Rookie kicker Nate Kaeding missed a 40-yard field goal that would have advanced San Diego into the next round, thus opening the door for a Jets victory.

The Dolphins advanced through the special 16-team playoffs by defeating the New England Patriots, 28-13, the San Diego Chargers, 34-13, and the New York Jets, 14-0, to earn a trip to their fourth Super Bowl in team history.

The Jets advanced through the Wildcard round this time, which led to a return trip to Oakland.

The Colts entered the Super Bowl off victories over the Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets, while the Saints advanced after defeating the previous year's runners up the Arizona Cardinals in their first game and the Minnesota Vikings in the second.

There were also five teams which the Texans had never beaten: the Baltimore Ravens ( 0-5 in regular season, 0-1 in playoffs ), Minnesota Vikings ( 0-2 ), New York Jets ( 0-5 ), Philadelphia Eagles ( 0-3 ) and San Diego Chargers ( 0-4 ).

This continued into 2010 when the Colts would only compile a 10 – 6 record, the first time the Colts did not win 12 games since 2002, and lose to the New York Jets in the wild card round of the playoffs.

The two teams met twice a year ( interrupted in 1982 by a player strike ) 1970 – 2001 ; with the move of the Colts to the AFC South the two teams ' rivalry actually escalated, as they met three times in the playoffs in the South's first nine seasons of existence ; the Jets crushed the Colts 41 – 0 in the 2002 Wild Card playoff round ; the Colts then defeated the Jets 30 – 17 in the 2009 AFC Championship Game ; but the next year in the Wild Card round the Jets pulled off another playoff upset of the Colts, winning 17 – 16 ; it was Peyton Manning's final playoff game with the Colts.

Since 1968, the Jets have appeared in the playoffs thirteen times, and in the AFC Championship Game four times, most recently losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2010.

Additionally, through the 2000s the Jets visited the playoffs five times, a franchise record, under the direction of three different coaches.

Though regular season meetings have been infrequent since then, the teams have met two more times in the playoffs, including in 2009 when the Colts and Jets met in the AFC Championship Game.

A memorable regular season game was in 1988, when the Giants faced off against the Jets in the last game of the season, needing a victory to make the playoffs.

The Chargers entered the first round of the playoffs but were eliminated by the New York Jets, who won in overtime 20 – 17.

They locked up the second seed as well as a first round bye but this served them no advantage in the playoffs as they lost at home to the Jets 17 – 14 ( the only home team with a bye to lose in the divisional round ).

But Dawson silenced the critics and led Kansas City to a strong finish in the playoffs, defeating the defending champion Jets in New York, 13-6 in the Divisional Playoffs, and defeating the Raiders 17-7 in the AFL Championship Game, thus essentially making the Chiefs the first wild card team to play in the Super Bowl.

The Broncos demolished the Miami Dolphins, 38 – 3, and the New York Jets, 23 – 10, in the playoffs.

They started the playoffs strongly by sweeping the Winnipeg Jets in the Smythe Division semifinals.

In the playoffs, the Oilers swept the Kings in the opening round and Jets in the first two rounds.

In the first round of the playoffs, the Oilers dispatched the third place Winnipeg Jets in five games.

Following the addition of Selanne, the Mighty Ducks pushed for a playoff spot, winning 12 of their final 15 games, but finished the season ninth place in the West ( the top eight teams qualify for the playoffs ); they had an equal 78 points to the eighth-ranked Jets, but finished a spot below them by virtue of having less wins.

Led by Hawerchuk, Steen, Babych and Carlyle, the Jets returned to respectability fairly quickly, and made the playoffs 11 times in the next 15 years.

Due to the way the playoffs were structured at the time, the Jets were all but assured of having to beat either the Oilers or the Flames ( or both ) to get to the Campbell Conference Finals.

In his first season with the Jets, the team barely missed the playoffs with a record of 9 – 7.

In 1998, the Jets went to the playoffs with a 12 – 4 record, which was good enough for second place in the conference and earned the Jets their third home playoff game since moving to New Jersey in 1984 ( their first home playoff game was against the New England Patriots following the 1985 season ), but lost to the eventual Super Bowl-champion Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game.

The Jets would finish 8 – 8, but out of the playoffs.

The Colts, however, were stunned by the Jets who won the game 16 – 7 in the first Super Bowl victory for the young AFL.

The loss to the Jets would be the last game for Peyton Manning as a Colt.

Unitas threw for 376 yards and two scores but was sacked six times as the Jets won 44-34 ; the game was considered one of the top ten passing duels in NFL history.

During the season, the Vikings had many distractions, including trading for Randy Moss and then waiving him only a month later, Brett Favre's NFL investigation for allegedly sending inappropriate text messages to Jets ' employee Jenn Sterger while he was with the team in 2008, the Metrodome's collapse and resulting venue changes, and finally head coach Brad Childress ' firing on November 22 following a 31 – 3 loss at the hands of the rival Green Bay Packers.

* Longest Interception Return for Touchdown: 99 yards Darren Sharper ( October 4, 2009 vs New York Jets )

In a unique arrangement for the league, the Jets share MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey with the New York Giants.

Thereafter, Rich Kotite was selected to lead the team to victory ; instead he led the Jets to the NFL's worst record for two consecutive years.

Kotite stepped down at the end of his second season forcing the Jets to search for a new head coach.

Leon Hess became well known for his Hess Corporation gas stations ; however, he also played an instrumental part in the development of the Jets during his tenure as co-owner and eventual sole owner.

Litigation began between New York City and the Jets over the issue, and in the lawsuit's settlement, the city agreed to allow the Jets to play two September home games a season at Shea beginning in 1978 for the remaining six years in the Jets ' lease.

When negotiations reached an impasse, the Jets announced their intention to depart for New Jersey.

In an effort to conceal the fact that they played in a stadium built and decorated for another team, the stadium grounds crew was assigned to make the stadium more Jet-friendly during Jets games by putting up green banners and placing the Jets ' logo over the Giants '.

As the Jets sought to become a stronger franchise and remove themselves from their counterparts ' shadow, the team entered into negotiations with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in an attempt to build a stadium on the west side of Manhattan, entering a bidding war with TransGas Energy Systems and Cablevision for the rights to the West Side Yard property — Hess, prior to his death, had been approached by former mayor Rudy Giuliani about bringing the team to the West Side when their lease at Giants Stadium expired in 2008.

The MTA unanimously voted to sell the land to the Jets for approximately $ 210 million as the committee agreed that having the stadium would be beneficial in the long run.

The pinnacle of the rivalry came on August 17, 1969 when both the Jets and Giants met for the first time, in a preseason game which was viewed as a " turf war " by both opponents.

The Jets, with a 7 – 7 – 1 record, had little to lose as their hopes for playoff contention had vanished.

The Jets exacted revenge on their opponent when they eliminated the Colts in a narrow 17 – 16 victory that saw Nick Folk kick the game-winning field goal for New York as time expired.

2010 was the 1st season without LaDainian Tomlinson since 2000 ( let go by management due to an over-sized contract relative to production and other issues, he went on to lead the Jets in rushing with 914 yards & tied for 3rd in receptions with 52 ).

There was at the time no mission compliant, long range Ambulance ICU Jet anywhere available including, except for one of four Swiss Air Ambulance Challenger Jets, based half way around the globe at the REGA HQ, Zurich International Airport in Switzerland.