It was great while it lasted...

Thanks for coming back to the blog everyone, for this somewhat-somber Monday Mash.  With about 3 minutes to go in the second quarter of the Jets game yesterday, this look like it had the potential for a glorious mash.  But the Colts showed why they haven't lost this season in games that mattered to them.  And the Jets showed that although they came so far this season, they will need some tweaks to their roster to be an AFC powerhouse for years to come.

The game was going along just fine for the Jets in the first half.  When the running game wasn't working (a surprise) Sanchez and the passing game came through (a bigger surprise.)  They got sufficient pressure on Peyton in the first half, and the bend-don't-break defense only allowed 6 points in the first 28 minutes.

But when Manning took approximately 3.6 seconds to go 80 yards and a touchdown, the Jets were in deep trouble.  Yes they were up at the half, but Manning looked like he had solved the riddle, an had an entire half to have some fun with it.  The Jets fought valiantly and it was a much better game to watch than 30-17 would suggest.  Throughout the heartbreaking second half (Jets outscored 17-0), five words kept running through my mind...

'The pendulum swung back around.'

Throughout this shocking, wonderful run the Jets made, certain things just kept happening for them.  Things that turn an underdog into a winner.  Some of them the Jets controlled, some were controlled by luck or a higher power.  But against Peyton Manning and the Colts, the Jets would need all these breaks and more to have a chance at the upset.

It just didn't work out. 

Against the Bengals and Chargers, the opposing kickers played like they never kicked a ball in their lives, and missed many key field goals.  Yesterday, it was the Jets' dependable Jay Feely that missed two out of three kicks, leaving points on the board that are crucial to defeating a juggernaut.  (I know they were long kicks and it's unfair to criticize Feely, but these are the things that must happen in the anatomy of an upset.) 

Against Cincy and San Diego, coaching blunders and dumb penalties helped the Jets at the best possible moment.  The best example: Vincent Jackson kicking a challenge flag and getting a personal foul.  Yesterday, the Jets got no love from the referees, highlighted by the attempted murder on Mark Sanchez that went unpenalized.  I know it's weak to get on the refs, but let's put it this way...If it was Manning that got pulverized on the play, it wouldn't be a question of a 15-yard penalty, it would be whether or not the defender would be thrown out of the game.

Finally, the Jets just couldn't force Indy into mistakes.  Sure, the high point of the day was the hellacious hit and forced fumble by Calvin Pace.  But you knew it wasn't the Jets' day on the play where Reggie Wayne fumbled the ball.  Four Jets were right there to pick it up and go the other way, but the football somehow bounced right back into Wayne's gut as he was going to the ground.  These quirky plays would always go New York's way this past month.  Yesterday, there was no divine assistance to be heard from.

So the Jets unexpectedly reached the AFC Championship game, but expectedly fell to the greatness of Manning and his Colts team.  The good news, Jets fans?  Gang Green's loss was, BY FAR, less heartbreaking than the way Minnesota ended their season.

The Vikings dominated the Saints from start to finish in the NFC Championship.  Looking at the yardage statistics from the game, you would estimate the final score to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 35-10 Minnesota.  The Vikings had 100 more yards passing and 100 more yards rushing than the Saints did. 

But as you read down the stat lines, you finally see that pesky little thing called 'turnovers.'  In the NFL, you can move the ball up and down the field like you're on a playground.  But if you drop the ball or throw it to the other team at the wrong time, you end up losing the games that you dominate.  You can chalk some of Minnesota's miscues up to the crazy Superdome atmosphere.  But when you lose 3 fumbles and throw 2 interceptions, maybe the Super Bowl just isn't for you.  And its hard to even feel bad for the Vikings...because they had three other fumbles that they were fortunate enough to recover.  In case you're keeping score, that's six fumbles and two interceptions.  Playing on the road, that just won't fly.

Let's be honest here, though...nobody cares about what happened in the first 59 minutes of the game.  Because with just seconds remaining, the swash got buckled for Minnesota.  Brett Favre went into "I'm Brett Favre" mode, and threw a pass that will make Viking fans shiver for many years.  He could have ran, he could have dumped it to his open receiver on the sidelines, but "I'm Brett Favre" mode has no boundaries.  No rhyme nor reason.  Jets fans saw it all too often last season.  Vikings fans hoped they could survive just two more games without seeing it take over.  But there it was, in front of the whole nation, at the worst moment imaginable.

Happy offseason, Minnesota!  Here's what little else remained from Championship weekend.

The Montauk BeverageWorks Delicious Performance of the Week:
Pierre Garcon, Colts.  No, I'm not going to search the internet for that peculiar French symbol that he puts under the 'c' in Garcon.  He would deserve it though.  The Jets neutralized both Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark in the game.  Nobody expected the game-saving efforts of Garcon and Austin Collie in the passing game.  They got open downfield whenever they wanted to.  Whenever the Jets looked like they may hold the Colts to a punt, Garcon was there to provide continuous gut-punches.  He played even better than his meaty stats of 11 receptions for 151 yards and a touchdown.

The Favorite Flop of the Week:
Not Applicable.  The Saints almost flopped, but both favorites were able to cover.  Technically, we will have to give this to the Jets.  After all, Rex Ryan called them the 'favorites to win the whole thing.'  Sorry, Rex.

The Underdog Uprising of the Week:
Not Applicable.  Good try though, Vikings.

• So the two teams that tore through the NFL to start the season survive to the very end.  New Orleans and Indianapolis got through their little funks toward the end of the year, and here they stand.  Maybe this puts to rest all the strategies about how you handle the end of the regular season.  Once the Colts clinched a bye, they rested up their starters for the final two weeks and accepted the two losses as a result.  The Saints kept the pedal to the ground after clinching their bye, and never lost any rhythm even though they had some losses of their own.  The bottom line is that these two high-powered, dome teams will be going to sunny Florida to decide the NFL's champion.  The Saints have never had the honor, while the Colts are looking for their second title in four years.  I am shocked to see that the line today has the Colts favored by 5.5 points.  Seems a little high to me, but that baby's got two whole weeks to do all sorts of shifting around.  We'll see what happens.

Thanks again for coming back and reading.  Like I said, it's two weeks until the Super Bowl.  So look for some other sports (pucks, anyone?) to be covered in the blog in the meantime.  We'll have some updated standings in our contest up soon as well.  Until next time, have a great week and wear that green and white apparel with pride!