Post by Lithfan on Jan 24, 2016 7:26:32 GMT -5
January 24, 2010
Championship Sunday, 2009 season. Jets vs Colts in Indianapolis. The Jets, in their first year under HC Rex Ryan, put together a late season run to get into the playoffs, winning 5 of their last 6 regular season games to secure a wild card spot. Playoff wins in Cincinnati and San DIego set up a rematch with the Colts with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. 4 weeks earlier, the Jets ended the Colts undefeated season with a 29-15 win, a game in which Peyton Manning was pulled in the 3rd quarter, opening the door for the Jets.
Unfortunately for the Jets, Manning played the entire second half of the Championship game, and for a QB with a history of struggling in the postseason, he put together a brilliant final 32 minutes as the Colts topped the Jets 30-17 to advance to the Super Bowl.
The Jets got off to a fast start, taking a 17-6 lead late in the 2nd quarter behind two Mark Sanchez TD passes: an 80-yarder to Braylon Edwards an 11-yard strike to Dustin Keller. But the game turned when Manning led a 4 play 80-yard TD drive in the two minute drill to cut into the Jets lead before halftime.
The Jets would get the ball first in the second half, and I remember thinking how critical that opening possession of the 3rd quarter would be. If they could go back to their ground and pound style, eat up clock and extend the lead, they could regain the momentum lost before the half.
The drive started well, a 30-yard kick return by Brad Smith to start at the 27. The half was starting just the way I had hoped, with the Jets grounding out yardage on the ground. Shonn Greene had consecutive 7 yard runs from scrimmage to get the Jets to the 44 yard line.
On the second run, Greene suffered a rib injury and would miss the rest of the game. As he left, so did the Jets championship hopes. They could not keep the ground game moving, and Manning picked Rex Ryan’s defense.
A Hall of Famer at the top of his game. Something that happened so rarely in Manning’s great career, a brilliant postseason performance, and naturally it comes against the Jets. He was 26 of 39 for 377 yards and 3 TDs. He stayed away from Revis Island, as Reggie Wayne only had 3 receptions, but he took advantage of the rest of the Jets secondary, as rookie Austin Collie caught 7 passes for 123 yards and a TD and 2nd year man Pierre Garcon was 11-151-1.
Disappointing as the loss was, to me, it was nowhere near as bad as the loss the following year. The Colts were the better team, in their building, with a HOF QB playing at an HOF level. The Jets made it farther than could have been expected behind a dominant defense, great running game and a rookie QB. It was disappointing to lose, especially after having a double digit lead in the first half, but the better team won. A year later, in Pittsburgh, the better team lost.
Championship Sunday, 2009 season. Jets vs Colts in Indianapolis. The Jets, in their first year under HC Rex Ryan, put together a late season run to get into the playoffs, winning 5 of their last 6 regular season games to secure a wild card spot. Playoff wins in Cincinnati and San DIego set up a rematch with the Colts with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. 4 weeks earlier, the Jets ended the Colts undefeated season with a 29-15 win, a game in which Peyton Manning was pulled in the 3rd quarter, opening the door for the Jets.
Unfortunately for the Jets, Manning played the entire second half of the Championship game, and for a QB with a history of struggling in the postseason, he put together a brilliant final 32 minutes as the Colts topped the Jets 30-17 to advance to the Super Bowl.
The Jets got off to a fast start, taking a 17-6 lead late in the 2nd quarter behind two Mark Sanchez TD passes: an 80-yarder to Braylon Edwards an 11-yard strike to Dustin Keller. But the game turned when Manning led a 4 play 80-yard TD drive in the two minute drill to cut into the Jets lead before halftime.
The Jets would get the ball first in the second half, and I remember thinking how critical that opening possession of the 3rd quarter would be. If they could go back to their ground and pound style, eat up clock and extend the lead, they could regain the momentum lost before the half.
The drive started well, a 30-yard kick return by Brad Smith to start at the 27. The half was starting just the way I had hoped, with the Jets grounding out yardage on the ground. Shonn Greene had consecutive 7 yard runs from scrimmage to get the Jets to the 44 yard line.
On the second run, Greene suffered a rib injury and would miss the rest of the game. As he left, so did the Jets championship hopes. They could not keep the ground game moving, and Manning picked Rex Ryan’s defense.
A Hall of Famer at the top of his game. Something that happened so rarely in Manning’s great career, a brilliant postseason performance, and naturally it comes against the Jets. He was 26 of 39 for 377 yards and 3 TDs. He stayed away from Revis Island, as Reggie Wayne only had 3 receptions, but he took advantage of the rest of the Jets secondary, as rookie Austin Collie caught 7 passes for 123 yards and a TD and 2nd year man Pierre Garcon was 11-151-1.
Disappointing as the loss was, to me, it was nowhere near as bad as the loss the following year. The Colts were the better team, in their building, with a HOF QB playing at an HOF level. The Jets made it farther than could have been expected behind a dominant defense, great running game and a rookie QB. It was disappointing to lose, especially after having a double digit lead in the first half, but the better team won. A year later, in Pittsburgh, the better team lost.
