Former Jets and Browns coach Eric Mangini talked with The Post’s Justin Terranova about Sunday’s big matchups between the Giants and Patriots, and Bills and Jets. The ESPN analyst also discussed a possible return to coaching.
Q: What did the Steelers do to beat Patriots?
A: They took what the Patriots gave them: Push them off deep zones, hit the check downs, get to third-and-manageable and keep extending drives. That means Tom Brady’s only on the field for 20 minutes. And on defense they did a real good job in passing situations in getting Tom off his spot, and not letting him be comfortable right behind center where he likes to stand.
Q: Can the Giants take advantage of that?
A: The Giants have a unique situation where they can generate a pass rush with their down guys and do it really well, and that’s going to help. But that pressure has to come up the middle. And the other thing is: If you don’t have tight coverage on the receivers, he’ll just hit those guys short.
Q: What’s been most encouraging about the Jets’ past two wins?
A: The most encouraging thing to me is that they are back to the formula they had so much success with in the past. Shonn Greene’s yards per carry against the Chargers (5.6) was the same as it was when they beat them in the playoffs two years ago. Even if it’s not consistently big chunks, it opens up a lot of things for Mark Sanchez. And Mark is very effective with those types of plays, and they work so much better when you have to honor the running game. They have guys who can kill you off the play-action, whether it’s Plaxico Burress, Santonio Holmes or Dustin Keller.
Q: Can the Bills stay in this AFC East race with the Jets and Patriots?
A: I really feel like this is a great benchmark for them. The Patriots game was, too, but now they are going to go against a defense that’s really talented. They are going to throw a bunch of different looks at you. The quality of the cornerbacks they have, and this is really important. With New England it was how many points do we need to score, but now you are dealing with a defense that can create a lot of problems.
Q: Can you see yourself staying an analyst or are you determined to get back into coaching?
A: I wanted to take a year to do something different and see what it’s like, then really assess things in January when we get to that cycle. But it has been fun, it’s been great for me in terms of the opportunity for me and my family. I’ve got three little guys (ages 7, 5, 3). I can do things with them now that I’ve never been able to do in the past and that’s been fantastic.