A gift from the football gods… NY Jets still in the playoff hunt!

Thomas Jones, RB Jets

NY Jets still in the playoff hunt!

In what appears to be a late Christmas gift from the football gods, the NY Jets are still in the playoff hunt for one of the wild card spots in the AFC.  Coming into Sunday’s game vs. the undefeated Indianapolis Colts, the Jets needed Jacksonville, Baltimore and Miami to lose their games and the Jets needed to end the Colts 23-game regular season win streak.

On any given Sunday all three teams loss to their foes.  Jacksonville fell to New England 7-35; Baltimore loss to Pittsburgh 20-23 and Miami fell to Houston 20-27.  The Jets now had to take care of business on their end.  Payton Manning and the Colts in pursuit of the perfect season started off the game very well.  Mid-way through the third quarter Payton had his team with a 15-10 lead over the Jets.

Coach Jim Caldwell of the Colts made a decision that tremendously affected the outcome of the game and of the Jets season.  He sat Payton Manning and most of the starters for the remaining of the game hoping to avoid injury and rest them for the playoffs.

The Jets took advantage of the chance. The NY defense stepped up by stripping first year QB Curtis Painter for a defensive touchdown; the rest of the way the Jets offense did their part by scoring twice in the fourth quarter (43-yard field goal by the Jay Feeley & 1 yard TD run by Thomas Jones) to bring the score to 29-15 lead.

Manning on the sidelines as he watches the NY Jets end their perfect season.

Throughout the final quarter you could definitely tell that most of the Colts players were a little weary to sit around and watch as the pursuit of a perfect season came to end, yet Payton Manning still supported his coach’s decision “Until any player in here is the head coach, you follow orders and you follow them with all of your heart. That’s what we’ve done as players. We follow orders. Our orders were not to give up a turnover, not to give up a kick return for a touchdown. There are not many games, under any circumstances, that you win when you have turnovers and give up a kick return for a touchdown.”

Now the NY Jets control their own playoff destiny.  If they win over the Cincinnati Benglas on Sunday night at 8:20 pm they will have made good on the gift/opportunity the football gods have placed in front of them.

As a Jet fan let’s hope they make good on the chance… J-E-T-S! JETS! JETS!! JETS!!!

Let's go Jets!!!

Merry Christmas & Happy Holiday’s to All!

Here at The Sports Bra Reports – I wanted to take a quick timeout from all the sports stories that surrounds us everyday and I wanted to wish all the faithful readers a Very Happy Holidays! Whatever you celebrate during this holiday season I hope you find yourself surrounded by family, friends and/or loved ones.  Happy Holidays to All!!!

From Championship to Sinking Ship… Presenting The 2009 Pittsburgh Steelers

2008 NFL Champs... 2009 6-7 record and losses to the Oakland Raiders & Cleveland Browns... Sorry Steelers fans, season outlook... Not so good.

“We’ve found different ways to not rise up in critical moments, and we’re losing football games because of it, this one tonight, it really happened in all three phases.”

The above quote is what Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was saying after the fifth consecutive loss by the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night.  What makes it even more shocking than the Steelers dropping five straight are the teams they are losing to.

On Thursday the Steelers lost to 1-11 Cleveland Browns by a score of 13-6.  The Browns snapped a 12 game losing streak to the Steelers by going up early 10-0 in the first half and containing Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger by sacking him 8 times and only allowing a total of 6 points.

Playoffs!? You're talking 'bout Playoffs?!? We're trying to win a game!

In the five game losing streak the Steelers have lost to Cincinnati, Kansas City, Baltimore, Oakland and Cleveland.  Wide-Receiver Hines Wards of the Steelers said, “To lose five straight coming off a Super Bowl from last year is embarrassing. There’s nothing fun about losing games, especially five in a row. We’re better than that. We should play better than that. With three games left, you’re going to see who really wants to go out here and play for the pride of this organization and this city and who doesn’t want to be around here.”

The Steelers D has been uncharacteristic allowing teams to come back and win games late in the second half.  Without Safety Troy Polamalu it just isn’t the same defense that won the championship last year.

These 2009 Steelers have very little chance of making the playoffs this year as their next three games are against stiff competition – Green Bay (8-4), Baltimore (6-6) and Miami (6-6).  If the Steelers do not make the playoffs this year, it will not be the first time they fail to defend their Super Bowl title.  In 2006, they failed to make the playoffs after winning the chip in ’05.