Bad news for all you Juan Wong fans, the Jets released him along with seven others today.

No real surprises, except maybe Tim Dwight, though he’d been on the PUP list and with all the WR depth plus Brad Smith and Darrelle Revis’ emergences as returners there was no real need for his services.

Do feel bad for Dante Ridgeway, who keeps getting signed and cut from the Jets. Oh, well, I’m sure he’ll be back at some point this season, or next, or maybe 2009.

Anyway, for you Xs and Os fans, and we know there are more of you out there than we care to let on, coach Eric Mangini had some good ‘splaining on the differences between the 4-3 and the 3-4.

Read on:

“Most of the 4 3 defense is based on penetrating,’’ Mangini said. “You have the A gap, I have the B gap, I have the C gap and you’re going to penetrate into that gap and that’s your spacing.  And most 4 3s come with an eight man box, so they bring the safety down and all of the gaps are cancelled out so there’s someone on the A, the B, the back side of the A, the back side of the B and the safety is the player that cancels out the gap.  In a two gap defense, it gives you the ability to play more split safety defense whether it be cover four or cover two, because each player is responsible for two of those and you don’t have to bring the safety into the box to cancel out all of the gaps across the front line.’’

There’s more, because Mangini was then asked whether, in the 3-4, the defensive ends can cause problems by rushing too far upfield.

“It’s a totally different approach,’’ he said. “You can’t go one way or the other.  For example, if you rushed up the field in the C gap, then you’re no longer playing two gaps.  So you’re vacating your responsibility in the B.  You may have had the C handled but you have both of those gaps.  So you’ve got to go on, take the player on, control him and wait until the ball carrier declares, throw him off and make the play.  You’re trying to build a wall across the front, set the edge on the outside as opposed to penetrate and run.’’

Honestly, I enjoy it when Mangini starts breaking down football this way. I find it instructive and a cool look inside a football lifer’s mind.

Plus, it’s the one time Mangini lets his hair down, to use a phrase that really doesn’t fit him. Instead of being guarded about the information he’s giving out, Mangini gets animated, excited to be discussing something that he enjoys so much.

Short week this week, we get tomorrow out at Weeb Ewbank Hall, then a game Thursday. The players will probably get a little time down before getting into the regular week before the regular-season opener against the Patriots.

I can safely say that everybody is looking forward to that.