Jets Fans: Rex Ryan's Brashness Will Fall on Sunday

Dear Gang Green,

I know you think Mark Sanchez is the second coming of Joe Namath, the last quarterback who led you to a Super Bowl. And although he is also the pretty-boy, ladies' man, I-love-attention type of quarterback that Namath was, Sanchez is not the mirror image of No. 12.

That, my cocky foes, would be Rex Ryan.

Ryan hasn't been so brash as to guarantee victory as "Broadway Joe" so infamously did in 1969. But he has done just about everything else to suggest a guarantee.

Saying things like "We're the Super Bowl favorites," or "I'll be shocked if we don't win" doesn't make you a great coach.

Planning out your Super Bowl parade as a part of the team calendar...that doesn't make you a confident coach. That makes you an arrogant rookie head coach who is sadly mistaken.

I have no problem with confidence. I would agree with many that confidence is one of the most critical factors when heading into competition. But there is a fine line between confidence and arrogance, and Ryan has clearly crossed it.

However, as irritating as his brashness is, I'm starting to become excited for Sunday's meeting between the Jets and Colts so that Ryan will eat his words.

As fans, you have become delirious and are now full believers that this season has become one of destiny. After all, the stars do align.

In 1969, Namath guaranteed victory over the Colts in Super Bowl III, ironically played in Miami. Namath delivered on his boldness and the Jets earned the honor of being NFL champions.

But if you want to get superstitious, Jets fans, we can get superstitious. Let's take a look at the coincidences between this season and the 2007 Colts season:

January 2007: The Colts—unlike this season—played wild-card weekend and easily disposed of the Chiefs, 23-8. They then faced the Ravens in the divisional round—just like this season—and proved victorious in a defensive battle, 15-6.

The Colts then returned home to face the Patriots in the AFC Championship, where they prevailed 38-34 to earn a trip to Miami to Super Bowl XLI.

Now this year's conference championships have not played out, and the outcomes aren't etched in stone. But if we're relying on superstition like many of the Jets' faithful seem to be, then superstition clearly points Indianapolis' way.

Each of the Colts' three Super Bowl appearances have been in Miami.

Super Bowl XLIV is being played in Miami, and there's a solid chance that not only will the Colts be there once more, but a team from the NFC North—yes, the Vikings—could be facing the Blue Crew, just as in 2007 when the Colts and Bears tussled.

As for coincidences outside of the 2007 Colts, the last time Tony Dungy left a team, that team went on to win the Super Bowl in his first year of absence—the 2002 Buccaneers.

All right Jets fans. You want to throw out the fact that you are 3-0 against the Colts all time in the playoffs, and the last time you faced off in the post season you won 41-0?

Well, I'll counter with the fact that Peyton Manning is 6-0 against Ryan-led defenses when playing the entire game. And Manning is 7-0 when he has played more than 2.5 quarters in December.

You want to say that the Jets ground-and-pound style of play will cause problems for the Colts?

The Colts saw the exact same thing last week against the Ravens, who schematically run the same defense Ryan will attempt to confuse Manning with Sunday.

Just in case you didn't notice: The Colts throttled the Ravens in every aspect of the game, and I don't see this weekend playing out any differently.

You want to say Darrelle Revis is going to shut down Reggie Wayne?

That may actually be a valid argument, but it won't matter. Manning distributes the ball better than any quarterback in the NFL and will utilize Dallas Clark, Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon.

He simply has too many weapons, and that will spell doom for the Jets.

I'm done with my ranting, but I'll end with a Rex Ryan-esque brash prediction: Colts win—convincingly—27-10.

Indianapolis handed the Jets a ticket to the playoffs by resting their starters on Dec. 27. On Sunday, they will be handing Ryan, Sanchez and company a plane ticket back to New York.

Safe travels!