Final
Belichick faces Mangini in wild card round
Jan 7, 2007 - 5:36 PM NY Jets (10-6) at New England (12-4) 1:00 pm ESTFOXBORO, Massachusetts (Ticker) - Three-time Super Bowl champion coach Bill Belichick spawned "The Mangenius." Now the teacher and pupil cross paths in the playoffs.
Belichick and the fourth-seeded New England Patriots host Eric Mangini and the fifth-seeded New York Jets in an AFC wild card round contest Sunday.
Mangini was the secondary coach under Belichick when the Patriots won Super Bowl titles in 2001, 2003 and 2004. He was promoted to defensive coordinator and served in that position for one season before leaving to take over as coach of the Jets last January.
The AFC East rivals split the two meetings this season. So it is only fitting the rubber match between the mentor and protege comes in the postseason.
"Eric and his staff have done a great job with that team," Belichick said. "I'm sure it will be a dogfight like it always is between these two teams."
This is the latest chapter in a rivalry that heated up when coach Bill Parcells left the Patriots after Super Bowl XXXI to take the Jets job in 1997.
Parcells proceeded to sign running back Curtis Martin away from the Patriots. Then in 2000, Belichick turned down the Jets coaching job as the heir apparent to Parcells and took over the Patriots.
After finishing 4-12 last season, Jets owner Woody Johnson decided to pick from the Belichick tree, naming Mangini to replace Herman Edwards.
Just 35 years old, Mangini became the NFL's youngest coach. His philosophy is patterned on what he learned from Belichick and the personalities of the two are similar.
"I can't tell you how much I appreciate what he (Belichick) has done for me and my family and the opportunity he gave me," Mangini said.
Mangini's first season was such a rousing success in New York that he earned the nickname "The Mangenius" from the fans and media.
Not many predicted the Jets would win more than six games. Instead, they went 6-2 on the road and earned the first AFC wild card berth. The biggest victory came here November 12.
"The win over the Patriots was when we started to believe that we could really make the playoffs," Jets defensive end Shaun Ellis said.
New England had won seven straight games against New York, including a 24-17 victory at the Meadowlands on September 17. Tom Brady threw for 220 yards and a touchdown and Corey Dillon ran for 80 yards and a score to lead the Patriots in the first meeting between Belichick and Mangini.
It might have been gamesmanship, but the two barely shook hands at the completion of the game.
In the rematch, Mangini got even with a 17-14 upset that was followed by another quick handshake.
The Patriots trailed, 10-6, with just over seven minutes remaining when Brady was intercepted by safety Erik Coleman, who brought the ball back to the New England 35. Four plays later, Chad Pennington found Jerricho Cotchery in the back right corner of the end zone for a 22-yard touchdown.
Pennington completed 22-of-33 passes for 168 yards with an interception while Cotchery made six catches for 70 yards. Brady threw for 255 yards, including a 15-yard TD to Reche Caldwell in the fourth quarter.
After that loss, the Patriots went 6-1 to clinch their fourth straight division title and fifth in six years.
A two-time Super Bowl MVP, Brady is 9-2 in his career against the Jets and 10-1 in the playoffs. His only postseason loss came last January in the wild-card round at Denver.
The Patriots still have numerous defensive players from their Super Bowl teams, including defensive end Richard Seymour and linebackers Tedy Bruschi and Mike Vrabel. This season, New England allowed 237 points, setting a franchise record for the fewest yielded in a 16-game season.
But New England will be without safety Rodney Harrison, who sprained a knee ligament in the season-ending 40-23 win at Tennessee.
The secondary will be tested by New York's wide receiver tandem of Laveranues Coles and Cotchery. Coles had 91 catches for 1,098 yards and six touchdowns and Cotchery caught 82 passes for 961 yards and six scores this season.
New York made the transition to a 3-4 defense under Mangini and steadily improved, allowing 18.4 points per game. The Jets yielded just 26 points in their last three games.
The winner will play the top-seeded San Diego Chargers next Sunday in the divisional playoff.
- WILD CARD PLAYOFFS
NFL WILD CARD PLAYOFFS
FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
NY JETS 3 7 3 3 16
NEW ENGLAND 7 10 6 14 37 FINAL
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST QUARTER: NWE - TD, COREY DILLON 10 YD RUN (STEPHEN
GOSTKOWSKI KICK), 3:07. Drive: 10
plays, 65 yards in 3:07. Key plays:
Brady 12-yard pass to Gaffney to
New En
Jan 7 4:19 PM
TD NWE ASANTE SAMUEL 36 YD INTERCEPTION RETURN (STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI KICK)
Jets vs. PatriotsJan 7 4:07 PM
TD NWE ASANTE SAMUEL 36 YD INTERCEPTION RETURN (STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI KICK)
Jets vs. PatriotsJan 7 4:07 PM- WILD CARD PLAYOFFS
NFL WILD CARD PLAYOFFS
TD NWE
ASANTE SAMUEL 36 YD INTERCEPTION RETURN
(STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI KICK)
NY JETS 16
NEW ENGLAND 37 4:54 LEFT, 4TH QTR
Jets vs. PatriotsJan 7 4:07 PM - WILD CARD PLAYOFFS
NFL WILD CARD PLAYOFFS
TD NWE
KEVIN FAULK 7 YD PASS FROM TOM BRADY
(STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI KICK)
NY JETS 16
NEW ENGLAND 30 5:16 LEFT, 4TH QTR
Jets vs. PatriotsJan 7 4:01 PM
FG NYJ MIKE NUGENT 37 YD
Pennington 26-yard pass to Baker to New England 49; Pennington 11-yard pass to Baker to New England 38; Pennington 13-yard pass to Baker to New England 21; Pennington 12-yard pass to Washington to New England 19.
Jets vs. PatriotsJan 7 3:47 PM- WILD CARD PLAYOFFS
NFL WILD CARD PLAYOFFS
FG NYJ
MIKE NUGENT 37 YD
NY JETS 16
NEW ENGLAND 23 11:39 LEFT, 4TH QTR
Jets vs. PatriotsJan 7 3:44 PM - WILD CARD PLAYOFFS
NFL WILD CARD PLAYOFFS
END, 3RD QTR 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
NY JETS 3 7 3 13
NEW ENGLAND 7 10 6 23 END, 3RD QTR
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST QUARTER: NWE - TD, COREY DILLON 10 YD RUN (STEPHEN
GOSTKOWSKI KICK), 3:07. Drive: 10
plays, 65 yards in 3:07. Key plays:
Brady 12-yard pass to Gaffney to
Jan 7 3:37 PM
FG NWE STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI 28 YD
Wilfork 31-yard fumble return to New York 14.
Jets vs. PatriotsJan 7 3:35 PM- WILD CARD PLAYOFFS
NFL WILD CARD PLAYOFFS
END, 3RD QTR 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
NY JETS 3 7 3 13
NEW ENGLAND 7 10 6 23 END, 3RD QTR
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST QUARTER: NWE - TD, COREY DILLON 10 YD RUN (STEPHEN
GOSTKOWSKI KICK), 3:07. Drive: 10
plays, 65 yards in 3:07. Key plays:
Brady 12-yard pass to Gaffney to
Jan 7 3:34 PM - WILD CARD PLAYOFFS
NFL WILD CARD PLAYOFFS
FG NWE
STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI 28 YD
NY JETS 13
NEW ENGLAND 23 0:04 LEFT, 3RD QTR
Jets vs. PatriotsJan 7 3:32 PM
FG NWE STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI 40 YD
Brady 13-yard pass to Gaffney to New England 34; Dillon 13-yard run to New York 49; Brady 31-yard pass to Gaffney to New York 18.
Jets vs. PatriotsJan 7 3:21 PM- WILD CARD PLAYOFFS
NFL WILD CARD PLAYOFFS
FG NWE
STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI 40 YD
NY JETS 13
NEW ENGLAND 20 4:22 LEFT, 3RD QTR
Jets vs. PatriotsJan 7 3:18 PM
FG NYJ MIKE NUGENT 21 YD
Cotchery 14-yard run to New York 40; Pennington 13-yard pass to Coles to New England 47; Bruschi 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty to New England 25; Pennington 14-yard pass to Baker to New England 11.
Jets vs. PatriotsJan 7 3:14 PM- WILD CARD PLAYOFFS
NFL WILD CARD PLAYOFFS
FG NYJ
MIKE NUGENT 21 YD
NY JETS 13
NEW ENGLAND 17 8:19 LEFT, 3RD QTR
Jets vs. PatriotsJan 7 3:09 PM - WILD CARD PLAYOFFS
NFL WILD CARD PLAYOFFS
HALFTIME 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
NY JETS 3 7 10
NEW ENGLAND 7 10 17 HALFTIME
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST QUARTER: NWE - TD, COREY DILLON 10 YD RUN (STEPHEN
GOSTKOWSKI KICK), 3:07. Drive: 10
plays, 65 yards in 3:07. Key plays:
Brady 12-yard pass to Gaffney to
New
Jan 7 2:38 PM
TD NWE DANIEL GRAHAM 1 YD PASS FROM TOM BRADY (STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI KICK)
Jets vs. PatriotsJan 7 2:37 PM
TD NWE DANIEL GRAHAM 1 YD PASS FROM TOM BRADY (STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI KICK)
Jets vs. PatriotsJan 7 2:37 PM
TD NWE DANIEL GRAHAM 1 YD PASS FROM TOM BRADY (STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI KICK)
Jets vs. PatriotsJan 7 2:37 PM- WILD CARD PLAYOFFS
NFL WILD CARD PLAYOFFS
TD NWE
DANIEL GRAHAM 1 YD PASS FROM TOM BRADY
(STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI KICK)
NY JETS 10
NEW ENGLAND 17 0:11 LEFT, 2ND QTR
Jets vs. PatriotsJan 7 2:37 PM
FG NWE STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI 20 YD
Dillon 8-yard run on 3rd-and-1 to New York 41; Brady 12-yard run on 3rd-and-6 to New York 25.
Jets vs. PatriotsJan 7 2:12 PM- WILD CARD PLAYOFFS
NFL WILD CARD PLAYOFFS
FG NWE
STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI 20 YD
NY JETS 10
NEW ENGLAND 10 10:57 LEFT, 2ND QTR
Jets vs. PatriotsJan 7 2:09 PM
TD NYJ JERRICHO COTCHERY 77 YD PASS FROM CHAD PENNINGTON (MIKE NUGENT KICK)
Jets vs. PatriotsJan 7 1:56 PM
TD NYJ JERRICHO COTCHERY 77 YD PASS FROM CHAD PENNINGTON (MIKE NUGENT KICK)
Jets vs. PatriotsJan 7 1:56 PM
TD NYJ JERRICHO COTCHERY 77 YD PASS FROM CHAD PENNINGTON (MIKE NUGENT KICK)
Jets vs. PatriotsJan 7 1:56 PM- WILD CARD PLAYOFFS
NFL WILD CARD PLAYOFFS
TD NYJ
JERRICHO COTCHERY 77 YD PASS FROM CHAD PENNINGTON
(MIKE NUGENT KICK)
NY JETS 10
NEW ENGLAND 7 14:45 LEFT, 2ND QTR
Jets vs. PatriotsJan 7 1:56 PM - WILD CARD PLAYOFFS
NFL WILD CARD PLAYOFFS
END, 1ST QTR 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
NY JETS 3 3
NEW ENGLAND 7 7 END, 1ST QTR
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST QUARTER: NWE - TD, COREY DILLON 10 YD RUN (STEPHEN
GOSTKOWSKI KICK), 3:07. Drive: 10
plays, 65 yards in 3:07. Key plays:
Brady 12-yard pass to Gaffney to
Jan 7 1:50 PM - WILD CARD PLAYOFFS
NFL WILD CARD PLAYOFFS
FG NYJ
MIKE NUGENT 28 YD
NY JETS 3
NEW ENGLAND 7 2:36 LEFT, 1ST QTR
Jets vs. PatriotsJan 7 1:44 PM - WILD CARD PLAYOFFS
NFL WILD CARD PLAYOFFS
TD NWE
COREY DILLON 10 YD RUN
(STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI KICK)
NY JETS 0
NEW ENGLAND 7 11:53 LEFT, 1ST QTR
Jets vs. PatriotsJan 7 1:13 PM
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