It's Only Right N.Y. Jets Must Travel Through Pittsburgh to go to Super Bowl

Brady, Manning and Roethlisberger -- combined 32 playoff victories with Brady leading the way with 14 and Big Ben and Manning with nine apiece, and six Super Bowls in all.

The win was the second of a three-game series in the 2010-2011 N.F.L. season against A.F.C. East foe New England, the third in Mark Sanchez's two-year career. A little over a month earlier the Jets were embarrassed in their regular season series finale in Foxborough 45-3. But on this day, head coach Rex Ryan continued to live up to his defensive resume and stopped one of the all-time greats, Tom Brady.

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When the N.Y. Jets shocked the world Sunday evening by defeating the New England Patriots 28-21, it was Gang Green's all-time winningest post-season quarterback completing his fourth win in the N.F.L. playoffs, all of which have come on their opponents' turf. 




Eight days earlier, Sanchez and Co. traveled to Indianapolis to face off with Peyton Manning and the Colts. A win in Indy granted the Jets the right to play in today's divisional playoff game. 

AP

Now the Jets must once again pack up and hit the road, this time to familiar Heinz Field, better known as 'The Big Ketchup Bottle' to some. Coming off a second half comeback win over the Baltimore Ravens, the Pittsburgh Steelers and their leader, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, look to even the series with New York after the Jets pulled off a road upset against them earlier this season.




Since H.B.O.'s Hard Knocks series, the Jets have anointed themselves Super Bowl champions. In order to live up to their own expectations though, they must travel the path through Pittsburgh and  a two-time winning quarterback. 


If the Jets want to proclaim themselves as 'the team to beat' so be it. Next week they will face a proven winner, yet again, this time for the right to march on the Super Bowl.


But like the Jets proved on this day, the past does not precipitate the future.


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Twitter: @samspiegs