In a game played almost entirely by second and third stringers, the Jets finally showed some punch on the offensive side of the ball. Thanks to an impressive outing by Mark Brunell, the Jets dominated the Eagles in a 21-17 win.

The first three episodes of Hard Knocks were a playful romp through Jets training camp. Rookies were taped to the goal post and Rex Ryan was holding court on his personal sun deck. But now the show is much more serious.

Game four of the preseason is all about roster cut downs. Rex Ryan has already announced that few starters will play Thursday night, which means the spotlight will be on those players still fighting for a roster spot. Ryan has also declared five spots up for grabs, which means special teams play will be heavily scrutinized to determine who sticks and who goes.

Scheme:

The Ravens employ a power running game and like to physically wear down their opponent. Like the Jets, they have a young signal caller who they have brought along slowly. But in Joe Flacco, they have a guy who is entering his third season, which is often when the light bulb goes on for a quarterback.

Preseason games are not necessarily indicators of regular season success. Case in point: the Jets were 4-0 in the preseason in 1996 under Rich Kotite and 1-15 during the regular season.

But you like to see better execution than the Jets have showed thus far. They put forth their second lackluster effort in as many weeks and raised questions with the regular season just two weeks away.

Week three is always the most interesting game of the preseason. Starters typically play three quarters and in what is the last real tune up before the regular season.

The Jets’ defense has looked pretty good. Unlike most teams that play basic fronts, Rex Ryan has brought a lot of pressure. He is as unconventional as it gets and has no qualms showing what his defense will bring.

Wow! Hands down the best Hard Knocks so far.

Episode 3 showed football fans why they love this show so much. This week we got to see the behind-the-scenes action – coach’s meetings, player evaluations, brawls and good old-fashioned rookie hazing.

The Jets’ signing of Nick Mangold represents another victory for management as it tries to lock up its “Core Four”.Rich Cimini confirmed the Jets’ shift in strategy toward signing Mangold after negotiations with “Team Revis” unraveled.

Mangold was all of a sudden a priority and the Jets’ brain trust sent a clear message to their players: “Act like a pro and we will take care of you”.

The NFL is considering reducing its preseason schedule and expanding the regular season to 18 games. The preseason, they argue, does not deliver the same entertainment value to fans and it is games like last night’s Jets-Panthers’ contest that decision makers had in mind when they brought this issue up for discussion.

This one was hard to watch.

Rex Ryan was fuming after the loss to the Giants. His starting units were impressive on both sides of the ball but his back ups, particularly in the secondary, were atrocious.

Without question, the Jets have some of the best starting talent in the league but they lack depth along their offensive and defensive lines. Their defensive backfield, particularly at corner, was strong last year as the team led the league in pass defense. But after their performance against the Giants, some of the Jets’ nickel and dime backs will have to step up against Carolina and show that Monday night was an aberration.