1968 New York Jets season


The 1968 New York Jets season was the ninth season for the team in the American Football League. The team had the most successful season in franchise history. Trying to improve upon their 8–5–1 record of 1967, they won the AFL Eastern Division with an 11–3 record. They defeated the defending champion [1968 1968 Oakland Raiders season|Oakland Raiders season|Oakland Raiders], 27–23 in the AFL championship game and earned the right to play in Super Bowl III against the NFL champion [1968 1968 Baltimore Colts season|Baltimore Colts season|Baltimore Colts]. In a stunning upset, marked by fourth-year quarterback Joe Namath's famous "guarantee" of victory, the Jets defeated the heavily favored Colts 16–7. The Jets have yet to return to the Super Bowl, making them and the New Orleans Saints the only teams to have won their only championship game, also holding the longest appearance drought in NFL history, having not appeared in the 56 complete seasons since this game; they did not appear in a semi-final playoff round again until 1983.
In 2007, NFL Network aired America's Game: The Super Bowl Champions, the 1968 New York Jets, with team commentary from Joe Namath, Gerry Philbin and Don Maynard, and was narrated by Alec Baldwin. The Jets ranked No. 24 on the 100 greatest teams of all time presented by the NFL on its 100th anniversary. Of those 24, only three came before the AFL-NFL Merger. The Jets were the highest ranked team that played in the AFL, and also the highest pre-merger team not coached by Vince Lombardi.
The last remaining active member of the 1968 New York Jets was guard Randy Rasmussen, who retired after the 1981 NFL season.

Offseason

On May 21, Sonny Werblin sold his shares in the Jets to his partners Donald C. Lillis, Leon Hess, Townsend Martin, and Philip H. Iselin. Lillis became the president on May 21, but died on July 23, and Isselin was appointed president on August 6. Leon Hess the founder of Hess gas station made the famous Hess truck after the New York Jets color scheme

Standings

Game summaries

Week 4: at Buffalo Bills

This game, won by the Buffalo Bills at the old War Memorial Stadium in Buffalo was the only win for the Bills all season. A win over the eventual Super Bowl champions.

Week 11 at Oakland Raiders

The 1968 season also saw the Jets involved in one of the most notorious incidents in television history, an incident that would change the way television networks carried sporting events for decades to come. On November 17, 1968, just before 7:00 pm Eastern time, 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; so many phone calls were made that they 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.
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. This incident, dubbed the Heidi Game, resulted in most television networks and sports leagues amending their television policies to ensure that games in progress would be broadcast to their conclusion, no matter what, even if it meant delaying or canceling the rest of the network's lineup, and even if the game's outcome seemed assured.

Postseason

  • On December 29, Weeb Ewbank became the first coach to win titles in the National Football League and in the American Football League. His former team, the Baltimore Colts won the 1968 NFL Championship on December 29 as well. The Colts defeated the Cleveland Browns by a score of 34–0.
WeekDateOpponentResultRecordVenueAttendanceRecap
AFL ChampionshipDecember 29, 1968Oakland RaidersW 27–231–0Shea Stadium62,627
Super Bowl IIIJanuary 12, 1969Baltimore ColtsW 16–72–0Orange Bowl75,402

AFL Championship

In the franchise's first-ever postseason game, the Jets defeated the defending AFL champion Oakland Raiders 27-24 at Shea Stadium to claim the AFL title and advance to Super Bowl III. Joe Namath threw three touchdown passes, including the game-winner to Don Maynard midway through the fourth quarter.
The 1968 AFL Championship Game is the only league or conference championship game the Jets have ever hosted, the only one they have won, and their only postseason win at Shea Stadium.

Super Bowl III

The Guarantee

In January 1969, the Jets would reach the pinnacle of their existence 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, defeating the Oakland Raiders in a thrilling AFL championship game, 27–23. The win qualified them to represent their league in a game that was being referred to for the first time as the Super Bowl. They were pitted against the champions of the NFL, the Baltimore Colts. At the time, the AFL was considered to be inferior to the NFL, and most considered the Jets to be considerable underdogs and treated them as such. That would change three nights before the game while Namath was being honored by the Miami Touchdown Club as its Player of the Year. Namath took exception to a heckling Colts fan and used that moment to lament the lack of respect his team had gotten to that point. He then said "The Jets will win Sunday. I guarantee it." His audacious remark proved correct, as the Jets created 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.

Scoring summary

  • Point spread: Jets +18
  • Over/under: 40.0
  • Time of game:
JetsGame statisticsColts
21First downs18
43–142Rushes–yards23–143
206Passing yards181
17–29–017–41–4
2–11Sacked–yards0–0
195Net passing yards181
337Total yards324
34Return yards139
4–38.83–44.3
1–1Fumbles–lost1–1
5–28Penalties–yards3–23
36:10Time of possession23:50

Individual stats
  • Passing: Namath – 17/28, 206 YDS; Parilli – 0/1, 0 YDS
  • Rushing: Snell – 30 CAR, 121 YDS, 1 TD; Boozer – 10 CAR, 19 YDS; Mathis – 3 CAR, 2 YDS
  • Receiving: Sauer – 8 REC, 133 YDS; Snell – 4 REC, 40 YDS; Mathis – 3 REC, 20 YDS; Lammons – 2 REC, 13 YDS
  • Kickoff returns: Christy – 1 KR, 25 YDS
  • Punt returns: Baird – 1 PR, 0 YDS
  • Punting: Johnson – 4 PUNTS, 155 YDS
  • Kicking: Turner – 1/1 PAT, 3/5 FG
  • Interceptions: Beverly – 2 INT, 0 YDS; Hudson – 1 INT, 9 YDS; Sample – 1 INT, 0 YDS
  • Jets Missed Field Goals: Turner 41, 42

Stats

Passing
Rushing
Receiving
Kicking
Punting
Kick Return
Punt Return
Defense & Fumbles
Scoring Summary
Team
Quarter-by-quarter