It's Been a Wild and Crazy Ride

By SCOTT CACCIOLA

FLORHAM PARK, N.J.—The Jets have been championing their Super Bowl prospects since August, and now they stand just one win short of a trip to Dallas. On Sunday, they will face the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field in the AFC Championship Game, the culmination of a season on the brink in so many ways.

As the Jets prepare for an AFC Championship match against the Steelers, WSJ's Scott Cacciola looks back at the ingredients that fueled the team's unexpected run this season.

In evaluating how the Jets reached this point, the Wall Street Journal has pieced together a highly unscientific formula for the team's success.

Coaching 35%: Conversations about the Jets these days tend to begin and end with Rex Ryan, the team's head coach. Mr. Ryan has shaped this team—confident, brash, loquacious—in his image, and his players have rallied around him. Sometimes lost amid the bluster is Mr. Ryan's status as one of the game's most innovative minds. Exhibit A: The Jets' defensive scheme in last Sunday's 28-21 victory over the New England Patriots. Quarterback Tom Brady seldom has looked more confused, or more defeated.

Defense 20%: Quarterback Mark Sanchez has made most of the headlines this season, good and bad, but the Jets' defense remains the team's backbone. After finishing the regular season ranked third in total defense (just ask linebacker Bart Scott), the Jets hit the road for the playoffs and pulled off two of their stoutest defensive efforts of the year, stifling the Indianapolis Colts and quarterback Peyton Manning in the opening round before stunning the Patriots at Gillette Stadium.

Jets Factor: How They Got There

The Jets have been championing their Super Bowl prospects since August, and now they stand just one win away.

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Associated Press

Coaching 35%: Coach Rex Ryan has shaped this team in his image, and his players have rallied around him.

Veteran Leadership 10%: The Jets are full of bold, loud personalities, and there are times when they bear a greater resemblance to a sitcom cast than to a professional football team. The locker room has been held together by Mr. Ryan and by a handful of veterans who provide a stabilizing, grounding presence. Among them: running back LaDainian Tomlinson, fullback Tony Richardson, linebacker Jason Taylor and wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery. Mr. Tomlinson, in particular, has been a quiet motivator. He signed with the Jets over the offseason for a shot at a championship—the one achievement that has eluded him in his Hall of Fame-worthy career. His teammates understand how much this opportunity means to him.

Personnel Moves 10%: In addition to signing Messrs. Tomlinson and Taylor, the Jets traded for wide receiver Santonio Holmes—a former Super Bowl MVP with the Steelers. After sitting out the first four games of the regular season for violating the league's substance abuse policy, Mr. Holmes immediately added a dynamic element to the Jets' offense, grabbing 52 passes for 746 yards. He also had a key touchdown reception against the Patriots last weekend. His ability to run deep routes has opened up the rest of the field for Mr. Sanchez.

The Sanchize 8%: One of the most scrutinized athletes in the city's high-pressure, high-stakes sports world, Mr. Sanchez has a unique ability to perform at his best amid the toughest conditions. Mr. Ryan credited Mr. Sanchez's competitive drive. His teammates point to his preparation. Whatever the formula, Mr. Sanchez has been solid, already having won more playoff games (four) in his first two seasons than any quarterback in franchise history.

Trash Talking 7%: If your television hasn't been on mute for the past five months, there's a good chance you've heard one or more of the Jets talking. Talking about how good they are. Talking about how they're the favorites to win the Super Bowl. Talking about how much they hate Mr. Brady. Taking their cue from Mr. Ryan, these Jets are unabashed and uncensored. The latest example played out in the immediate wake of Sunday's win over the Patriots, when Mr. Scott went all Hulk Hogan during an on-field interview with ESPN. The video has since gone viral.

Jets' Playoff Dress Rehearsal

The New York Jets took to their indoor football field in Florham Park, N.J., on Friday to prepare for the AFC Championship game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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Suzy Allman for The Wall Street Journal

The team practiced drills on Friday before the big game.

Distractions 5%: Where to begin? There was wide receiver Braylon Edwards' early-season arrest on DUI charges. The Ines Sainz incident. The Sal Alosi trip. The questions about Mr. Ryan's personal life. And on and on…But while some teams might be undone by such episodes, the Jets have managed to thrive. Why? How? Perhaps it has something to do with the team's us-against-the-world mentality: Nothing matters to them except what happens on the field. The Jets invite skeptics, doubters, who, in their minds, only provide more reason for them to prove everyone wrong.

Overtime 3%: The Jets made NFL history in November when they became the first team to win back-to-back road games in overtime. A disclaimer: Those wins came against the lowly Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns. But the way the Jets won created the sense, at least among the players themselves and maybe fans, that there was something special about this team. Here was evidence that this was a team of—yes, we'll say it—destiny.

Luck 1%: The Jets have gotten a few bounces this season, a couple of good breaks. Any team does, but they've made the most of their good fortune. How about a late pass-interference call against the Denver Broncos that set up the Jets' comeback victory on Oct. 17? Or giving up 20 unanswered points to the Houston Texans on Nov. 21 but scoring in the closing seconds to pull off a win?

M&Ms 1%: Mr. Ryan loves M&Ms—pretzel M&Ms, in particular. They make him happy. Without them, who knows where this team would be?

Write to Scott Cacciola at scott.cacciola@wsj.com