Van Lingle Mungo

No, this post is not actually about the former Browns and Giants pitcher from the 1930s. But he does have a fantastic name. As you know by now, my mind tends to drift, word-association style, from one thing to another (see here: http://schmuttblog.blogspot.com/2007/01/stupid-gifts-and-how-my-mind-works.html). This post is really about Nick Mangold. I have a #74 replica jersey at home and my wife thinks his name is "Mango," which is how I thought of Van Lingle Mungo in the first place.

Anyway, as I said, this post is about Nick Mangold. What with (what with? Great words to appear in succession) the injury to Peyton Manning, the Colts are 0-4 for the first time since Manning's rookie year. Lots of sports pundits are (somewhat tongue-in-cheek-ingly) clamoring for Manning to get some MVP support. Look how bad Indy is without him! When Brady went down, the Pats still went 11-5 with Matt Cassel, but Indy is completely lost! Phooey! Yes, I said phooey!

Has anyone's absence been felt more than Nick Mangold's? The Jets gave up 267 total yards of offense on Sunday yet still gave up 34 points. 267 yards is better than the average of the top defense so far in 2011, and 207 yards better than the New England Patriots! Yet they still gave up 34 points. Mark Sanchez was battered and walloped (and dolloped!) all night long, to the tune of two sacks, four forced fumbles, nine pressures, and ten hits on non-sacks. Want some more? Last year, the Jets averaged 4.4 yards per carry, good enough for 8th in the league. 2.0 of those yards on average came before first contact, while the other 2.4 came after contact. This year, the Jets still average 2.3 yards after contact, but only average 0.8 yards before first contact. An extra 1.2 yards before first contact would raise the Jets average yards per carry to a respectable 4.3 instead of a 30th ranked 3.1.

And the reason for all of this? Van Lingle Mungo. I mean Nick Mangold. Nicholas J. Mangold. Nicholas Jeremiah Mangold III, Esq. He just makes everyone better. He makes Matt Slauson and Brandon Moore better. If Slauson and Moore can block their men more successfully, that enables Brick and Hunter to more easily block their men. It's a whole domino effect that ripples outwards through the offensive line from the center. Mangold is simply the best center on the planet right now; he's the best pull blocker on the run in all of football, and he's never given up more than one sack in a season.

Sports writers and announcers love to talk about how some players, in some undefined, nebulous way, will their teammates to play better. Mangold actually, physically, quantifiably makes his teammates better.