2011 NFL Playoffs: For the New York Jets, It Was a Tale of Two Halves

Different year, same result.

For the second straight season, the New York Jets season came to a crashing end thanks in part, to a lackluster first half that saw the Jets fall behind, 24-0.

In last year's AFC Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts, the Jets were up 17-6 with 2:11 left to play before halftime. Over the next 32 minutes, 11 seconds, the Colts outscored the Jets 24-0 and went on to play in Super Bowl XLIV.

After Mark Sanchez's sack-fumble was returned for a touchdown, the Steelers-Jets conference title game on Sunday looked to be over by halftime. Everything was in favor of the Steelers. The bounces, the running game, the crowd, some even argue the calls were going their way.

Then Sanchez quickly drove the Jets down field and with nine seconds left, helping bring the Jets to within, 24-3. The 44-yard drive took just under a minute and helped the Jets stifle the momentum that the Steelers had built up.

In the second half, the Jets held the Steelers to zero points, while they themselves very slowly, but surely crept closer, pulling to within 24-19 with 4:32 left to play and three timeouts along with the two-minute warning.

But a key third-down conversion with under two minutes put an end to the New York Jets 2010 season.

Two years in a row, same result, different halves. From being outscored 24-0 by the Colts in the last 32 minutes of the 2010 AFC conference game, to being down 24-0 in the first 29 minutes against the Steelers, the last two conference title games have been about the lack of adjustments.

In last year's title game, the Jets failed to adjust their offense to losing running back Shonn Greene for the rest of the second half. Greene had 41 yards rushing in the first half to help pace the Jets out to a 17-6 lead.

This was the same Shonn Greene who had back-to-back 100+ yard performances in the Wild Card and Divisional Round playoff games in the weeks prior. 

On Sunday, the Steelers ran as many plays on their opening drive (15) as the Jets had in their first four drives combined, also 15 plays. The Jets second-quarter drives included three straight three-and-outs while the Steelers rallied of 17 straight points to help build a 24-0 lead.

In the end, the Jets did everything possible to beat the Steelers on Sunday. Their effort was valiant, gutsy, heroic and in the end, short, and until the Jets learn how to play two halves of a title game, they may become the bridesmaid, never the bride.