The AFC Championship: David at Goliath

We've all heard of the old bible story of how David took down the mighty Goliath. We've all heard of how, just two years ago, the New York Giants dismantled the previously undefeated New England Patriots from their throne, leaving them permanently one win away from perfection. And we've all heard of Peyton Manning, arguably the best quarterback the game has ever seen.

We know the dominant powerhouses in the NFL: The Pittsburgh Steelers, the New England Patriots, The Indianapolis Colts, the San Diego Chargers, teams that are nearly always in the playoffs year-to-year. Consistent teams. Teams that win.

However, there is a team, a little farther north of Pittsburgh, that has taken down three of the four listed teams at least once this season, including the postseason. A team with a 9-7 record. A team that was believed to be undeserving of a playoff spot. A team with the top-ranked defense. A team with a struggling rookie quarterback. A team called the New York Jets.

No one believed them to be a team that was going to cause havoc in the postseason. They were a one-and-done football team. A team that was going to show America why they didn't belong in the playoffs. They were undeserving, unworthy.

So, with the first game of the playoffs fast approaching, the New York Jets were set to take on an unravelling Cincinnati franchise, a 10-6 football team that the Jets dismantled in the last week of the regular season, 37-0. This was another game that the New York Jets were not expected to win. The main reason: a rookie quarterback who had struggled in the regular season. However, the New York Jets won convincingly, 24-14, to advance to the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs.

This time, they would face a hot Chargers team, a team that was coming off eleven straight after beginning the regular season 2-3. Again, the New York Jets were not favored. San Diego was too strong on offense, too powerful for the New York Jets to handle. How could the New York offense keep up with a quick-striking offense like San Diego's? Not with a rookie quarterback. Not with a conservative offense like New York's. How could they?

However, New York won the game in the second half, 17-14, to shock the Chargers and move on to the AFC Championship against the Indianapolis Colts, an opponent that they had beaten in the regular season already, 29-15, after Indianapolis elected to rest their starters and fore-go perfection much to the dismay of many-a-fan.

For New York, this would be the first AFC Championship appearance since 1982. For Indianapolis, this would be the second since 2006, a game where they defeated the New England Patriots by a score of 38-34 to mark the biggest comeback in AFC Championship history, and ultimately silence the critics about how Peyton Manning couldn't win "the Big One".

The AFC Championship featured two completely opposite opponents: the New York Jets with their top-ranked defense and top-flight rushing attack, and the Indianapolis Colts with their elite passing attack and average defense. A top-two passing attack against the top-ranked defense. Who would prevail and advance to the Super Bowl in Miami?

Indianapolis would begin the game with the ball on offense. They would manage to attain a first down on the first play with a pass from Manning to Wayne. However, the offense stalled after that and was forced to punt the ball away.

The New York offense quickly began to move the ball, however, when stopped in Colt territory on third down, they could not come up with the field goal as Feely missed wide-right. The Colts would get the ball back after the missed field goal, but would only manage a three-and-out. New York would do the same on their next possession, and have to punt the ball away to the Colt 11-yard line. However, Peyton Manning and company would have no problem moving the ball, quickly moving the ball into the red zone after only a few plays, but would have to settle for a field goal to start the second quarter. After about fifteen minutes of play, the score was 3-0 in favor of Indianapolis.

The Jets would get the ball back hoping to score, which was exactly what they did. On the first drive of the possession for the Jets, Mark Sanchez would find Braylon Edwards deep for an 80-yard touchdown strike. The score would now be in favor of New York, 7-3, after the extra point.

Indianapolis would soon answer the score with one of their own after a 12-play drive that elapsed 6:01 off the clock. The field goal would be good after Peyton Manning failed to sneak into the end-zone on fourth-and-one. The score would be 7-6 with 8:49 remaining in the first half.

The New York Jets would answer once again, marching down the field and ending the drive with a 9-yard touchdown strike to Dustin Keller from Mark Sanchez with 4:59 remaining in the half. 14-6.

The Colts would then fumble the ball on their third play after Joseph Addai was immediately crushed behind the line of scrimmage for a 4-yard loss. The Jets would recover the ball, but only manage a field goal, improving the score to 17-6, 2:16 left in the first half.

The New York Jets were in control, at least for now. Peyton Manning would get the ball back and quickly find Austin Collie for a first, taking the clock down to the two-minute warning. After the break, Manning would again find Austin Collie, this time for 46 yards and another first down. On the next play, Manning found Collie in the end-zone for a 16-yard strike, getting the Colts back into the game with about a minute remaining. The score? 17-13.

That's how it would be going into the half as Mark Sanchez and company elected to run out the rest of the clock.

To start the second half, New York would get the ball and move into field goal range. However, on fourth-and-seven, Jay Feely would miss yet another field goal and would have to give the ball up to Indianapolis. The Colts would take advantage and march down on a short field to eventually have Manning find Pierre Garcon for a 4-yard touchdown pass, making the score now in favor of Indianapolis, 20-17, with 8:08 remaining in the third quarter.

The Jets would get the ball back, but shortly after would have to punt the ball away. Indianapolis would do the same after they failed to move the ball.
New York's next possession would take them into the final quarter, but they would again have to punt on their own 43-yard line.

The Colts would march down the field again, to end their next drive with a 16-yard touchdown pass from Manning to Clark, the score now 27-17 with 8:57 remaining until the Super Bowl.

Again, the Jets would do nothing, going three-and-out, and having to punt the ball away.

It was on the Colt's next drive that they put the game away with a field goal, making the score 30-17 with just over two minutes remaining.

The Indianapolis Colts would go on to win the AFC Championship and advance to "the Big One."

Manning would again find himself playing in the Super Bowl, this time against his father's former team, the New Orleans Saints. This should be good.