New York Jets

The New York Jets are a National Football League team that plays its home games in East Rutherford, New Jersey, but whose offices and training facilities are located in Hempstead, NY on Long Island. The team was founded in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League and joined the NFL as part of the AFL-NFL Merger.

Franchise history

The Jets began as the Titans of New York, a charter member of the American Football League in 1960. The name "Titans" was intended to be a play on "Giants", New York's highly successful NFL franchise. The team played its home games at the decrepit Polo Grounds and did not draw well, despite fielding respectable teams that finished .500 (7-7) in their first two seasons. However, after the 1962 season, when the Titans finished 5-9, the team's future in New York was in doubt. The team was saved from bankruptcy by a group including Sonny Werblin and Leon Hess who bought the team from Harry Wismer in 1963. The team was re-named the New York Jets and their team colors changed from blue and gold to kelly green and white. Shortly thereafter, the Jets hired as their coach Weeb Ewbank, who had won back-to-back NFL championships with the Baltimore Colts and was one of the most respected coaches in the game.

Related Topics:
American Football League - 1960 - Polo Grounds - Sonny Werblin - Leon Hess - 1963 - Weeb Ewbank - Baltimore Colts

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In 1965, the Jets signed Alabama quarterback Joe Namath, who chose to sign with the Jets over the St. Louis Cardinals, the team that held his NFL rights. Namath's contract was for a then-record $427,000 annually. The confluence of signing Namath, as well as the Jets' moving into brand-new Shea Stadium, the Giants' poor performance since 1964, and the AFL's brand-new deal with NBC, helped to made the Jets the hottest football team in New York, and one of the most popular teams nationwide. The Jets drew both at home and on the road and, perhaps as much as any other factor, Namath's undisputed success with the Jets led to the landmark merger of the AFL with the NFL, to finally be consumated in 1970.

Related Topics:
1965 - Alabama - Quarterback - Joe Namath - Shea Stadium

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The Jets improved steadily on the field after Namath's arrival. In 1967, Namath led the Jets to an 8-5-1 record, their best record yet. Namath reached a milestone by passing for 4,007 yards in 1967, a 14-game season, making him the first-ever professional quarterback to pass for 4,000 yards in a season. This was especially remarkable given that at the time 3,000 yards passing was considered an excellent year.

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Finally in 1968, the Jets would reach the pinnacle of their existance, and provide the moment that would indicate the AFL's coming of age. Under Namath's guidance, the Jets rose to the top of the AFL and in 1969 represented that league in the Super Bowl. They were pitted against the "best team in the NFL", the Baltimore Colts. At the time, the AFL was considered to be inferior to the NFL and most people considered the Jets to be heavy underdogs. In the week leading up to Super Bowl III, Namath famously "guaranteed" a victory and the Jets went on to complete one of the greatest upsets in football history by defeating the Colts 16-7. This victory showed that the AFL was capable of competing with the NFL. The Jets' first game in the NFL was also the first-ever Monday Night Football game, a 31-21 loss to the Cleveland Browns.

Related Topics:
Super Bowl - Baltimore Colts - Super Bowl III - Monday Night Football - Cleveland Browns

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The 1968 season also saw the Jets involved in one of the most notorious incidents in television hisory, an incident that would change the way television networks carried sporting events for decades to come. On November 17, 1968, just before 7pm Eastern, the Jets scored late to take a 32-29 lead over the Oakland Raiders with 1:05 left. NBC cut to a commercial, and then everywhere but the West Coast showed the movie "Heidi", a show which NBC had promoted extensively for the sweeps period. Outraged fans bombarded NBC headquarters in New York with phone calls demanding the game be restored, which eventually knocked out the NBC switchboard. Even though a decision was made to carry the game to conclusion, this decision could not be communicated, thus resulting in the movie starting on schedule.

Related Topics:
Oakland Raiders - Sweeps

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Fans' ire was further fueled when they discovered that NBC's cutting away from the game denied them from seeing live a dramatic finish. On the Raiders' second play from scrimmage on the next drive, Daryle Lamonica threw a 46-yard touchdown pass to Charlie Smith, giving the Raiders a 36-32 lead. On the ensuing kickoff, Earl Christy of the Jets fumbled at the 10 yard line, which the Raiders' Preston Ridlehuber converted into another touchdown, ultimately giving the Raiders a 43-32 victory. Much of the country learned of this final outcome only via a bottom-of-screen crawl line shown during the movie. As a result of this incident, dubbed the Heidi Game, most television networks and sports leagues amended their television policies to ensure that games in progress would be broadcast to their conclusion, no matter what, even if it meant delaying or cancelling the rest of the network's lineup, and even if the game's outcome seemed assured. The Jets enjoyed another excellent season in 1969, winning the AFL's Eastern Division with a 10-4 record, but lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional playoffs.

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The Jets did not live up to expectations after the AFL and NFL merged in 1970. In their first season after the merger, Joe Namath broke his wrist in October and had to sit out the rest of the year, with the Jets finishing 4-10. Another injury to Namath before the 1971 season submarined the Jets that year as well, with Bob Davis and Al Woodall leading the team to a 6-8 record. Namath was back for the 1972 season, leading the team to a respectable 7-7. After another disappointing season in 1973, coach Weeb Ewbank retired. After Ewbank's departure, Charley Winner was brought on board to coach the Jets in 1974, and the Jets had a late surge to finish the season 7-7. In 1975 the Jets would finish only 3-11, and Winner was replaced by Lou Holtz, who had been head coach at North Carolina State University. Unfortunately for Holtz, his coaching style was not ideally suited for the NFL and he only won 3 of 13 games as Jets coach before leaving the Jets with one game left in the season to resume his college coaching career at the University of Arkansas.

Related Topics:
1970 - Joe Namath - 1971 - Bob Davis - Al Woodall - 1972 - 1973 - Weeb Ewbank - Lou Holtz - North Carolina State University - University of Arkansas

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Namath's career mirrored the Jets after the AFL-NFL merger became final in 1970. He missed much of the 1970, 1971 and 1973 seasons due to injuries, most notably to his ravaged knees, which robbed him of his mobility and much of his effectiveness. He would not throw more touchdowns than interceptions in a season after the merger, and in fact only had two post-merger seasons (1972 and 1974) where his performance could have been classified as a reasonably successful year. (The Jets also had relative success in those years as well, finishing 7-7 both years.) After a terrible 1976 season - in which Namath only threw 4 touchdown passes against 16 interceptions in 11 games - Namath was traded by the Jets after the 1976 season to the Los Angeles Rams. He would play only four games for the Rams before announcing his retirement during the season, at the relatively young age of 34. Although Namath would make the Hall of Fame, it was widely acknowledged that he made it on his performance through the 1969 season, for his role in leading the Jets to a victory in Super Bowl III, and for his being a transcendent icon, the likes of which pro football had not seen.

Related Topics:
1976 - Los Angeles Rams

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After Namath's departure, Walt Michaels was hired for the 1977 season and stayed with the team for six years. In Michaels's first year (1977), the Jets finished 3-11 for the third straight year. However, the Jets were rejeuvenated for the 1978 season, with unheralded quarterback Matt Robinson replacing Richard Todd and throwing for 2000 yards and the team finishing 8-8. The Jets were actually 8-6 after the first 14 games and had a chance at a playoff berth, but lost their final two games. Richard Todd again took over under center for the 1979 season and did even better, but the Jets again finished 8-8. Todd imploded with a 30-interception season in 1980 and the team went down with him, finishing 4-12 and last in the AFC East. One of the Jets' bright spots in the late 1970s was their defensive line. Mark Gastineau and Joe Klecko anchored the "New York Sack Exchange" and combined for more than 40 sacks by 1981.

Related Topics:
Walt Michaels - 1977 - 1978 - Richard Todd - 1979 - 1980 - Mark Gastineau - Joe Klecko - 1981

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That 1981 season was the Jets' first winning season since joining the NFL. The Jets would finish 10-5-1 and make the playoffs for the first time since 1969 on Richard Todd's 3231 yards passing and 25 touchdowns, most of them to Wesley Walker and Jerome Barkum. A late comeback in their first playoff game, against the Buffalo Bills, was stopped when Todd threw an interception deep in Bills territory in the final minute, and the Jets were eliminated.

Related Topics:
1969 - Wesley Walker - Jerome Barkum - Buffalo Bills

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In a strike-shortened 1982 season, the Jets finished 6-3 and upset the defending AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals in the first round of the playoffs, followed by another upset of the Oakland Raiders in the second round. In the AFC Championship against the rival Miami Dolphins, Richard Todd's reputation of throwing costly interceptions came back to haunt him: he threw three. The Dolphins won 14-0, and Walt Michaels took a job in the short-lived United States Football League.

Related Topics:
1982 - Cincinnati Bengals - Oakland Raiders - Miami Dolphins - United States Football League

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Joe Walton was the new coach for the 1983 season, and he led the team to a 7-9 season. After the 1983 season, the Jets lease with the City of New York for the use of Shea Stadium had expired, and the Jets would need to cut a new deal. However, the renewal deal offered by the City of New York was highly unfavorable to the Jets, including terms such as that the Jets could not play a home game at Shea Stadium until the Mets' season was over, which would have forced the Jets to play at least the first month of the regular season on the road. Essentially evicted from Shea, in 1983 the Jets reached an agreement with the New Jersey Sports and Exhibition Authority to play their home games at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey beginning in 1984. Despite admittedly being the second tenant at the Meadowlands, the stadium was considered one of the best in the NFL and allowed the Jets to realize revenue streams and flexibility they would not have realized had they stayed at Shea Stadium. It also enabled the Jets to sell over 15,000 more tickets to each game and better leverage the New York area fan base and corporate support. For their part, the Giants welcomed the Jets, as the Jets presence at the Meadowlands would eventually enable both teams to gain improvements and upgrades to the facility that the Giants may not have been able to secure by themselves.

Related Topics:
Joe Walton - 1983 - Shea Stadium - Giants Stadium - East Rutherford, New Jersey - 1984

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Despite the move to Giants Stadium, the Jets organization made the decision to not change the team name to reflect the new location of its home stadium. This mirrored the decision made by the Giants in 1976 when they moved, and originated from the fact that, although the stadium was in New Jersey, the team continued to represent all of Metropolitan New York and the Tri-State area. Furthermore, despite being in a different state, the Jets' new home was closer to Times Square and midtown Manhattan as Shea Stadium was, as the crow flies—although considerably farther from the team's Long Island offices and training facilities than Shea.

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In 1984, their first season at their new home, 1983 first round draft pick Ken O'Brien took over at quarterback; but the team stumbled to a 7-9 record. In 1985 O'Brien threw 25 touchdowns (seven to Mickey Shuler and five to Wesley Walker) with only eight interceptions, and four different rushers combined for 18 touchdowns on the ground. The Jets made the playoffs with an 11-5 record, and hosted their first playoff game in 16 years; however were stunned in the first round by the eventual AFC champion New England Patriots 26-14.

Related Topics:
Ken O'Brien - 1985 - Mickey Shuler - Wesley Walker - New England Patriots

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The Jets looked to improve on that mark for the 1986 season, with the team winning 9 straight games to start the season at 10-1. Wesley Walker caught 12 touchdowns, with second-year player Al Toon catching 8. The team slid through December, losing five straight to finish 10-6. Pat Ryan was named the starting quarterback for the playoffs, and they defeated the Kansas City Chiefs handily in the first round. However, a late comeback by the Cleveland Browns in their divisional playoff matchup led to a double-overtime winning field goal by Mark Moseley would deny the Jets a berth in the AFC Championship game.

Related Topics:
1986 - Al Toon - Pat Ryan - Kansas City Chiefs - Cleveland Browns - Mark Moseley

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In 1987 the Jets again stumbled through December, but this time they missed the playoffs with a 6-9 record. The mercurial Gastineau shocked the team by retiring midway through the 1988 season, one in which the Jets finished 8-7-1, short of a playoff spot in the competitive AFC wild-card race. The team went into a tailspin in 1989, finishing 4-12 and resulting in the firing of coach Joe Walton.

Related Topics:
1987 - 1988 - 1989 - Joe Walton

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After the 1989 season the Jets hired Dick Steinberg from the New England Patriots to be the frachise's General Manager. As a Patriots executive, Steinberg had helped led the Patriots to their first Super Bowl appearance in 1985. Prior to Steinberg's arrival, the Jets did not have an individual primarily and directly responsible for the on-field product. One of Steinberg's first moves was to hire Bruce Coslet, offensive coordinator of the Cincinnati Bengals as head coach. Coslet's offensive schemes had helped lead the Bengals to the 1988 Super Bowl where they very nearly defeated the San Francisco 49ers. Steinberg and Coslet let most of the key players from the 1980s go and built from scratch. Ken O'Brien was on the downside of his career, and the team finished 6-10. In 1991, with Brad Baxter having a career-high 11 touchdown receptions, the Jets improved to 8-8, winning the season finale against the Miami Dolphins on the final weekend of the season. Despite their modest regular season record, the Jets played the Houston Oilers tough in their opening-round playoff game, finally losing 17-10.

Related Topics:
Dick Steinberg - Bruce Coslet - Cincinnati Bengals - San Francisco 49ers - 1991 - Brad Baxter - Miami Dolphins - Houston Oilers

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After their successful 1991 season, Jets fans expectations were high. The Jets decided to go with second-year quarterback Browning Nagle as their starter over Ken O'Brien, which came as somewhat of a suprise at first but Nagle had shown some promise and seemed to be ready to take the job. Unfortunately for the Jets, Nagle was not up for the job and the Jets disappointed fans with a 4-12 finish. The year was marked by a near-tragedy in November when defensive lineman Dennis Byrd was temporarily paralyzed in a home game against Kansas City. Happily, thanks to what at the time was a relatively untested steroid treatment, Byrd was able to walk again in a matter of months.

Related Topics:
Browning Nagle - Dennis Byrd

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After the 1992 season, having again identified the quarterback position as a position of need, longtime Cincinnati Bengals QB Boomer Esiason joined the team for the 1993 season. Coslet and Esiason had worked together in Cincinnati successfully and the hope was that they could continue that success with the Jets. Although a mid-season winning streak gave Jets fans hope, they missed the playoffs at 8-8 with a loss to Houston in their final game. Coslet was fired as head coach and replaced by Pete Carroll.

Related Topics:
Cincinnati Bengals - Boomer Esiason - 1993 - Pete Carroll

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Off the field the Jets also enjoyed a boost in their local profile when WFAN-AM, one of the highest profile stations in the country, acquired the radio rights to the Jets. Although WFAN had contracts with other New York-area professional teams, they lacked a contract with a pro football franchise, and when WCBS-AM decided to not renew the sports rights packages they had acquired, WFAN took advantage of the opportunity to cover the Jets. The strength of the clear-channel WFAN signal, as well as the fact that the Jets would be carried on a dedicated sports-radio station with a rabid and loyal following, gave the Jets a broader reach and visibility with their potential audience that they had not enjoyed previously.

Related Topics:
WFAN-AM - WCBS-AM

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Optimism was high for the 1994 season when the Jets started the season 6-5 and played Miami in late November. The Jets won a number of dramatic games, including a dramatic home overtime win against the Denver Broncos. However, the season was defined by a game against the Miami Dolphins, and specifically a play where Dolphin quarterback Dan Marino fooled the Jets into thinking he would spike the ball to stop the clock, then threw the winning touchdown to Mark Ingram with less than a minute left for an inprobable victory, after the Jets had dominated the Dolphins for much of the afternoon. The play came to be known as "The Fake Spike," and ultimately would prove a blow to the Jets that they would not recover from. The Jets would lose their last four games, finishing the season 6-10 and in last place in the AFC East. Carroll was fired after only one season, and replaced by former Philadelphia Eagles coach Rich Kotite.

Related Topics:
1994 - Miami Dolphins - Dan Marino - Mark Ingram - Philadelphia Eagles - Rich Kotite

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Unfortunately, Kotite (a former Jets assistant) proved to be an even worse hire than Carroll. During Kotite's two-year term in New York, the Jets won only four games: a 3-13 record in 1995, and 1-15 in 1996, in both cases the worst in the NFL. Having lost his last seven games as Eagles coach, Kotite finished his NFL head coaching career with a 4-35 record in his final 39 games - one of the worst prolonged stretches for an NFL head coach in history.

Related Topics:
1995 - 1996

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Fortunately, after the devastating 1996 season, the Jets would go on to enjoy a sort of resurgence in relatively short order. New England Patriots coach Bill Parcells, fresh off of leading the Patriots to a Super Bowl, left Foxboro to take the Jets' coaching job for the 1997 season. Parcells was attracted not only by a return to the New York area, where he had enjoyed his greatest success with the Giants, but also by the opportunity to both coach and have full control over personnel decisions. Parcells had craved this dual role in New England, and was quoted as saying that "if (he) cooks the meal, (he) should be able to buy the groceries."

Related Topics:
New England Patriots - Bill Parcells - 1997

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The draft picks the Jets received set the stage for a quick turnaround in the late 1990s, most notably wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson, wide receiver from USC who was picked #1 overall. The pick of Keyshawn not only gave the Jets a skill position player they desperately needed, but an on-field identity and swagger the team had lacked since the days of Joe Namath.

Related Topics:
1990s - Keyshawn Johnson - USC

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The results were immediate. Neil O'Donnell, formerly of the Pittsburgh Steelers, threw for 17 touchdowns in his only full year as the Jets' starting quarterback, and Adrian Murrell ran for 1000 yards. The Jets finished 9-7, and although they missed the playoffs they enjoyed an 8-game turnaround and quickly won back the respect of the league and their fans.

Related Topics:
Neil O'Donnell - Pittsburgh Steelers - Adrian Murrell

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Looking to build on his 1997 success, Parcells signed Patriots running back Curtis Martin and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Vinny Testaverde as free agents in time for the 1998 season, which turned out to be the most successful for the team since the 1960s. At Parcells' urging, the Jets also reverted to their classic logo and uniform style, although with a darker shade of green. Parcells said that when he was a young coach, he would see the successful late-70's Jets practice in those uniforms, and Parcells associated that uniform and logo with those of a successful team.

Related Topics:
Curtis Martin - Baltimore Ravens - Vinny Testaverde - 1998 - 1960s

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Parcells high-profile personnel moves paid immediate dividends. Testaverde threw 29 touchdowns, Martin ran for 1287 yards and 8 touchdowns, while both Keyshawn Johnson and Wayne Chrebet had 1000 yards receiving. The Jets won 10 of their last 11 games and finished the season 12-4, setting a team record for wins in a season. Earning a first-round bye, the Jets survived a scare from the Jacksonville Jaguars in their divisional playoff game, winning 34-24. The playoff game was the first home playoff game the Jets had since 1985. Although New York enjoyed a 10-0 lead in the third quarter of the AFC Championship against the Denver Broncos, Testaverde threw two late interceptions and Denver running back Terrell Davis burned the Jets for 167 yards and a touchdown, and the Broncos won 23-10.

Related Topics:
Keyshawn Johnson - Wayne Chrebet - Jacksonville Jaguars - Denver Broncos - Terrell Davis

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The Jets' hopes for the 1999 season were dashed in their first game against the New England Patriots, when Testaverde injured his Achilles tendon. Rick Mirer quaterbacked the Jets to a 4-6 record. Ray Lucas took over from there and lost his first two starts but after won his next 4 to give the Jets an 8-8 record. After the season, Parcells stepped down as head coach but remained the team's Chief of Football Operations. His handpicked successor, Bill Belichick resigned after one day on the job and ended up taking the job with the Patriots, eventually leaving in exchange for a first round draft pick.

Related Topics:
1999 - New England Patriots - Achilles tendon - Bill Belichick

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Parcells promoted longtime assistant Al Groh from linebackers coach to head coach for the 2000 season. The Jets won 6 of their first 7 games, capped by the biggest comeback in Monday Night Football history against the Dolphins. Down 30-7 entering the fourth quarter, the Jets exploded for 30 points in the last 15 minutes, and John Hall kicked the winning field goal in overtime. It was the highlight of the season, but they only won 3 of their last 9 to finish at 9-7 and out of the playoffs. Groh resigned after his first season to coach the team at his alma mater, the University of Virginia. Parcells would also leave the organization after the 2000 season, to be replaced by Kansas City Chiefs executive Terry Bradway.

Related Topics:
Al Groh - Monday Night Football - John Hall - University of Virginia - Terry Bradway

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Under new coach Herman Edwards, the Jets were streaky through the 2001 season in a highly competitive AFC East. The team managed to salvage a wild-card with a 53-yard game-winning field goal against the Oakland Raiders in the final minute, forcing a rematch with the Raiders in the opening playoff game. The results were different in the playoffs, with the Raiders winning the game 38-24 with the help of an 80 yard TD scamper. The Jets blitzed up the middle on the 3rd and long and Gruden called for a toss right to Garner.

Related Topics:
Herman Edwards - 2001 - Oakland Raiders

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The AFC East proved to be even more competitive in 2002, with all four teams in the race well into December. Testaverde was benched early in the season with the team at 1-4, and replaced with Chad Pennington, who proved to be the spark the Jets needed. Pennington threw 22 touchdowns and only 6 interceptions, and a final-week win over the Green Bay Packers, coupled with a Patriots win over the Dolphins, gave them the AFC East title at 9-7. The Jets cruised through the opening playoff game with a 41-0 blowout of the Indianapolis Colts, but collapsed in the second half against the eventual AFC champion Raiders in the divisional playoff.

Related Topics:
2002 - Chad Pennington - Green Bay Packers - Indianapolis Colts

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The Jets lost several players to free agency in the off-season, many to the Washington Redskins. Additionally, a pre-season injury to Pennington would adversely affect the Jets throughout 2003. Ironically, it would be Testaverde - whose injury in the 1999 Jets opener similarly set the tone for the year - that was called upon to take over. Though Testaverde gave his best effort, and Pennington came back midway through the season, it was not enough. The Jets finished 6-10.

Related Topics:
Washington Redskins - 2003

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Pennington was healthy again for the start of the 2004 season, and the Jets started the season 5-0 before losing 2 of their next 3. Despite struggling down the stretch, the Jets finished with a 10-6 record and earned a wild card berth. Herm Edwards' team faced the AFC West champion San Diego Chargers in the opening round, a team that featured Pro Bowlers Drew Brees, LaDainian Tomlinson, and Antonio Gates. The Jets took advantage of San Diego miscues and what some felt was overly conservative strategy by the Chargers and prevailed with a Doug Brien field goal in overtime.

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The game sent the Jets to the divisional round against the 15-1 Pittsburgh Steelers. In the divisional round, the Jets played the heavily favored Steelers extremely tough. While the offense struggled, producing only a field goal, a punt return and interception return kept the Jets in the game. With the score tied at 17-17 late in the fourth quarter, kicker Doug Brien lined up for a 47-yard field goal attempt that would have put the Jets up. However it hit the cross beam of the goal post just short of being successful.

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Despite this the Jets came through yet again, with an interception by CB David Barrett of Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger on the next play. Rather than try to drive for a touchdown or otherwise get closer for a game-winning field goal, the Jets seemed content to settle for a 43-yard field goal attempt that would have given the Jets the win. However, this one sailed wide left, forcing the game into overtime. The Jets would lose on a 33-yard field goal by Pittsburgh kicker Jeff Reed, as they fell just short yet again. Many people believe that the Jets lost this game by not being aggressive and being overly willing to settle for a field goal, even though Brien throughout the year was vulnerable from over 40 yards.

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Season-by-season