D'Brick ready for test against Freeney

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (AP) -- D'Brickashaw Ferguson relaxed on the stool in front of his locker, shoes and socks off, when he was reminded of the unnerving task ahead: blocking Indianapolis sack specialist Dwight Freeney.

The New York Jets' rookie left tackle with the big expectations and soft voice was unfazed.

"Every week, you're faced with an incredible player, and this is just an example of that," Ferguson said in his typically calm tone Thursday. "Obviously, he's a very talented individual and it'll take a lot to go out there and execute."

Ferguson, the No. 4 overall draft pick in April, has looked good early in the season, protecting quarterback Chad Pennington and generally giving him lots of time to throw. He'll get his biggest NFL test Sunday against Freeney and the Colts.

"D'Brickashaw seems to be handling this all in stride," veteran guard Pete Kendall said.

The 6-foot-6 rookie has used good footwork and balance to keep New England's Richard Seymour and Buffalo's Aaron Schobel mostly quiet the past two weeks. He's also been called for just two holding penalties -- including one offset by a defensive penalty.

"He's had some pretty big challenges here throughout the season," coach Eric Mangini said. "He's faced some good pass rushers. The important thing for Brick is getting into a consistent preparation routine, so week in and week out he has an understanding of what he has to do."

This week's preparations are all about Freeney, the Colts' right defensive end who has 51 career sacks in just four seasons. He'll be hungry against the rookie, especially since he has yet to get to the quarterback in the first three games.

"I'm pretty sure he's going to have some help," Freeney said. "He's a rookie, but I think they see a lot of potential in him. What was he, the fourth pick in the draft? So that tells you what they think of him."

Colts coach Tony Dungy said opposing teams have generally put two or three players on Freeney, and the defensive end expects more of the same against the Jets. Dungy has seen some film of Ferguson, and thinks the rookie could quickly become a star in the NFL.

"He has the long arms and he kind of reminds me of (former Pro Bowl tackle) Lomas Brown, maybe more than anyone else that I have seen recently," Dungy said.

Mangini said Ferguson's development has been helped by the packages the Jets use on offense. That'll come in handy against one of the NFL's elite pass rushers.

"It's not really just Brick," Mangini said. "It will be the whole group and the scheme in terms of which protection you want to use against that front, then how we are going to incorporate the backs, the tight ends in the protection. We used a little more of that last week."

The Jets had precisely this type of matchup in mind when they drafted Ferguson out of Virginia instead of taking a quarterback such as Matt Leinart or Jay Cutler. New York wanted to add a building block to its offensive line, someone the quarterback can rely on to protect his blind side.

This Sunday's game will provide a major measuring stick as to how far he's come to being that kind of reliable player.

"I just want to make sure I do my job," Ferguson said. "Maybe at the end of the season, I'll reflect back and say, `OK, this is what I did -- yay or nay.' But right now, it's all about trying execute and making sure the quarterback's clean."

AP Sports Writer Michael Marot in Indianapolis contributed to this story.