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NFL History: Ranking the 30 best wild card teams in NFL history

By Nick Villano

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - OCTOBER 06: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Eli Manning #10 and Brandon Jacobs #34 of the New York Giants in action against the Philadelphia Eagles on October 6, 2013 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Eagles defeated the Giants 36-21. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - OCTOBER 06: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Eli Manning #10 and Brandon Jacobs #34 of the New York Giants in action against the Philadelphia Eagles on October 6, 2013 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Eagles defeated the Giants 36-21. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /
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New York Jets
Quarterback Mark Sanchez #6 of the New York Jets. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

Ranking the 30 best wild card teams in NFL history: 15. 2010 New York Jets

The 2010 New York Jets are the most forgotten great team of the 2010 decade. People look back at the Rex Ryan Jets as a complete failure, but he was legitimately thought about as one of the best coaches in the league during the 2010 season. Sure, he was a walking talking soundbite, but that made things interesting in New York. His personality was exactly what the second team to represent The City needed (even though they play in New Jersey).

The 2010 Jets were the team that beat the New England Patriots in the playoffs. Is there more readers need to know? They went into Foxborough and beat Tom Brady and the Patriots 28-21. Mark Sanchez played the game of his life against the greatest of all time Tom Brady. When the Jets needed him at his best, he was at his best throwing for three touchdowns and zero interceptions.

What we forget about this year is the Jets beat Peyton Manning and the Colts before even facing off against the Patriots. Imagine going into the playoffs as the Jets winning the Wild Card and getting no chance to win the first week. This was an epic game that just fell by the wayside. Adam Vinatieri kicked a field goal with less than a minute left to give the Colts the lead. Then, Sanchez drove the Jets down the field, and Nick Folk, with ice in his veins, kicked a 32-yard field goal as time expired to win it.

It was one of the best runs of this generation that didn’t lead to a Super Bowl win. The AFC Championship Game was epic, too. The Jets went down 24-0 in the first half, and it looked like it was over. Then, Nick Folk put the Jets on the board right before halftime. Santonio Holmes scored a touchdown on the Jets’ first drive of the second half. Jericho Cotchery caught a touchdown pass with three minutes left in the game and the Jets down five. The Jets hoped they could kickoff and get the ball back, but it didn’t happen. The Steelers got a couple of first downs, and that was the end of that.

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