This game should not have been close. The Jets won the time of possession battle, 38 minutes to 22, out gained the Eagles 347 yards to 184 and were much better on third down, converting 10-18 to Philadelphia’s 2-13.

On defense, the Jets’ back ups held Andy Reid’s team to 3 points, forced 7 punts and held them to 5 plays or less on eight of their 12 drives. After a shaky outing against the Giants, the Jets’ reserves have bounced back nicely.

With only adequate talent behind the Jets’ starters, the play of the Jets’ defensive back ups reinforces how good a system Rex Ryan uses and how good a defensive coach he really is. After allowing 24 points to the Giants, the Jets’ starters and back ups have combined to allow just 9 points over their last three games.

The Jets’ 12 turnovers this preseason have resulted in 34 points for the opposition. They committed 4 in this game, which is something that has to stop.

But the team has struggled because the offense cannot hold on to the football. The primary culprit, and someone to whom Ryan has lost confidence, is Joe McKnight who fumbled after Brunell led an impressive six-minute, 62-yard drive. It was McKnight’s third fumble of the preseason.

McKnight needs a lot of work but someone who has really shined this summer is Santonio Holmes. He had another strong game last night with four catches for 97 yards including a 51-yard touchdown from Brunell. But we must factor in that he was competing against second and third stringers, players we would expect him to outplay.

But this was a game for the back ups. With final cuts due on Saturday, Ryan and his coaching staff had their last look at players on the bubble.

RB Chauncey Washington all but guaranteed he would make the squad. He and Danny Woodhead continued their solid play. Including the two fullbacks, the Jets would be carrying seven running backs if they both made the squad.

That is a large group but it makes sense to keep them all. Everyone knows the Jets will run the football a ton and need fresh legs. In addition, Woodhead has the versatility to play receiver and is a special teams ace.

Washington is a good special teamer as well, which increases his value. But with a logjam at tight end and running back, the Jets will have to cut more players at linebacker and defensive line, two positions that had guys on the bubble.

Brashton Satele and Lance Laury are two of those guys. Satele has been hurt for much of training camp and has not impressed in game action, including last night. He was in perfect position to sack Michael Vick in the first quarter on an inside blitz and whiffed on the opportunity.

Laury is much more steady. He will not wow you with big plays but he knows his assignments and is a good tackler on special teams but he probably did not play well enough to justify the $630,000 salary they will have to pay him.

If Satele and Laury are cut that would leave just Kenwin Cummings as the only back up for Bart Scott and David Harris.Cory Reamer has some potential but he did not stand out in this game and his best chance would be on the practice squad.

Although this was a sloppy game with too many turnovers (4 fumbles) and penalties (the Jets committed 8, mostly on offense), the offense finally showed the ability to sustain drives. Brunell looked sharp, which was important.

As a late signing, he did not look comfortable in prior games but this week, despite playing with back ups, he threw for 2 touchdowns and led two drives of 60+ yards. His ability to step in and lead the offense instills confidence in the coaching staff to use him should Sanchez struggle.

The Jets dominated the Eagles last night and if not for the turnovers, this game would not have been close. Ball security is still an issue but overall the Jets end the preseason on a positive note.

The coaching staff wanted to see some guys who were on the fringe step up and a few guys did just that. Here are some of the story lines from last night’s action.


A Tale of Two Running Backs

If Joe McKnight was not a fourth round pick he would not be making this roster. The fact that he has superior athletic ability and substantial upside, make him a guy who is in no danger of being cut.

But his mistakes have been glaring and at times, he looks like a guy who is unprepared to play at this level. Aside from the fumbling problem, he has not shown the patience or instincts to be an NFL back.

On last night’s fumble, he ran up the back of Vladimir DuCasse who had been stood up on his block. McKnight should be reading that block and bouncing it off-tackle. Instead he ran into DuCasse, which caused the fumble.

McKnight has done this repeatedly through the preseason. On other plays, particularly between the tackles, he is not hitting the hole with authority. Instead of weaving his way off blocks, he is dancing in the backfield and getting caught for little or no gain.

As a blocker, he needs work on his technique. On the Jets’ second drive they were pinned at their own 2 and McKnight had to cut the DE to open a throwing lane for Brunell to hit a quick out. But McKnight whiffed on the block, the end applied pressure and Brunell threw incomplete.

He is also erratic on special teams. He allowed two punts to sail over his head and both were downed inside the Jets’ five.

These things should improve, however, as he becomes more accustomed to the speed of the game and settles down mentally. He is trying too hard and putting too much pressure on himself.

He will get better but as Rex Ryan has already indicated, he does not trust him to hold on to the football. As a result, he will not be dressing for games for the foreseeable future.

On the other hand, fellow USC alum, Chauncey Washington, has been lights out. Unlike McKnight, Washington is very patient, sets up his blocks well, runs with a low center of gravity and has just enough wiggle to make guys miss.

He rushed for a 4.7-yard average on 12 carries against Philadelphia and continued to make big plays. He showed great hustle recovering Santonio Holmes’ fumble and bailed the wide receiver out from what would have been another backbreaking turnover.

Let’s also not forget that Washington has the toughness to play on special teams. He blew up a Carolina punt returner two games ago and forced a fumble to turn the momentum in the Jets’ favor.

McKnight and Washington are going in different directions. McKNight will have to prepare better mentally if he wants to earn playing time. Conversely, all Washington does is make plays and he has earned the right to make the Jets’ roster.


Conner Banging at the Door

FB John Conner is more than just a highlight reel phenomenon. In addition to just burying guys on special teams, he is also very consistent as a lead blocker.

Last night he continued his trend of just blasting guys out of the hole. In fact, on two of Chauncey Washington’s biggest runs (21 and 12 yards) he leveled defenders on “iso” blocks that paved the way for easy runs.

Hitting a moving target is not easy but Conner is a natural at it. Either out of the I-formation or coming in motion, Conner does a nice job of coming under control just as he arrives at the defender. He then sinks his hips and explodes, using great leverage to knock his man off his feet.

Tony Richardson is not in danger of losing his starting job but Conner looks so good right now it is hard to imagine him not getting substantial playing time throughout the season.


Bubble Boys

There were a few players who were on the bubble coming into last night’s game and some really stepped up their play. Among them were Matt Kroul, Emmanuel Cook, Brian Jackson, Jeff Cumberland and Larry Taylor.

Kroul led the Jets with 6 tackles (5 solo), 2 tackles-for-loss, 2 sacks and1 hit on the QB. That is a pretty good night of work! With the loss of Pitoitua, the Jets needed a defensive end to step up and Kroul responded.

He got consistent penetration, shed blocks well and was relentless on the defensive line. He has the versatility to play nose guard or defensive end and could do a nice job in the Jets’ rotation.

I expect Kroul to survive the final cut.

Emmanuel Cook played well even though he is fighting a numbers game in the Jets’ secondary. There is no spot open for him but he could be a candidate for the practice squad.

Cook had four tackles, two passes defensed and an interception. He also made a nice tackle on punt coverage. He has shown some good instincts and playmaking ability in limited action.

Brian Jackson looked good as well. Jets fans will remember him as the rookie who was hog-tied to the goal post on Hard Knocks and abused by the Jets’ veterans. But last night he forced a fumble and recovered it to turn the momentum in the Jets’ favor.

Jackson will not make the final roster but he has some ability. At 6-0, 205 he has the size and athleticism the team likes. Like most rookies, he needs to work on his technique and will probably get a chance on the practice squad.

TE Jeff Cumberland was assured a roster spot when Ryan came out this week stating he would keep four tight ends. As a former wide receiver, he has the hands to be a receiving threat and at 6-4, 260, he has prototypical size for the position.

But what impressed me most about him, and this certainly has endeared him to the coaching staff, is his blocking. He is a relentless run blocker who uses good technique, displays good balance and has the upper body strength to win battles at the line of scrimmage.

If he keeps it up, Cumberland could move his way into the #2 tight end spot.

I also thought Larry Taylor played well. He had a couple of nice kick off returns and averaged 24-yards on the night. He also caught two balls for 21-yards and showed some real shiftiness in the open field.

There is no way he makes the active roster but he has shown enough versatility and play making ability to get a chance on the practice squad.


Sanchez Moonlighting?

Mark Sanchez received a lot of attention on CBS’ broadcast as the Jets’ play caller and I thought this was a great move by Brian Schottenheimer. Good creativity on his part.

By calling plays for Brunell, Sanchez had the opportunity to see the game from a different perspective and strategize away from the action. This will help him when he must audible at the line of scrimmage.

It also allows him to gain a better understanding of down and distance scenarios, a critical skill for a young quarterback. I am sure the Jets will want Sanchez to call some of his own plays down the road and this practice should prepare him for that as well.

I really applaud Schottenheimer and Ryan for thinking out of the box on this one.


Written by Alan Levin