It seems that for quarterback Mark Sanchez and his New York Jets to succeed, they must do things the hard way.

That trend continued on Sunday as Sanchez, who was largely average at best for most of the day, still threw a career-best four touchdown passes, including a 16-yard game-winner to wide receiver Santonio Holmes, with just 1:01 left, to beat the Buffalo Bills, 28-24, at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.

Sanchez’s ability to find the end zone often left the Bills’ defense seeing red – as in Sanchez’s good performance in the red zone, despite struggling outside of that area of the field.

The Jets’ victory typified the road they’ve traveled over the past two seasons during Sanchez’s first couple of years in the league.

New York backed into the playoffs in Sanchez’s rookie year, but reached the AFC title game as a five- seeded road warriors. Last season, the Jets got just as far as a six seed, again winning away from home in the postseason.

With first-place New England (8-3) holding a two-game lead over New York and the head-to-head tiebreaker by virtue of a regular season two-game sweep, the Jets will seemingly have to again follow the same wild-card route to reach the playoffs this year.

Sunday’s victory might go a long way toward helping the Jets get there, as New York (6-5) snapped a two-game losing streak and moved a game in front of their AFC East rival Bills (5-6), who lost their fourth straight game.

In typical Jets’ fashion, it wasn’t easy for New York to pull out a game that was tied three different times.

Even without its leading rusher (Fred Jackson, who entered the week as the NFL’s third leading rusher) missing his first game if the season with a broken fibula, the Bills dominated the time of possession (controlling the ball for 36:10 to the Jets’ 23:50) and were poised to steal a victory in the fourth quarter.

Sanchez (17-35, 180 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT, no sacks) meanwhile, was just 8-for-20, for 66 yards and an interception in the opening half, but he also threw two red zone touchdown passes in each half, and rebounded to go 9-for-15 in the second half, even if he was limited to a pedestrian 114 yards after halftime.

A rough start by Sanchez (as he misfired on his first four pass attempts while the Jets punted twice) led to the Bills taking the game’s first lead on their second possession, when quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (26-39, 264 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT, 3 sacks) led Buffalo on the game’s longest drive (90 yards on 13 plays, in 8:47).

Fitzpatrick completed all six of his passes on the trip, which he ended with an 8-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver David Nelson (5 catches, 47 yards, 1 TD), to give the Bills a 7-0 lead with 1:38 left in the first quarter.

New York answered right back, going 78 yards on ten plays in 4½ minutes, tying the game, 7-7, on a 3-yard touchdown pass from Sanchez to wide open tight end Dustin Keller (4 catches, team-high 62 yards, 2 TD) with 12:02 left in the first half.

The touchdown was set up by two big runs earlier in the drive – a 3rd-and-2 end-around run to the left by wide receiver Santonio Holmes that went for 23 yards on the final play of the first quarter, and an 18-yard rush by running back Shonn Green (13 carries, game-high 78 yards) on the next play.

The Bills then punted twice, and the Jets once, before Sanchez threw behind Holmes (2 catches, 22 yards, 1 TD) for a costly interception.

Cornerback Drayton Florence, who should have also picked off Sanchez one quarter earlier, undercut Holmes’ route and held onto the ball this time, and returned it seven yards to the New York 20-yard line.

Three plays later, Fitzpatrick threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Stevie Johnson (game-high 8 catches, 75 yards, 1 TD), to regain a 14-7 Buffalo lead with 2:06 to go in the half.

Johnson though, took his post-touchdown celebration too far, mocking the Jets’ running, full wing spanned flying motion before pretending to be shot in the leg and falling to the ground, taking a shot (no pun intended) at Jets’ wide receiver Plaxico Burress, who spent more than 20 months in prison after his gun accidentally went off in a New York City night club in 2008, as a member of the New York Giants.

A 15-yard penalty was called on Johnson, pushing the ensuing kickoff back to the Bills’ 20-yard line. Kicker Dave Rayner then miss-hit the ball, trying to kick it deep. The result was what looked like an onside kick that traveled only 16 yards and gave the Jets a short field at the Buffalo 36-yard line.

Another personal foul penalty, on Bills’ defensive end Marcell Dareus, added 15 yards to a seven-yard pass from Sanchez to Greene on the next play. Three plays later, Burress (4 catches, 54 yards, 1 TD) answered Johnson’s antics with a 14-yard touchdown reception from Sanchez to tie the game, 14-14, with 1:03 remaining in the half.

The Bills went nine plays on 39 yards in 6:06 to start the second half, but stalled and punted for a touchback.

Sanchez then completed all three of his passes (for 53 yards) on an eight-play, 80-yard drive that ended with an 18-yard strike to Keller down the middle for a touchdown that gave New York its first lead, 21-14, with 3:50 left in the third quarter.

The advantage was brief though, as the Jets returned a Bills’ favor with their own miscue in the kicking game when Antonio Cromartie fumbled while filling in on a punt return for Jim Leonhard, who had the wind knocked out of him on an earlier tackle.

What would have been a Bills’ three-and-out ended up with a second chance at ironically, the Jets’ 36-yard line – giving Buffalo exactly the same length to go as New York had after Rayner’s short kickoff return in the second quarter.

Former Jet utility man Brad Smith (4 catches, team-high 77 yards, 1 TD) caught a 36-yard pass from Fitzpatrick on the next play to tie the game for a third time, 21-21, with 2:11 left in the period.

After New York went three-and-out while gaining no yards on three straight incompletions by Sanchez, the Bills went 47 yards on 14 plays in 6:52 to lead 24-21 on a 53-yard field goal by Rayner with 9:46 left in the game.

Each team then went three-and-out before Sanchez started his ninth career game-winning drive, taking the Jets 82 yards on 12 plays in 4:43.

Sanchez, who was just 11-for-27 before the drive started, completed six of eight passes for 61 yards to salvage the game and buoy his team’s playoff hopes.

“We have complete faith in Mark,” said Jets’ head coach Rex Ryan, who let 41-year-old backup Mark Brunell (no passes this year and only 43 over the past three seasons) take a few snaps with the first-team offense in an apparent effort re-focus an inconsistent Sanchez.

New York might have had to settle for a 53-yard game-tying field goal attempt if not for a brilliant catch by Burress, who spun around and made a terrific one-handed grab along the left sideline for an 18-yard gain to the Buffalo 18-yard line.

Two plays after that, Sanchez rolled to his right and threw on the run for a touchdown to a Holmes, who caught the ball along the right side of the end zone to close the scoring.

The Jets, whose previous win was an easy one (27-11) over the same Bills, in Buffalo, three weeks ago, still had to barely hang on after Holmes’ score.

However, perhaps bad karma  was at play in stopping the Bills and Johnson, who couldn’t come up with a few last-minute chances deep in New York territory after Johnson’s earlier end zone distastefulness aimed at Burress.

On the game’s final drive (which started at the Bills’ 27-yard line), Johnson had a clear path to get inside the New York 15-yard line and perhaps just a few yards from scoring. But, even though a Fitzpatrick pass from the Jets’ 47-yard line was right in his hands, Johnson dropped what should have been an easy catch at the Jets’ 22-yard line.

After a couple of Fitzpatrick scrambles moved Buffalo to the New York 24-yard line, Fitzpatrick threw behind Johnson in the end zone. Reaching back, Johnson was able to get both hands on the ball but couldn’t hang on to it.

Two more incompletions – intended for Smith, and then for Johnson in the end zone, as time ran out – sealed the deal for New York.

With five weeks left in their regular season and currently tied with Denver (6-5) and Tennessee (6-5) for the final AFC’s two wild-card spots, the Jets will try to stay on the winning track next week, when they visit Washington (4-7) at 1 pm ET next Sunday.

Sooner or later in the young regime of head coach Rex Ryan and quarterback Mark Sanchez, the New York Jets might realize how to put together more than one good half of football in an AFC title game.

And, they might even discover how to reach that game without having to do it the hard way.

For the second straight year however, an end to the Jets’ long Super Bowl drought wasn’t meant to be.

One year after New York surprisingly rode a five seed to the AFC championship game only to get outscored 17-0 in the second half of a 30-17 loss to Indianapolis, the sixth-seeded Jets (13-6) ran out of road miracles in a 24-19 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers (14-4) after falling behind 24-0 late in the first half of this year’s AFC title game at Heinz Field on Sunday.

Several times this season, New York looked like it might be a team of destiny, and for a while, it again appeared that way against the now Super Bowl-bound Steelers.

Six times this year – including five times on the road, once in the playoffs, and once, five weeks ago against Pittsburgh – the Jets had rallied from second-half deficits to pull out unlikely victories.

This time, the hole was just too big for New York to dig out of despite a terrific effort that turned a first-half laugher into a serious situation for the Steelers down the stretch.

The physical Steelers took it to the Jets in the opening half, pushing the New York’s offensive and defensive lines around with ease.

Behind a stout defense and an unstoppable running game, Pittsburgh outgained New York, 231-50 (135-1 on the ground), and held the ball for 21:04 to New York’s 8:56, while getting 16 of the game’s 21 first downs during the first half.

The tone was set early, on the game’s first drive.

Although the Jets began a Week 15 win in Pittsburgh with a 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, Ryan decided to defer the opening kick, a decision for which New York would pay by subsequently allowing a long, punishing Pittsburgh drive.

The Steelers consumed 9:06 before the Jets touched the ball, going 66 yards on 15 plays to take a 7-0 lead on a first-down, one-yard touchdown plunge by running back Rashard Mendenhall, who rushed for a game-high 121 yards (95 in the first half) on 27 carries.

Pittsburgh then forced a punt on New York’s first possession and moved 55 yards to the Jets’ 32 yard-line, but a 4th-and-1 pass by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (10-19, 133 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT) deflected off of Mendenhall’s hands and was caught by linebacker Bryan Thomas for the first turnover of the game.

The Jets then had their first of three consecutive three-and-outs, the last of which, ended with what proved to be a decisive fumble return for a touchdown.

Before that, the Steelers would score on two straight possessions.

Pittsburgh went 60 yards on eight plays in 3:41, to lead 10-0, on a field goal by kicker Shaun Suisham with 6:54 left in the half, and traveled 66 yards on seven plays in 3:57 to extend its lead to 17-0 on a two-yard touchdown run by Roethlisberger with 2:05 to go in the half.

The backbreaker came three plays later for the Jets, as Sanchez (20-33, 233 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT) fumbled after being hit from behind on a blitz by cornerback Ike Taylor. The only New York turnover was scooped up by cornerback William Gay, who raced 19 yards into the end zone to give the Steelers what eventually became an insurmountable 24-0 lead with 1:13 remaining before halftime.

Sanchez, who left the field after the play, holding his non-throwing left arm in considerable pain, showed some great toughness, immediately directing the Jets on their first scoring drive of the game.

He completed four passes to move New York 44 yards on seven plays in just 1:04, to set up kicker Nick Folk for a 42-yard field goal attempt which hooked left before fading right, just inside the left upright.

The kick trimmed the Steelers’ lead to 24-3, nine seconds before halftime, and just as importantly, gave the Jets a much-needed emotional boost which they carried into the second half.

Taking the second-half kickoff, New York struck quickly, going 90 yards on five plays in just 2:47, with half of the drive coming on a 45-yard touchdown bomb up the right side to wide receiver Santonio Holmes (2 catches, 61 yards). The former Steeler whose game-winning catch as a Super Bowl MVP won Super Bowl XLIII for Pittsburgh, pulled the Jets to within 24-10, just 2:38 into the third quarter.

The play was just the beginning of a second half that flipped around New York’s disastrous first half and gave the Jets some realistic hope late in the game.

New York outscored Pittsburgh 19-0 and outgained the Steelers 239-56 after halftime.

Roethlisberger moved Pittsburgh 35 yards and into Jets’ territory, but he was intercepted by safety Brodney Pool, and New York took over at its own 14 yard-line.

The teams then traded punts, before the Jets embarked on their longest drive of the game, only to come away empty.

The Jets went 80 yards on 17 plays in 8:06, as Sanchez threw incomplete on second and third down before running back LaDainian Tomlinson (9 carries, 16yards) was stopped on 4th-and-goal with 7:44 left in the game.

However, with starting center Maurkice Pouncey lost to an injury earlier in the game, a bad exchange on the next play led to Roethlisberger covering the ball up in the end zone for a safety in the same end zone in which the Jets had a key safety in the fourth quarter that helped them beat the Steelers in Week 15.

Trailing 24-12, New York drove for another score to get even closer, going 58 yards on ten plays in 4:32, cutting Pittsburgh’s lead to 24-19, on a four-yard touchdown pass from Sanchez to wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery (5 catches, 33 yards) with 3:09 remaining.

The Jets had all of the momentum and needed one more stop to give Sanchez and New York’s offense an opportunity to send the Jets back to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1969.

But, it never came, as Roethlisberger, who hadn’t completed a pass In over 21 minutes, connected on a pair of 14-yard throws to clinch the win for the Steelers.

A completion to tight end Heath Miller (2 catches, team-high 38 yards) gave the Steelers a first down at the Jets’ 44 yard-line, and facing a 3rd-and-6 from the New York 40 yard-line with two minutes left, Roethlisberger completed to rookie wide receiver Antonio Brown (his only catch) for a first down to the Jets’ 26 yard-line.

Three Roethlisberger kneel-downs ran out the clock and ended the Jets’ dreams of once again defying long odds to reach their elusive Super Bowl.

The Steelers’ win marks the eighth straight year that one of this season’s top three AFC seeds, each with Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks – New England, Pittsburgh, and Indianapolis – has represented the AFC in the Super Bowl.

The Jets were trying to finish off beating that trio of teams on Sunday, after playoff wins over Peyton Manning in Indianapolis, and over Tom Brady in New England, to reach Pittsburgh.

Instead, it’s a fairly safe bet that New York Jet fans, some of whom have been waiting as long as 42 years to finally see their team back in the Super Bowl, might be thinking, “If only the Jets could have put together last year’s first half and this year’s second half over the past two AFC title games, we wouldn’t be waiting anymore.”

But, as Sanchez said after the loss, “You can’t play 30 minutes in a game of this magnitude.”

Next, year, the Jets will again try to win the AFC East and avoid the tough road route to the Super Bowl, especially after starting last season 7-7 and winning two road playoff games each of the past two years only to come a game short of the Super Bowl in each year.

Just after Brown’s catch gave the Steelers the final first down they needed, Ryan ripped the headset off his head and threw it to the ground in disgust.

Reflecting later on, he said “I believe in our football team… We’ve got a lot of heart… Our team is resilient… I’m proud of our guys. We played a good half, we just never played a good game… There’s obviously a huge amount of disappointment… [but] our goal for next year won’t change… we’re going to chase that Super Bowl until we get it, and then we’re going to chase it again.”

When asked if he would have toned down the Jets’ brash, trash-talking nature, he responded defiantly, “I’d change the outcome of this game, that’s the only thing I’d change. We’ll be back and you’ll see… this football team’s going to be good for a number of years.”

Quite possibly, as the future for the Jets appears bright. But, for now, the team that very prematurely boasted of winning the Super Bowl since being filmed on HBO during the preseason, ends its season for a second straight year the way It began – with hard knocks, indeed.

In addition to writing for New York Sports Day, Jon Wagner contributes at Pro Football NYC (www.profootballnyc.com) and Giants Football Blog (www.giantsfootballblog.com

Rest or rust?

The playoff-bound New York Jets (11-5) faced that age-old question in their 100th all-time meeting with the last-place Buffalo Bills (4-12) at the New Meadowlands Stadium on Sunday.

Some teams opt for rest and avoiding potential injuries. Others prefer to throw that caution to the wind, in favor of playing their regulars and remaining sharp for the postseason. History suggests either option can be right.

With only a slim chance of moving up from a six seed to a five seed in the AFC playoffs, the Jets chose to rest many of their regulars.

Whether or not that was the right move remains to be seen in next week’s wild-card playoff round, but it certainly didn’t matter against Buffalo, as Gang Green Lite scored the first 17 points, and the final 21 points, to bury the Bills, 38-7, at the New Meadowlands Stadium on Sunday.

Ironically, it was the Indianapolis Colts – the Jets’ playoff opponent next week – who rested players with a perfect season on the line last year, allowing the Jets to win their way into the playoffs, before eventually losing in Indianapolis in last season’s AFC title game.

The Colts’ last-second win over Tennessee, coupled with Kansas City’s loss to Oakland on Sunday, moved Indianapolis (10-6) up to the three seed, and into a playoff rematch with New York.

Benching several key starters for most or all of Sunday’s game against the Bills, the Jets dominated on both sides of the ball to win for just the second time in five games, while reaching eleven regular season wins for the first time in a dozen years.

New York’s offense got three touchdowns from backup quarterbacks Mark Brunell and Kellen Clemens, and a career-high 158 rushing yards from backup, rookie running back Joe McKnight.

Meanwhile, the Bills couldn’t score against the Jets’ defense, which forced six turnovers while allowing just six first downs and 162 total yards.

Quarterback Mark Sanchez played only the Jets’ first possession, without throwing a pass, to protect a slightly injured right throwing shoulder, and key Jet inactives included New York’s top two rushers, running backs Shonn Green and LaDainian Tomlinson, starting cornerback Darrelle Revis, and starting safety Eric Smith (who was previously a second-stringer, replacing the injured, usual starter Jim Leonhard, in recent weeks).

But, the Jets’ backups picked up the slack.

Veteran backup Mark Brunell (6-12, 110 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT, 1 sack) threw touchdown passes right before, and just after, throwing an interception that was returned for the Bills’ only score.

Later, Brunell’s backup, Kellen Clemens, one of three Jets (along with utility man Brad Smith) to play quarterback on Sunday, added a 10-yard touchdown run.

And, usual reserve, second-year cornerback Marquis Cole, who entered the game with just 17 tackles and no career interceptions or scores, led the Jets with six tackles and two interceptions, the first of which was returned for the game’s initial touchdown.

It was clear early, that it wouldn’t be Buffalo’s day, as the Jets caught a break on the opening drive of the game, when Buffalo wide receiver Stevie Johnson (5 catches, 72 yards) fumbled while trying to add extra yards to the end of a 33-yard reception to the Jets’ 18 yard-line.

The Jets recovered at their own 11 yard-line and keeping the ball solely on the ground, traveled 79 yards on 12 plays, using up exactly half of the first quarter, to take a 3-0 lead on a 28-yard field goal by Nick Folk, with 4:58 left in the first quarter. Utility man Brad Smith carried three times for 62 yards on the drive, including a nice 40-yard gain on an option run.

After the Bills’ first drive (which went for 55 yards, but which ended with Johnson’s fumble), Buffalo could get nothing going offensively for the rest of the game, with their own backups, Brian Brohm (whose only prior NFL start came last year, as a rookie) and rookie Levi Brown at quarterback.

Brohm, who was held to ten completions in 23 attempts, for 106 yards, was sacked three times, and threw three interceptions, while Brown went 2-for-3, for 24 yards, with an interception.

The Jets held the Bills to no more than 23 yards on any of Buffalo’s final twelve possessions, including eight single-yardage drives and five possessions that ended without positive yardage.

Early in the second quarter, linebacker Calvin Pace got in the face of Brohm, who sailed a weak pass that was intercepted by Cole and returned up the left sideline for 35-yard touchdown, to give the Jets a 10-0 lead with 9:07 left in the opening half.

Having completed just one pass (late in the first quarter) by the two-minute warning of the first half, the Jets finally moved the ball through the air with Brunell completing four of five passes during an 8-play, 59-yard drive that culminated with Brunell finding wide receiver Santonio Holmes (his only catch) on a 17-yard touchdown pass to the left, that extended the Jets’ lead to 17-0, with 15 seconds left in the half.

Three plays after halftime, safety Jarius Byrd intercepted a bad pass to the right flat by Brunell, and returned it 37 yards, to pull the Bills to within 17-7, just 1:44 into the second half.

But, Brunell rebounded two possessions later, with a 52-yard strike to wide receiver Braylon Edwards (his only catch), to put the Jets up, 24-7, with 6:41 left in the third quarter.

The Jets added two more scores in the final period, taking advantage of Bills’ interceptions each time (the first of those two picks was the second career interception for Pace).

A short, 5-play 27-yard drive ended with a 10-yard touchdown run by Clemens, and on the next possession, rookie fullback John Conner (8 rushes, 44 yards, 1 TD) closed the scoring by capping a 5-play, 34-yard drive with a 16-yard touchdown run.

Giving McKnight 32 attempts, the Jets rushed 50 times in 66 plays and held a tremendous ground advantage of 276-37 yards.

With their full compliment of starters returning next week, the Jets, who rode a five seed to Indianapolis last year, will seek revenge against the Colts while trying to begin another playoff run as the AFC’s lowest seed at the same venue where New York’s playoff run ended last year.

The Jets will battle the Colts on Saturday night, at 8 pm, in Lucas Oil Stadium, on NBC-TV.

Rest or rust?

The playoff-bound New York Jets (11-5) faced that age-old question in their 100th all-time meeting with the last-place Buffalo Bills (4-12) at the New Meadowlands Stadium on Sunday.

Some teams opt for rest and avoiding potential injuries. Others prefer to throw that caution to the wind, in favor of playing their regulars and remaining sharp for the postseason. History suggests either option can be right.

With only a slim chance of moving up from a six seed to a five seed in the AFC playoffs, the Jets chose to rest many of their regulars.

Whether or not that was the right move remains to be seen in next week’s wild-card playoff round, but it certainly didn’t matter against Buffalo, as Gang Green Lite scored the first 17 points, and the final 21 points, to bury the Bills, 38-7, at the New Meadowlands Stadium on Sunday.

Ironically, it was the Indianapolis Colts – the Jets’ playoff opponent next week – who rested players with a perfect season on the line last year, allowing the Jets to win their way into the playoffs, before eventually losing in Indianapolis in last season’s AFC title game.

The Colts’ last-second win over Tennessee, coupled with Kansas City’s loss to Oakland on Sunday, moved Indianapolis (10-6) up to the three seed, and into a playoff rematch with New York.

Benching several key starters for most or all of Sunday’s game against the Bills, the Jets dominated on both sides of the ball to win for just the second time in five games, while reaching eleven regular season wins for the first time in a dozen years.

New York’s offense got three touchdowns from backup quarterbacks Mark Brunell and Kellen Clemens, and a career-high 158 rushing yards from backup, rookie running back Joe McKnight.

Meanwhile, the Bills couldn’t score against the Jets’ defense, which forced six turnovers while allowing just six first downs and 162 total yards.

Quarterback Mark Sanchez played only the Jets’ first possession, without throwing a pass, to protect a slightly injured right throwing shoulder, and key Jet inactives included New York’s top two rushers, running backs Shonn Green and LaDainian Tomlinson, starting cornerback Darrelle Revis, and starting safety Eric Smith (who was previously a second-stringer, replacing the injured, usual starter Jim Leonhard, in recent weeks).

But, the Jets’ backups picked up the slack.

Veteran backup Mark Brunell (6-12, 110 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT, 1 sack) threw touchdown passes right before, and just after, throwing an interception that was returned for the Bills’ only score.

Later, Brunell’s backup, Kellen Clemens, one of three Jets (along with utility man Brad Smith) to play quarterback on Sunday, added a 10-yard touchdown run.

And, usual reserve, second-year cornerback Marquis Cole, who entered the game with just 17 tackles and no career interceptions or scores, led the Jets with six tackles and two interceptions, the first of which was returned for the game’s initial touchdown.

It was clear early, that it wouldn’t be Buffalo’s day, as the Jets caught a break on the opening drive of the game, when Buffalo wide receiver Stevie Johnson (5 catches, 72 yards) fumbled while trying to add extra yards to the end of a 33-yard reception to the Jets’ 18 yard-line.

The Jets recovered at their own 11 yard-line and keeping the ball solely on the ground, traveled 79 yards on 12 plays, using up exactly half of the first quarter, to take a 3-0 lead on a 28-yard field goal by Nick Folk, with 4:58 left in the first quarter. Utility man Brad Smith carried three times for 62 yards on the drive, including a nice 40-yard gain on an option run.

After the Bills’ first drive (which went for 55 yards, but which ended with Johnson’s fumble), Buffalo could get nothing going offensively for the rest of the game, with their own backups, Brian Brohm (whose only prior NFL start came last year, as a rookie) and rookie Levi Brown at quarterback.

Brohm, who was held to ten completions in 23 attempts, for 106 yards, was sacked three times, and threw three interceptions, while Brown went 2-for-3, for 24 yards, with an interception.

The Jets held the Bills to no more than 23 yards on any of Buffalo’s final twelve possessions, including eight single-yardage drives and five possessions that ended without positive yardage.

Early in the second quarter, linebacker Calvin Pace got in the face of Brohm, who sailed a weak pass that was intercepted by Cole and returned up the left sideline for 35-yard touchdown, to give the Jets a 10-0 lead with 9:07 left in the opening half.

Having completed just one pass (late in the first quarter) by the two-minute warning of the first half, the Jets finally moved the ball through the air with Brunell completing four of five passes during an 8-play, 59-yard drive that culminated with Brunell finding wide receiver Santonio Holmes (his only catch) on a 17-yard touchdown pass to the left, that extended the Jets’ lead to 17-0, with 15 seconds left in the half.

Three plays after halftime, safety Jarius Byrd intercepted a bad pass to the right flat by Brunell, and returned it 37 yards, to pull the Bills to within 17-7, just 1:44 into the second half.

But, Brunell rebounded two possessions later, with a 52-yard strike to wide receiver Braylon Edwards (his only catch), to put the Jets up, 24-7, with 6:41 left in the third quarter.

The Jets added two more scores in the final period, taking advantage of Bills’ interceptions each time (the first of those two picks was the second career interception for Pace).

A short, 5-play 27-yard drive ended with a 10-yard touchdown run by Clemens, and on the next possession, rookie fullback John Conner (8 rushes, 44 yards, 1 TD) closed the scoring by capping a 5-play, 34-yard drive with a 16-yard touchdown run.

Giving McKnight 32 attempts, the Jets rushed 50 times in 66 plays and held a tremendous ground advantage of 276-37 yards.

With their full compliment of starters returning next week, the Jets, who rode a five seed to Indianapolis last year, will seek revenge against the Colts while trying to begin another playoff run as the AFC’s lowest seed at the same venue where New York’s playoff run ended last year.

The Jets will battle the Colts on Saturday night, at 8 pm, in Lucas Oil Stadium, on NBC-TV.

Despite some typical early growing pains, the New York Jets have been very lucky to have had second-year quarterback Mark Sanchez leading their offense.

Sanchez came through as a rookie during a surprising playoff run that had the Jets 28 minutes from Super Bowl XLIV in last year’s AFC title game in Indianapolis.

This year, overcoming some struggles earlier in games, Sanchez repeatedly helped the Jets pull out several dramatic wins in the final moments, helping New York to a 9-2 record.

But after a 45-3 defeat in what was supposed to be a first-place showdown in New England, and a disappointing, rain-soaked, 10-6 loss to division rival Miami (7-6), Jets’ head coach Rex Ryan may not be feeling so lucky to have Sanchez and his signal caller anymore.

Prior to the Jets’ meeting with the Dolphins at the New Meadowlands Stadium on Sunday, Ryan said “I think (the New England) loss was just a bump in the road. We’ll respond really well and we’ll know a lot about our team after these next four weeks.”

That “bump” just became a pretty big hill to climb as Ryan considered benching Sanchez during the third quarter of the Jets’ fourth single-digit offensive output (all losses) of the season.

The Jets’ offense has operated in extremes this year.

With Sanchez and the Jets’ offense clicking, New York (9-4) scored between 23 and 38 points, averaging 27.2 points per game, in their nine wins this season.

The Jets needed Sanchez and the offense to step up and bail out a defense that hasn’t been nearly as dominant as it was last year, when it was the top-ranked defense in the NFL.

In those nine victories, the Jets allowed 20 or more points six times.

The losses however, have been a completely different story, and that seems to have gotten to Ryan after the Jets’ first multiple-game losing streak of the season.

In three of the Jets’ four losses, New York’s defense did look like last year’s version, allowing just 10 points twice and nine points once, but Sanchez and the Jets’ offense was shut out once and never scored more than nine points in any of their four losses.

It’s now been more than nine quarters and over 139 minutes since the Jets last scored an offensive touchdown in the third quarter of a home win against Cincinnati on Thanksgiving night.

Sunday’s inaccurate and mistake-prone performance by Sanchez, affected by a steady rain throughout most of the game, was enough to prevent the Jets from beating the Dolphins even though New York held Miami to just five completed passes, 55 yards passing, and 131 total yards of offense.

It was the second time in as many seasons that Miami – which used two kickoff returns of at least 100 yards and a fumble return for a touchdown last year – beat the Jets on the road while being held to a little more than 100 yards of total offense (Miami beat New York 30-25 at Giants Stadium last November, while gaining just 104 total yards).

On Sunday, the Dolphins took a 10-0 first-quarter lead off of two Sanchez turnovers.

On the Jets’ second possession of the game, Miami converted a Sanchez interception into a 47-yard field goal. Sanchez then fumbled the next time the Jets had the ball, and Miami turned that break into the game’s only touchdown, a 6-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Chad Henne to wide receiver Brandon Marshall.

That would prove to be all the Dolphins would need, with Sanchez and the Jets’ offense sputtering for most of the game.

New York managed only 280 yards of offense themselves, while managing only a field goal in the second quarter and another in the fourth, in fifteen possessions. In addition to committing a couple of turnovers, the Jets punted eight times and turned the ball over on downs three times.

Sanchez finished the game just 17 of 44 for 216 yards, while being sacked six times.

Forty year-old quarterback Mark Brunell, who once enjoyed a successful NFL career for several years with Jacksonville before later having a sixth 3,000-yard passing season with Washington in 2005, doesn’t appear to be a better choice over Sanchez, having thrown just 31 total passes since the 2006 season.

But, that might just be how much Ryan’s level of faith has quickly diminished in his young first-string quarterback.

It would appear that it might not get any easier for Sanchez and the Jets next week, as New York travels to face a tough defense in AFC North-leading Pittsburgh (10-3), the AFC’s only team to allow less than 200 points (15.9 per game) this season.

The Steelers, winners of four straight, mostly shut down the run, however. Against the pass, Pittsburgh ranked 23rd, allowing 239.3 passing yards per game, entering this weekend. So, there may be some opportunities for Sanchez to once again prove to Ryan that he needs to stay on the field to help the Jets return to their earlier winning form.

In addition to writing for New York Sports Day, Jon Wagner contributes at Pro Football NYC (www.profootballnyc.com) and Giants Football Blog (www.giantsfootballblog.com).

Well, they helped create this monster. Now the Peyton Manning led Indianapolis Colts finally get a second chance to end the New York Jets season. The 2010 AFC title game between the Jets and Colts  for the rights to go to  Super Bowl XLIV, pits two teams who are trying to set the record straight. The Jets aim to once and for all rid themselves of the “fraud” tag they were given last month by many, as a result of the “red carpet” circumstances that led to their playoff entrance. The Colts hope to finally justify forking over a chance at an undefeated season and an eternal “God like” football status for the comforts of injury free stars rested for a postseason run. Once again, for the second straight week, it’s a high powered air attack against the Ground and Pound. Jet fans are frothing at the mouth with the notion that a chance for the franchise’s biggest win in four decades is only days away. To do it, Gang Green will for the third time this January, have to pull of a playoff road upset. This time against the AFC’s top seed. It’s a daunting task but for a ball control team like the Jets. Yet for a team that beiieves so much in itself, whose confidence has grown exponentially since December, maybe immeasurable intangibles can help lead the way towards the promised land.

The Jets greatest achievment since their inception as the Titans, led by coach Slingin’ Sammy Baugh in 1960, was of course Super Bowl III. Their January 12, 1969 16-7 upset over the Baltimore Colts helped to once and for all legitimize the AFL as a league on par with the NFL (The creative Kansas City Chiefs out manuevered the stagnant NFL champ Vikings in Super Bowl IV the following year to further cement the AFLs legacy). Joe Namath guaranteed the win despite being a 17 point underdog. How did they do it? By running the Colts into the ground. Jet RB Matt Snell’s 30 carries for 121 yards helped control the clock while Colts QB Earl Morrall was picked off 3 times. Sound familiar? It should.

These 2009 Jets will look to implement the same approach Sunday. As they have throughout 2009.  Shut ‘em down on D and pound the ground with RB’s Thomas Jones and rookie Shonn Greene. Greene this year’s third round steal out of Iowa, is on fire with back to back hundred yard games and two long TD runs in the postseason.  Shedding himself of fumble issues that plagued him midseason when he took over for the injured Leon Washington, Greene has become a force to be reckon with. A player that the Jet offense has been able to recently base itself around. These old school “smashmouth” Jets can complete a playoff run few could have envisioned a month back, if they can do as they did in San Diego; stay close going into the second half. Close enough to allow the run game to get moving downhill without burning out their own clock while trying to come back from way behind.

The Jets Colts history begins with the Jets Super Bowl III win in Miami. ironically, THIS years Super Bowl is in Miami.  The Colts have AGAIN been part of the story, connected to the journey. Back then it was former Colts coach Weeb Ewbank, who led the Colts to the famous 1956 OT win over the Giants in the greatest game ever played,  leading the way as head coach for the Jets (young head coach Don Shula coached the Colts that day). Rough and tumble former Colt S Johnny Sample also sought to burn the team that cut him. “I kept a little bitterness in me. I was almost in a frenzy by the time the game arrived. I held a private grudge against the Colts. I was really ready for that game. All of us were.” Eight time all star ( 4 times in the AFL, 4 in the NFL after the 1970 merger)  offensive lineman big Winston Hill was cut by the Colts five years prior. Hill gave his thoughts on THIS years “O” line saying “Our offensive line is one of the best. They don’t back down from anybody, period … The entire team believes in Rex. He’s not sending soldiers out there on the field; he’s leading them out there.”

This years link between the two clubs is simple. Week 16.  Nothing more needs to be said. In fact, the Jets 29-15 win was one that will go down in football lore like the “Heidi game” of 1968 (look it up).  A day where the Colts replaced their undefeated team with what Rex Ryan termed “the JV” in order to insure a healthy January march to the Super Bowl. The Jets took advantage with a season saving win that left Indy fans, fans of AFC teams fighting to stay alive, and the football world in general, angry and wondering what could’ve been. Personalities like New York sports talk host WFAN’s Mike Francesa, to this day is cocksure that the Colts would’ve knocked out the Jets and then gone on to beat the Bills to go undefeated. Francesa’s scenario would’ve sent the Steelers to the postseason, not the Jets. Could’ve would’ve should’ve. The Jets instead capitalized on what Indianapolis Star columnist Bob Kravitz has called A G-I-F-T GIFT GIFT GIFT (mocking the traditional Jets chant often led by Superfan Fireman Ed during home games). The good fortune of facing a 14-0 team looking to play it safe helped the Jets regain control of the their playoff destiny. A destiny that Gang Green embraced when it posted a convincing 37-0 win against the unmotivated AFC North champion Bengals in the final regular season game. The final game ever at Giants stadium. Since that “JV game,”  the Jets have been trying to rid themselves of the perception by many, that they don’t belong in the postseason. That they were simply let in on the day when Colts backup QB Curtis Painter became a household name. For all the wrong reasons.

How can the Jets overcome a Colts team that has future hall of fame QB Peyton Manning spearheading the charge? By making the Colts beat them in ways that include more than Manning.  By confusing the genius student Manning as often as humanly possible. Ryan was 0-4 against Manning as a coordinator for the Ravens but HAS gotten to him before. A 2006 15-6 playoff loss by the Ravens still limited the Colts to five field goals. The game included  a full menu of  Ryanesque  “come from anywhere” blitzes and two (of what should’ve been three) Ed Reed interceptions. A day of drive halting results that the Jets would be thrilled to obtain this Sunday. Manning said of that day “I can’t tell you how many different looks we studied,” Manning said afterwards. “I didn’t sleep well all week.”

The Jet front four, which includes ten year vet Sean Ellis and his “club” (thanks to breaking his hand on the first play out in San Diego) and the suddenly overachieving NG Mike Devito,  has to get SOME pressure on Manning. They will be aided by blitzing Jet defenders who will come from everywhere, rarely if ever repeating their paths. While the pressure makes its way towards one of the safest pockets in football, the Jets must do a top notch job defending receivers with tight  press coverage. A coverage the Jets switched to at the pleading of the defense to Ryan at halftime in San Diego. The Jet started out soft in zone coverage, which allowed the Chargers to move it well through the air early on. This Sunday, the Jets can’t allow perennial All Pro’s Reggie Wayne and TE Dallas Clark time to get into their routes consistently. Revis will switch from Wayne to Clark  as he did with Jackson and Antonio Gates last week. This means that risk taking ball hawk CB Lito Shepherd and steady CB Donald Strickland will have to continue their solid play. Perhaps even raise their level against speedy tough slot threat Austin Collie and tall strong WR Pierre Garcon. Collie hurt the Jets in week 16 with six catches for 94 yards while the Jets focused their attention on shutting down Wayne and Clark.

The Jets “Walk Around” defense, a mixture of defenders walking around never claiming any one spot before the snap, can resemble the aimless hustle and bustle of Grand Central station during rush hour. This heavily disguised style, confused Chargers QB Phillip Rivers (whose pass heavy offense averaged 28 points all season yet managed just 14 last Sunday) during the Jets divisional round victory. Rivers had trouble locating pre snap coverage. The hard to decipher alignment also contributed to three Charger false starts, wasted timeouts throughout, and precious time eroding late in the fourth as Rivers looked to find mismatches for quick scores. The “walk around” must do the same to Manning this week. If Manning can be derailed from consistently picking up coverage schemes, and the Jet line can get some help from timely blitz packages, perhaps the Colts can be taken out of THEIR rythym as well. It’s a look  that coach Rex Ryan  and defensive coordinator Mike Pettine worked to perfection against the Bolts. With Manning at the helm this week though, the task becomes greater of course. This is after all, the Colts and Peyton Manning we’re talking about here.

The Jet defenders especially the secondary will need to make plays, game changers, just as they did in San Diego. The way teams like the Chargers and Colts, and NFC title game opponents Vikings and Saints throw it, one could make a case that “secondary” has become the new “linebacker” in importance this year. The Jets have a secondary that CAN change games. In fact this unit is changing games even more as of late. It hasn’t just been  happening on Revis Island either.  S Kerry Rhodes had a key blitz last Sunday. S Jim Leonhard made the most of his chances. The gritty Leonhard forced an apparent fumble in the second quarter on a hard hit on WR Malcom Floyd then earned the payoff for a “lunch pail”style days work, by intercepting Rivers deep in Jet territory at the end of the third quarter. A turnover that proved to be the key momentum swing for the Jets. All pro CB Darrelle Revis made yet another key play in 2009,  with his intereception prior to the Leonhard pick. The Jets top defender thwarted top  Charger wideout Vincent Jackson on a pass catch attempt in the red zone. The play came on a mid third quarter drive where the Chargers sought to add to a 7-3 lead. A lead that could’ve proved tough for

the grind it out Jets to overcome. This week will HAVE to be more of the same from the strength of the Jet defense at this point, the secondary.

On offense there will be no suprise. Unless you’ve been away all year and haven’t yet heard of the Ground and Pound.  If you’re a Jet fan, it’s become your mantra. Run them into submission. It’s no secret that win or lose the Jets will look to run for glory against the NFL’s 24th ranked run defense. A defense that includes top ranked pass rushing ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis.  All pros Nick Mangold and Alan Faneca join Damien Woody and 6’7 D’Brickshaw Ferguson to create a man made brick wall unlike no other team currently can in pro football. Line coach Bill Callahan has been phenomenal this season at devising intricate blocking schemes whose designs have helped pave the way for the Jets to become the league’s top rushing team. Rest assured this “hit em in the mouth until it hurts” approach will be featured on Sunday once again. Woody made that point known today saying that the Jets will run until they wear the Colts down.  The Jets can neutralize those bookend pass rushing threats Freeney and Mathis by running well on first and second down so as to keep 3rd downs manageable.

Rookie QB Mark Sanchez has gone from a turnover machine (20 ints in 2009) to a game manager capable of converting key throws when it counts. He’ll have to do the same Sunday and some. Dustin Keller has emerged in these playoffs. Keller’s big day in Cincy during the 24-14 Wildcard win over the Benglas, saw the former Purdue star haul in three important grabs for ninety nine yards and a TD. Keller is turning into the reliable safety valve Jet fans hoped he’d be early in the year. Sanchez and Keller are finally on the same page, thinking together. Need proof? Take the the ad libbed TD throw from Sanchez to  the double covered Keller for the go ahead TD in San Diego for example then. Add the always dependable WR Jerricho Cotchery into the mix and what you have is the ability for the Jets to convert third and short yardage situations. That is unless Ill advised picks by Sanchez in Jet territory a reverting back to the monsoon that took engulfed him in October, rear their ugly head on Sunday. Rookie mistakes by the Jets quarterback, something the former USC Rose Ball winner has avoided lately, will make an uphill battle become mountainous for New York.

Perhaps a key to the game could be the emergence of the long overdue WR Braylon Edwards. His two catches for 41 yards last week may appear minimal on paper. However it’s a step up from the previous weeks that saw a myriad of dropped TDs and long tosses from Sanchez. Ryan said heading into last week against the Bolts that Edwards ” is gonna break out sooner or later and let’s hope it’s sooner rather than later.” Attempts by offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to open the field up vertically early in the game by having “Sanchise” go deep to Edwards could catch the run focused Indy defenders by surprise. Whether he can hold onto the ball if and when it gets there is anybody’s guess. Then of course there’s Brad Smith. Wouldn’t it be interesting to see a few wrinkles put into the gameplan by “Schotty” for Smith, the teams most versatile skill position player this week.

The Jets have only averaged scoring three points in the last nine games after the first quarter. That has to change this week. The Ravens kept it a 3-3 game into the second quarter in their 20-3 loss to Indy last week, but had way too many three and outs. The Jets  have to think bigger than that. The Colts MLB Gary Brackett is always active from sideline to sideline and often lands around the ball. S Antoine Bethea is solid in run support and helps out a secondary that lacks a true shut down corner. You already know about Freeney and Mathis.  Gang Green can and must find a way to mix in some deep shots against the Colts defense while moving the chains in the first half. The Colts won’t lend the Jets a hand in keeping it close by burning out the clock out on the ground early. The way pass happy Chargers coach Norv Turner uncharacteristically did.

The Colts  ended the regular season dead last in the NFL in rushing. Their tandem of Joseph Addai and UCONN rookie Donald Brown combined for just a 3.5 average in ’09. Much like the Charger game, if the Jets can continue to keep opposing running backs bottled up, the Jets may benefit from 3rd and long situations. Downs that will allow Ryan to dial up the heat or at least not have to risk too many defenders at the line of scrimmage, in order to help the Jets retain possession.

The Colts this year won four games straight by a total of ten points. One of those included the Patriot game, a win aided by Pats coach Bill Belicheck’s decision to go for a 4th and 2 deep in Pats territory with the lead and two minutes to go. The plan backfired as the Colts stopped New England a yard short before Manning hit Wayne for the game winner. The Colts also had eight come from behind fourth quarter wins in 2009. Resilient? Yes. Dominant? No. If the Jets can keep Peyton from controlling the game, force the Colts running attack to provide some help, make the Colt defenders stop the Ground and Pound for an extended amount of time, the Jets will be in this game.

The media friendly Ryan added to an infinite list of bombastic quotes this week saying he’d “be shocked” if the Jets didn’t win. The rookie head coach’s mindset is being followed by a Gang Green

team that appreciates their coaches faith. Ryan is the anti Jet. The coach who seems to own the remedy for curing a cursed franchise that along with it’s fan base, can’t stop wallowing in self pity,

negativity, and self fulfilling prophecy. Players like LB Bart Scott say that these are the “New” Jets. That this current crop has no link towards the many tragic endings that have symbolized

so many Jet seasons.

Then  there’s the added motivation. the Jets have grown weary of hearing how they didn’t belong in the playoffs. The Jets are tired of hearing that the Colts, who were only up 15-10 with 5:38 in week 16, before coach Jim Caldwell pulled key starters, handed them the game. The Jets will be fired up to prove that they belong among the league’s elite.The Colts meanwhile have dealt with their own headaches perpetuated by those in the media as well as many of their fans, who feel that “laying up” to stay healthy was the wrong approach.That momentum can only be sidetracked by slowing it down for a month.  That a football immortality stemming from having a perfect season was worth fighting for. Sunday is President Bill Polian and the Colts chance to prove to the football world, that the choice to remain healthy in order to go into a championship game with your best foot forward now, made pulling the plug then, worth it.

These Jets now have youth leading the way. Rookies Sanchez and Greene, second year man Keller, the all world 24 year old Revis, have become the playmaking faces of this team. However chances like these don’t come around so easily. For the Super Bowl Champion Jets, they never saw the playoffs again after their 1970 13-6 loss to KC in the AFL title game at Shea Stadium. The followup campaign to their improbable upset in ’69. The Jet franchise had to wait twelve more years before returning to the postseason.  A drought that included to many three and four win seasons. The Jets playoff return in 1981 culminated in a dramatic 31-27 Wildcard loss at home to the Bills. This thanks to a last minute Richard Todd interception in the end zone to Buffalo’s Bill Simpson. Twelve years. That’s a long time. Jets fans of late, despite the “Same old Jets” headlines that follow tough losses,  have not suffered this type of pain. In fact the Jets have actually been to the playoffs five times in the past decade. So it’s fair to say that given the current young talent the Jets possess, coupled with GM’ Mike Tannenbaums proven ability to find players both through the draft and free agency, a long playoff drought may be avoided this time around.  Nonetheless, Gang Green is here. They are here now. On the cusp of doing something Super. Chances like the one the Jets have in Indianapolis on Sunday can be awfully hard to come by. No matter who you are. Just ask Joe Namath.

“I’ve dreamed about playing in a Super Bowl my whole life. It’s every player’s dream.” long snapper James Dearth said Wednesday. For Dearth and the Jets the dream is alive and it’s for the taking.  If Ryan’s number one defense can dial it up at the right time and slow down Manning just enough, if Shonn Greene can stay hot and Sanchez can stay cool, the Jets have a chance. A great chance, in a game where the stakes haven’t been as high since Apollo 4 was gearing up to land on the moon. It’s hard to believe, but a Jet return to a Super Bowl in Miami really does hang in the balance on Sunday.

It wasn’t long ago that the notion of the Jets going to Miami was far fetched. Even the idea of it, moments after Atlanta’s Tony Gonzalez turned Giants Stadium into a mortuary in week 15 was laughable. Better yet, a sick joke to diehards who remember Al Woodall. Painful for the ones who can still see the “Klecko’s Klan” and “In Todd We Trust” banners that blew wildly along the windy walls of Shea. Nightmarish for those who remember Gastineau’s late hit on Kosar, or the passion that came from those bouncing stands ready to collapse when Barkum beat the Dolphins. Now that 10-7 Falcon loss that even had Ryan saying the Jets were dead and buried, couldn’t be farther away. That’s because somehow, miraculously, with time running out on the 2009 Jets, the landscape changed. They got help, then they helped themselves. For Gang Green and the many who live and die with them each and every Sunday, the reality of being Super has all of a sudden become only sixty precious minutes away.

THREE KEYS TO BEATING THE COLTS:

SLOW DOWN MANNING: Little more has to be said. Peyton is 8-8 in the playoffs. It can be done. Rex was 0-4 lifetime against him before the “JV game” but has made Manning look pedestrian before. He and Pettine will have to coach their best game of the year in order to give the Jets a chance.

DON’T PULL A RAVENS: The Ravens were tied 3-3 for a good long time last Saturday. Too long. Too many three and outs. The Jets didn’t get a first down on their first four drives against the Bolts and the Colts aren’t San Diego, they are a step up in class with Manning. .Assuming the Jets can keep it close Sunday, they’ll have to do better than go three and out and give it back to the Colts who won’t help the Jets burn the clock by running it as much as the Chargers did in the first half. Jet defenders will tire chasing this receiving corps if this week is a repeat of last week’s slow start.  Move the chains guys.

Do it from the get go, it’s a must.

BROADWAY BRAYLON:  We’re calling for him again. Jones and Greene will pound it, the O line with lead the way. Can you imagine  the back pages on Monday with a shot of Edwards holding up the ball after catching the first of two TD passes though? We can. That’s because we see that as one of the ways that the Jets can shock the Colts again. 41 years after the fact.

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