Woody still proud of his Jets

PITTSBURGH - The three words etched across Braylon Edwards' back encapsulated the Jets' fighting spirit throughout their promising season.

"Whatever. It. Takes."

The blue tattoo ink spoke volumes, even while the wide receiver sat silent.

The Jets vowed to leave it all on the Heinz Field turf Sunday night. But in the end, they just didn't have enough.

After 30 minutes, they had dug a hole that proved too great to escape. Despite a Jets-like second-half effort, according to owner Woody Johnson, the Jets fell short of their Super Bowl aspirations, losing to the Steelers, 24-19, in the AFC Championship Game.

"I'm proud of the team," Johnson said outside the locker room. "I'm proud of what they've accomplished this season. We still put it together. We got outplayed in the first half but we came back in the second. That looked more like the New York Jets."

Jerricho Cotchery's 4-yard touchdown reception provided some much-needed life on the Jets' sideline with 3:06 to go. Mark Sanchez's well-timed throw to the wide receiver, who darted into the end zone, cut the Jets' deficit to five, giving them a renewed sense of hope.

"With two minutes left, we all felt we had a shot," left guard Matt Slauson said. "If we wouldn't have gotten stopped on the goal line, it would've been tied up."

The Jets had first-and-goal at the 2 with 8:39 to play, but on fourth down at the 1, the Steelers stuffed LaDainian Tomlinson short of the goal line.

"I don't know how close I was," said Tomlinson, who was stopped for no gain. "I couldn't tell where the end zone was. I just tried to fight."

Had the Jets scored a touchdown on that drive, the outcome might have been different. But that matters little now, they said.

When it all was said and done, the Jets could only think of the missed opportunities.

Sounds of yelling and cheering infiltrated the visitors' locker room through the vents and walls as the Jets hung their heads in collective silence.

On one side of the room, Cotchery stood in front of his locker, quickly shoving clothes and equipment into his travel bag. On the other, Bryan Thomas comforted a teary-eyed Jason Taylor with a hard pat on the shoulder.

"Any time you come short of your goal and come so close, you always look at it as a lost opportunity," tight end Dustin Keller said.

Added Slauson: "We didn't put together a whole game, that's what hurts. We lost, but it's because we didn't put together a full four quarters. We only played two."

Sanchez, who was 20-for-33 with 233 yards and two touchdown passes, voiced his unhappiness.

"We just started slow and it's really too bad, 'cause we have a great group," said the quarterback, who injured his left arm on a sack.

Sanchez had no explanation for the slow start, but he kept telling himself to "just hang in. It's a long game."

The Jets ended up giving the Steelers a late-game scare. But it just wasn't enough.

"I came up short," Sanchez said, "and we did, too."