Wayne Hunter has bad night at right tackle

Wayne Hunter didn't mince words.

After all this time, the Jets' right tackle cannot feign ignorance to his tenuous status as a starter. Even with a guaranteed $2.45-million contract this season, deep down, Hunter knows his job will never be safe unless he improves.

"It's always been on the line," he said of his starting job. "It's not a surprise. It's either I perform or they're going to find somebody else better."

Hunter returned to action last night in rather forgettable fashion, as he allowed the Giants' defensive line to have a feast with Mark Sanchez as the main course. Officially, the Giants sacked Sanchez three times (a Justin Tuck takedown was negated by a penalty) and Tim Tebow four. And most of those protection breakdowns occurred on the right side -- Hunter's side.

Sanchez remained confident in his offensive line. "Oh, I know Wayne can do it," the quarterback said. "That's the thing. I've seen him play really well. He's a big, strong guy. He's smart. He's going to study and work hard. So we have all the faith in the world in him. Just not his best tonight."

Left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson stressed that the Jets' ultimate goal is Buffalo -- not the preseason.

Said Ferguson: "This is not a time to beat ourselves up."

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The Jets failed to score a touchdown for the second straight preseason game . . . WRs Santonio Holmes, Jeremy Kerley and Chaz Schilens all missed their second straight preseason game, along with NT Sione Pouha, S Eric Smith, CB Eric Steed, LB Ricky Sapp and T Dennis Landolt.