The key to the New York Jets beating the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium in this year’s NFL Playoffs was
keeping the ball out of Peyton Manning’s hands and they did just that with a solid run game that chewed up a majority of the clock. In all, the Jets finished with 38 carries for 169 yards and they did it riding the backs of LaDainian Tomlinson (16 carries, 82 yards, two TDs) and Shonn Greene (19 carries, 70 yards).
In a game that stayed close with the Jets dominating the clock most of the third quarter, Manning (18 of 26, 225 yards, one TD) got a final chance late in the fourth and marched the Colts down the field to give clutch kicker Adam Vinatieri a shot to take the lead from 50 yards out. With the clock down to 53 seconds, Vinatieri nailed the 50-yard field goal for a 16-14 lead.
With less than a minute left and his team on the road, it looked like Rex Ryan would again lose to the Colts but the tide turned when the Colts special teams and defense decided to collapse. Antonio Cromartie who was burned for a few long passes throughout the day returned the kickoff 47 yards setting up Mark Sanchez with an opportunity to get the Jets close enough for a game winning kick. Sanchez (18 of 31, 189 yards, one INT) did just that and kicker Nick Folk made a 32-yard field goal as time expired giving the Jets a 17-16 win.
The Jets (12-5) will now travel to New England for a third meeting with Tom Brady and Bill Belichick this season. Although the teams split the previous two meetings, the Pats blew out the Jets 45-3 in the game in Foxborough.
With heavy underdog Seattle Seahawks knocking off the New Orleans Saints earlier in the day, both teams from last year’s Super Bowl have been eliminated.
Box Score on NFL.com.
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