New York is getting some press - Lito Sheppard, New York Jets secondary exposed by Peyton Manning and ...

New York

BY Ohm Youngmisuk

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Monday, January 25th 2010, 4:00 AM

C-O-L-T-S!

What was the key to the Jets' loss to the Colts in the AFC title game?

Game Grades: AFC title game

What grade would you give K Jay Feely for his performance against the Colts?

INDIANAPOLIS - If this was Lito Sheppard's final game as a Jet, it wasn't one to remember.

Sheppard, the cornerback whom the Jets traded for to take care of the side opposite Darrelle Revis, was demoted in favor of Dwight Lowery. The move ended up producing nothing but grief as Pierre Garcon had 11 catches for 151 yards and a touchdown - doing most of his damage against Lowery - to lead the Colts to a 30-17 win in the AFC Championship Game yesterday.

"That is the funny part about this business," said Sheppard, who may not return next season since the Jets have to pay a $10million option if they want to trigger the last four years of his contract. "You can't control what happens behind the doors and behind the scenes. When I am not there, I just try to do my best and help my team win. And unfortunately I just wasn't needed today."

The Jets will surely spend their offseason looking for more secondary help. Revis largely held up his end of the bargain yesterday, helping limit Reggie Wayne to three catches for 55 yards. And Dallas Clark managed just four receptions while scoring one touchdown on a defensive breakdown.

But the Jets' downfall was their inability to cover Peyton Manning's two youngest receivers - Garcon and rookie Austin Collie. Every time Manning needed a first down, he seemingly found either Garcon or Collie open.

The Jets suffered a major blow to their game plan when cornerback Donald Strickland suffered a groin injury with 2:32 remaining in the first quarter. On the next play, Manning connected with Garcon - guarded by Sheppard - for 36 yards.

Without Strickland, the Jets' secondary soon fell apart.

"I felt a pop in my groin so I probably tore it," Strickland said. "The game plan we had set, I was heavily involved and things had to change when I went out. They took advantage of it."

With the Colts trailing 17-6 with 2:11 left in the first half, Manning made the Jets' defense look silly. He marched the Colts 80 yards on four plays over 58 seconds, hitting Collie for three straight completions for 18 yards, 46 yards and then a 16-yard touchdown. The 46-yard pass play was a precise throw that went just over Drew Coleman's outstretched arms. That score cut the Jets' lead to 17-13 at halftime.

"It was like Peyton has a photographic memory or something," Lowery said, shaking his head. "He sees something or he double counts us and he automatically knows what is going on and what checks to make and what not and where to go with the ball, and at the end of the day you've got to compete and make plays."

From there it was the Garcon show. He had eight receptions for 81 yards in the second half, many coming against Lowery, who often had decent coverage but was beaten by Manning's pinpoint throws.

The Colts took a 20-17 lead with 8:03 left in the third quarter when Manning fired a perfect 4-yard pass to the corner of the end zone to Garcon over Lowery.

"I mean, it's a perfect throw," Lowery said, still looking stunned well after the game. "Peyton Manning puts the ball exactly where he wants it to be."

By the time Manning added a 15-yard touchdown pass to Clark in the fourth, the damage had been done.