Their fans wrote them off. Their coach said they were out of the playoffs after a late-season loss. Yet with a win in Indianapolis against the Colts, the Jets can advance to their second Super Bowl in franchise history and their first since the 1968 season.
The Jets have themselves to thank for getting this far (more on that later), but they also owe Indianapolis some appreciation for a late Christmas gift. When the teams met in Week 16, the Colts pulled Peyton Manning and Co. with a 15-10 third-quarter lead. The Jets, who needed a win, took advantage. If the Colts had not lain down, who knows what would have happened? But none of that matters now.
If the Jets aren't a worthy playoff team, they're doing an excellent job masquerading as one. They punished the Bengals in Cincinnati and then shocked the Chargers in San Diego. Their opponents have missed five field goals in those two games, but, as Branch Rickey once said, "Luck is the residue of design."
Can they beat the Colts? Why not? The Chargers were a sexy Super Bowl pick, and the Jets dispatched them. Besides, Indianapolis is a similar team to San Diego; both squads eschew the run for the pass and have a suspect defense. Peyton Manning could be the greatest quarterback of all time, but he has been known to make mistakes. The Jets' defense is a worthy test for him.
The Colts have their weapons. Jets cornerback moved around the field last week and didn't concentrate on Vincent Jackson, the Chargers' No. 1 receiver. Will he do the same this week, or will he cover Reggie Wayne at the expense of covering Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie? Will Mark "Wonderboy" Sanchez be able to take control if the Jets need him to lead a comeback? Will the Jets be able to run the ball as well as they have in the past two weeks? Those questions and more will be answered Sunday with a Super Bowl berth on the line.
