SAN DIEGO — This is Kerry Rhodes’ preference. Not facing the Patriots. Or the Ravens. Or anyone else.
The Colts. This is what Rhodes wanted. His Jets teammates, too.
“We want this challenge. We didn’t want nobody else. We wanted to play Indy,” Rhodes said after the Jets’ 17-14 upset of the Chargers that sends them to Indianapolis for the AFC Championship game. “We want to show everybody that we can beat them with all their guys in.”
That’s something the Jets didn’t do last time, as everybody on the NFL-following planet knows. On Dec. 27 in Lucas Oil Stadium, the Jets’ playoff chances would have ended if they lost to the Colts. And in the third quarter, they trailed 15-10. But Colts coach Jim Caldwell pulled Peyton Manning and Co., and the Jets pulled out a 29-15 triumph.
Now comes the rematch. With all the Colts playing.
“Everybody kind of thinks they let us win that one,” Shonn Greene said. “But it is what it is, and we’ll find out next week.”
Darrelle Revis said, “Peyton has to play the whole game. This isn’t sitting out the third quarter. We know we’ll see him the whole game and we’ll see their starters the whole game.”
Assuming Rex Ryan’s wish isn’t again granted.
“I don’t know if Santa Claus is going to be that good to me again,” said Ryan, who got his Christmas wish when the Colts backed off. “I will say it: I’d like to see Peyton Manning not play this week.”
One thing the Jets pointed out — correctly — was that with the Colts playing all their stars into the third quarter, they weren’t routing the Jets. That’s certainly reason to believe that a rout isn’t in the forecast for this Sunday, either.
“They pulled their starters halfway through the third and they were only up [five] points,” Braylon Edwards said. “We could care less who plays this game. We’re on the steamroll train and we’re happy. We’re happy that people don’t give us a chance or don’t respect us or they go out here and say that we don’t deserve to be in the playoffs. Each week we’re showing different.”
Calvin Pace said, “The pressure ain’t on us. It really isn’t. When you’re not supposed to be there you can let it all hang out. When you’re the No. 1 seed and you’ve got the first-round bye and you’re 14-2 or whatever, they got the pressure. We’re just going in and playing. Just riding the wave.”
Additional reporting by Brian Costello
