Jets football blog

Dream is over, but Jets have bright future

All week, the Jets had visions dancing in their heads of confetti showering down on them.

They got exactly that this afternoon. The problem was that it came two weeks too early.

The confetti that streamed down onto the field today was blue and white, celebrating not the Super Bowl victory the Jets dreamed about, but a Colts AFC Championship title.

The Jets, trying desperately to get to their first Super Bowl in 41 years, were unable to ride their magic carpet out of Indianapolis en route to South Florida for Super Bowl XVIV, losing to the Colts 30-17. So the Colts, now 16-2, will be representing the AFC in the Super Bowl on Feb. 7 against the winner of the Saints-Vikings NFC Championship game. The Colts won Super Bowl XLI in Miami, so they’re reaching for some good karma of their own. Continue

Jets on to Indy with 17-14 win over Chargers

In what may have been their greatest upset since Superbowl III, the Jets took their rock 'em-sock 'em act on the road (again) and dismantled the high-scoring Chargers, 17-14, in a heart-pounding AFC divisional playoff Sunday at Qualcomm Stadium.

The Jets advanced to the AFC Championship game for the first time since 1998 and - how's this for a delicious storyline? - they will meet the Colts in a rematch of their controversial Dec. 27 victory. They will face Peyton Manning for a full four quarters, with a chance to prove the last game wasn't a fluke. Continue

Who's next for hot Jets?

The Jets’ bold dream of a magical Super Bowl run lives on.

After today’s 24-14 wildcard playoff win over the Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium, the dreams of the confident Jets are, in fact, living rather large.

Six days after dismantling the Bengals 37-0 in the regular-season finale to get into the playoffs, the Jets beat them again and advanced to an AFC divisional playoff matchup against either the Colts or Chargers.

A Ravens’ win over the Patriots today in New England will send the Jets to San Diego for a Sunday afternoon game. A Patriots’ win over the Ravens sets up a delicious Saturday night rematch against the Colts in Indianapolis. The Jets beat the Colts three weeks ago in Indianapolis to end the Colts’ undefeated season. Continue

Jets dominate Bengals, prepare for rematch

Rex Ryan said that when the Jets drafted Mark Sanchez in the first round last April, they did so with the idea that he would be able to handle playing on the big stage. And there are few bigger stages than a win-or-go-home regular-season finale on national television.

So when the Jets defeated the Bengals, 37-0, to clinch a playoff spot in their farewell game at Giants Stadium Sundaynight, Ryan felt a certain measure of validation.

"He's a competitor now. He wanted the big stage," Ryan said. "And that's one of the reasons we had to have him. There are some quarterbacks in this league that you can't put on this stage. He's not one of them. He wants to be out there. He wants the ball in his hands." Continue

Jets end colts' win streak

It's official now: The football gods are determined to deliver the Jets safely into the playoffs.

How else can you explain the unfathomable litany of events that have unfolded to leave the Jets with this unthinkably delicious scenario: Win and they're in."We feel like it's got to be meant to be with all the breaks we've caught the last few weeks," Jets safety Jim Leonhard said.

By virtue of yesterday's bizarre 29-15 victory over the previously-undefeated Colts, a win over the Bengals Sunday in the final NFL game at Giants Stadium will give the Jets their first playoff berth since 2006.

Jets blow another game late

It was a microcosm of the Jets' season: A poor, turnover-marred performance by Mark Sanchez & co, dumb penalties and great defense - until the final drive.

The Jets all but destroyed their playoff chances with an all-time choker loss Sunday to the Falcons, 10-7, before a half-empty Meadowlands on a cold, windy day. Tight end Tony Gonzalez scored on a 6-yard touchdown reception with 1:38 left in the fourth quarter - on a fourth-down play in which he was open in the end zone.

With their season on the line, the Jets caved in crunch time, allowing the Falcons to march 73 yards on 11 plays. It included two third-down conversions. It was reminiscent of their losses to the Dolphins and Jaguars. Continue

Jets crush lowly Bucs

The Jets didn't need Mark Sanchez to defeat the Bucs Sunday at Raymond James Stadium. Truth be told, they probably could've beaten the lowly Bucs with Rex Ryan at quarterback.

With Kellen Clemens at the controls, the Jets cruised to their third straight win, 26-3, staying alive in the AFC playoff chase. They improved to 7-6, moving into a four-way tie for the final wild-card spot. The Dolphins,Jaguars and Ravens also have 7-6 records. The Dolphins and Jaguars hold tiebreakers over the Jets, so they're still facing an uphill climb.

  Clemens, replacing the injured Sanchez (knee), made his first start in nearly two years. He completed 12 of 23 passes for 111 yards. His passing was unimpressive, but he managed to stay out of the way.

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Jets win! Jets win!

Darrelle Revis got the Jets' defense in the end zone for the first time this season and helped New York keep its slim playoff hopes alive.

Revis returned one of the Jets' four interceptions 67 yards for a touchdown and New York overcame an injury scare to quarterback Mark Sanchez before holding on to beat the Carolina Panthers 17-6 on Sunday.

Thomas Jones had a 3-yard touchdown run as the Jets (5-6) won at home for the first time since beating Tennessee in Week 3, sending the Panthers (4-7) to their second straight loss.

Carolina had a chance late to make it a one-score game, but Dwayne Jarrett's 28-yard touchdown catch was wiped off the scoreboard when he was called for offensive pass interference. Kerry Rhodes, demoted in favor of Eric Smith, picked off Jake Delhomme on the next play for his second interception of the game to all but seal the win. Continue

Jets can't right ship vs Pats

The defense Bill Belichick didn’t want to put on the field a week ago kept the offense of the Jets off it Sunday.

Leigh Bodden had three of the four interceptions thrown by Mark Sanchez and the Patriots defense allowed just one touchdown and 226 yards in a 31-14 win. The victory gave them a two-game lead in the AFC East and sent the Jets to their sixth loss in seven games.

Now the critics of the Patriots coach can take a week off.

They questioned Belichick for going for it on fourth-and-2 at his 28-yard line rather than punt to the Colts and hope his defense could stop Peyton Manning last Sunday night. The play failed and Manning and the Colts moved 29 yards to Manning’s scoring pass and a decisive extra point in their 35-34 win. Continue

Forget playoffs, how about 8-8?

The Jets' playoff chances took a major hit Sunday, as they blew a fourth-quarter lead to the Jaguars and fell in devastating fashion, 24-22, at the Meadowlands. Josh Scobee kicked a 21-yard field goal as time ran out.

The Jets dropped below .500, losing their fifth game in their last six. At 4-5, the Jets are a longshot to make the playoffs. This was perhaps the most crushing defeat of the season, as the Jets seemingly had pulled out the game. But the defense, Rex Ryan's pride and joy, fell apart in crunch time.

The Jets rallied from a 21-10 deficit, going ahead with 5:04 remaining in the game on a 1-yard touchdown leap by Thomas Jones. It culminated an amazing 17-play drive that covered 77 yards, and it included three big third-down conversions and a fourth-down conversion. Continue