Jets break tendencies to set up second half

INDIANAPOLIS - Remember that talk about the Jets returning to their ground-and-pound style to keep the ball away from Colts quarterback Peyton Manning? Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer seemed to stray from that approach in an effort to go against type in the first half of the Jets' first-round playoff game Saturday night at Lucas Oil Stadium.

But thanks to a defense that held Manning and the Colts to just a 7-0 halftime lead, the offense was able to get back to playing Jets football in the second half of their thrilling 17-16 victory, capped by Nick Folk's 32-yard field goal as time expired. The Jets scored touchdowns on their first two drives in the second half with time-consuming drives, and that's what left them in position for the winning drive.

"We tried to break tendencies in the first half because we run a lot on first down," guard Brandon Moore said. "That first drive in the second half was the real gut check."

The Jets took the second-half kickoff and went 63 yards to score on a 1-yard run by LaDainian Tomlinson to tie it at 7. After the Colts came back with a field goal to take a 10-7 lead, the Jets put together an extraordinary 87-yard drive that required 17 plays and consumed 9:54 before Tomlinson scored from the 1 for a 14-10 lead with 9:59 left in the fourth quarter.

Tomlinson led the Jets with 82 yards on 16 carries and Shonn Greene added 70 yards on 19 carries.

"We were able to assert our will in the second half," tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson said. "It was a real dream to put together those long drives. The defense played very good and kept the points low, and a lot of people stepped up on offense, L.T. and Braylon [Edwards]. L.T. is a phenomenal back, and he came up big."

In the first half, the Jets called pass plays on first down 6 of 13 times, and overall they ran only 13 times for 74 yards compared to 20 pass plays, including one sack. All five Jets possessions reached Colts territory and one got into the red zone, but they came away with nothing to show for it as they trailed 7-0 at halftime.

That all changed in the second half. "We went with more downhill runs in the second half instead of the misdirection," Greene said. "It felt great. L.T. and I were going back and forth to keep each other fresh."

Jets coach Rex Ryan couldn't help but zing the media when he said of Tomlinson in a sarcastic tone, "I know everybody loved that we picked him up . The guy's an amazing player. I think he has 1,000 yards now."

Tomlinson sat out the final regular-season game and finished with 914 yards rushing.

Once Manning worked enough magic to push the Colts in front 16-14 with 53 seconds left, the Jets got a 47-yard kickoff return from Antonio Cromartie out to their 46. Then quarterback Mark Sanchez positioned them for Folk's field goal with an 18-yard sideline completion to Braylon Edwards.

"If they press on the hitch [route], you come back to the fade, and that's what we did," Edwards said. "I knew Folk was an indoor kicker. I knew he'd make it. I didn't even watch."