BALTIMORE — It didn't take long for Mark Sanchez to find out what New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan already knew: The Baltimore Ravens have a wickedly efficient defense.

Vying to become the Jets starting quarterback, Sanchez got off to a wretched start and finished with a flourish in a 24-23 preseason loss last night.

Sanchez's first pass was intercepted and returned for a touchdown. His second pass was nearly picked off. On his final play, however, the rookie threw his first NFL touchdown pass — a 19-yarder to running back Leon Washington with 5:50 left in the second quarter.

"Not the best start on Monday night, but I learned quite a bit," Sanchez said at halftime. "I just want to get better."

Long after Sanchez departed, third-string quarterback Erik Ainge scored on a sneak with 22 seconds left to get the Jets to 24-23. Ryan called for a 2-point conversion that failed.

Sanchez, drafted fifth overall out of Southern California, went 3 for 8 for 43 yards in his first NFL start. He didn't experience success until the Ravens removed several players from the first-team defense, including middle linebacker Ray Lewis.

"You put a young guy like Sanchez in there and you see our defense, it can be difficult," Lewis said. "You saw his eyes get big, and he was jumping around in the pocket. Bottom line, we gave a lot of looks and disguises and we confused him a little bit."

Kellen Clemens, who started New York's other exhibition game, was 5 for 10 for 60 yards. Like Sanchez, he had an interception returned for a touchdown and threw a TD pass (a 28-yarder to David Clowney in the third quarter).

Ryan spent 10 years working with the Baltimore defense before accepting the job with New York. As if to prove they could survive without him, the Ravens returned two interceptions for scores, forced two fumbles and had a sack.

"I don't care if you've coached for us or not, when you play against our defense, it's tough," Lewis said.

Sanchez probably couldn't have envisioned a worse beginning. After opening with a handoff, he threw a short pass while being hit in the stomach by Lewis. The ball was intercepted by Haloti Ngata, who rumbled 25 yards for a touchdown to make it 7-0 with 52 seconds elapsed.

"I just jumped up, and it hit my stomach," the 345-pound Ngata said. "My stomach swallowed it, and I caught the ball."

Sanchez's second pass was dropped in the flat by Lewis, who had plenty of open field in front of him.

"I could've caught it, but I didn't want that one until the regular season," Lewis said.

The Jets ended up punting without making a first down.

New York's third series consisted of three runs and a punt, and Baltimore followed that with a touchdown for a 14-0 lead.

After Joe Flacco hit Derrick Mason down the right sideline for 43 yards on a third-and-7 from the Jets 46, the quarterback faked a third-down pass and slipped a behind-the-back handoff to Ray Rice, who easily scored from the 3.

Sanchez finally started to move the offense in the second quarter. A short pass to Washington on a third-and-12 went for 16 yards, and a run by Washington for 15 yards on a third-and-10 set up the TD pass.

Sanchez ran downfield to exchange congratulations with Washington, who beat linebacker Jameel McClain.

"That's the way you want to respond," Sanchez said.

McClain made amends late in the half by intercepting a Clemens pass and taking it 16 yards for a touchdown and a 21-7 lead. Clemens threw the pass under heavy pressure from Ngata.