It must be pointed out that the demeanor of this team has really shifted since the start of the season. Bart Scott was the team’s front man and his inflated bravado permeated the entire team.

Players who were more soft-spoken like D’Brickashaw Ferguson were making guarantees about the team’s prospects and their own individual goals. But much of the team’s optimism came across as bluster as the team struggled through a midseason funk.

Now there is a cool confidence about this team and they are not strutting as much as they used to. They appear very focused on the task at hand and have been very businesslike in their approach.

I was concerned some players would start trash talking after blowing out Cincinnati but that did not happen. Even Rex Ryan has controlled himself.

The whole team seems to understand that even a minor distraction could upset their focus. Now other leaders have regained center stage and it has had a steadying effect on the team.

Guys like Damien Woody are really stepping up and leading the way. SNY’s post game footage really captured his impact.

Just before the team gathered for it’s ritual winning chant (“And the Home of the…Jets!”), Woody had this to say, “The real season starts right now. We play for the hardware – that’s it. Let’s get our minds right. Enjoy the win but get our minds right. Let’s go!”

This kind of leadership is invaluable for the younger guys. Woody kept it all in perspective and reinforced some accountability in the locker room.

Prior to the game it was Thomas Jones who took his usual place at the center of the offense’s pre-game huddle. He had this to say - “It’s our night men - national TV! This is what we do man! Play hard for four quarters – whatever it takes. Whatever it takes! We need this game. Now lets go out there and get a W!”

Leadership from guys like Woody and Jones is invaluable this time of year.

Just like their win against Indianapolis, the Jets effort against Cincinnati was diminished by the media. Most outlets qualified their win because the Bengals rested a number of starters and employed a lot of vanilla schemes.

These factors no doubt played into the lopsided victory but do not fully explain the Bengals’ pathetic showing. The Jets are not getting much respect and that is a good thing for Rex Ryan.

The Jets’ coach will no doubt use this as motivation. An “Us against the World” mentality is what every coach dreams about. Playing the underdog card at this time of year usually brings solid results.

Expect the Jets to come out and play with a lot of intensity, if for nothing else than to prove everyone wrong. The only thing that can undo the Jets right now is themselves.

Only overconfidence can sabotage them at this point but this team seems too hungry to let that happen. With many experts rating them as the biggest long shot in the playoffs, they will have enough motivation to play hard.


Jets’ Offense

The Jets’ offense churned out 257 yards on the ground Sunday but will probably have a tougher time in the rematch. The Bengals’ best run-stopper, DT Domato Peko returns from a knee injury so he will jam things up more on the interior.

I am not convinced, however, that Peko’s return will fix things for their run defense. Peko has missed five games and will be shaking off some rust in his return.

The Jets should challenge him right out of the box. If they get movement against him it will be a long day for the Bengals’ defense.

Joining Peko in his return will be DE Robert Geathers (he missed one game) but he is more of a pass rusher and does not bring a lot of power to the run defense. Geathers does not stack and shed well and presents an opportunity for the Jets to run at his side.

Brian Schottenheimer devised a good game plan in the last match up. He attacked the Bengals’ weakened left side. With most of their runs to their right, the Jets took advantage of two back ups.

This week they will find the going tougher as Peko and Geathers return to their starting spots but I believe the Jets will still be able to run against this defense. The trick for the Jets will be to stay one step ahead of Cincinnati’s defense.

After Brad Smith ran roughshod over them, they will no doubt be scheming to stop him. By using Smith out of an option formation, Schottenheimer effectively loosened up the defense the same way many coordinators use a passing game.

Since he will still try to limit Sanchez’ exposure, Schottenheimer will need to employ other wrinkles to keep the defense honest. This would be a great time to use Smith as a passer, especially early on.

No doubt Marvin Lewis is planning for such a contingency but planning for something and having experience against it are two different things. An early pass out of the option should keep this defense guessing and could deliver a crushing blow just as Smith’s 57-yard run did last game.

If the Jets do not formulate some new looks they might not be able to move the ball and will therefore struggle to score points.

ESPN’s Football Outsiders have applied similar saber metrics that Major League Baseball uses. Their analysis ranks the Bengals first in the league in OFY (Open-Field Yards) allowed which represents rushing yards gained 10 or more yards downfield.

If the Bengals figure out Brad Smith and limit the Jets’ running game to short gains, they will have to rely more on Mark Sanchez on third down and that is something they would rather not do.

Sanchez has played well the last two weeks but that was because he had 19 and 16 attempts in those contests. Sanchez has been at his best when he can throw in non-obvious passing situations.

If he faces a lot of third and longs it could be a long game for the rookie. The Bengals showed a lot of vanilla looks last game but that will not be the case this week. Sanchez will have to make good reads against more zones and will have to hang in the pocket against more blitzes.

The Bengals’ secondary will also be tougher this game as they get safety Chris Crocker back. The Jets targeted his replacement Tom Nelson last game and had great success.

Crocker has good instincts and breaks well on short routes. Where he struggles is against the deep ball.

This game could come down to which team throws the ball better. Straight up, Carson Palmer would have the clear edge but Palmer will be facing a much tougher defense than Sanchez.

If Sanchez can hit on a couple of deep throws, particularly early on, it will do wonders for his confidence and will significantly loosen up the Bengals’ run defense.


Jets’ Defense

This rematch pairs the two lowest scoring offenses in the playoffs so chances are good this will be a low scoring affair. Freezing temperatures and possible snow should lead to a defensive battle.

Even though Brad Smith and the Jets’ offensive line grabbed the headlines, it was the Jets’ defense that had the Bengals’ in a stranglehold Sunday and never let go.

Over the last six games, the Jets’ defense has allowed only 15 of 81 3rd down conversions, which translates to a remarkable 18%. In that same span, they have not allowed a 100-yard receiver or a 100-yard rusher.

They have given up only 8 passing touchdowns all season and have held opposing quarterbacks to a rating of only 59. This does not bode well for Carson Palmer and the Bengals’ passing attack.

The Bengals’ offensive line had a difficult time handling the Jets’ pressure packages and that trend should continue. The Jets fared just as well against the Bengals’ starting line as it did against their back ups.

This will make life harder for Palmer but his biggest challenge might be playing without his best receiver.

Although many said Chad Ochocinco’s pregame fall contributed to his poor performance, I agree with SNY’s Adam Schein who attributed the “Revis flu” to Ochocinco’s off night. Ochocinco’s pride was hurt more than his knee as his streak of 120 consecutive games with at least one reception was snapped by Revis.

If there is any sure thing in this game, it is that Darrelle Revis will continue his dominance over the NFL’s best receivers and will hold down Ochocinco for the second game in a row.

The Bengals rushing offense finished the season ranked 9th overall and will certainly get a shot in the arm with Cedric Benson’s return. Benson is a downhill runner who likes to make one cut and accelerate through the hole. He likes to attack the line of scrimmage but lacks vision and struggles to create on his own when there is congestion.

This will be a critical game for David Harris who should play despite an ankle sprain. As the Jets’ leading tackler, his presence in the middle will be critical to clog up running lanes in the interior. To stop Benson, the Jets must close off the middle and force him to run laterally.

As a north-south runner, Benson does not fare well when he has to accelerate to the outside and create on his own.

Although the Jets have not received much praise for their run defense, they happen to be one of the better units in the league. They give up only 3.8 yards per carry but more importantly, they have excelled at negative plays.

Another new statistic, “stuff rate”, calculates how often runners were stuffed for no gain or negative yardage and the Jets rank 6th in this area. If the Jets can continue to produce negative plays against the run, it will set up their pass rush perfectly.

Cincinnati will no doubt want to establish Benson early to offset the Jets’ blitz but if Gang Green can come up with some stops early, it will put the Bengals offense in a hole. It will force them into third and longs, which will make Palmer vulnerable to some hits.

Keys

On paper this is a tight match up for both teams. They both want to run the football and play tough defense.

The Jets’ offensive line manhandled the Bengals’ front but with key starters returning to Cincinnati’s line up, the Jets will have to work harder in this one.

The NFL’s second season always brings a ratcheted up intensity level. Therefore the Jets’ defense will have to take its game to another level.

It will have to shut down Cincinnati’s offense and get the ball back to the offense with good field position. If the Jets cannot run the ball consistently, they will need the defense to tilt the field in their favor.

The following are the keys that will spur a Jets’ victory:

• Challenge DT Domato Peko. After a five-game layoff he will be well rested but will need time to get used to the contact again. If the Jets can run at him with success it will have a demoralizing effect on the entire defense.

• Brian Schottenheimer must add a few new wrinkles. The Bengals’ defense will be geared up to stop Brad Smith so the Jets should change up their attack with a pass out of the wild cat Smith is sure to run.

• Sanchez must complete a couple of big throws early. That will be the only way to keep the Bengals from stacking 8 and 9 men in the box.

• David Harris must be ready to go. With Cedric Benson running the ball, the Jets will need their best tackler in the lineup.

• Force Benson to run east-west. Benson prefers to run behind his pads and square up against would-be tacklers so the Jets must clog running lanes inside and force him to turn his shoulders and run laterally.

• Bring the blitz. The Bengals’ offensive line looked overwhelmed against the Jets’ blitz packages. If the Jets can get Carson Palmer in third and longs they should be able to pressure him into bad throws.