The Jets’ most unheralded offensive lineman has the toughest task Sunday in Detroit.
Right guard Brandon Moore will line up against Lions rookie defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who has terrorized opposing defenses this season with 6½ sacks, 26 tackles and interception and fumble returns for touchdowns.
“I can’t remember a rookie defensive lineman coming in and having that kind of impact,” Rex Ryan said yesterday.
“He stands out on film,” Moore said. “He’s a big, athletic guy who moves well and is very strong and he plays to the end of the whistle. He looks like a pretty good defensive tackle in this league. He’s making plays, so of course he doesn’t look like a rookie. It’s definitely going to be a big challenge to neutralize him in the game.”
There are a couple people on the Jets who have first-hand knowledge of his tough Suh is.
Offensive line coach Bill Callahan recruited Suh to Nebraska when he was the head coach there, and left guard Matt Slauson was Suh’s teammate at Nebraska.
“I faced him every single day,” Slauson said. “It wasn’t like he destroyed me every play. We had our battles.”
So many, in fact, that Slauson indicated that he and Suh weren’t exactly close at Nebraska.
Asked if they were buddies, Slauson said after a pause, “We were teammates. We had a mutual respect, but we didn’t go hang out every night. I respect him as a player, leave it at that. Me and Suh weren’t best friends.”
And Slauson would love an opportunity to slow Suh, not that he’s going to get the chance.
“Yes I would, but not just because it’s Suh,” he said. “I want to beat everyone, but against Suh it would mean a lot, because we played together and he’s recognized as one of the best players.”
Slauson said he liked Moore in the matchup.
“In my opinion, Brandon is the best right guard in the NFL, so I don’t think he’ll have a problem with [Suh],” Slauson said. “I’m not saying Suh isn’t good, but he’s not the best defensive tackle in the NFL yet. Brandon has a lot of experience. He’s seen better guys than Suh . . . not to say Suh won’t be an amazing player.”
Moore sounded like he’s relishing the matchup.
“Of course you look forward [to] playing the best guys in this league . . . when you think you’re pretty good,” Moore said.
Should Moore shut down Suh, it’ll further what has already been a quietly terrific season for him.
Moore, who is surrounded by former first-round draft picks on the line (left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson, center Nick Mangold and right tackle Damien Woody _ all of whom have been to at least one Pro Bowl), finally got some recognition this week when Sports Illustrated named him as one of its top players through the first half of the season.
“It feels good to have people acknowledge the work you’ve been doing, but nothing has changed for me,” Moore said. “I’ve always felt like I was a great player. I didn’t come here with that pedigree of a first-round draft pick . . . or even a draft pick . . . or even a free agent at my position.”
Indeed, Moore entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent — on the defensive line — and was converted to an offensive lineman in 2002 when Herman Edwards was the head coach and Doug Marrone (now the Syracuse head coach) was the offensive line coach.
“I didn’t come in the conventional way,” Moore said. “It’s been a lot of hard work. You look at some guys and how things are handed to them with preferential treatment and I’m a guy that kind of had to do it on my own. It says a lot about my determination and will and not giving up.
“I could have easily done that, but I always believed I was eventually going to do it. I always believed it was going to work out.”
Now he might be the most critical cog in the Jets plan Sunday in Detroit.