Colts, Jets Preview: AFC Championship Game Sunday

When the Colts meet the Jets in Indianapolis on Sunday afternoon, it'll be a whole new ball game.

Colts' head coach Jim Caldwell sat most of his starters before the conclusion of their game against the Jets on Dec. 27 to protect his players from injuries that could cost them a loss in the playoffs.

The Jets would go on to hand the Colts their first lost of the season, outscoring the men in blue 29-15.

Surely the critics and fans that blasted Caldwell for his December decision regret their comments now.

Reason?

The "rested" Colts will face the Jets again in this weekend's AFC Championship game, and this time, the winner goes to Super Bowl XLIV.

While America watched rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez and the New York Jets upset San Diego Saturday, the Colts were already licking their lips in Indianapolis.

After a loss to the Jets, that at the time cost them a perfect 16-0 record earlier this season, one would believe that Pro Bowl quarterback Peyton Manning and the Colts have all kinds of revenge built up and are more than ready to release it.

The Colts are hot, coming off a 20-3 home win over the surprising Baltimore Ravens in their AFC Divisional Playoff game last weekend.

Meanwhile, the Jets are also on fire, winning four straight, including their victory over the Colts last month.

Rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez, who completed 12 of 15 passes for 182 yards and a touchdown in the Jets' Wildcard playoff win over the Bengals earlier this month, had another stellar performance yesterday in his win over the favored San Diego Chargers. The USC product completed 12 of 23 passes for 100 yards and a touchdown in his return to the Golden State.

If the Colts' can shut down Sanchez's passing attack, the Jets will be forced to rely on their running game.

They ran for 169 yards in yesterday's win over San Diego, with a chunk of those coming on Shonn Greene's 53-yard dash into the endzone to nail the coffin shut on the Chargers' season.

The Jets' running game matches up well with the Colts' passing attack, led by Manning.

Manning blasted the Ravens' defense in their AFC Divisional Playoff victory Saturday, completing 30 of 44 passes for 246 yards and two touchdowns in yet another clutch performance.

In summary, it's safe to say lots of points will be scored in this one.

Whichever team walks on the field at Lucas Oil Stadium Sunday with the best defensive gameplan will head to sunny Miami to take on the NFC champion in two weeks.

On an interesting note, the home team of the AFC Championship has won three straight.

And if Manning plays up to his potential, the Colts should bring that streak to four.

The AFC Championship game kicks off Sunday from Indianapolis at 3:00 PM ET and will be televised nationally by CBS.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/328471-colts-jets-preview-afc-championship-sunday-in-indy

Mark Sanchez and his Jets fly past Chargers: NYJ to face Indy for AFC Title

Rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez and the visiting New York Jets upset the San Diego Chargers 17-14 Sunday afternoon in the AFC Divisional Playoff game in front of a crowd of 69,458 at Qualcomm Stadium.

San Diego (13-4) started the day's scoring with a 13-yard touchdown strike from Philip Rivers to Kris Wilson early in the second quarter.

A defensive struggle ensued, with the teams trading possessions and heading into the locker room with the Chargers up 7-0.

New York (10-7) drove 31 yards on their first possession of the second half but were held to a field goal as Jay Feely nailed a 46-yarder to bring the deficit to four.

The rest of the third quarter was nothing short of a pick fest. Mark Sanchez was intercepted by San Diego's Quentin Jammer before Rivers threw it right back to the Jets' Darrelle Revis.

Following a Jets punt that pinned the Chargers at their own two yard line, Rivers again threw an interception.
This one proved costly, as Dustin Keller eventually reeled in a two yard pass from Sanchez as the fourth quarter started to put the Jets on top 10-7.

After a San Diego punt, Jets tailback Shonn Greene blasted the Chargers for a 53-yard touchdown run to extend the New York lead to 17-7.

The Chargers would drive to the Jets' 22-yard line before Nate Kaeding missed his third field goal of the day.
Prior to the game, Kaeding had made 20 straight field goals and 67 straight from inside the 40.

San Diego would finally manage a touchdown with 2:20 remaining, as Philip Rivers scampered in for one yard to bring the Chargers back to within three.

But the onside kick attempt failed, and the Jets made history. The win marks the first time the Jets have won two postseason games since 1982.

New York will travel to Indianapolis next week to take on the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship.

Indianapolis (15-2) advanced to the AFC Championship with a decisive 20-3 win over the Ravens on Saturday.

The two teams collided earlier this season, with the Jets taking a 29-15 victory over the Colts in a controversial game in which Colts head coach Jim Caldwell sat most of his starters to rest them for the playoffs.

The difference in that game and next weekend's?

The winner of this one goes to the Super Bowl.

Young Sanchez will face the task of leading his hot squadron of Jets into Indy's Lucas Oil Stadium—one of the National Football League's toughest venues for visiting opponents.

The AFC Championship kicks off Sunday, Jan. 24 at 3:00 PM ET and will be televised nationally by CBS.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/327941-sanchez-jets-bolt-past-chargers-nyj-to-face-indy-for-afc-title