EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Jaiquawn Jarrett made his first start of the season Sunday, and didn't waste any time proving he belonged.
The safety, who deposed rookie starter Calvin Pryor, sacked Ben Roethlisberger, recovered a fumble and had two interceptions in the New York Jets' 20-13 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers at MetLife Stadium.
"My mindset is the same every day going into practice," Jarrett said. "Prepare like a starter. It's always the next man up."
The last Jet to have a multiple interception game was Dee Milliner on Dec. 29 last season. Milliner is out for the season with an injury, and so is the prospective No. 2 cornerback, rookie Dex McDougle, so the Jets have used a rotating cast at the spot.
"Here's a young man playing extremely well for us," coach Rex Ryan said of Jarrett. "What a day he had today. He had a sack, an interception and a fumble recovery. He did a great job. Here's a guy who keeps working and got his shot and did a tremendous job."
And Ryan even left out one of the interceptions. But to be fair, Jarrett grabbed the first pick after cornerback Marcus Williams tipped it up.
"Got to give Marcus the credit for that," Jarrett said.
But in the locker room, Jarrett was getting a ton of credit from teammates, who wanted to claim Jarrett for their borough or school. Muhammad Wilkerson said he was pivotal for Temple, while Darrin Walls joked that Jarrett was from Queens or Manhattan.
It's Brooklyn. And fans will get to know more about him if he continues to play well. Jarrett's plan has been to stay ready.
"You never know if someone's going to get hurt. Always prepare the same," Jarrett said.
Jarrett found out Friday he was going to start in place of Pryor. Pryor didn't play with the defense at all, just with special teams. It was a notable demotion, and Pryor said it was defensive backs coach Tim McDonald's decision.
"It wasn't a Rex decision. It was a secondary coach decision," Pryor said.
Ryan had a little more insight into why Pryor didn't play.
"We were trying to line up guys that we think deserve it," Ryan said. "Whether it's in the classroom, on the practice field, or in meetings, being on time for meetings. The guy does a great job. He's dependable and has been playing well. Those are the reasons we do that. We thought we were going to play all of them, but it really never turned out [that way]. We just played the hot hand."
Ryan didn't elaborate if Pryor missed a meeting, or went to a movie and got the time zone mixed up as Geno Smith did the week before a loss in San Diego. But the fact couldn't be denied: As Jarrett soaked up the congratulations from teammates, Pryor was a mere two lockers away trying to remain inconspicuous.
Although the win and Jarrett's performance take some of the heat off general manager John Idzik, it should be noted that Jarrett was one of the last signings by Mike Tannenbaum. Jarrett was signed to a futures contract Dec. 31, 2012, and Tannenbaum was fired three days later.
Jarrett was drafted by the Eagles in the second round in 2011, but cut a year and a half later. But now he seems to have proved he belongs in the league and on the team. The best part though?
"Just celebrating with my teammates," Jarrett said. "Watching the energy and passion that went out there today and executing."
