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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 EST

FOXBORO, 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.