Mangold works out, still game-day decision

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Every NFL play essentially is a fire drill, one more reason the Jets hope center Nick Mangold's availability will improve from Friday's 50-50 proposition.

His job, as Mangold described it, is "directing traffic. You're a cop sitting in the middle of an intersection." So beyond the obvious physical requirements, the 6-4, 307- pound Mangold brings a skill of coordinating the work of his fellow offensive linemen.

It therefore was encouraging news to the Jets that Mangold, a three-time Pro Bowl player, resumed working out Friday for the first time since going down with a high right ankle sprain in the team's Sept. 18 victory over Jacksonville. He did not participate in all of the team drills Friday, and according to coach Rex Ryan, he would not have been able to play if the game were Friday rather than Sunday night in Baltimore.

"But the fact it's a Sunday night game may help the process," Ryan said. "We'll see. It's literally a game-time decision."

Mangold said his ankle was "feeling better, thank you. Able to run a little bit."

His presence was described by quarterback Mark Sanchez as a "luxury" because "a lot of times, Nick will take care of things at the line that I'll only see on film after the game, identifying [defensive] fronts, stuff I'm in tune with but, a lot of times, stuff you take for granted. He can change stuff on the move, where I can't communicate to the line once I start dropping back."

Mangold's injury forced him to miss a game for the first time in his six-year career last week and meant rushing rookie Colin Baxter -- obtained on waivers from San Diego two weeks earlier -- into the chaos.

"You're only as strong as your weakest link," Mangold said, "and [Baxter] kind of gets that award because he's only been here three weeks. He's doing good, he's really learning, a really smart kid, a great asset."

Understandably, though, the Jets prefer having Mangold throwing around his weight and "passing around different calls" among the linemen. "A little game of telephone," he calls it.

Baxter, meanwhile, "is preparing like I always do," Mangold said. "Even when I wasn't starting, I prepare like I'm starting, because it's football, and something like what happened could happen any time." This is not a drill.

Notes & quotes:Besides Mangold, players on the Jets' injury list who were listed by Ryan as probable for Baltimore were wide receiver Plaxico Burress (hamstring), cornerback Antonio Cromartie (ribs), wide receiver Santonio Holmes (shoulder), linebacker David Harris (toe), defensive end Mike DeVito (shoulder) and defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson (shoulder). Of those, only Wilkerson was limited in practice Friday.