Notes from NY Jets 21-17 win over Eagles

The New York Jets completed their preseason with a 21-17 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.  Here are some notes from the game.

1) Sloppy play continues- I wish I had a dollar for every time Rex Ryan used the words “disappointing” and “ridiculous” when describing the team’s play in the preseason.  But then again I would love to have five dollars for every time he uses the f-bomb in practice.  In all seriousness the Jets continued to play very sloppy football with costly turnovers and penalties in the redzone.  I am ready for Rex to pull out an old Herman Edwards quote: “We don’t practice turnovers.”

2) Should McKnight make the team? Once again rookie running back Joe McKnight struggled (fumble in 3rd straight game), which is making it very hard for the Jets to justify his spot on the team.  It is one thing to have talent, it is another to display heart, intensity, and willingness to play smart football.  At this point it seems like McKnight is going through the motions and is a beaten player.  Do the Jets have to guarantee McKnight a spot on the final roster just because he has potential?  Or is Gang Green too prideful to admit that their fourth round pick that they traded up for is not panning out?

3) Woodhead and Washington make their case- Heading into Thursday night’s game both Danny Woodhead and Chauncey Washington were on the bubble to make the Jets roster.  Both players made plays on offense and special teams and deserve to be on the team.  Washington should be penciled in as the third string running back as his physical style of running is a perfect fit for the Jets.  Woodhead is somewhat of a jack of all trades on offense and special teams, and is almost the complete opposite of McKnight.

4) Brunell moves the chains- Mark Brunell threw two touchdown passes on Thursday night (including a sweet 51-yard bomb to Holmes), but still looks very slow moving around the pocket.  I am not sure what to expect from Brunell at this point, hopefully we do not need to find out in 2010.

5) Should the starters have played?–  The Jets starting offense has been stuck in mud all preseason, yet Rex Ryan decided to give them the night off and look forward to the regular season.  It is hard to go against this decision as you do not want to risk an injury in a meaningless preseason game.  Just ask the Steelers who lost Byron Leftwich Thursday evening.  At the same time several teams, including the Giants and Patriots, played their starting units a series or two just to get the players some reps.  It is interesting to see how each coach handles his team.  I am sure if the Jets start out slow, most of Ryan’s moves will be questioned.

6) Roster cuts due on Sat– The Jets must get their roster down to 53 players on Saturday.  Once the roster cuts are done, the team will be able to put together a practice squad of up to eight players.  Any chance the Jets try to pick up a veteran offensive lineman that gets cut?

Tyson Rauch

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