N.Y. Jets at Denver


Breaking down the Jets and Broncos


Focal Point: Shanahan vs. Parcells


AFC: Tuna stocks the cupboard


Murphy: Four on the floor


Jets giving Broncos compliments or false praise?


Broncos run wild in rout of Dolphins


Jets bound for Denver after first playoff win in 12 years


Jets win the Parcells way


Davis puts hurt on Dolphins defense


Hits just keep on coming for Denver defense




Curtis Martin says the AFC title game is New York's Super Bowl.
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DENVER -- They dissected the Dolphins. Now the Denver Broncos will try to tackle the Tuna.

	Jets mastermind Bill Parcells will be put to the test against the Super Bowl champs.

The Broncos, who routed Miami 38-3 in Saturday's AFC divisional playoff game, learned Sunday that they will play Bill Parcells and the New York Jets in the AFC Championship next Sunday (4:05 p.m. ET, CBS) in Denver.

The Jets beat Jacksonville 34-24 on Sunday for their first playoff victory since 1986.

The Broncos and the Jets have never met in the playoffs, but Denver pounded New England 37-3 and 34-8 in back-to-back seasons when Parcells was head coach of the Patriots in 1995 and 1996.

"I think you always get a little juiced up when you are going against a coach who has had a lot of success," Denver coach Mike Shanahan said, "and obviously a coach who has a couple of Super Bowl rings."

Parcells -- dubbed "Tuna" after telling his Giants players, "Who do you think I am, Charlie the Tuna?" -- has worked his magic in New York again, guiding the Jets to their first playoff appearance since 1991. Since finishing 1-15 in 1996, the Jets are 21-11 in regular-season games under Parcells.

"They have a great man leading them," Denver safety Tyrone Braxton said. "Parcells, he's won everywhere he's gone. There's no reason to think he wouldn't win there. But it's surprising that he did it so quick."

The Broncos have enjoyed a mini-resurrection of their own. After two late-season losses, critics questioned whether they would survive their first playoff game against Miami, which humbled them on national television three weeks ago.

	CREAM OF THE CROP
	The four teams remaining are the elite squads from their respective conferences:
		AFC ranking
		Jets	Broncos
	Scoring offense	2nd	1st
	Total offense	2nd	1st
	Starting QBs	1st*	2nd*
	Third-down conv.	1st	3rd
	*Based on QB rankings for Vinny Testaverde and John Elway.

Denver silenced the doubters with a 35-point victory that helped ease any apprehension outside the locker room.

"I laugh when people talk about us struggling," offensive lineman Dan Neil said. "Everybody's an expert. We weren't struggling. I don't think anyone was panicking."

The Broncos lost two of their final three games following a 13-0 start, but looked about as loose as they have all season Saturday, springing league MVP Terrell Davis for 199 yards rushing and forcing three Miami turnovers.

Denver has not played the Jets since Parcells became New York's coach in 1997. Denver's most recent game against the Jets was in the 1996 regular-season opener, with the Broncos registering 10 sacks in a 31-6 victory.

"We haven't faced (the Jets) in a couple of years, so we don't know what they're all about," Broncos quarterback John Elway said. "We're sort of starting from scratch, because we do know Jacksonville a little better. But we've got a whole week.

"I'm sure we'll do the best we can to prepare for them."

With Denver healthy, focused and seemingly on top of its game, the Jets will have to contend with a defense that gave up just 14 yards rushing against Miami and an offense that methodically picked apart the Dolphins through the air and on the ground.

"We talked about going into the game and playing for a full 60 minutes, because earlier in the season we would play a half here and a half there," Braxton said. "We would get up big on somebody and not really put them away. We're definitely happy we put them away this time.

"That's going to give us a lot of confidence, and that's what we need defensively. If we can go out and play well, our chances are going to be great."

Adding to the challenge will be the crowd noise at Mile High Stadium, where the Broncos have won 18 straight games since a playoff loss to Jacksonville on Jan. 4, 1997.

"They're an amazing team," Jets wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson said. "Obviously they are the Super Bowl champions and everything's in their favor. We barely could stop (Fred) Taylor (Sunday), so I don't know what's going to happen with the other guy, Davis."

Davis, who had 2,008 yards rushing during the regular season, said he might have aggravated a rib injury Saturday, but he did not expect to miss any practice time. Elway also had lingering soreness after taking a blind-side hit from Miami's Zach Thomas late in the third quarter.

Denver's only real question mark is offensive tackle Tony Jones, who sprained his right knee. An MRI was negative, and Shanahan hoped he could return to practice this week.

"We're not done yet," Braxton said. "We have to look at the big picture. This is one piece of the puzzle. This is not it."