CINCINNATI — After it was all over last night at Paul Brown Stadium, after the Jets ended the Bengals’ season and catapulted their own to who-knows-where-from-here, Rex Ryan stood outside one the team buses in the frigid night air and puffed on a fat cigar with a look of utter pride and satisfaction etched on his face.
The temperature hovered just above single digits, but Ryan might as well have been basking in a beach chair decked out in his Tommy Bahama best in South Florida, where he plans to be in three weeks at Super Bowl XLIV — still coaching his team.
Ryan, the rookie head coach, and Mark Sanchez, his rookie quarterback, are moving on to the AFC divisional playoff round after last night’s 24-14 wild-card victory over the Bengals. And the Jets’ bold dream of a magical Super Bowl run lives on.
PHOTOS: JETS BEAT BENGALS, 24-14
Six days after dismantling the Bengals 37-0 at Giants Stadium in the win-and-get-in regular-season finale to qualify for the playoffs, the Jets beat them again and await today’s Ravens-Patriots game to learn if they will play the Colts or Chargers.
A Ravens win in New England will send the Jets to San Diego for a Sunday afternoon game. A Patriots win sets up a delicious Saturday night rematch against the Colts in Indianapolis, where the Jets beat the Colts three weeks ago to end their undefeated season.
“This was just the first step in what we think is going to be a great journey,” Ryan said.
As he stood at the podium, Ryan’s eyes were red from a powerfully moving moment he had just been a part of inside the Jets’ locker room when he presented team owner Woody Johnson the game ball.
Johnson’s daughter, Casey, died earlier in the week in L.A. Players said Johnson was overcome with emotion when Ryan gave him the game ball. Ryan, too, had tears in his eyes.
“This one was for Woody,” Ryan said.
“He was very emotional. You could tell how much this meant to him,” safety Jim Leonhard said the owner. “After a win like that, you’re on Cloud Nine and you come in here and you look at Woody Johnson’s eyes and you realize that’s it’s a game. This goes from football to real life real quick.
“It’s hard. It means a lot for us to get a win for him. We feel like we’re helping him cope.”
VIDEO: JETS ADVANCE IN PLAYOFFS
RAW AUDIO:
MARK SANCHEZ ON THE KEYS TO WINNING
JAY FEELY ON PULLING DOUBLE DUTY
DARRELLE REVIS ON SHUTTING DOWN OCHOCINCO
SHONN GREENE ON HIS STELLAR GAME
TONY RICHARDSON ON MARK SANCHEZ
Sanchez played his best game as a pro, completing 12 of 15 for 182 yards and a 45-yard TD pass to Dustin Keller.
“This is when you need to turn it on,” Sanchez said.
“He had the eye of the tiger today,” Ryan said. “He was on fire. He wanted this game in the worst way. I think he’s tired of hearing he’s the weak link on this football team. One of these days he’s going to be the biggest thing we have on this football team. Maybe that day’s coming sooner rather than later.”
For the second consecutive week, the Bengals couldn’t cope with the Jets offensive line, which was again too physical for them, and Jets rookie running back Shonn Greene, who busted them up for 135 rushing yards and a 39-yard TD run.
The Jets — winning their first playoff game since Jan. 8, 2005, in San Diego — have won six of their past seven games after they were mired in a three-game losing streak at 4-6 at Thanksgiving.
For Sanchez, who entered the game with 20 interceptions and three lost fumbles, it was the first time this season he’s gone three consecutive games without a turnover.
The Jets overcame an ominous start, with punter Steve Weatherford unable to play because of an irregular heartbeat that was detected minutes before kickoff. Kicker Jay Feely had to punt for the first time in his NFL career.
They, too, overcame an early 7-0 Bengals lead to take a 14-7 lead into halftime, thanks to the 39-yard scoring run by Greene and the 45-yard Sanchez TD pass to Keller.
The Jets made it 21-7 on a Thomas Jones 9-yard scoring run in the third quarter and sealed the game with a 20-yard Feely field goal with 5:47 remaining in the game after the Bengals had cut it to 21-14 on a Cedric Benson TD run.
Where now for the Jets after Ryan’s claim that they should the favorite to win the Super Bowl?
“We can’t get much higher than what I predicted,” Ryan joked.