NFL: Jets shock Patriots

The New York Jets defeated arch-rivals and heavy favourites the New England Patriots today to book a spot in the AFC Championship game.

It was sweet revenge for the Jets who outplayed the Patriots 28-21, handing the AFC's top seed their first loss at Gillette Stadium this season.

The win marks a remarkable turnaround by the Jets who lost to the Patriots on the same ground 45-3 just over a month ago.

The Jets will play the Pittsburgh Steelers next Monday for a spot in the Super Bowl.

The Jets defence held strong throughout the game as Patriots' star quarterback Tom Brady struggled to make an impact in the first half and continued his patchy performance down the stretch.

On the other side of the ball however Jets' quarterback Mark Sanchez threw three touchdowns in leading his side to their second straight AFC title game.

Elsewhere the Chicago Bears eased by the Seattle Seahawks 35-24 in their NFC divisional playoff game.

A Chicago win was never in doubt after they went out to a 28-0 lead midway through the second quarter, led by quarterback Jay Cutler who threw for two touchdowns and ran in two more in the victory.

The Bears will now host old rivals the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship game next Monday (NZT) for a spot in the Super Bowl.

The game will mark the 182nd match between the two rivals. The Bears last played in the Super Bowl in 2007 going down to the Indianapolis Colts.

Their last Super Bowl victory came in 1986, while the Packers won the NFL's biggest prize in their last visit to the Super Bowl in 1997.

The Packers booked their spot in the NFC title game with a convincing 48-21 win over top seeds the Atlanta Falcons yesterday.

- Herald online