The New York Jets play the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday in Week 4 of the 2014 NFL preseason. Kickoff is at 7:00 p.m. ET. Listen to the live radio broadcast below.
The biggest story of the week regarding New York was the two-day absence of cornerback Dimitri Patterson, who missed Friday's preseason game against the New York Giants and Sunday's practice. Patterson denied the report he was AWOL, but Jets general manager John Idzik said the veteran disappeared without any warning.
"He's been helpful as a veteran. He's been helpful to our young guys because we knew our young guys were going to get increased reps going down the stretch of the preseason," Idzik told reporters, via the team website. "So there really wasn't any warning that we had of something like this. There was nothing to indicate this kind of behavior."
Patterson's absence led to the team suspending him indefinitely, which will sideline him on Thursday and could possibly keep him on the bench for some of the regular season.
The biggest position battles to watch for Thursday night is between quarterbacks Matt Simms and Tajh Boyd, a rookie, competing for the team's No. 3 spot on the depth chart.
For Philadelphia, some teams will be particularly interested in how backup quarterback Mark Sanchez plays. The ex-Jet has played well through the preseason, and it reportedly has some teams - including the St. Louis Rams - considering him as a potential trade target.
Quarterback Matt Barkley will also get a big chunk of playing time, which could make Eagles coach Chip Kelly more willing to part with Sanchez knowing he would still have a serviceable backup.
The majority of starters for both teams aren't expected to see the field. Both coaches will likely go through a heavy rotation to get their last looks at players on the proverbial bubble before cutting the roster down to 53.
Listen to the live radio broadcast HERE (NYJ) and HERE (PHI).
