A few leftover thoughts on New York Jets-Cincinnati Bengals:
1. Awaiting the announcement: Rex Ryan should avoid the delay-of-name and make it official, announcing Geno Smith as the starting quarterback. The competition between him and Michael Vick never became a competition, so there's no point in delaying the inevitable. Ideally, you want your starters in place for the third preseason game, so just end the charade. Has Smith blown Vick out of the water? No, but this was never a fair fight. Smith has received eight series with the starters in two games, Vick only one. Smith has done a credible, if not stellar job. Critics will say he hasn't done enough, but the Jets are too far into this to turn back.
2. Penalty pals: The Jets have a couple of tough dudes on the right side of the offensive line, Willie Colon and Breno Giacomini, but penalties could become an issue. On Saturday night, they were flagged twice apiece, including personal fouls on the same play. Both players have a track record for penalties. Colon was penalized a team-high 12 times for 82 yards last season. Giacomini, playing for the Seattle Seahawks, was flagged six times for 39 yards -- in only nine games, mind you. In addition, he had two holding calls in the postseason. In 2011 and 2012, he combined for 21 penalties for 172 yards.
3. No pressure: The secondary, mainly Kyle Wilson, took the heat for Mohamed Sanu's 43-yard touchdown catch, but it go no help from the pass rush. In fact, the Jets rushed six on the play, but still couldn't get to Andy Dalton, leaving the corners in tough man-to-man situations, with one safety (Dawan Landry) over the top. Landry was late with deep help. Preseason stats are meaningless, but it's worth noting that Muhammad Wilkerson was credited with zero tackles.
4. Iron Jace: One aspect of Jace Amaro's two-catch, 17-yard performance went unnoticed: Both receptions came from a traditional tight-end position (the 'Y'). It's an unfamilar spot for the rookie, who spent most of last season at Texas Tech flexed out as a receiver. This indicates progress. One day, Iron Mike Ditka might take notice.
5. The Philosopher: Love this post-game quote from Demario Davis: "The road to the championship is always under construction." I've often felt the same way about the George Washington Bridge.
6. Perspective, please: The Jets can talk about slamming the door on the Bengals after the first quarter, but let's take a closer look. The Dalton-led Bengals produced 172 total yards in the first quarter. Without Dalton and the starters, they managed only 126 over the final three quarters. But let's give some credit to the Jets' backups. No doubt, they have better depth than a year ago, when the roster was being churned by general manager John Idzik.
7. Curious decision: Let's give Ryan the benefit of the doubt and assume he would've gone for two, ahead 22-17, if it had been a regular-season game. A PAT wasn't the way to go early in the fourth quarter.
8. Bang the drums: The undefeated Jets meet the undefeated New York Giants on Friday night, with the Snoopy Trophy at stake. MetLife Stadium is on a roll: The Lombardi and the Snoopy presented in a six-month span.