ROOKIE QB SANCHEZ LEADS JETS TO NFL PLAYOFF WIN OVER BENGALS

Mark Sanchez wasn’t asked to win Saturday’s NFL playoff game for the New York Jets over the Cincinnati Bengals.  The Jets just needed him to avoid mistakes and he complied, allowing his team to beat the Bengals 24-14.  Sanchez became only the second rookie quarterback in NFL history to win his playoff debut on the road, joining Baltimore’s Joe Sacco who did it last year.  Jets rookie running back Shonn Greene carried 21 times for 135 yards and a TD, the third highest total yardage in NFL for a rookie running back in his playoff debut.
 
The Jets also rewarded their financial backers with the outright win.  New York had been a NFL football betting line underdog of +2’ points in the game.  Cincinnati was a horrible home favorite all season, posting a 0-8 mark against the NFL pointspread.  The 38 combined points managed to go OVER the posted total of 34.  Before Saturday’s game, 5 of the last eight meetings between the two teams had gone UNDER the total.

New York had secured the playoff berth with a week 17 victory over the Bengals, and while the score wasn’t as lopsided as the 37-0 win in the regular season finale it was much more significant.  The Jets have only played Cincinnati 9 times since 1992 but have dominated the series, winning 8 of those meetings.  This may have been the most improbable victory of them all, with the Jets playing on the road with a talented—though interception prone—rookie quarterback.  After the game, Sanchez minimized the significance of his performance:

"It's pretty special. It's got nothing to do with me."

Head coach Rex Ryan disputed his quarterback’s assessment of his contribution to victory:

"He had the eye of the tiger today and he was ready to get out there and throw it around. I see him getting better and better each day on the practice field. What a job he's done. I think he's tired of hearing he's the weak link on this football team."

The Jets’ top ranked defense also did their job as head coach Ryan won his NFL playoff debut.  Afterwards, he commended his team on their effort:

"This was a great team effort. We're a good football team. If people don't believe that, they soon will."

Cincinnati running back Cedric Benson ran for 169 yards, essentially the only bright spot in the losing cause.  The Bengals have not won a playoff game since 1990, a nineteen year streak of postseason futility which is the longest such run in the NFL.