The New York Jets have one of the greatest moments in NFL history. The problem is... it happened when people still thought color television was cutting-edge.
On January 12, 1969, Joe Namath guaranteed victory over the mighty Baltimore Colts, then actually backed it up. The Jets stunned the football world 16-7 in Super Bowl III, forever changing how people viewed the AFL.
Unfortunately, the next 57 years have mostly been an extended search party for Super Bowl IV.
Broadway Joe Is Still the King
Joe Namath remains the Jets' all-time passing leader with 27,057 yards.
Think about that.
The moon landing happened.
Disco came and went.
The internet was invented.
Tom Brady played 23 NFL seasons.
And nobody wearing green has thrown for more yards than Broadway Joe.
For a franchise that's cycled through Richard Todd, Ken O'Brien, Boomer Esiason, Vinny Testaverde, Chad Pennington, Brett Favre, Mark Sanchez, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Sam Darnold, Zach Wilson, Aaron Rodgers and just about every other quarterback with a pulse, that's almost impressive.
The Monday Night Miracle
Every Jets fan has exactly one comeback they can point to and say, "See? We're not always cursed."
October 23, 2000.
The Jets trailed the Miami Dolphins 30-7 entering the fourth quarter.
The stadium was emptying.
Fans were heading for the parking lot.
Dolphins fans were already celebrating.
Then Vinny Testaverde decided he'd had enough.
Touchdown.
Touchdown.
Field goal.
Touchdown.
Another Dolphins score.
Another Jets touchdown.
And then...
A 300-pound offensive tackle named Jumbo Elliott caught the game-tying touchdown pass.
Because, of course he did.
The Jets completed the largest fourth-quarter comeback in Monday Night Football history, winning 40-37 in overtime on a John Hall field goal. It remains one of the greatest games ever played on Monday Night Football and one of the greatest moments in Jets history.
For one glorious night, the Jets didn't break their fans' hearts.
They broke Miami's.
And if you were lucky enough to be in the Meadowlands that night—as I was—you witnessed the greatest comeback in franchise history. The fans who left early probably spent the drive home wondering why every car they passed was honking and celebrating. They missed the one time in modern Jets history when sticking around actually paid off.
They Could Always Find Running Backs...
While quarterback has been football's version of "Where's Waldo?" the Jets have quietly produced some outstanding runners.
Curtis Martin is the greatest running back in franchise history, piling up 10,302 rushing yards with the Jets and earning a gold jacket in Canton.
Before him there was John Riggins.
Freeman McNeil was one of the NFL's most underrated backs.
Thomas Jones had consecutive 1,300-yard seasons.
Chris Ivory ran like every defender owed him money.
Breece Hall has shown flashes of being one of the league's most explosive backs when healthy.
The Jets may not always know who's throwing the football, but they've usually found someone willing to carry it 25 times a game.
The New York Sack Exchange
Before sack celebrations became choreographed Broadway productions, the Jets had the original stars.
Mark Gastineau.
Joe Klecko.
Marty Lyons.
Abdul Salaam.
Together they formed the legendary New York Sack Exchange, arguably the most feared defensive line of the early 1980s.
Gastineau was an absolute menace.
His 22 sacks in 1984 stood as the NFL's single-season record for 17 years before Michael Strahan officially broke it in 2001. Many Jets fans still insist Gastineau's record was the legitimate one after Brett Favre's infamous "gift sack" helped Strahan break it.
Gastineau finished his Jets career with 107.5 sacks, still the franchise record.
Joe Klecko eventually reached the Pro Football Hall of Fame after proving he could dominate virtually every position along the defensive line.
For a glorious stretch, opposing quarterbacks feared the Jets more than Jets fans feared Sundays.
Welcome to Revis Island
If there has been one player since Namath who completely owned his position, it was Darrelle Revis.
Quarterbacks simply stopped throwing at his receiver.
The phrase "Revis Island" became part of NFL vocabulary because elite wide receivers would disappear for four quarters.
Calvin Johnson.
Randy Moss.
Andre Johnson.
Chad Ochocinco.
Steve Smith.
Week after week, Revis checked them into football witness protection.
He's a Hall of Famer, arguably the greatest shutdown cornerback of his generation, and one of the few Jets whose greatness was never questioned.
They Actually Got Close... Twice
Believe it or not, the Jets have flirted with another Super Bowl.
In 1998, Bill Parcells led New York to the AFC Championship Game before Denver stormed back from a 10-point deficit.
Then came Rex Ryan.
Love him or hate him, the man delivered.
Back-to-back AFC Championship Game appearances in 2009 and 2010.
The Jets knocked Peyton Manning and Tom Brady out of the playoffs in consecutive years.
Mark Sanchez wasn't exactly Joe Montana, but he was good enough while the defense bullied everyone.
Those remain the closest the Jets have come to another Super Bowl since Namath's guarantee.
The Hall of Fame of Heartbreak
Then... well...
The Butt Fumble happened.
Somehow the most famous play in franchise history after Super Bowl III involved Mark Sanchez introducing his face to the backside of Brandon Moore.
The clip has played so many times on Thanksgiving that it's practically become holiday tradition.
Then came Aaron Rodgers.
Months of hype.
Hard Knocks.
Super Bowl dreams.
Four offensive snaps.
Achilles.
Season basically over before most fans finished their first beer.
Only the Jets could turn the biggest offseason acquisition in decades into a four-play documentary.
The Numbers That Hurt
Since winning Super Bowl III...
- One Super Bowl appearance.
- One Super Bowl championship.
- Two AFC Championship Game appearances since 1998.
- Twelve playoff victories.
- Thirteen playoff losses.
- More starting quarterbacks than most fans can remember without Google.
- Enough coaching changes to qualify as a revolving door.
Yet somehow...
Every August, optimism returns.
Every September, the hype videos convince everyone this is finally the year.
By Halloween, fans are already looking at mock drafts and wondering which quarterback they'll convince themselves will save the franchise.
Why Jets Fans Keep Coming Back
Being a Jets fan isn't a hobby.
It's a support group.
Every season begins with hope.
Every season includes at least one headline that starts with, "You've got to be kidding me."
Every season somehow ends with fans saying, "Next year."
And somehow... they mean it.
The Only Thing Left to Look Forward To...
This season brings fresh optimism.
A new roster.
New expectations.
And those absolutely gorgeous new whiteout uniforms.
The uniforms are clean.
The helmets are sharp.
The players are going to look incredible.
It's just a shame they'll probably be wearing them while inventing another spectacular way to lose a football game.
Because if the last 57 years have taught us anything, it's this:
The New York Jets don't just break hearts.
They do it in style.
And now... they'll do it in all white.