Everyone's Excited About the End of Jets Preseason

Meaningless night of football ends lengthy preseason

There's one more episode of "Hard Knocks" to go, but the seemingly eternal preseason of the Jets effectively came to an end on Thursday night in Philadelphia.

We didn't learn much about the team in this last game. Few players of consequence wore uniforms against the Eagles and Mark Sanchez called plays instead of executing them. And the two things that were worth a mention after the game were both old news.

We already knew that Santonio Holmes, one of the few actual players to take the field, was the best receiver on the roster and that his four-game suspension was going to cost the team a vital weapon during a difficult opening stretch to the schedule. His four catches for 97 yards and a touchdown were only a reminder of what he brings to the table.

We also already knew that Joe McKnight looks like a lost cause. He vomited during his first minicamp practice after being drafted and somehow saw things go downhill from there. He ran into one of his own blockers, leading to a fumble that was returned for a touchdown, and didn't do anything memorable on offense or on kick returns. If he hadn't been drafted right after the Jets traded Leon Washington, McKnight probably wouldn't be making this team. Rex Ryan said he will make it, but won't play, and the far more impressive Chauncey Washington will likely be playing for someone else as a result.

There wasn't anything else of note to come out of a game mostly played by guys who will be unemployed once Saturday and the 53-man roster deadline rolls around. That means all the same questions linger over the team as they start to prepare for the Ravens and the regular season. 

Can Sanchez be an asset to the offense instead of a wild card that must be managed? Is there actually a leadership void or was that just a good plot twist for television? Is LaDainian Tomlinson's strong camp a sign that he's going to have a bounceback season? Is Jason Taylor's quiet camp a sign that he doesn't have much left in the tank?

And, of course, the question to end all questions about this much-hyped and much-anticipated Jets season: Will Darrelle Revis ever sign? That last one remains the hardest to predict -- we'll go manager, void, yes and no for the questions in the previous paragraph -- and, for now, it's less important than the ones dealing with the guys who are likely to be on the field a week from Monday.  

Josh Alper is a writer living in New York City and is a contributor to FanHouse.com and ProFootballTalk.com in addition to his duties for NBCNewYork.com. You can follow him on Twitter.

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