1968 New York Jets 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

Draft

Main article: 1968 NFL/AFL draft

Personnel

Staff

• Majority Owner/Team President/CEO & Chairman – Leon Hess

• Vice President/board member/Minority Owner – Donald C. Lillis

• General manager – Weeb Ewbank

• Head Coach – Weeb Ewbank

• Offensive coordinator – Clive Rush

• Offensive line coach – Joe Spencer

• Defensive coordinator – Walt Michaels

• Defensive line coach – Buddy Ryan

Roster

C/T

P/TE

Preseason

Schedule

Regular season

Regular season schedule

Standings

Game summaries

Week 2: at Kansas City Chiefs

First quarter

• NYJ – Don Maynard 57-yard pass from Joe Namath (Jim Turner kick). Jets 7–0.
• KC – Jan Stenerud 33-yard field goal. Jets 7–3. Second quarter
• NYJ – Jim Turner 22-yard field goal. Jets 10–3.
• NYJ – Don Maynard 30-yard pass from Joe Namath (Jim Turner kick). Jets 17–3. Third quarter
• KC – Noland Smith 80-yard punt return (Jan Stenerud kick). Jets 17–10.
• KC – Jan Stenerud 18-yard field goal. Jets 17–13. Fourth quarter
• KC – Jan Stenerud 22-yard field goal. Jets 17–16.
• NYJ – Jim Turner 42-yard field goal. Jets 20–16.
• KC – Jan Stenerud 28-yard field goal. Jets 20–19. Top passers
• NYJ – Joe Namath – 17/29, 302 yards, 2 TD, INT
• KC – Len Dawson – 12/20, 98 yards Top rushers
• NYJ – Emerson Boozer – 18 rushes, 75 yards
• KC – Bert Coan – 11 rushes, 45 yards Top receivers
• NYJ – Don Maynard – 8 receptions, 203 yards, 2 TD
• KC – Otis Taylor – 5 receptions, 42 yards

Week 3: at Boston Patriots

First quarter

• NYJ – Randy Beverly 68-yard interception return (Jim Turner kick). Jets 7–0.
• BOS – Gino Cappelletti 31-yard field goal. Jets 7–3.
• NYJ – Don Maynard 39-yard pass from Joe Namath (Jim Turner kick). Jets 14–3. Second quarter
• NYJ – Jim Turner 30-yard field goal. Jets 17–3.
• NYJ – Jim Turner 27-yard field goal. Jets 20–3.
• BOS – Aaron Marsh 70-yard pass from Mike Taliaferro (Gino Cappelletti kick). Jets 20–10. Third quarter
• BOS – Mel Witt 4-yard interception return (Gino Cappelletti kick). Jets 20–17.
• NYJ – Mark Smolinski 3-yard blocked punt return (Jim Turner kick). Jets 27–17.
• NYJ – Pete Lammons 29-yard pass from Joe Namath (Jim Turner kick). Jets 34–17.
• NYJ – Jim Turner 27-yard field goal. Jets 37–17. Fourth quarter
• NYJ – Emerson Boozer 1-yard run (Jim Turner kick). Jets 44–17.
• BOS – Ed Philpott 10-yard fumble return (Gino Cappelletti kick). Jets 44–24.
• NYJ – Jim Turner 48-yard field goal. Jets 47–24.
• BOS – Gene Thomas 1-yard run (Gino Cappelletti kick). Jets 47–31. Top passers
• NYJ – Joe Namath – 13/25, 196 yards, 2 TD, INT
• BOS – Mike Taliaferro – 17/30, 276 yards, TD, 4 INT Top rushers
• NYJ – Emerson Boozer – 8 rushes, 52 yards, TD
• BOS – Jim Nance – 14 rushes, 25 yards Top receivers
• NYJ – George Sauer – 5 receptions, 76 yards
• BOS – Aaron Marsh – 4 receptions, 140 yards, TD

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.

Week 5: vs. San Diego Chargers

Week 6: vs. Denver Broncos

Week 7: at Houston Oilers

Week 8: vs. Boston Patriots

Week 9: vs. Buffalo Bills

Week 10: vs. Houston Oilers

Week 11 at Oakland Raiders

Main article: Heidi Game

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.

Week 12: at San Diego Chargers

Week 13: vs. Miami Dolphins

Week 14: vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Week 15: at Miami Dolphins

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.

AFL Championship

Main article: 1968 American Football League Championship Game

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

Main article: 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 (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.

Scoring summary

• Point spread: Jets +18
• Over/under: 40.0 (under)
• Time of game:

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

Media

Stats

Passing

Rushing

Receiving

Kicking

Punting

Kick Return

Punt Return

Defense & Fumbles

Scoring Summary

Team

Quarter-by-quarter

• PI AFL-AFC Player of the Year
• Joe Namath, Super Bowl Most Valuable Player

References

References

1. "NFL Top 100 Teams". Pro Football Reference.
2. "100 Greatest Teams: Numbers 100–1 SUPERCUT". NFL.com.
3. NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, NY, {{ISBN. 0-7611-2480-2, p. 283
4. [http://www.jt-sw.com/football/pro/results.nsf/Teams/1968-nyj 1968 schedule]
5. Eskenazi, Gerald. (1993-10-10). "PRO FOOTBALL; 25 Seasons Ago, Namath Was a Star, but 'Heidi' Ruled the Airwaves".
6. NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, NY, {{ISBN. 0-7611-2480-2, p. 283
7. ''[[Pro-Football-Reference.com. Pro Football Reference]]''; [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/196812290nyj.htm 1968 AFL Championship Game – Oakland Raiders at New York Jets – December 29, 1968]
8. [http://www.profootballhof.com/history/release.jsp?release_id=822 He guaranteed it – Pro Football Hall of Fame]
9. ''[[Pro-Football-Reference.com. Pro Football Reference]]''; [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/196901120clt.htm Super Bowl III – New York Jets vs. Baltimore Colts – January 12, 1969]