Manning continues to rewrite the records books - Similar to the NFC Conference Championship, the battle for the AFC Conference Championship hosted the number 1 seed, the Indianapolis Colts. They're opponent however was one nobody expected to be there -- The New York Jets. But after already defeating both the Cincinnati Bengals and the San Diego Chargers in the postseason, the Jets were just as confident as anyone. Led by a strong defense and a ground game that led the the league in rushing, the Jets started the game like they were destined to win. But it wasn't long before Peyton Manning began to work his brilliance and lead the Colts to their second Superbowl appearance in four seasons.
Although Mark Sanchez and the Jets failed to make it to the Superbowl, they almost did it in the opposite way many thought they could. For as much as the team depends on it's defense, the offense seemed to be what was keeping them in the game to almost pull off the upset. After an 11-point lead with under 2 minutes remaining in the first half, Manning would bring the Colts to within 4-points heading into the lockers, after connecting in the end-zone with WR Austin Collie. With momentum on their side, the Colts then came in during the second half and did what needed to be done, as the Jets were shutout for the remainder of the game, resulting in a final score of 30-17. With the win, the Colts got their revenge on the team that put an end to their potential undefeated run just several weeks ago.
Regardless of the outcome, I've gotta tip my hat to Mark Sanchez for proving everyone that doubted him wrong and that said he wasn't experienced enough to start in his first year in the NFL. Instead, the former USC Trojan developed into one of the more promising arms for the future as both he and Jets head coach Rex Ryan should work wonders in New York for many years to come. Sanchez finished the day throwing for 257 yards and 2 touchdowns on 17 of 30 passing attempts, giving him an overall stellar performance. But the game ball would have to go to Peyton Manning of coarse.
After the first half, Manning found his groove and shredded the best defense in the league, finishing with a total of 377 yards and 3 touchdowns on 26 of 39 passing. With Jets Pro-Bowl CB Darrelle Revis covering Colts WR Reggie Wayne, Manning completed 18 of his 26 passes to WR's Pierre Carcon (11 catches, 151 yards) and Austin Collie (7 catches, 123 yards). The 300+ passing yard performance marked Manning's 7th 300-yard playoff game of his career, passing Kurt Warner and Joe Montana for the most all-time. It's no wonder Peyton Manning was rewarded this year's league MVP. But will he be able to add another Lombardi Trophy to his already crowded trophy case?
Aside from the game itself, my favorite part had to be the award ceremony after the game. With the earthquake that hit Haiti just weeks ago, no one on the field was affected more by the tragedy than Colts WR Pierre Garcon. Garcon who is of Haitian descent, had a big day on the field and broke the record for the most receptions in an AFC Championship game and was seen celebrating after the game with teammates and holding a Haiti flag up high (as seen in the photo below). It definitely served as one of the more touching moments of the NFL season this year.
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