New York Jets rookie safety Calvin Pryor, a first-round draft pick, has been late for multiple meetings this season, a source said Monday -- the likely reason he was benched for the team's 20-13 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Coach Rex Ryan refused to confirm or deny Pryor's tardiness, but he insisted it wasn't the reason why he decided not to play the former Louisville standout. Ryan tried to spin it into a positive, saying Jaiquawn Jarrett, who replaced Pryor, deserved a promotion.

"What happens in our team meetings, I'm just going to leave there," Ryan said Monday. "The reason he didn't start is Jaiquawn Jarrett. ... He's been playing extremely well for us, and I thought the young man deserved the opportunity."

Earlier in the season, quarterback Geno Smith created national headlines for missing a team meeting on the eve of a game in San Diego. Smith went to a movie, lost track of time because of the time zone change and showed up a few minutes after the meeting ended. He wasn't benched.

Ryan claimed there's no double standard.

"Things happen, there's no question," said Ryan, reiterating that Jarrett - a career backup - has impressed the coaching staff.

"You can judge it, look at the tape yourself, do the right thing and play guys that earn it or you can ignore it," he continued. "I'm trying to play the very best guys I possibly can play, and Jaiquawn Jarrett earned that starting spot."

Jarrett responded with the best game of his career -- two interceptions, one sack and one fumble recovery. He will be in the lineup for the Jets' next game, Nov. 23 against the Bills. Ryan said Jarrett played so well he deserves to be the AFC Defensive Player of the Week.

Jarrett played every snap on defense. Pryor, who played 75 percent of the defensive snaps over the first nine games, didn't play at all on defense. He was limited to special teams in the win, which snapped an eight-game losing streak for the Jets (2-8).

After the game, Ryan made a cryptic comment about the importance of showing up on time for meetings.

"We were trying to line up guys that we think deserve it, whether it's in the classroom, on the practice field, or in meetings, being on time for meetings," Ryan said, explaining why he decided to start Jarrett over Pryor. "[Jarrett] 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."

This has been a disappointing season for Pryor, the 18th overall pick. He has no interceptions, no forced fumbles, no fumble recoveries and only a half-sack.

Publicly, Ryan has supported Pryor, noting recently that he's had to play him out of position because of other issues in the secondary. Pryor is a natural strong safety, but he has played mostly a free safety role. Pass coverage isn't his strength. The Jets drafted him because of his physical style of play near the line of scrimmage.

"I can tell you this: I have a lot of faith in this young man," said Ryan, praising Pryor for contributing two tackles on special teams. "I think he's going to be a tremendous player for us."

Pryor said he found out Friday that Jarrett was starting, adding that the decision came from secondary coach Tim McDonald, not Ryan. Pryor didn't elaborate, saying, "It was coach's decision."

The rookie remained upbeat.

"It's not about me," he said after the game. "I'm trying to enjoy this victory, I'm trying to enjoy the guys in this locker room. I'm happy for Jaiquawn Jarrett. He played an outstanding game. Only way I can learn from this is see what he did, learn from [my] mistakes and try to get better."