put his helmet into Sanchez’s back, and roughing the passer should have been called. But it wasn’t, and so the touchdown stood. And in turn Johnson stands out in a significant way for the first time in his nine NFL seasons.
As Ryan Mink of the Ravens’ official website points out, three of the team’s linebackers have won the AFC defensive player of the week this year. Terrell Suggs received the honor after a Week One win over Pittsburgh, and Ray Lewis was the recipient after a Week Three win at St. Louis.