Rory Gold

The New York Jets have been the biggest surprise on the Super Bowl line this playoffs and not many people that were making their NFL picks thought that they would be here.

The Jets were one of the last teams into the playoffs and their head coach, Rex Ryan, actually thought his team was eliminated back in Week 15.

After a tough home loss to the Atlanta Falcons, in which the Jets were leading the entire way until the final drive of the game, Ryan stepped up to the podium and spoke in a very disappointing tone.

Ryan spoke of the fact that it’s too bad that the Jets were eliminated from the playoffs and he talked about how he would shift his focus towards next year.

But in fact, sportsbook odds makers knew that the Jets were not eliminated but they still had a glimmer of hope. That glimmer turned out to be a giant fissure because of the breaks the Jets would get in the coming weeks.

The Jets needed to win their final two games of the regular season and if they did, they would be in the postseason. As luck would have it, the Jets ended up facing two teams that had nothing to play for.

In Week 16, the Jets faced the very same Indianapolis Colts. The Colts were 14-0 at the time and had already clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC, so they rested their players in the second half. The Jets took advantage and won.

In Week 17, the Jets faced a Cincinnati Bengals squad that had little to gain, and they also won.

When you start to take a look at what the Jets have done down the stretch of the season, it’s hard not to be impressed. They have won eight of their last nine games and they have used the same formula in each one.

The Jets keep it simple: run the ball, don’t make mistakes and play defense. Considering they have the top-ranked defense and the No. 1 overall running game, their plans typically work.

On Sunday, they’ll face the Colts and all they’ll need is a turnover or two. The Jets played with the Colts really tight in the first half of Week 16 when the Colts were trying and now the Jets know what they have to do to win.

The game plan will be the same. Hang around and stay within striking distance and pounce once the Colts make a mistake.

US Sportsbook Review Pick: Jets +7.5

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