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Yeah, I know, I was rooting against Gangrene last week, but consistency is overrated as a virtue!
The New York Times
September 30, 2011
Jets Face an Imposing Obstacle in Ngata
By DAVE CALDWELL
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Because the Jets face the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, and probably because he used to coach him, Rex Ryan has spent part of this week making Haloti Ngata sound more like an action hero than a 6-foot-4, 330-pound defensive tackle.
Ryan rhapsodized about how flexible and explosive Ngata was for such a big man. Ryan said Ngata could hit a speed bag like a professional lightweight. Too bad for the Jets that Ngata signed a five-year contract last week with the Ravens, because Ryan would take him.
But now they have to worry about blocking Ngata in Baltimore on Sunday night. Whether the Jets will use the All-Pro center Nick Mangold, who missed their loss last Sunday at Oakland with a sprained right ankle, will be a game-time decision, Ryan said Friday.
“He’s doing what he can to try to get ready,” Ryan said of Mangold, who was limited in practice Friday. “With his competitiveness, he’d like the opportunity. Your great competitors want to go against the best, no question. I think Nick, even though he wouldn’t be 100 percent, wants that opportunity. We’ll see. We’ll make the best decision for the team, obviously.”
Ryan smiled, then fed the Ngata myth a little more, saying: “If it were me, I’d say: ‘Naw. My hamstring’s killing me. My hamstring, shoulder, ankle, everything.’ ”
After he walked without a limp into the locker room, Mangold said he hoped to play. Every N.F.L. game offers a test, he said, but Ngata is unusually strong. Mangold said that if he played, he would try to go the whole game.
“I think it would be ill advised to shuffle centers around,” he said.
If Mangold cannot play, Colin Baxter, the rookie center from Arizona who has been with the Jets since Sept. 4, would start his second straight game. That experience would help only a little, since Oakland runs a 4-3 defense, and the Ravens use a 3-4.
And the Ravens have Ngata, who has 11 tackles in Baltimore’s first three games.
“I get to see where I’m at,” Baxter said, laughing.
The rest of the Jets’ offensive line would share in the responsibility of pushing — or at least attempting to push — Ngata out of the way. The Jets rushed for 116 yards against the Ravens in a 10-9 victory last year, but Ngata had four tackles, including a sack.
“Ngata has ability kind of like Bruce Lee’s one-inch punch, except Ngata has that in his whole body,” Jets left guard Matt Slauson said. “He’ll look like he’s not coming at all, then he’ll explode in a full bull rush.”
Slauson added, “He’ll probably be the best defensive tackle we face all year.”
Mangold said that Friday’s practice went well, but that he would not rush back from his injury just because the Jets are facing a behemoth. He has also spent time helping Baxter prepare for the challenge.
“We’re only as strong as our weakest link, and right now, he gets that award, because he’s only been around for three weeks,” Mangold said of Baxter.
Although the Jets are struggling to assemble the robust running attack Ryan wants, managing only 246 yards rushing in three games, the coaches are generally pleased with Baxter, who is about the same size as the 6-foot-4, 307-pound Mangold.
The offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said: “The thing I’ll say, it was fun to watch Colin play. He battled his tail off, he did a terrific job in there.”
But Ngata awaits. As Ryan pointed out, he presents problems for healthy and experienced offensive linemen.
September 30, 2011
Jets Face an Imposing Obstacle in Ngata
By DAVE CALDWELL
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Because the Jets face the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, and probably because he used to coach him, Rex Ryan has spent part of this week making Haloti Ngata sound more like an action hero than a 6-foot-4, 330-pound defensive tackle.
Ryan rhapsodized about how flexible and explosive Ngata was for such a big man. Ryan said Ngata could hit a speed bag like a professional lightweight. Too bad for the Jets that Ngata signed a five-year contract last week with the Ravens, because Ryan would take him.
But now they have to worry about blocking Ngata in Baltimore on Sunday night. Whether the Jets will use the All-Pro center Nick Mangold, who missed their loss last Sunday at Oakland with a sprained right ankle, will be a game-time decision, Ryan said Friday.
“He’s doing what he can to try to get ready,” Ryan said of Mangold, who was limited in practice Friday. “With his competitiveness, he’d like the opportunity. Your great competitors want to go against the best, no question. I think Nick, even though he wouldn’t be 100 percent, wants that opportunity. We’ll see. We’ll make the best decision for the team, obviously.”
Ryan smiled, then fed the Ngata myth a little more, saying: “If it were me, I’d say: ‘Naw. My hamstring’s killing me. My hamstring, shoulder, ankle, everything.’ ”
After he walked without a limp into the locker room, Mangold said he hoped to play. Every N.F.L. game offers a test, he said, but Ngata is unusually strong. Mangold said that if he played, he would try to go the whole game.
“I think it would be ill advised to shuffle centers around,” he said.
If Mangold cannot play, Colin Baxter, the rookie center from Arizona who has been with the Jets since Sept. 4, would start his second straight game. That experience would help only a little, since Oakland runs a 4-3 defense, and the Ravens use a 3-4.
And the Ravens have Ngata, who has 11 tackles in Baltimore’s first three games.
“I get to see where I’m at,” Baxter said, laughing.
The rest of the Jets’ offensive line would share in the responsibility of pushing — or at least attempting to push — Ngata out of the way. The Jets rushed for 116 yards against the Ravens in a 10-9 victory last year, but Ngata had four tackles, including a sack.
“Ngata has ability kind of like Bruce Lee’s one-inch punch, except Ngata has that in his whole body,” Jets left guard Matt Slauson said. “He’ll look like he’s not coming at all, then he’ll explode in a full bull rush.”
Slauson added, “He’ll probably be the best defensive tackle we face all year.”
Mangold said that Friday’s practice went well, but that he would not rush back from his injury just because the Jets are facing a behemoth. He has also spent time helping Baxter prepare for the challenge.
“We’re only as strong as our weakest link, and right now, he gets that award, because he’s only been around for three weeks,” Mangold said of Baxter.
Although the Jets are struggling to assemble the robust running attack Ryan wants, managing only 246 yards rushing in three games, the coaches are generally pleased with Baxter, who is about the same size as the 6-foot-4, 307-pound Mangold.
The offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said: “The thing I’ll say, it was fun to watch Colin play. He battled his tail off, he did a terrific job in there.”
But Ngata awaits. As Ryan pointed out, he presents problems for healthy and experienced offensive linemen.
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