Jets Proving You Just Have to Get Into the Playoffs to Have a Chance

Rex Ryan and the New York Jets are proving that all you need to do is get into the playoffs and anything can happen after that. The Jets are in the AFC Championship for the first time since 1998 and a win over the Colts will put them in the Super Bowl for the first time since 1969. 

Each playoff round is a season within itself. Win and go on, lose and go home. Once you’re in the playoffs, all your regular season record does is pick the teams that you’ll be facing and tells you whether you have a first-round bye or not, which is nice to have, but not always necessary. Obviously the lower the seed you are the better team you’ll be playing, but a Wild Card team can make a run any year, especially in today’s NFL. Being a Wild Card team doesn’t mean “one and done”.

This shows the importance of getting into the playoffs. It’s an obvious statement, but it’s more true in the NFL because playoff rounds are one game. Any team can beat another in a one game playoff, unlike a best-of-five or best-of-seven series. Not to say it doesn’t happen, but the superior team has the advantage in a longer series rather than in one game.

No matter what seed you are, you can run the table and win it all in the NFL. Look at the 2007 Giants and 2005 Steelers. Both were Wild Card teams and the Giants won three road games to get into the Super Bowl and on top of that, had to beat the undefeated Patriots. It was truly a magical run for the G-Men. In 2005, the Steelers played the top three seeds in the AFC, all on the road, to get to the Super Bowl and then beat the Seahawks. 2005… 2007… 2009? Why not?

The Jets want to be the latest Wild Card team to win it all and it wouldn’t be shocking if they did, although a lot of people are picking the Colts to beat them this Sunday. The analysts aren’t on the field and their picks don’t have an affect on the outcome of the game. Most people picked the Chargers over the Jets last week and we know how that turned out. The Jets can beat the Colts if they play to their strengths and Rex Ryan is smart enough to put together a winning game plan.