Jets need to address lack of line depth

The Jets may be coming off two straight AFC Championship Game losses, but their otherwise meaningless 24-14 loss to Philadelphia in the final preseason game Thursday night at MetLife Stadium exposed the soft underbelly of coach Rex Ryan's team.

Sure, it was the traditional JV game in which the starters sit out the last exhibition before the regular season. And it was complicated by the fact the Jets played three days earlier because of a postponement related to Tropical Storm Irene.

But it's pretty clear that quality depth is going to be an issue for the Jets, especially on the offensive and defensive lines. General manager Mike Tannenbaum's top two draft picks from a year ago, cornerback Kyle Wilson and offensive guard Vladimir Ducasse, continued to struggle, and rookie backup quarterback Greg McElroy, who has enjoyed a productive training camp, left in the second quarter with a right thumb injury of undetermined severity.

Speaking of the competition for the remaining few spots on the active roster and eight practice squad positions, Ryan said, "This was a game about individuals, not the team."

On the other hand, he expressed some concern about the way the numbers added up. The Eagles crushed the Jets in all the key categories, including first downs (25-8), third-down conversions (10-for-19 to 1-for-10), total offense (378-117), rushing (124-24), passing (269-138) and time of possession (41:13 to 18:47).

Moments after saying he doesn't have any concerns about the Jets' depth, Ryan indicated just the opposite, saying, "We've got to see who comes available [on waivers]. I'm not saying we won't claim somebody. Each year we have."

It's becoming apparent that the lockout slowed the development of Wilson and Ducasse, who didn't have the benefit of offseason workouts. Ryan said the Eagles' first touchdown, a 16-yard pass from Vince Young to Chad Hall, looked like Wilson's fault but actually was the result of a blown coverage. That doesn't let Wilson off the hook for the 23-yard completion to Sinorice Moss in man-to-man on third-and-8 to jump-start the 91-yard scoring drive.

Ducasse had three penalties and got pushed around by the Eagles' backups on the defensive line. "That's clearly disappointing," Ryan said. "He struggled in the first game, picked it up in the next couple games, but he might have taken a step back in this game."

The coach also acknowledged the Jets' nonexistent running game, saying, "We ran for a whopping 1.5 yards per carry. That's awful."

The Jets' only offensive touchdown came after a fumble recovery at the Eagles' 30-yard line. But McElroy hit his right thumb on the helmet of one of his offensive linemen who was being pushed into him. He was replaced by fourth-stringer Drew Willy, who completed a 14-yard scoring pass to Scotty McKnight on his first play to tie the score at 7.

McElroy said preliminary X-rays didn't reveal much, but an MRI Friday should tell the story. Asked if his thumb is dislocated, McElroy said, "I popped my thumb back in place. I'm not sure if it's dislocated, but it feels a little loose."

Jets backup quarterback Mark Brunell, 40, has been nursing a calf injury, but he threw the ball before the game and is ready to go for the opener against Dallas on Sept. 11. Ryan kept him out as a precaution.

After the tying TD, Young hit four of five passes for 71 yards against no pass-rush pressure as the Eagles took a 14-7 lead on a 1-yard run by Dion Lewis. Young left with a hamstring injury, but the Eagles continued to dominate except for a 67-yard interception return for a touchdown by the Jets' Ellis Lankster, which was scant cause for celebration.