With the odds stacked against them, a determined New York Jets team took the field combining pressure defense and an aggressive offense in beating the New England Patriots 28-21 in Foxboro.

“I thought it was going to come down to me versus [Bill] Belichick but it didn’t” said Jets coach Rex Ryan. “It came down to the players and the assistant coaches and we won the battle.”

Early on, the Patriots seemed like the usual well-oiled machine the Jets were used to. In their first drive of the game, All-Pro quarterback Tom Brady was moving the ball deep into Jets territory, when his pass was intercepted by linebacker David Harris ending a potential touchdown drive.

The Jets offense then got into gear as quarterback Mark Sanchez connected with LaDanian Tomlinson on a 7-yard touchdown pass giving Gang Green the lead. It would be the first of three touchdown passes thrown by Sanchez.

“The offensive line did a great job tonight,” said Sanchez. “It’s a lot easier when you have that kind of time and protection. It makes my job a heck of a lot easier.”

Sanchez (16/25 194 yards), took advantage of that protection rifling a pass completion to Braylon Edwards in the red zone. Edwards dragged two All-Pro defenders with him into the end zone extending the Jets lead to 14-3 in the first half.

Brady was unable to get into a rhythm all night. The constant pressure from the defensive line had the quarterback out of the pocket and out of his comfort zone.

“The defensive line played great,” said cornerback Darrelle Revis. “They moved Brady out of pocket – and that was our game plan. He is best when he sits in that pocket.”

Brady (29/45 299 yards) was rushed on many occasions throwing errant passes. The Jets defense collected five sacks and the defensive backs shadowed the Patriots receivers all night making it difficult for Brady to make easy completions.

“We stuck to our game plan and our D-line had a hell of a day today,” said Harris. “They created havoc for Brady. Our goal was to not give up the big play and tackle better and come out with more intensity.”

That intensity was carried out into the second half, and although being outscored 8-0 in the third quarter, the Jets defense had still only allowed Brady to get the Patriots into the end zone once as the teams entered the final quarter of play.

“It was a total effort of defense,” explained Ryan. “From the pass rush to the second level and obviously the deep guys and they all got it done.”

As the fourth quarter began, the Jets once again were moving the ball with authority against the Patriots defense. Sanchez connected with Santonio Holmes in the corner of the end zone giving Gang Green a 21-11 lead.

“He’s [Sanchez] getting better and better and better,” said Ryan. “He’s done an incredible job of protecting the ball and making great plays. And our receivers made some great plays tonight too.”

Sanchez and the Jets were not done yet. With 1:41 remaining in the game, Shonn Greene scored on a 16-yard run capping a 14-point fourth quarter and securing a date with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship Game.

“We came here for a reason,” said Ryan. “We thought we were the better team and our players simply outplayed their players. It took all of us and we showed up for 60 minutes. It was just a great team effort.”

Following the trouncing in Foxboro back in December, this Jets team was ready for revenge and took this game very personal.

“We were disrespected last time,” said defensive end Shaun Ellis. “We just wanted to get them back.”

“No team in this league should ever lose by a score of 45-3,” added Edwards. “We were embarrassed and maybe it was a wake up call.”

The New York Jets have nothing to be embarrassed about following this win. Led by a second-year quarterback, this team has won four road playoff wins in two years already beating future Hall of Fame quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Tom Brady

“I am proud of this team,” said Sanchez. “This is a huge win for Coach Ryan and for our organization. All of the coaches did a great job in getting us ready. It was a great effort by everyone.”

As the Jets savor the victory, their next opponent proves to be even more difficult in an even more difficult environment. With a win over Pittsburgh, Gang Green will not only hold the title of AFC champions, they will have earned the right to play in Super Bowl XLV.

“We want to be AFC champs,” said Ryan. “That’s what we want to accomplish this week.”