Jets' offense still needs work

This was supposed to be the game in which it came together, when the Jets would see how their revamped offense fared with all its major components on the field.

There's still a ways to go.

Sure, the Jets found the end zone in Monday night's 17-3 win over the Giants at MetLife Stadium, all thanks to Mark Sanchez hitting Santonio Holmes with 1:53 left in the first half. But for an offense that believes it can average 28 to 30 points, the Jets are miles away from where they want to be.

"There's really no excuse. It happens," said wide receiver Plaxico Burress, who was held without a single catch in his first game against his old team. "You obviously like to get off to a fast start and come out with your pants on fire. But it didn't happen and we kind of got off to a slow start, and just really kind of adapted to some of the looks they were giving us that we really weren't expecting. We don't game-plan for any of these [preseason] games . . . They were giving us looks that we weren't expecting and that contributed to the slow start."

What a glacial start it was. Sanchez and the Jets' first-team offense -- which welcomed back starting right guard Brandon Moore, running back Shonn Greene and receiver Derrick Mason from injuries -- struggled, aside from one second-quarter drive. They mustered only 115 yards on 32 offensive plays during their seven possessions, didn't convert their initial six third downs, managed only six first downs and couldn't cash in on interceptions by Jim Leonhard and David Harris.

Sanchez, who was 8-for-16 for 64 yards and a touchdown, still thinks the Jets' offense is right where they want to be as they prepare for their Sept. 11 season opener against the Cowboys.

"No question," the third-year quarterback said. "We're ready. We played well in the red zone. We were real conservative with our play calls. It was definitely a slow start. We were feeling things out, and it looked like they were, too, on offense and defense. So I'm just glad we won the three quarters we were in and punched it in a couple of times.

"[Holmes] had a great catch, [other] teammates had a couple of catches. We got everybody just about and we'll save Plax for the regular season."

Burress was targeted four times, and even though he didn't have any receptions, he indirectly had a hand in the Jets' lone touchdown.

On second-and-2 at the Giants' 17-yard line, Burress was in the slot on the right and Holmes came in motion to his side. Off a post route, Sanchez found Holmes, who beat cornerback Corey Webster in the end zone to give the Jets a 7-3 lead.

"All season, it's going to be difficult for any defense to match up with myself, Plax, and having [Mason and] Dustin [Keller] in the middle, roaming around having a little fun," Holmes said. "When we put our game plan together, I'm sure it's going to be very difficult for a lot of teams to play against us. It gives us a different look and it causes matchup problems by having both of us running routes on the same side."

But Holmes' score was the extent of the first-team offense's good fortunes, and the starters will have to get it together by their nationally televised opener against Dallas. The first-teamers aren't expected to play in Thursday's preseason finale against the Eagles.

"If we don't, it's our fault," Mason said. " But yeah, I think we've got enough time to kind of straighten it all out . . . Sanchez did some good things out there, but I think as a whole as an offense, we've got to pick it up a little bit."

Notes & quotes:Rookie DT Muhammad Wilkerson got into a post-play fight with Giants RB Brandon Jacobs in the third quarter and both players were ejected . . . NT Sione Pouha (knee) was the only surprise among the Jets' inactives. Rex Ryan indicated late last week that Pouha would play, but the veteran sat out. QB Mark Brunell (calf), G Trevor Canfield (knee) and TE Jeff Cumberland (hamstring) were the others.