Until Sunday, Smith had appeared in just two mop-up roles since his last start in the 2014 season finale.
NOTES: C Nick Mangold has a sprained ankle, and Bowles said the team will see how he feels as the week goes on. ... Bowles said LB Bruce Carter is day to day with a quadriceps injury.
It's a stunning turn of events for Smith, who didn't initially believe the injury was serious.
An MRI on Monday revealed that the maligned quarterback has a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, and Smith seeking a second opinion on the injury that would end his season. That means Ryan Fitzpatrick is back from the bench and will start Sunday for the Jets at Cleveland.
The Jets will now have to turn back to Fitzpatrick as their starting quarterback.
It's the latest bout with bad luck for Smith, who lost his starting job to Fitzpatrick last summer when his jaw was broken by a punch from then-teammate IK Enemkpali.
With Fitzpatrick struggling with 11 interceptions in New York's first six games, in which the Jets started 1-5, Bowles went with Smith as his starter against the Ravens.
Wide receiver Brandon Marshall also had no problem with Fitzpatrick venting his frustration,Cheap Jerseys From China.
Fitzpatrick added that he has played "better as an underdog, pissed off" throughout his career, so that's what he anticipates doing, starting Sunday.
Smith drew some criticism from Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath, who wrote on Twitter : "If you've got a right knee injury keeping you out of the game,Football jerseys cheap, why are you standing on the sideline the entire 2nd half? How bad can it be?"
"I think it's terrible," Enunwa said. "For a guy to get his opportunity and only get a half to play, I feel bad for him."
Bryce Petty, a fourth-rounder last year,Cheap Jerseys Wholesale, and rookie Christian Hackenberg, a second-rounder, are also on the roster. Petty has been practicing for only two weeks after recovering from a preseason shoulder injury.
"Say whatever you want to say to win games," Marshall said. "I'll take it however it comes at this point."
"He caught a bad break two years in a row," Bowles said. "I'm sure he'll bounce back from it, but it's a tough part of the business."

Bowles had not determined whether Petty or Hackenberg would be the No. 2 quarterback behind Fitzpatrick, saying he would see how practice went this week.
He limped off the field and was checked by trainers on the sideline before being taken to the locker room. Smith spent the second half in sweats on the sideline as Fitzpatrick helped lead the Jets to a win.
Smith had a solid start to the game, going 4 of 8 for 95 yards, including a 69-yard touchdown to Quincy Enunwa. But he was hurt when he scrambled to his left and held onto the ball rather than throw it away on a third-down play, and took the sack.
NFL Network first reported the severity of Smith's injury,Cheap Jerseys From China.
Fitzpatrick was candid after the game about how he felt owner Woody Johnson, general manager Mike Maccagnan and Bowles, among others, had lost faith in him.
"So, that's kind of something I've had to deal with before, something I'm dealing with now."
"The biggest thing in this game, in order to last, is to have belief in yourself,Wholesale Basketball Shoes China," Fitzpatrick said. "Because when the owner stops believing in you, the GM stops believing in you and the coaches stop believing in you, sometimes all you have is yourself.
Smith, a second-round pick in 2013 who is scheduled to be a free agent after the season, injured his knee in his first start since 2014 while taking a sack from Baltimore's Matt Judon in the second quarter of the Jets' 24-16 win Sunday.
Smith saw Namath's comments and responded on Twitter : "Somebody tell Joe that the doctors have the final say on whether you can or cannot get back into the game ... and also that I love him!"
Bowles brushed off Fitzpatrick's comments, saying that they didn't take away from the victory and he got angry at coaches during his playing career, too. He also called the NFL a "show-me game," meaning Fitzpatrick needs to look more like the guy who broke the franchise record with 31 touchdown passes last season than the interception machine from the first six starts this season.
"Bryce has to get his reads and his timing and everything else back down," Bowles said. "Fitz is our best option to go in and win this week."
"When you hear that, that's tough luck f