Ryan’s Jets one win away from the franchise’s second Super Bowl

Rex Ryan’s team had been held without a point. It hadn’t picked up a first down until eight minutes remained in the second quarter. At halftime of Sunday’s AFC divisional playoff game at Qualcomm Stadium, Ryan’s New York Jets had been outgained by the San Diego Chargers, 212-99, and looked as gassed and outclassed as the rest of the weekend’s lower-seeded roadkill.
Ryan has the Jets one win away from the franchise’s second Super Bowl appearance.
 
As the rookie coach convened with his players in Qualcomm’s cramped visitors’ locker room, it seemed inevitable to the outside world that the favored Chargers would eventually build on their seven-point lead and bust open the game, the way the favored Saints, Colts and Vikings had in securing the first three spots in next weekend’s conference championship clashes.
To Ryan, the scoreboard was a thing of beauty.

“We just played the worst football we can possibly play, and we’re still in it,” Ryan told his players. “Now let’s go out there and play our game. Just be true to us. If we go out there and play Jets football, we’ll win the game.”
What, you expected Ryan to be meek and understated? Yeah, and Al Pacino will be restrained and subtle in his next cinematic role, and the reunited Soundgarden will play acoustic folk tunes on tour.