Thursday Night Larger than Normal for the New York Jets

Aug 22, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets wide receiver

(84) on the bench against the New York Giants during the second half at MetLife Stadium. The Giants defeated the Jets 35-24. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports

Thursday night marks the fourth and final game of the preseason for the New York Jets. Typically it is the time for the last few roster spots to get filled, and for others to put some play on tape for other teams to see after they have been released. Guys like Danny Woodhead, in past seasons, would make their final cases to make the team.

This year, however, it’s a little different.

The year, the final game is a big one for the New York Jets. The Jets’ roster has a great deal of questions still left unanswered. Other than the big names that we are familiar with, such as Smith, Ivory, Decker, Wilkerson, …etc., there are a lot of players playing for spots on this roster, at important positions.

First of all there is wide receiver. The starting lineup will feature Eric Decker and……?? David Nelson and Jeremy Kerley are locks to make the team, but, do we really know who is starting on the outside? We don’t. I don’t know that I would sit many of those wide receivers on Thursday night. Rex Ryan and the Jets’ staff have a lot of decisions to make in that regard.

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Don’t forget about Stephen Hill. Can he do ANYTHING to keep his spot on the Jets’ roster? Or, do we finally get to say goodbye to the bust? Certainly a decision that Jets’ fans will be watching closely.

Left guard has not been good. Bryan Winters, although he improved last season, has not been good so far this August. He has done very little to “lock down” the starting position. The Jets need to find a left guard that they are comfortable with to start against the Oakland Raiders on the 7th.

Let’s not forget about the large question on the defense. We have talked at length about it, as it’s sort of the elephant in the room. If you wanted five minutes to forget about it, don’t watch last night’s game, with Antonio Cromartie playing the position. The cornerback position. Did Darrin Walls perform well enough last week to lock down a starting job? I would think the Jets’ need to see a little more on Thursday night.

Do the Jets have the cornerback they need on the roster? Is there guy about to be cut? It could be, but Thursday night will go a long way to making that call.

Thursday night is usually important. For the Jets, it has become more important than normal.