How they got there
In the 2010-2011 season, Rex Ryan led the New York Jets to their second appearance in the AFC Championship game. After finishing the regular season with an 11-5 record, the Jets secured a spot in the playoffs. They faced the Colts in the wild-card round and narrowly defeated them. In the divisional round, Mark Sanchez outdueled Tom Brady to secure back-to-back playoff wins on the road. However, their run ended in the AFC Championship game, with the Pittsburgh Steelers advancing to the Super Bowl.
Flashback
During the time of the Jets’ playoff run, Bruno Mars’ song “Grenade” topped the charts. The movie “No Strings Attached,” starring Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher, was dominating the box office. The median income in the U.S. was $50,054, and gas prices averaged just over $3 a gallon.
The White House
Barack Obama was serving his first term as president and had announced his plans to run for reelection in April 2011.