EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – In the end, Matt Stover won the game for Baltimore when he kicked a 42-yard field goal in overtime.

But one play much earlier in the contest helped the Ravens pull out a 20-17 win over the Jets yesterday.

The Jets had a 14-0 lead and were driving for another score late in the second quarter. Quincy Carter, making his first start in place of the injured Chad Pennington, looked sharp, having completed all seven of his passes to that point. On first-and-10 from the Ravens 17, offensive coordinator Paul Hackett, ripped so many times for being too conservative, called a halfback option pass.

Carter pitched to backup running back LaMont Jordan, who was immediately swarmed by the defense. Instead of allowing himself to be tackled or throwing the ball away, Jordan lofted the ball into the end zone. Ed Reed was there waiting, and he made the interception.

Reed returned it 104 yards for a score, but the touchdown was called back because of a holding call. That hardly mattered. Kyle Boller converted a fourth-and-8 play, then threw a 6-yard TD pass to Clarence Moore with 53 seconds left before halftime.

The Ravens (6-3) trailed 14-7 at the break. Though they did not have the lead, they had the momentum.

“We ran the play, thought it might work, and thought we maybe would get up 21 on them,” coach Herman Edwards said. “The worst thing that could have happened, happened – we threw an interception.”

Jordan said he was trying to throw the ball out of the end zone.

“I automatically said that this game is on my shoulders,” Jordan said. “That play definitely was the turning point in the game. We are up 14-0, we just had a big play, and we are going in to score, then I threw an interception. They get the momentum and we just never got the momentum back.”

The Jets (6-3) have lost two straight and three of four, and the loss could have wild-card implications later on.

After going 8-for-8 in the first half, Carter went 5-of-14 for 43 yards after the break. And Boller completely outplayed him, guiding two-second half scores, including a 16-yarder to Moore with 4:13 left to give the Ravens a 17-14 lead.

The Jets tied the score when Doug Brien kicked a 20-yard field goal with 5 seconds to go in regulation. But another mistake cost them a chance at a TD. Facing third-and-goal from the 3 following an incomplete pass, the Jets wasted their final timeout with 0:08 left.

A draw play was called, but Carter broke the huddle too late and there was little chance they could get the play off in time. Instead, they kicked the field goal. In overtime, the Jets went three and out twice before Baltimore final drove for the winning score.

Boller got them in position by converting a third-and-5 from the Baltimore 49 with a 21-yard pass to Kevin Johnson. Boller then completed a 10-yard pass to Travis Taylor on third-and-14 from the Jets 34.

Curtis Martin had two touchdowns in the second quarter, but also was ineffective after the break. He finished with 28 carries for 119 yards.

Pennington cheered from the sideline, waving a white towel to exhort his teammates. He is expected to be out another one to three weeks with a strained right rotator cuff.