One of the keys coming into this game was Rex Ryan mixing it up defensively to confuse Peyton Manning yet it was surprising that Ryan stayed with a lot of man coverage. In these one-on-one match-ups, Dwight Lowery covered Pierre Garcon almost exclusively while Drew Coleman was responsible for Austin Collie.

Manning threw to Garcon 15 times overall and 12 times with Lowery in coverage. Lowery broke up one pass and Manning threw off target twice. Garcon caught 9 balls against him for 109 yards and a touchdown.

The Jets’ exciting post season run comes to an abrupt end. It has been a wild ride for Jets fans. From the surprising win over Indy in week 16 to the dominant win over the season finale against Cincinnati to close the Meadlowlands through the physical beat down they put on San Diego, the Jets seemed destined for a trip to the Super Bowl.

Getting so close and coming up short is devastating. It is so hard to get back to the Championship game; you have to take advantage of the opportunity when it is in front of you.

It has been easy for doubters to explain away the Jets’ late season surge for one reason or another. The Colts and Bengals rested their starters and handed them an easy win. In the wildcard game, they overtook a beat up Cincinnati club that had dropped three of its last four.

But against San Diego the Jets quieted the skeptics. By beating the Chargers, the Jets established themselves as a legitimate Super Bowl contender.

Rex Ryan had the secondary playing a lot of deep zones in the first half. Although San Diego completed a lot of underneath passes, the strategy worked out well. The Chargers’ longest play from scrimmage in the half was 26 yards.

Ryan’s design intended to keep the plays in front of them and force the Chargers to work the length of the field for points. The fact that they mustered only 7 in the first half affirmed his strategy.

Unbelievable! In perhaps the most stunning victory in the franchise’s history, the New York Jets beat the heavily favored Chargers and are headed to Indianapolis for the AFC Championship game.

Somebody pinch me.

These are not your father’s Jets and they certainly are doing their best to shed the “Same ‘ol Jets” moniker that has hung over this franchise like a black cloud for years.

The Jets’ offense is playing some its best football of the season. There is finally more balance in the their attack and that has a lot to do with Brian Schottenheimer, Rex Ryan and Mark Sanchez working better together.

This trio is now on the same page. Ryan’s involvement in the offense resulted in a scaled back passing attack. Schottenehimer is designing game plans that are not only in sync with his head coach’s philosophy but are more creative and opponent-specific.

The Jets’ blowout of Cincinnati two weeks ago and its tough playoff win on the road last week have this team believing in itself. In an unusual turn, it has been the Jets’ offense that has gotten much of the attention recently.

Brian Schottenheimer had perhaps his two best games as a Jet and did a great job of playing calling and game planning against the Bengals. Just as important, Schottenheimer and Sanchez seem to be much more in sync now and the rookie’s play has improved as a result.

Jay Feely
Each week I continue to be more impressed with Jay Feely. He is not your average place kicker.

His performance in the second Miami game was exceptional. Not only did he nail a 55-yard FG, he stuck his nose right into the action on kick coverage and put two good hits on Ted Ginn.

Against Cincinnati, Feely stepped in for punter Steve Weatherford and did a yeoman’s job. On seven punts he averaged 31.4 yards and placed three balls inside the Bengal’s 20-yard line and a fourth right was downed at their 20. That’s pretty good for a last minute fill-in!

With the Jets’ pasting of the Bengals last Sunday night, Jets Nation knew Cincinnati would be seeking revenge and would come out fired up in the rematch. Indeed, the Jets had to withstand an early assault but they hung tough and pulled out a gritty 24-14 victory.

For the Jets, it was their young players who took center stage. Rookies Mark Sanchez and Shonn Greene made big plays along with second year TE Dustin Keller who finally made his presence felt after being invisible for five games.

It is hard to imagine a more prideful moment for Jets fans. Playing in a huge game in front of a national audience with their season hanging in the balance, Gang Green turned in one of the most dominating performances in the franchise’s history.

Now a new season begins and every participant gets a clean slate. Fortunately for the Jets, they happen to be one of the hottest teams entering the postseason. They have now won five of their last six and are playing with a ton of confidence.

Confident yes but not overconfident.