Jets defeat Patritos, head back to AFC Title game

JETS 28
PATRIOTS 21

The critics can now eat crow -- at least for one week.

There was a lot of criticism about the Jets yapping before their divisional playoff game against the Patriots, but the Jets walked the walked as the beat the Patriots 28-21, Sunday to advance to the AFC title game for the second straight year.

Things didn't look good early. After the Jets' linebacker David Harris picked off a Tom Brady pass and ran back to the Pats 10 yard line, the Jets screwed up a potentially crushing blow failing to move the football, and then watched kicker Nick Folk miss yet again another easy field goal.

In the second quarter the Jets started to turn things around. Mark Sanchez hit Braylon Edwards on a rope down the sidelines for a 37 yard gain to spot the ball at the New England 8. Two plays later, Sanchez hit LaDainian Tomlinson for the touchdown to give the Jets a 7-3 lead.

From there the Jets D did the job. They flustered Brady all night long, hitting him, rushing him and forcing him to throw into double coverage.

After a Pat Chung fumble the Jets got the ball back at the Pats 38 yard line. Three plays later, Sanchez hit Edwards for the touchdown to give the Jets an astounding 14-3 halftime lead.

The Patriots closed the gap to three on a Brady touchdown to Algee Crumpler and a two point conversion by Sammy Morris, but the Jets made sure to put their foots on the Pats neck.

On the next Jets possession, Sanchez hit Jerricho Cotchery for 58 yards to the Patriots 13. Then Sanchez hit Santonio Holmes in the corner of the end zone for the touchdown to put the lead back up to 10.

The Jets would add another TD, on a Shonn Greene 16 yard run to make it 28-14, as Rex Ryan and the entire Jets bench ran onto the field when Greene scored.

The Jets will face Pittsburgh next week. They beat the Steelers 22-17 in December.