With his bushy blonde beard and flowing golden locks, more often then not, it’s easy to peg Nick Mangold as the center of attention in the Jets locker room. Likewise, Mangold has been the target of many hungry opposing nose tackles thus far in his rookie campaign, and most have come away famished.
The rookie center took over the Jets offense this season and since his addition to the lineup, he has become a show stopper. Just last week, Patriots nose tackle and former first round pick Vince Wilfork, a 6’2”, 325-pound tackle, was held to just three tackles and zero sacks in his match-up with Mangold. Before the Jets’ bye week, gargantuan Browns nose tackle Ted Washington, 6’5”, 365 pounds, was virtually wiped from the stat book as he accounted for just one tackle.
Needless to say, Mangold, the 29th overall selection in last April’s draft has been learning on the fly and is at the top of his class according to one seasoned upperclassman.
“I would say he has done pretty well along the learning curve,” said 11-year veteran Pete Kendall of Mangold. “He has done a real nice job running the show for us since he came in. There really haven’t been any rough spots or glaring errors that you say, ‘Gee that’s a rookie mistake.’”
Mangold assumed the role of starting center on the first day of Training Camp. Trey Teague was expected to compete with Mangold for playing time, but the veteran battled injuries throughout camp and the season and never took the field for the Jets. With the loss of Kevin Mawae to free agency in the offseason, the Jets were in need of some leadership at the position. Even though Mangold had never taken a snap in the NFL, his awareness of the game and his keen knowledge of the position caught the eye of the Jets scouts prior to the draft.
For Mangold, he has played the position so long, it has become elementary.
“In seventh grade they had me snap the ball, and I’ve been doing it ever since,” Mangold said. “There is no special skill other than knowing your job and making sure you’re doing what you’re told to do. In the NFL, guys are so experienced and have so much knowledge; the center is just another position on the line.”
“He has played the same position for quite awhile,” added Kendall. “It is a different league obviously but playing center is playing center - the concepts are pretty much the same.”
There is no doubt that this week of preparation has been Mangold’s – as well as the rest of the offensive line’s – most comprehensive task. The Bears not only have the top ranked defense in the NFL, but they come in with a completely different attack than the Jets’ previous two opponents – the Patriots and the Browns.
The imposing defensive tackle tandem of Tommie Harris and nose tackle Tank Johnson will constantly be in Mangold’s face Sunday as the Bears run a 4-3 defense with Tampa Two principals. Behind Harris and Johnson is middle linebacker Brian Urlacher, the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year whose masterful tackling talents need not further explanation.
“I talked to the team this morning a little bit about the different style - especially the defense we are facing,” said head coach Eric Mangini. “We have had two weeks in a row really of variations of the 3-4. Cleveland was slightly different than New England’s and that is a radically different style than what we will see here against Chicago. It is not common where you face a similar defense two weeks in a row, so we are getting back to understanding this style as opposed to that style.
“Nick definitely has to make good decisions and do some things in front in terms of communication and getting everyone lined up,” continued Mangini. “I am really happy with the progress he continues to make.”
A wrong decision by any Jets player this weekend will, more likely than not, put them in the hole. The Bears lead the league with 27 takeaways and their ability to take advantage of slip-ups comes on all sides of the ball, giving new meaning to “costly turnover.”
“Those guys move around so much you never know who is going to be on top of you,” Mangold said of the Bears. “Every weekend in the NFL it seems to be another big challenge but this week especially because when you watch these guys on film, they are up there moving around and getting after the ball. It is going to be a tough challenge.”
With the biggest college football game of the year approaching on Saturday, the Bears defense may not be the only problem Mangold faces, as locker room bragging rights are on the line. Mangold and fullback B.J. Askew, a former Michigan Wolverine, are putting their jerseys where their mouths are. If the Buckeyes win, Askew has to wear Mangold’s Ohio State uniform for an entire week, and vice-versa.
“It is a big week for him with the Ohio State game,” Mangini said. “But we got him focused on Chicago.”
Thursday Injury Report
Jets
Questionable: FB B.J. Askew (foot), CB David Barrett (hip), WR Tim Dwight (thigh) & RB Cedric Houston (knee)
Probable: *RB Kevan Barlow (calf), *LB Matt Chatham (foot), *CB Drew Coleman (thigh), *WR Laveranues Coles (calf), *CB Andre Dyson (ankle), *OL Pete Kendall (knee), *OL Nick Mangold (eye), *WR Justin McCareins (foot), *DL Rashad Moore (hand), *QB Chad Pennington (calf) & *QB Patrick Ramsey (thigh)
Bears
Questionable: *WR Bernard Berrian (ribs), *LB Leon Joe (hamstring), *TE Gabriel Reid (wrist) & CB Dante Wesley (knee)
*Denotes players who practiced
