NFL

Battle at Jets safety too close to call

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SAFETY FIRST: Antonio Allen returns an interception for a touchdown during the fourth quarter of the Jets’ 27-20 win over the Eagles in their preseason finale. Allen and Jaiquawn Jarrett (inset) are battling for the starting safety spot, but still teamed up to make a tackle on Jeff Maehl. (
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The quarterback competition draws all the attention around the Jets, but the tightest competition might be at safety.

Antonio Allen and Jaiquawn Jarrett have fought all summer for the starting job and it remains unclear who will get the nod after the team completed its preseason last night with a 27-20 win over the Eagles.

“I think it’s maybe a little too close to call. We’ll see,” coach Rex Ryan said. “Certainly we’ll evaluate it all on tape. We know we’ve got a couple of good football players there. Both guys had their moments today as well.”

Jarrett got the start against the team that drafted him in the second round of the 2011 Draft. He finished with six tackles in the game. Allen, a seventh-round pick in 2012 by the Jets, had four tackles but also had an interception of Eagles quarterback Matt Barkley that he returned for a touchdown.

“I think I competed pretty well,” Allen said. “ J.J., he came out there tonight and he had a nice game. I did all right. I had the pick in the end but I still played all right. There’s still things I need to clean up.”

Allen said he does not know when the coaches will tell them who the starter against the Buccaneers will be when the regular season opens but he expects both of them to play in three-safety looks anyway.

* The Jets rested almost all of the players who will see a lot of playing time in the first game of the regular season. The only exceptions were guys competing for starting spots at guard and safety … and Kyle Wilson.

The cornerback played the entire first quarter on defense and returned kicks.

“We really wanted to get Kyle some returns,” Ryan said. “I think that was the main thing because he is our backup kick returner and punt returner. We wanted to get him some returns. With that being said, you don’t want to just throw him out there just to do that so we put him out there on the corner and let him have at it.”

* With RB Mike Goodson suspended for the first four games, the Jets need a third tailback. They may have found their man in Kahlil Bell, who rushed for two touchdowns in the game.

* WR Mohamed Massaquoi left the game in the first half and had a full wrap around his torso.

* QB Graham Harrell, signed by the Jets on Wednesday, played one snap — a kneel-down to end the game..