From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base
1978 New York Jets season
1978 season of NFL team New York Jets
1978 season of NFL team New York Jets
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| team | New York Jets |
| year | 1978 |
| record | 8–8 |
| division_place | 3rd AFC East |
| coach | Walt Michaels |
| owner | Leon Hess |
| stadium | Shea Stadium |
| playoffs | *Did not qualify* |
| pro_bowlers | WR Wesley Walker |
| shortnavlink | Jets seasons |
The 1978 New York Jets season was the nineteenth season for the franchise and the ninth in the National Football League. It began with the team trying to improve upon its 3–11 record from each of the previous three seasons under head coach Walt Michaels. Following an opening-game upset over the Miami Dolphins at Shea Stadium, the Jets stayed in contention for most of the season before finishing with an 8–8 record, with Matt Robinson starting most of the season at quarterback.
Offseason
The Jets overhauled their uniforms and logos for the 1978 season, abandoning the jerseys they had worn since 1963 and the helmet and logo they’d used since 1965 in favor of a more modern look using the same kelly-green-and-white color scheme. The new helmets were solid green with white facemasks, and a stylized “JETS” wordmark in white on each side. The mark featured angular lettering and a silhouette of a modern jet airplane extending horizontally to the right from the top of the “J” above the “ETS”. The jerseys featured large TV numerals on the shoulders and two thick parallel stripes on the sleeves, while the pants had a single green stripe from hip to knee on each side.
NFL draft
Main article: 1978 NFL draft
| New York Jets | border=2 | year=1978}};" width="7%" | Round | New York Jets | border=2 | year=1978}};" width="7%" | Pick | New York Jets | border=2 | year=1978}};" width="20%" | Player | New York Jets | border=2 | year=1978}};" width="15%" | Position | New York Jets | border=2 | year=1978}};" width="20%" | School/Club Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Chris Ward | Offensive Tackle | Ohio State | |||||||||||||||
| 2 | 31 | Mark Merrill | Linebacker | Minnesota | |||||||||||||||
| 3 | 61 | Mickey Shuler | Tight End | Penn State | |||||||||||||||
| 6 | 141 | Bobby Jackson | Cornerback | Florida State |
Undrafted free agents
| Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|
| Bob Nelson | Quarterback | Shippensburg |
Personnel
Staff
-
Leon Hess – Owner
-
Jim Kensil – President/CEO
-
Mike Hickey – Director of player personnel
-
Jim Royer – Pro personnel coordinator
-
Ernie Zampese – Scout
-
Carroll Huntress – Scout
-
Connie Nicholas – Personnel assistant
-
Walt Michaels – Head coach
-
John Idzik – Offensive coordinator
-
Bob Ledbetter – Running backs
-
Dan Henning – Receivers
-
Bob Fry – Offensive line
-
Dan Sekanovich – Defensive line
-
Joe Gardi – Linebackers/special teams
-
John Mazur – Defensive backs
Roster
Regular season
Schedule
| New York Jets | year=1978 | border=2}}" | Week | New York Jets | year=1978 | border=2}}" | Date | New York Jets | year=1978 | border=2}}" | Opponent | New York Jets | year=1978 | border=2}}" | Result | New York Jets | year=1978 | border=2}}" | Record | New York Jets | year=1978 | border=2}}" | Venue | New York Jets | year=1978 | border=2}}" | Attendance | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 3 | **[Miami Dolphins](1978-miami-dolphins-season)** | **W** 33–20 | 1–0 | Shea Stadium | 49,598 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| September 10 | at **[Buffalo Bills](1978-buffalo-bills-season)** | **W** 21–20 | 2–0 | Rich Stadium | 40,985 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| September 17 | [Seattle Seahawks](1978-seattle-seahawks-season) | **L** 17–24 | 2–1 | Shea Stadium | 46,911 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| September 24 | at [Washington Redskins](1978-washington-redskins-season) | **L** 3–23 | 2–2 | R.F. Kennedy Stadium | 54,729 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| October 1 | [Pittsburgh Steelers](1978-pittsburgh-steelers-season) | **L** 17–28 | 2–3 | Shea Stadium | 52,058 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| October 8 | **[Buffalo Bills](1978-buffalo-bills-season)** | **W** 45–14 | 3–3 | Shea Stadium | 44,545 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| October 15 | at **[Baltimore Colts](1978-baltimore-colts-season)** | **W** 33–10 | 4–3 | Memorial Stadium | 45,563 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| October 22 | [St. Louis Cardinals](1978-st-louis-cardinals-nfl-season) | **W** 23–10 | 5–3 | Shea Stadium | 49,244 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| October 29 | at **[New England Patriots](1978-new-england-patriots-season)** | **L** 21–55 | 5–4 | Schaefer Stadium | 60,585 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| November 5 | at [Denver Broncos](1978-denver-broncos-season) | **W** 31–28 | 6–4 | Mile High Stadium | 74,983 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| November 12 | at [Philadelphia Eagles](1978-philadelphia-eagles-season) | **L** 9–17 | 6–5 | Veterans Stadium | 60,249 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| November 19 | **[New England Patriots](1978-new-england-patriots-season)** | **L** 17–19 | 6–6 | Shea Stadium | 55,568 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| November 26 | at **[Miami Dolphins](1978-miami-dolphins-season)** | **W** 24–13 | 7–6 | Orange Bowl | 49,255 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| December 3 | **[Baltimore Colts](1978-baltimore-colts-season)** | **W** 24–16 | 8–6 | Shea Stadium | 50,248 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| December 10 | at [Cleveland Browns](1978-cleveland-browns-season) | **L** 34–37 (OT) | 8–7 | Cleveland Stadium | 36,881 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| December 17 | [Dallas Cowboys](1978-dallas-cowboys-season) | **L** 7–30 | 8–8 | Shea Stadium | 52,532 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| **Note:** Intra-division opponents are in **bold** text. |
Game summaries
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
- Television Network: CBS
- Announcers: Don Criqui, Nick Buoniconti and Sonny Jurgensen Pat Leahy kicked three field goals and Scott Dierking scored a pair of touchdowns as the Jets are still in the hunt for a wild card berth. Leahy who entered the game with an NFL leading 55 points connected on kicks of 20, 38 and 45 yards, the last two in a 13-point third quarter that broke a 10-10 halftime tie. Dierking, who had only one pro touchdowns in his first two seasons, punched over from the 2-yard line and went in from the 11. For the day, Dierking gained 94 yards.
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12
A personal foul call against Burgess Owens led to a Patriots go-ahead field goal in the fourth quarter. The Jets nearly came back to win the game, but Pat Leahy missed a 33 yard field goal to the right with 31 seconds remaining.
Week 13
Week 14
Week 15
Week 16
Standings
Awards and records
- Wesley Walker, NFL Leader in Receiving Yards, (1,169)
References
References
- [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197809030nyj.htm Pro-Football-Reference.com]
- [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197810080nyj.htm Pro-Football-Reference.com]
- [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197811050den.htm Pro-Football-Reference.com]. Retrieved 2015-Jun-27.
- [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197811050den.htm Pro-Football-Reference.com]. Retrieved 2025-Jan-5.
- (20 November 1978). "Lady Luck finishes game with Pats". Lewiston Evening Journal.
This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.
Ask Mako anything about 1978 New York Jets season — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.
Research with MakoFree with your Surf account
Create a free account to save articles, ask Mako questions, and organize your research.
Sign up freeThis content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.
Report