In order for the Jets to win a playoff game against the Patriots in Foxborough, they would have to, as Wes Welker so wittingly put it, "put [their] best foot forward."
Sure enough, that's what New York did. The Jets' defense, embarrassed on Monday Night Football not too long ago by Tom Brady's New England offense, put together a respectable performance to help put New York in its second consecutive AFC Championshp Game with a 28-21 win.
In the first half, they held Brady to 99 passing yards and intercepted him once while BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead ran for a combined 40 yards in that half. Brady ended the game completing 29-of-45 passes for 299 yar ds and 2 touchdowns, but it wasn't enough to rally from a 14-3 halftime deficit.
With 13 seconds left in the third quarter, Brady completed a two-yard touchdown pass to Alge Crumpler. Sammy Morris ran for the ensuing two-point conversion to cut the Jets' lead to 14-11.
However, the Jets made it a two-score game with a seven-yard touchdown pass from Mark Sanchez to Santonio Holmes. The play was somewhat reminiscent of the Super Bowl XLIII game-winning catch, as Holmes caught the ball along the sidelines with his knee barely inbounds.
In hindsight, that would prove to be the clincher for the Jets. The Patriots scored a field goal later on to make the score 21-14, but failed to recover the ensuing onside kick.
New York hang on from there, but the real point of emphasis regarding the Jets' victory was the performance of Sanchez. In the first half, he completed 10-of-16 passes for 101 yards and two touchdowns.
He finished the game with only 194 passing yards, but the statistic that really counts in this case is this one: no interceptions.
He didn't turn the ball over, and neither did the other team. As the Baltimore Ravens proved yesterday, an underdog cannot protect a halftime lead if it turns the ball over.
But the Jets didn't, and that's why they are traveling to Pittsburgh next weekend.
New York Jets at Pittsburgh Steelers, 5:30 p.m. CST (CBS)
As I said before, the New York Jets earned the trip to Pittsburgh because its defense performed admirably and the offense didn't turn the ball over.
So if the Jets gain a halftime lead in this game, don't expect them to give the Steelers any pigskin-shaped gifts that could give them a chance to win this game.
It is likely that the Jets could get that halftime lead. As Baltimore proved with its short field in the first half, Pittsburgh's secondary is the chink in its defensive armor.
The Jets, with Santonio Holmes and Jericho Cotchery, have the weapons to exploit that chink.
For those that don't already know this, Jets head coach Rex Ryan is the son of Buddy Ryan, the former Bears defensive coordinator whose 46 Defense helped Chicago earn its only Super Bowl victory in the 1985 season.
Imagine it: On the silver anniversary of that season, the Bears play in the Super Bowl against the son of one of the coaches that was carried off the field following their Super Bowl XX victory.
Jets 21, Steelers 17
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.