Each day this week, The Post will break down a key one-on-one battle in Sunday’s showdown at MetLife Stadium:
Jets DL Muhammad Wilkerson
vs. Giants OL Ereck Flowers
The bios
Wilkerson
One of the sport’s premier defensive linemen, Wilkerson — a second-team All-Pro in 2013 — is having a monster season. He’s on pace to set a personal high in sacks — his career-high was 10.5 in 2013 and he has eight with five games to go — while remaining a stout run-stuffer. In his fifth season with the Jets, Wilkerson has improved each year, while becoming one of the team’s defensive leaders. One question remains: What is the New Jersey native’s future with the Jets? He is set to become a free agent this offseason — a contract extension was discussed in the offseason, but a serious offer never made — though the Jets can slap a franchise tag on him.
Flowers
A surprise selection by the Giants in April’s draft — Flowers was taken ninth overall — the left tackle from the University of Miami has been one of few constants on the Giants’ offensive line, missing just one game. Thrust into the starting lineup because of the torn pectoral muscle suffered by incumbent Will Beatty, he’s performed relatively well for a rookie, one reason Manning has been sacked only 18 times, seventh fewest in the NFL. However, Pro Football Focus has Flowers ranked as the 70th offensive tackle out of 78 candidates.
The numbers
Wilkerson: 6-foot-4, 315 pounds, 26 years old, fifth NFL season
Flowers: 6-foot-5, 329 pounds, 21 years old, first NFL season
The 2015 stats
Wilkerson: 11 games, eight sacks, five passes defensed, one forced fumble, 45 total tackles
Flowers: 10 games, two sacks allowed
The history
The two have never played against one another during the regular season, but they did match up during the annual Jets-Giants preseason clash, a 28-18 Gang Green victory at MetLife Stadium. Wilkerson was active in a half of action against Flowers, notching three tackles — two for losses — half a sack and a quarterback hit.
The breakdown
It’s a mismatch on paper and may well be a mismatch Sunday afternoon, too. Wilkerson is having a career year, and he’s never really had a bad season. He’s fifth in the NFL with eight sacks, the linchpin to the Jets’ defensive front, by far their greatest strength. Wilkerson will move around, between defensive tackle and defensive end, but he will likely see Flowers frequently, a matchup the Giants probably won’t like.
“It’s going to be tough for Flowers. The guy [Wilkerson] is playing out of his mind,” CBS NFL analyst Dan Fouts said in a phone interview. “He’s a veteran. There are things he’s able to do against veterans guys that have played for a number of years. Wilkerson is a run-stuffer and he can get pressure. He does a lot of things that can make it a long day for Eli [Manning].”
Flowers is big and strong, has played well considering he’s a rookie thrust into starting from Day 1, but he’ll need a lot of help against Wilkerson, who is playing at a Pro Bowl level.
“You want to get him off to a good start,” SiriusXM NFL Radio analyst Rich Gannon said. “It may mean running the ball a little but, using the screen game, some quick draws where he can be aggressive rather than retreat all the time.
“That guy he’s going up against is having a really good year. The guy is very productive. He’s active. He can move around at times. You see him understanding how teams are trying to attack him. He’s just a handful.”