I would normally agree that the AFC North is a tough division, but 09 was a down year for that division. Cincinnati has been terrible, and their 08 season (4-11-1), and 10 season (4-12) show what type of team they really were.
Missed field goals count, but the fact is SD missed 2 easy field goals that cost them the game. The final score was 17-14 Jets. SD makes those field goals, and its 20-17 Chargers. Yes, the Jets missed 2 field goals against the Colts in the AFCC game, but the final score was 30-17 making those missed field goals irrelevant.
An incomplete pass? You can't be serious! Take a good look at 4:23 again.
[video]http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/2011012300/2010/POST20/jets@steelers/watch[/video]
Perfect coverage? Again, you can't be serious! 3:47 mark if you would like to look at it again.
[video]http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/2010011701/2009/POST19/jets@chargers/watch[/video]
Jackson is in front of Revis, and he drops the ball. Yes, Revis pulling on his right arm had something to do with the drop, but the crazy part is when it bounced off his foot right into the lap of Revis. It was good concentration by Revis, but very lucky that the ball ended up in his lap.
Jets fan's certainly don't care that the Colts were banged up, and neither would I had the Dolphins been the ones playing them. The fact is they were not the same Colts team and the Jets were fortunate that they were banged up. Had they not been, the Jets don't get passed round 1.
Are you really going to compare losing Lito Shepard and Shonn Green in 09/10, to the Colts injuries in 10/11? It is not even close. The Colts could have gone undefeated in the 09/10 regular season had they not rested their starters. The Colts were clearly the better team in 09/10, and would have beaten the Jets even if they had Green and Shepard the whole game.
What if SD made those 2 field goals and the Jets lost? Would that change your opinion of the Jets as an elite team? What if Indy was healthy in the 10/11 playoffs, and beat the Jets. Would that change your opinion of the Jets as an elite team? Those things did not happen, but not becasue of anything the Jets did, but becasue of the other teams bad luck. SD missing 2 easy field goals, or Indy being decimated by injuries does not make the Jets elite. You can argue that the Jets still would have beaten Indy had they been healthy, but since they only beat them by 1 point, I would disagree.
Without good fortune, the Jets lose at SD in 09/10, and lose to Indy in10/11. A good team and good seasons, but not even close to elite in my opinion.
How was '09 a down year? Bal and Pitt both had winning records and Bal made the div round. The reason neither won the div was b/c both got swept by Cincy.
It's easy to look at the final score and say they msised 2 easy FGs BUT it was 17-7 and the Jets went into prevent mode, if it is 17-10 or 17-13 they don't and when we werne't in prevent our D dominated SD all game long.
His arm was going forward, it was a borerline call that could easily have gone either way. if they called it incomplete on the field they never would have reversed it.
Revis was right on him and made a great play on the ball, give the man some credit.
Rivers was blitzed and forced to throw early forcing jackson to alter his route but revis was right there w/ him and his arm knocking Jackson's arm had everything to do w/ why he didn't catch it. a GREAT play.
If we have kris Jenkins, Jim Leonhard, a healthy damien Woody things could have been different too. In '09 if we didn't lose Jenkins, Leon, the DBs, Shon Greene,... It's part of the game. Indy didn't have them and they lost.
We were in cotnrol of the '09 title game until we lost a couple of DBs(you think you need DBs when facing manning?) we had the lead at halftime when Greene went down. That was a HUGE loss.
Yeah IF SD beats us and IF NE neats us we don't make the title games and we aren't elite but we DID beat those teams. I can say what iof Greene doesn't get hurt? what if that long pass at the end of the 1st half at Indy in the title game doesn't get completed(it was completed by an inch), what if we don't get stuffed at the 1 or they call the Sanchez play incomplete? There are what ifs in every game, we won some and lost others- all deserving. We can also play the what if game for the SB teams the last 2 years and all successful teams, it's silly to do so. The Jets clearly have been an elite team the last 2 years, now let's see if they can remain elite and final;ly break through to the SB.