Spread: Bengals by 2 1/2
Hash marks: Jets QB Mark Sanchez is the only rookie starting quarterback in this year’s postseason field and just the ninth rookie QB to start a postseason game in the Super Bowl era.
The Jets win if: Sanchez can avoid making the game-changing mistake. The Jets have the league’s No. 1 rushing attack — at 172.3 yards per game — and the top-rated defense — allowing only 252.3 yards per game. So Sanchez simply has to manage the situation and keep his nerves in check. Expect the Bengals to come after him early to try to get him unsettled.
The Bengals win if: They get their mojo back. They lost three of their last four games coming down the stretch and seemed to fade once they had the division title within reach. That’s not exactly the sign of a mature team.
Jets player on the spot: Sanchez. He threw 20 interceptions this season but did not throw an interception in three of his last four games. He did toss three in a 10-7 loss to Atlanta on Dec. 20, but he largely took care of the ball as the Jets earned the last playoff spot by beating up on reserves from the Colts and Bengals the past two weeks.
Bengals player on the spot: Running back Cedric Benson, who was the league’s rushing leader early in the season but showed a little wear and tear in the season’s second half. He hasn’t rushed for a TD since Nov. 8.
Bet you didn’t know: The Bengals were one of the league’s worst teams running to the strong side — where the tight end is usually lined up — averaging fewer than 3.7 yards a carry going off right tackle or around right end.
Key matchup: Bengals DT Tank Johnson vs. Jets left guard Alan Faneca. The Jets’ league-leading rushing attack has averaged 5.8 yards per carry in plays coming behind Faneca, so Johnson will have to hold his ground if the Bengals are going to keep New York’s offense out of manageable down-and-distance situations. If the Jets can’t run the ball, that puts the heat on Sanchez, and that’s what the Bengals want.
The call: Bengals 23-13
Jeff Legwold, The Denver Post
