1968_New_York_Jets_season

1968 New York Jets season

1968 New York Jets season

1968 season of AFL team New York Jets; first and to date only Super Bowl appearance and win


The 1968 New York Jets season was the ninth season for the team in the American Football League (AFL). 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 Oakland Raiders, 27–23 in the AFL championship game and earned the right to play in Super Bowl III against the NFL champion 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 53 complete seasons since this game; they did not appear in a semifinal playoff round again until 1983.

Quick Facts New York Jets season, Owner ...

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 #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.[1][2]

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 [3]

Draft

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Personnel

Staff/Coaches

1968 New York Jets staff
Front office    

Coachcing staff

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches

Roster

1968 New York Jets final roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

Reserve lists
  • currently vacant


Practice squad

  • currently vacant


Rookies in italics
, 0 practice squad

Preseason

Schedule

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Regular season

Regular season schedule

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Results

More information Home/Road, Eastern Division ...

(*) Played at Legion Field, Birmingham since Boston Red Sox refused to rent Fenway Park to Patriots.

Standings

More information AFL Eastern Division, W ...

Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings in the AFL.

Game summaries

Week 2: at Kansas City Chiefs

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Week 2: New York Jets at Kansas City Chiefs

at Municipal Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

  • Date: September 15, 1968
  • Game time: 4:00 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: 71 °F (22 °C), relative humidity 57%, wind 12 mph (19 km/h)
  • Game attendance: 48,871
  • TV announcers (NBC): Curt Gowdy (play-by-play), Kyle Rote (color commentator)
  • Box Score

Week 3: at Boston Patriots

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Week 3: New York Jets at Boston Patriots

at Legion Field, Birmingham, Alabama

  • Date: September 22, 1968
  • Game time: 4:00 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: 73 °F (23 °C), relative humidity 69%, wind 8 mph (13 km/h)
  • Game attendance: 29,192
  • TV announcers (NBC): Curt Gowdy (play-by-play), Kyle Rote (color commentator)
  • Box Score

Week 4: at Buffalo Bills

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

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Week 4: New York Jets at Buffalo Bills

at War Memorial Stadium, Buffalo, New York

  • Date: September 29, 1968
  • Game time: 1:30 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: 53 °F (12 °C), relative humidity 71%, wind 7 mph (11 km/h)
  • Game attendance: 38,044
  • TV announcers (NBC): Jim Simpson (play-by-play), Al DeRogatis (color commentator)
  • Box Score
More information Scoring summary, Quarter ...

Week 5: vs. San Diego Chargers

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Week 5: San Diego Chargers at New York Jets

at Shea Stadium, Flushing, New York

  • Date: October 5, 1968
  • Game time: 8:00 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: 53 °F (12 °C), relative humidity 48%, wind 15 mph (24 km/h)
  • Game attendance: 63,786
  • Box Score
More information Scoring summary, Quarter ...

Week 6: vs. Denver Broncos

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Week 6: Denver Broncos at New York Jets

at Shea Stadium, Flushing, New York

  • Date: October 13, 1968
  • Game time: 1:30 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: 64 °F (18 °C), relative humidity 71%, wind 8 mph (13 km/h)
  • Game attendance: 63,052
  • TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones (play-by-play), Al DeRogatis (color commentator)
  • Box Score
More information Scoring summary, Quarter ...

Week 7: at Houston Oilers

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Week 7: New York Jets at Houston Oilers

at Astrodome, Houston, Texas

  • Date: October 20, 1968
  • Game time: 4:00 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: indoors (dome)
  • Game attendance: 51,710
  • TV announcers (NBC): Curt Gowdy (play-by-play), Kyle Rote (color commentator)
  • Box Score
More information Scoring summary, Quarter ...

Week 8: vs. Boston Patriots

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Week 8: Boston Patriots at New York Jets

at Shea Stadium, Flushing, New York

  • Date: October 27, 1968
  • Game time: 1:30 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 50 °F (10 °C), relative humidity 48%, wind 16 mph (26 km/h)
  • Game attendance: 62,351
  • TV announcers (NBC): Jim Simpson (play-by-play), Al DeRogatis (color commentator)
  • Box Score
More information Scoring summary, Quarter ...

Week 9: vs. Buffalo Bills

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Week 9: Buffalo Bills at New York Jets

at Shea Stadium, Flushing, New York

  • Date: November 3, 1968
  • Game time: 1:30 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 58 °F (14 °C), relative humidity 48%, wind 8 mph (13 km/h)
  • Game attendance: 61,452
  • TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones (play-by-play), Al DeRogatis (color commentator)
  • Box Score
More information Scoring summary, Quarter ...

Week 10: vs. Houston Oilers

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Week 10: Houston Oilers at New York Jets

at Shea Stadium, Flushing, New York

  • Date: November 10, 1968
  • Game time: 1:30 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 42 °F (6 °C), relative humidity 81%, wind 17 mph (27 km/h)
  • Game attendance: 60,242
  • TV announcers (NBC): Bill Enis (play-by-play), Al DeRogatis (color commentator)
  • Box Score
More information Scoring summary, Quarter ...

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.

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Week 11: New York Jets at Oakland Raiders

at Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California

  • Date: November 17, 1968
  • Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C), relative humidity 0%, wind 0 mph (0 km/h), wind chill 0 °F (−18 °C)
  • Game attendance: 53,318
  • Referee: Bob Finley
  • TV announcers (NBC): Curt Gowdy (play-by-play), Kyle Rote (color commentator)
  • Box Score
More information Scoring summary, Quarter ...
More information Scoring summary, Quarter ...

Week 12: at San Diego Chargers

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Week 12: New York Jets at San Diego Chargers

at San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California

  • Date: November 24, 1968
  • Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C), relative humidity 87%, wind 6 mph (9.7 km/h)
  • Game attendance: 51,175
  • TV announcers (NBC): Curt Gowdy (play-by-play), Kyle Rote (color commentator)
  • Box Score
More information Scoring summary, Quarter ...

Week 13: vs. Miami Dolphins

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Week 13: Miami Dolphins at New York Jets

at Shea Stadium, Flushing, New York

  • Date: December 1, 1968
  • Game time: 1:30 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 36 °F (2 °C), relative humidity 57%, wind 8 mph (13 km/h), wind chill 30 °F (−1 °C)
  • Game attendance: 61,766
  • Referee: Bob Finley
  • TV announcers (NBC): Curt Gowdy (play-by-play), Kyle Rote (color commentator)
  • Box Score
More information Scoring summary, Quarter ...

Week 14: vs. Cincinnati Bengals

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Week 14: Cincinnati Bengals at New York Jets

at Shea Stadium, Flushing, New York

  • Date: December 8, 1968
  • Game time: 1:30 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 33 °F (1 °C), relative humidity 50%, wind 17 mph (27 km/h), wind chill 22 °F (−6 °C)
  • Game attendance: 61,111
  • TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones (play-by-play), Al DeRogatis (color commentator)
  • Box Score
More information Scoring summary, Quarter ...

Week 15: at Miami Dolphins

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Week 15: New York Jets at Miami Dolphins

at Miami Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida

  • Date: December 15, 1968
  • Game time: 1:30 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 57 °F (14 °C), relative humidity 56%, wind 17 mph (27 km/h)
  • Game attendance: 32,843
  • TV announcers (NBC): Curt Gowdy (play-by-play), Kyle Rote (color commentator)
  • Box Score
More information Scoring summary, Quarter ...

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.[5]
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AFL Championship

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1968 AFL Championship Game: Oakland Raiders at New York Jets

at Shea Stadium, Flushing, New York

  • Date: December 29, 1968
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 42 °F (6 °C), relative humidity 51%, wind 18 mph (29 km/h)
  • Game attendance: 62,627
  • Referee: Walt Fitzgerald
  • TV announcers (NBC): Curt Gowdy (play-by-play), Kyle Rote (color commentator)
  • Box Score
More information Scoring summary, Quarter ...

Super Bowl III

The Guarantee

Namath (middle) running a play against the Colts in Super Bowl III.

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 (and referred to retroactively as Super Bowl III). 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.[6]

Scoring summary

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Super Bowl III: New York Jets vs. Baltimore Colts

at Miami Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida

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Game officials

Preseason

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Regular season game officials

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Postseason

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Media

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More information Pre season Local TV, Flagship Station ...

Stats

Passing

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Rushing

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Receiving

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Kicking

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Punting

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Kick Return

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Punt Return

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Defense & Fumbles

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Scoring Summary

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Team

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Quarter-by-quarter

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Pop Culture

In the 2017 song Wild Thoughts by DJ Khaled, Rihanna makes a reference to the '68 Jets.

Awards and honors


References

  1. "NFL Top 100 Teams". Pro Football Reference.
  2. NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, NY, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 283
  3. NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, NY, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 283

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