#6 New York Jets vs. #2 Pittsburgh Steelers
Jan. 23, 5:30 p.m. at Heinz Field (CBS)

Head coach Rex Ryan and the New York Jets continue their postseason lifeline, and will have to face one final hurdle to the finish line in Dallas in the form of the mighty Pittsburgh Steelers.

And what a hurdle it will be. Heinz Field is not an easy place to visit, especially when playoff elimination is on the line. Just ask the Baltimore Ravens who have never beat the Steelers in the playoffs, and lost to their division rivals last week by one score after leading 21-7 going into halftime.

Yet, the Steelers managed to roar back after their defense forced three turnovers in the second half and closed the game with a final score of 31-24 to secure their place in the AFC Championship game for the second time in three years and the fifth time since 2001.

The Jets’ offensive effort will have to revert to their passing game if they are going to put points on the board. The surging Steelers had the best rushing defense in the league during the regular season, allowing 62.8 YPG. Pittsburgh became the first team in NFL history to hold their opponents to less than 75 rushing yards in the first eight games of the season, and they have only allowed one 100-yard rusher in the past 50 regular season games.

In two NFL seasons, Jets QB Mark Sánchez is 4-1 in the postseason playing all five games on the road. Last season, Sánchez totaled impressive numbers in his three playoff games. Even more impressive is the 388 total yards, three passing touchdowns, one interception and a 60.7 percentage completion rating he has tallied in the two victories in the ...