newjerseynewsroom.com

BY RYAN PATRICK SHEEHY

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

COMMENTARY

If the National Football League only consisted of 16-minute games, the New York Jets would be headed to Miami to fend for their first Super Bowl in 41 years. Unfortunately for Gang Green, the second half and league MVP Peyton Manning do exist, which ultimately spelled disaster for the Jets' Super Bowl campaign.

For a half, Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer called a superb game Sunday at Lucas Oil Fieldhouse, complete with a surprise play-action strike to Braylon Edwards on first down, and a Brad Smith option pass.

There was no doubt that the Jets came to play; however it was the way that they finished that would eventually lead to their demise. A four-point first-half lead wasn't enough for the boys in green as Peyton Manning would tally two second-half touchdowns to lead the Colts to their second Super Bowl in three years. Manning finished 26 of 39 for 377 yards. He became the first player in league history with seven 300-yard postseason games. That broke a tie with Kurt Warner and Joe Montana.

New York Jets head Coach Rex Ryan's defense came out of the gates fired up and left Manning rattled, as Ryan mixed blitz and coverage schemes to confuse the All-Pro. However, Manning rose to the occasion and made mid-game adjustments that led to a precise and surgical deconstruction of the Jets' defense.

No strangers to dealing with adversity, it was the seventh comeback win this year for the Colts.

"We talked about being patient against these guys. It took some time to figure out what their plan of attack was," Manning said. "We stayed patient, didn't panic, got a bead on them and beat them with the passing game."

"When you struggle against Peyton Manning, he will eat you alive," said Jets coach Rex Ryan. "Peyton Manning is the real deal. They were smart. They out-executed us.''

Standing atop the AFC, holding his NFL record fourth MVP, Manning looked and played like a champion, leaving the Jets one song short of the Big Dance. However, all is not lost for the road warriors from the Meadowlands, as they showed a lot of promise and poise in the loss, especially in the arm and head of rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez.

Sanchez arguably played his best game of the post-season, finishing 17-for-30 for 257 yards with two touchdown passes. Dubbed "The Kid," Sanchez brings hope to a franchise that has been searching for a big-game quarterback ever since the retirement of Broadway Joe Namath. Sanchez's mistakes were far out-shadowed by the plays he made, giving Jets Nation much to look forward to.

Although the team would digress, the Jets were playing with house money throughout the playoffs and an AFC Championship berth is more than they could of ever asked for when they were sitting at 7-7 after a heartbreaker to Atlanta.

Coach Ryan promised a trip to the White House and that promise doesn't seem too far from fruition. Some even feel the vaunted Jets defense is just a few key moves away from being a great unit. But Manning exposed an elite secondary with great press clippings and made its shortcomings all too apparent.

Lito Sheppard's age and Dwight Lowery's inexperience were both brought to light, leaving the Jets with more than a few question marks. Additionally, the pass rush that looked dominant in the first quarter began to lose its luster throughout the game, almost begging the Jets brass to add some firepower.

All in all, after a few holes are filled, it looks like the New York Jets will be coming at the rest of the league with a vengeance next fall, and if nothing else this loss was a testament to the fact that the Jets are a whole new ball club.