NFL picks: Security, security! Jets have crashed the party

Picture the NFL conference championship games this way. Jimmy Stewart, Gregory Peck, Spencer Tracy and, oh, I don’t know. Charlie Sheen. Or Robert Downey Jr.

Tradition. Blue blood. Stateliness. And then here come the Jets.

We’re not even talking about Rex Ryan’s boisterism. Not talking about the Jets’ bravado. Just their pedigree.

Packers, Steelers and Bears are NFL old line. The Rooney family. The Halas family. The city-owned Packers. All date back to the origins of the NFL. All have these regal, rich histories. Then come the Jets.

Playoff history is a fascinating subject. In 1960, the NFL added the Vikes and the Cowboys to its 12 teams. The AFL added itself, with eight charter members. That’s 22 pro football teams in 1960. That’s 50 years of football (51 seasons).

In those 51 seasons, and counting just those 22 franchises, the Jetropolitans are 12-12 in playoff games. Their 24 games rank ahead of only the Lions (10) and the Chiefs (22) in playoff games. The Jets’ 12 post-season wins rank ahead of only the Lions (one), the Chiefs (eight) and the Chargers (10) in playoff victories.

Between Joe Namath’s Super Bowl in January 1969 and Rex Ryan’s hiring in January 2009, the Jets won six playoff games. Now Ryan has won four in 13 months.

For grins, I ran the numbers on NFL playoff won-loss records. I think you’ll find this interesting.

Most victories: Dallas, with 33. The Cowboys, despite 12 franchises having anywhere from a one- to three-decade headstart, have more playoff victories than any other franchise.

Most games: Dallas, with 58. The Steelers are next with 51.

Best winning percentage: Green Bay, .628 (27-16). But we could have a new leader Sunday. The Steelers are .627 (32-19). If Pittsburgh wins and the Packers lose, the Steelers move to the top.

Here are the standings, with won-loss record all-time and since 1960:

1. Dallas 33-25 (33-25)

2. Pittsburgh 32-19 (32-18)

3. Green Bay 27-16 (24-14)

4. San Francisco 26-18 (25-16)

5. Oakland 25-18 (25-18)

5. Baltimore/Cleveland 25-25 (16-20) — I’m sorry, I don’t accept the NFL’s declaration that the Ravens were a new franchise when they moved to Baltimore. You can say call something anything you want. You can call a tree a Chrysler, a vacuum cleaner or a P.F. Flyer. But it’s still a tree. The Browns franchise moved to Baltimore. The current Browns franchise is an expansion franchise. If you want to talk about a fan base’s devotion, then OK, you can make a connection. But if you’re talking about an organization, which we are, then the old Browns and the new Browns are no more linked than the Cardinals and the Rams.