Rex Ryan complimented Jets center Nick Mangold this week by calling him “the Darrelle Revis of centers.”
With the way Mangold is playing recently, it might be more accurate to call Revis the Nick Mangold of cornerbacks.
If there was any question about his value to the Jets offense as a whole and the running game in particular, Mangold has smashed it since returning from a high ankle sprain four games ago.
A “Ground & Pound” rushing attack that was stuck in the mud with Mangold on the bench for two games and undrafted rookie Colin Baxter starting in his place has come alive with their bearded grizzly bear of an anchor leading the way.
Ryan isn’t the only one who considers it a coincidence the Jets are averaging 123 rushing yards per game since Mangold returned, compared with an average of just 80 yards on the ground during his roughly 2 1/2-game absence.
“Everybody knows how good Nick is,” guard Brandon Moore said yesterday as the Jets prepared to play host to the rival Patriots on Sunday night with ownership of the AFC East lead at stake. “He’s solidified in the middle everything we’re doing. Anytime you get a Pro Bowl player back, it definitely helps you.”
Mangold — who still isn’t fully recovered from the sprained ankle — has another stiff test Sunday night at the Meadowlands in the form of Patriots Pro Bowl nose tackle Vince Wilfork, but the Jets don’t see why their guy should be the underdog in that matchup.
Mangold rushed back to action for the first meeting with New England last month, and even on one leg and with Wilfork getting relief from the since-released Albert Haynesworth, the Jets still rushed for nearly 100 yards (97) in the 30-21 loss.
Not that the typically modest Mangold is in the mood to take much credit, no matter how much it appears to be deserved. In particular, Mangold wasn’t ready to put himself in Revis’ class even though his head coach was the one making the comparison.
“Darrelle is in a league of his own, but it is kind of Rex [to say that],” Mangold said yesterday.
Mangold’s impact hasn’t been limited to the run game, however. Mark Sanchez isn’t exactly filling the air with footballs, but he is remaining upright a lot more with Mangold in front of him — the Jets have allowed just five sacks combined in the past three games compared with 12 in the first five contests.
“It’s great to see him healthy,” Sanchez said yesterday. “He’s still working through a tough injury, but that’s a tough guy. The offense is kind of getting into a groove here. We just want to keep it going and keep taking care of the football.”