There’s only one team the Jets could play and beat that would truly validate them as the AFC champions. As it turns out, the Jets play exactly that team on Sunday to decide who goes to the Super Bowl.
The Jets, of course, snuck into the playoffs with a 29-15 win at Indianapolis in Week 16 after the Colts pulled their starters in the second half. Rex Ryan’s team is acutely aware the Colts won’t be laying down this time around.
“If we don’t beat them now, nobody’s going to care about all that other stuff,” Ryan said yesterday. “They can say, ‘Well see, they could have beat you and all that.’ Well, that’s a different day. This is a completely different day.”
Of course, on that December day, no one seems to care the Jets only trailed by five points before Peyton Manning and Co. hit the sidelines for good. It’s just one more knock on a team that has been verbally abused but physically superior this postseason.
“This is the perfect script for us,” right tackle Damien Woody said. “Everybody was talking about, ‘Oh, you know, they laid down for us,’ and all that. Now, we’ve got a second opportunity against the Colts at their place again. This could be a redemption for us.”
