SportsDirect Inc. staff
Jan 8, 2011
Nick Folk kicked a 32-yard field goal as time expired to lift the New York Jets to a 17-16 victory over the host Indianapolis Colts in an AFC wild card game on Saturday night.
LaDainian Tomlinson scored a pair of second-half touchdowns as the Jets (12-5) used a bruising running game to avenge a 30-17 loss to the Colts in last season's AFC Championship game.
Sixth-seeded New York advances to the divisional round next weekend against the rival New England Patriots. The teams split two meetings this season.
The Colts appeared to have pulled out the victory when Adam Vinatieri kicked his third field goal of the game, a 50-yard with 53 seconds to play to give Indy a 16-14 lead.
But Antonio Cromartie returned the ensuing kickoff to the Jets' 46-yard line and quarterback Mark Sanchez had a huge 18-yard completion to Braylon Edwards with time winding down to set up Folk's winning kick.
Tomlinson rushed for 82 yards on 16 carries and Shonn Green added 70 yards on 19 carries as the Jets controlled the second half and erased a 7-0 halftime deficit.
Peyton Manning finished 18 of 26 for 225 yards and a touchdown for the Colts (10-7), who had won their last four games to win the AFC South and secure the No. 3 seed.
Sanchez was 18 of 31 for 189 yards with one interception. Edwards had four catches for 62 yards.
Indianapolis took a 7-0 lead into halftime courtesy of Manning's 57-yard scoring strike to Pierre Garcon with 5:25 left in the second quarter.
Garcon had five receptions for 112 yards but Reggie Wayne was limited to one catch by New York's Darrelle Revis.