Jets are the unwashed, unloved and (so far) unstoppable underdogs of NFL playoffs

The other three NFL teams in this weekend’s conference championship games have the Canton-bound quarterbacks, gaudy passing numbers, and seedings that secured them first-round byes.

But the New York Jets have the clear edge in one category.

Disrespect.

They are the slighted, the snubbed, the underdog team so forgotten that, a few weeks ago, even their coach thought they had been mathematically eliminated from the playoff picture.

All that doesn’t matter now; it only serves as more motivation, because the Jets -- with their rookie coach, quarterback and running back -- are headed to the AFC championship game for the first time since 1998.

“A matchup that probably nobody wanted, but too bad,” Coach Rex Ryan said. “Here we come!”

Indianapolis will play host to the Jets in Sunday’s early game (noon PST, Channel 2), and it’s safe to say that this time -- unlike in Week 16 -- the Colts won’t send Peyton Manning to the sideline in the third quarter when they are protecting a five-point lead.

Last time, in came Colts rookie Curtis Painter, who had never taken an NFL snap, and he was completely overwhelmed by New York’s smothering defense. The Jets wound up winning, 29-15, and keeping alive their playoff hopes.

Now, there’s no getting around the perception the Colts gift-wrapped a golden ticket for them. (The Jets stomped Cincinnati in the finale to get into the postseason.)

Once in, the Jets beat the Bengals on the road -- while the Colts, Saints and Vikings were enjoying their week off -- and Sunday won at San Diego, knocking off a team that had won 11 in a row.

So skeptics don’t carry much weight in the New York locker room.

“Who cares? Who cares what people think?” linebacker Bart Scott said. “All they can say is, we earned the right to be here. We had two road wins against two quality opponents. There are people who thought the San Diego Chargers were the best, and we’re still left in the tournament. We got it done.”

Scott said the Jets need to play “an almost perfect” game to beat Manning, who this season won his record fourth most-valuable-player award.

When they’re at their best, the Jets lean heavily on their hard-hitting defense, football’s best against the pass, and a top-ranked running game that pounds the ball with rookie Shonn Greene and Thomas Jones. Quarterback Mark Sanchez, a first-round pick from USC last spring, is asked to manage the game and minimize mistakes rather than win it with his arm.

“Mark did great, managed the game, made plays when he had to,” Scott said of Sanchez, who completed 12 of 23 passes for 100 yards with a touchdown and an interception. “But that’s how we play.”

Greene followed a 135-yard rushing performance against the Bengals with a 128-yard day against the Chargers, including a 53-yard touchdown run. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, he’s the first player in league history with 125-plus yards rushing and a rushing touchdown in each of his first two postseason games.

“I talked to Shonn Greene probably the eighth game of the season, and I told him that when November and December came, he was going to win a lot of football games for us,” Scott said. “He was a little frustrated because he wasn’t dressing all the time. I said, ‘Youngster, man, embrace it. Learn. You’re going to be fresh when all of us are breaking down.’

“Our bodies have been through 18 games now. His body has been through 10. So he’s fresher than the opponents every play, and he’s tough to tackle. . . . When you come to the playoffs and you’re trying to do the impossible, there’s always guys that emerge that you didn’t think to count on.”

Surprising teams emerge too. Even if they’re not the prettiest, or have the most dazzling numbers.

“These aren’t the Golden State Warriors or Phoenix Suns,” Scott said, referring to NBA teams with the reputation for not much defense and even less toughness. “These are the old-school Pistons. It’s going to be ugly. It’s not entertaining. I know the league and a lot of people would prefer to see the aerial show so they can build it up. But we’ve got the old grimy Jets.

“Tune in if you want to.”

sam.farmer@latimes.com