A Jets Fan Looks At The AFC Championship

Thanks to NJ.com for the pic.

With the AFC Championship game this Sunday I asked my good friend and future lawyer Dan who also happens to be a Jets Season Ticket Holder to look at the AFC Championship from the Jets point of view. Sometime in the next 24 hours I will preview the game from a Colts point of view. here is Dan's take.....

We were done.  Rex Ryan said it.  The Tony Gonzalez TD all-but-sealed our 2009 fate.

And then something happened.  

Shockingly, the pieces started to all fall in place and the other games went our way.  Then Jim Caldwell helped our cause.  (Thanks, Jim!)

While the Jets probably would have lost to the Colts in week 16 and consequently their season would have come to a disappointing end, they were hanging around the Colts and were within one score of Peyton and Indy when Caldwell pulled Manning and Co. in the 3rd Quarter.

The Jets won that game and won the next three games, and here we are again in Indianapolis.  

I did not feel good entering last week, but the Jets hung around and the game was played at their preferred low-scoring pace.  The halftime 7-0 Chargers lead was a welcome sight for Jets fans.  I pray that the same thing happens this week.  Once again, I do not feel confident entering this game, but this team has something special and the last four weeks have boggled expectations.

Here are five keys to the game from a Jets fan's point-of-view:

1) Don't get behind early - The Jets are a running team.  If they get behind and have to chase down the Colts, Sanchez will likely not be able to claw his way back by out-throwing mano-a-mano vs. Manning.

2) Contain Clark - At this point, Revis WILL shut down Wayne.  The rest of the Jets secondary should be able to relatively limit Austin Collie, but Dallas Clark is the X factor (see Antonio Gates last week in the 1st half).

3) Somehow confuse Manning - If anyone can, Rex can.  As I have said all year, the best part about getting Ryan as coach is that you are getting him as the Defensive Coordinator as well. 

4) Smart Mark - No turnovers and low-risk passes have worked for him for the past two months, and if this trend changes, the Colts will win.  

5) Block Freeney - Twice in the first game Freeney was allowed to get to Sanchez without being blocked at all.  Jets Offensive Line coach Bill Callahan will surely try to stop these dangerous blocking mix-ups, but in a game where turnovers will likely doom the Jets if they are to lose, a strip-sack could turn the tide the wrong way.

Go Jets and hopefully I will write a game review after Sunday's AFC Championship.  But only if I am in a good mood.

Personally I hope you are in a horrible mood.