An interesting first round Wild Card playoff game will be taking place between the New York Jets and the Cincinnati Bengals this weekend as the NFL playoffs kick off.
The Jets finished the season with a 9-7 record, led by rookie QB Mark Sanchez and new head coach Rex Ryan, formerly defensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens.
The Bengals bounced back from a 4-11-1 season and ended up finishing the year at 10-6, winning their division to the surprise of many as they beat out both the Steelers and the Ravens in the AFC North.
Thanks to the return of star QB Carson Palmer, who missed most of last season due to injury, the team was revitalized and looked like its former competitive self. Contributions from new starting running back Cedric Benson also helped out greatly.
Can the Jets beat this team, especially when played on their own field? It seems like a tall order for a team that was 6-7 just a few short weeks ago.
While the team has won its last few games, the wins against the Colts in week 16 and the Bengals in week 17 aren't counted by many, as both teams rested most of their starters because of the fact that they were already playoff bound and didn't want to risk injury.
Anyway, here are a few quick keys to the Jets' success on Saturday. If they can come through with these, they can come away with a win.
Chad Johnson must be shut down. He's far and away the team's best receiver, and isolating him could go a really long way. If Darrelle Revis can play as he usually does, this is a definite possibility.
In addition to this, Mark Sanchez needs to limit his mistakes. He doesn't need to be a standout QB in this game. If he can be efficient through the game, throw a couple hundred yards, and a couple of TDs with few or no turnovers, the Jets' defense and run game can carry them the rest of the way.
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