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Sunday, Jan. 10 11:28pm ET Jets win the Parcells way |
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Associated Press
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Bill Parcells has the New York Jets
on the brink of a Super Bowl by using the same formula he used to
get the New York Giants and New England Patriots there.
The Jets combined a cold-weather, ball-control offense with a solid defense Sunday to pull within a victory of their first Super Bowl berth since 1969 with a 34-24 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Jets reached their first AFC title game since 1982 by
controlling the ball for 39 minutes, 16 second, running 77 play to the Jags' 53 and
outgaining Jacksonville 429 yards to 251.
The reason ball control was so important is that when
quarterback Mark Brunell had the ball, he made things happen for
Jacksonville, throwing three touchdown passes and three
interceptions.
"We knew we had to control the ball, and I think we did," Jets center Kevin Mawae said. "I don't know what the time of possession was, but I think it was a whole bunch to not enough."
Mawae said the Jets put in a cold-weather package for the game,
and they used it several times.
"It's basically smash-mouth, who wants it the most, and I think
we came out on top," Mawae said.
The Jets set the tone from the opening kickoff, moving 70 yards
in seven plays. Vinny Testaverde capped the drive with a 21-yard TD
pass to Keyshawn Johnson.
"Any time you take it down on the opening drive, it does a lot
for the offensive line," guard Matt O'Dwyer said. "You get in a
groove, and it's nice. We got stopped a few times, but we came back
when we needed to and did some good things."
The big things were done by Testaverde, Johnson and halfback
Curtis Martin.
Testaverde completed 24 of 36 passes, including all four on the
opening drive. Martin carried 36 times for 124 yards, caught six
passes for 58 yards and scored two touchdowns. Johnson tied a team
playoff record by catching nine passes for 121 yards and a
touchdown. He also scored on a 10-yard run, recovered a fumble and
intercepted a pass in the closing seconds.
"We spread it around and we're a smart team," said veteran
tackle Jumbo Elliott, a members of Parcells' final Super Bowl team
with the Giants in 1990. "We recognize what defenses are trying to
give us and what they are trying to take away and we can respond."
Against the Jaguars, the Jets dominated the line of scrimmage
against an injury-depleted line.
"Jacksonville had some guys beat up on the defensive line,"
Jets rookie tackle Jason Fabini said. "Tony Brackens was inactive and
they've had five or six guys go on IR. Their D-line was kind of
thin and it kind of helped what we wanted to do."
Despite all the time of possession, the Jets had to sweat out
the final minutes after Jacksonville pulled to 31-24 and got the
ball back on Donovin Darius' interception with 2:24 to go.
However, Darius blundered trying to run the ball out of the end
zone, and the Jaguars started their final drive on the 1. They only
moved the ball 7 yards before giving it up on downs.
"Brunell is a dangerous quarterback," Mawae said. "He brought
them back in the game and we turned the ball over when we should
not have, and we made it harder than it should have been. But they
played good defense against us and their offense is incredible."
The Jets face an even more formidable offense next Sunday in
Denver, where the Broncos will play host to the conference title
game.
"We know by no means we can take the same type of game that we
had in the latter part of today and still come out victorious
against Denver," linebacker Pepper Johnson said.
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