For a few minutes, it was like the good old days for the Jets' defense. Cornerbacks Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie were reunited in green for the first time in two seasons and came flying out of the tunnel one after the other during introductions to leap in the air and chest bump as the fans roared.
But with 8:51 left in the second quarter Sunday, Cromartie crumpled to the turf with a noncontact injury to his left knee. Suddenly, the air was hissing out of the opening-day balloon as Cromartie was carted off and replaced by second-year man Marcus Williams.