The Jets got back in the win column on Sunday with a 24-16 victory over the Ravens that moves their record to 2-5 and gives them some hope. Here are some thoughts and observations from the game:

1. I don’t think coach Todd Bowles even has a decision to make on his starting quarterback. If Geno Smith is healthy, he has to be the starting quarterback this week in Cleveland.

Here is how I view it: If Bowles thought Smith was the best option on Saturday night for the Jets at quarterback, what changed Sunday?

Smith was fine in his limited playing time. He did not turn the ball over. The Jets moved the ball a little bit when he was in. He did nothing to lose the job.

Ryan Fitzpatrick was fine in relief. He did not turn the ball over, led a nice drive on his first series and managed the game. But he was not Joe Montana out there. He did nothing to win the job.

If the decision last week was based on giving Smith a fair shot at the job and giving him a look, he has not gotten that yet. Bowles looked indecisive last week when he pronounced Fitzpatrick the starter after the Monday night loss in Arizona, only to go to Smith on Tuesday. He can’t flip-flop again. Smith deserves to start Sunday in Cleveland.

2. Fitzpatrick took a match to the Jets’ quarterback situation after the game with his comments about owner Woody Johnson, general manager Mike Maccagnan and Bowles no longer believing in him.

Fitzpatrick has been nothing but a pro since he’s been a Jet, but Sunday’s act was incredibly selfish. I hate to criticize a player for being honest. Honesty is something we beg for as reporters, but this was not the time for him to air these feelings. The Jets had just won their first game in five weeks. It was time to concentrate on that, not his feeling that the Jets screwed him over. If he had said these things last Wednesday at his locker, I would not have had as much of an issue with it. Doing it in a postgame interview left a bad taste in my mouth.

I understand Fitzpatrick’s frustration. He is human. No one wants to be told that they are being benched. However, he has to understand how poorly he played through the first six games. Leading the league in interceptions with 11 and having the lowest passer rating in the NFL were good enough reasons for Bowles to want to hand things over to Smith.

Fitzpatrick is going to get a pass in some places because he is a nice guy. He is about as pleasant and professional a player as I have ever dealt with. That does not mean I am going to excuse what he did. Smith would have been crushed if he said something like this because he is less popular with the media. That is wrong, and if anyone had a problem with Smith saying he was “antsy” last week or throwing a cup of ice on the sideline, they should be equally bothered by what Fitzpatrick did after the game. It was a surprising move by Fitzpatrick, who usually tries to avoid making headlines.

3. Bowles has one of the most interesting Xs-and-Os dilemmas that I can remember. The Jets have personnel who fit a 3-4 defense. Most of these players have been drafted to play in a 3-4, since that is Bowles’ base defense and was Rex Ryan’s before him. But in order to get Muhammad Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson and Leonard Williams all on the field together this year, Bowles has played more 4-3. That has led to players playing out of position, most notably Richardson.

On Sunday, with Wilkerson injured, the Jets went back to the 3-4 and their defense played its best game of the season. Richardson was everywhere. Lorenzo Mauldin pressured the quarterback. Leonard Williams was a monster in the middle.

So, now what?

It is unclear how long Wilkerson will be out, but if he is back this week, you are left with the same dilemma.

In my opinion, Bowles needs to mix up his defenses more. Before Sunday, Wilkerson was playing 96 percent of the snaps on defense. That is too heavy a workload for someone coming off surgery on his leg in January. The Jets can rotate Wilkerson, Richardson and Williams in the 3-4 more. Yes, it means having one of your best players on the sideline, but in the long run, I think it will lead to more production from the defense.

4. The Jets displayed the formula for how they need to play to win. Play good defense, run the ball and limit the turnovers on offense. It is easier said than done.

A big key on Sunday was the Jets not playing from behind for long. They trailed 10-0 early, but quickly cut that to 10-7. That allowed Chan Gailey to stick with the run longer and avoid putting too much on the quarterbacks (just 22 passes combined). The Jets have abandoned the run lately because they have been trailing in games.

The Jets also played complementary football, something they have not done much of this year. The offense sustained drives, which helped the defense by keeping them off the field for long periods. In Arizona, the defense was exhausted because it had to play so much. On the flip side, the defense helped the offense by creating two turnovers and giving them good field position and keeping the Ravens out of the end zone, so the offense did not have to play from behind.

The Jets know the formula. Executing it is the issue. They did it Sunday. Can they keep doing it?

Revealing stat: The Jets gave up just 6 rushing yards to the Ravens, a new franchise record. The three lowest rushing totals the Jets have given up in team history have come in the past two years under Bowles. They gave up 12 yards to the Dolphins last year in their second game and 16 to the Patriots in their first meeting.

Surprising snap count: Bilal Powell played just nine snaps. Matt Forte had a big day, so that played a role, but it is still surprising to see Powell play so little. On the CBS broadcast, the announcers speculated it may be because Powell was the Jets’ emergency quarterback and they wanted to keep him healthy once Smith went down. I doubt that was the reason. The Jets probably just rode the hot hand in Forte.

Game ball: Richardson played his second straight great game. He had eight tackles, three for a loss and a sack, showing what he can do when he plays his natural position.