Pitting the greatest New York Jets squads head-to-head
Using the matchup simulator at What If Sports, I simulated a tournament bracket featuring every .500+ team in New York Jets franchise history.
Who came out on top? Let’s recap everything that went down in this frantic cross-era showdown.
Explaining the seeding
The Jets have finished with a winning record 19 times in franchise history. Each of those teams was included in this bracket.
I seeded the teams by ranking them in order of their regular season win percentage. The first tiebreaker was playoff wins and the second tiebreaker was point differential.
Here is the seeding.
- 1968 Jets (11-3, .786)
- 1998 Jets (12-4, .750)
- 1969 Jets (10-4, .714)
- 2010 Jets (11-5, .688, 2 playoff wins)
- 1985 Jets (11-5, .688, 0 playoff wins)
- 1982 Jets (6-3, .667)
- 1981 Jets (10-5-1, .656)
- 2004 Jets (10-6, .625, 1 playoff win, +72 point differential)
- 1986 Jets (10-6, .625, 1 playoff win, -22 point differential)
- 2015 Jets (10-6, .625, 0 playoff wins, +73 point differential)
- 2006 Jets (10-6, .625, 0 playoff wins, +21 point differential)
- 2001 Jets (10-6, .625, 0 playoff wins, +13 point differential)
- 1967 Jets (8-5-1, .607)
- 2009 Jets (9-7, .563, 2 playoff wins)
- 2002 Jets (9-7, .563, 1 playoff win)
- 1997 Jets (9-7, .563, 0 playoff wins, +63 point differential)
- 2008 Jets (9-7, .563, 0 playoff wins, +49 point differential)
- 2000 Jets (9-7, .563, 0 playoff wins, 0 point differential)
- 1988 Jets (8-7-1, .531)
The bottom six seeds competed in a play-in round to earn the final three spots in the Sweet Sixteen. Here is how the bracket shook out.
I simulated each matchup once and went with the result. Single elimination, baby.
Let’s do this.
Play-in round
(16) 1997 Jets vs. (17) 2008 Jets
A 39-yard John Hall field goal gave Bill Parcells’ squad the first lead late in the first quarter. Nineteen seconds later, Brett Favre uncorks a 69-yard touchdown bomb to Laveranues Coles for the 7-3 lead. Before the quarter ends, Hall strikes again from 43 yards, cutting the deficit to one point.
In the second quarter, Jeff Graham catches a 4-yard touchdown from Neil O’Donnell for the 13-7 lead. Hall goes for the first-half hat trick from 42 yards out, giving Parcells a 16-7 halftime lead.
The first 20 minutes of the second half are a slugfest. With 4:30 left in the game, Tony Richardson breaks loose for a 44-yard touchdown, cutting the lead to 16-14. But the 1997 Jets are able to ice the game from there, securing a 16-14 victory.
Jay Feely went 0-for-2 on field goals in the loss, missing from 35 and 41 yards. For the 1997 defense, Hugh Douglas and Corwin Brown recorded sacks while Otis Smith notched an interception off of Favre.
Going into the Sweet Sixteen, the 1997 team will need more from O’Donnell, who went 11-of-24 for 170 yards, although he avoided turning the ball over.
WINNER: 1997 Jets (16-14)
(14) 2009 Jets vs. (19) 1988 Jets
The first half was a defensive battle. The only scores were a 38-yard Pat Leahy field goal and a 35-yard Jay Feely field goal, knotting us up at 3 apiece entering the break.
Then, the 2009 Jets run game took over. Thomas Jones scored three rushing touchdowns while Shonn Greene added one of his own. Rex Ryan’s confident group roared its way to a 28-0 second half, making a statement with the 31-3 victory.
Team Rex ran 41 times for 206 yards and four touchdowns. Mark Sanchez attempted only 14 passes but was efficient as he completed 12 of them for 135 yards. Defensively, David Harris and Jim Leonhard each had a sack. Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie limited Al Toon to three catches for 50 yards, while the rest of the 1988 receiving unit had six catches for 43 yards.
The 2009 Jets felt like an out-of-place inclusion in the play-in round. While they only went 9-7 in the regular season, the team was actually much better than that, as evidenced by a +112 point differential that ranks fourth-best in franchise history. They proved it in the playoffs by ripping off back-to-back road wins against strong opponents.
Going up against the worst team in the bracket, the 2009 Jets took care of business to secure their spot in the Sweet Sixteen. A duel with the 1969 Jets awaits.
WINNER: 2009 Jets (31-3)
(15) 2002 Jets vs. (18) 2000 Jets
Our first Clone Wars game of the tournament was as competitive of a matchup as you’d expect.
The 2002 boys started the game with a big red zone stop, forcing John Hall into a 23-yard field goal for the 2000 group. To close the first quarter, the 2002 squad responded with a 25-yard touchdown run from Curtis Martin, giving them a 7-3 lead.
After no scoring occurred for the first 13 minutes of the second quarter, things went off the rails as four scores occurred in the final two minutes.
Firstly, we got another big red zone stop from the 2002 defense, limiting John Hall to a 22-yard field goal to cut the lead to 7-6 with 1:49 left. With two field goal attempts inside the five-yard line, it’s clear that early-2000s analytics were still being utilized in this game.
Just 29 seconds later, Wayne Chrebet hauls in a 26-yard touchdown from Chad Pennington to extend the 2002 team’s lead to 13-7 (this version of Hall missed an extra point). Chad Mahomes?
On the ensuing offensive drive by the 2000 Jets, Aaron Beasley snared a 32-yard pick-six with 55 seconds left, extending the 2002 lead to 20-6. But the 2000 Jets didn’t lay down. Following the pick-six, Vinny Testaverde hit Dedric Ward for a 47-yard touchdown pass as the clock expired, cutting the halftime lead to 20-13.
Get all that?
No scoring occurred in the third. Early in the fourth, the 2002 squad hits a field goal to go up 23-13. With 6:19 left, Testaverde connects with Coles for a 32-yard touchdown, slashing it down to 23-20.
The 2002 team would ice it from there. For whatever reason, they decided to rub it in the 2000 team’s faces, as they kicked a field goal as time expired despite already being up by three points.
We’re only in the play-in. Buckle up, folks. This is going to be a ride.
WINNER: 2002 Jets (26-20)
Sweet Sixteen
The higher seed won each of our three play-in matchups, so we end up with the top 16 seeds competing in the Sweet Sixteen. Here’s how our bracket looks.
(1) 1968 Jets vs. (16) 1997 Jets
The Super Bowl III champions kept trying to pull away, but Bill Parcells’ group wouldn’t relent.
After a 7-yard Matt Snell touchdown in the second quarter put the 1968 team up 10-3, the 1997 squad responded with a 10-yard touchdown from O’Donnell to Adrian Murrell, tying the score. Joe Namath responded with an 11-yard touchdown pass to George Sauer, but a 39-yard John Hall field goal with 17 seconds left made it a 17-13 game at halftime.
After a scoreless third quarter, Hall made a 46-yarder early in the fourth to slice the lead to one. Jim Turner responded with two field goals, the second putting his 1968 brothers up 23-16 with 1:45 remaining.
Then, Neil O’Donnell locked in.
Against the same defense that picked off the Baltimore Colts four times in the Super Bowl, O’Donnell marched his team down the field, coming within 10 yards of the goal line with under 10 seconds remaining. Three seconds before time expired, the Underdog himself, Wayne Chrebet, secured the 10-yard touchdown to tie the game and force overtime. Personally, going against a Super Bowl-winning team, I would’ve tried to win the game with a two-point attempt here, but I’ll trust Coach Parcells.
Well, it turns out Parcells should’ve listened to me. Less than three minutes into overtime, Jim Turner saved the 1968 Jets from a shocking upset, winning the game with a 45-yard field goal. Considering Turner only made 39% of his field goal attempts from 40-49 yards in his career, this was an ice-in-his-veins moment from the Jets’ two-time Pro Bowl kicker.
Joe Namath completed 19-of-28 passes for 244 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions. Don Maynard caught six passes for 128 yards.
Adrian Murrell was a star for the 1997 team, rushing 20 times for 124 yards while adding a 10-yard touchdown reception.
The 1968 team soldiers on, but Weeb Ewbank is getting roasted on Twitter for this performance. His team will be under immense scrutiny in practice this week.
WINNER: 1968 Jets (26-23, OT)
(8) 2004 Jets vs. (9) 1986 Jets
Both of these squads went 10-6 and won a playoff game, although the 2004 team had a +72 point differential while the 1986 team was at -22. Clearly, the 2004 team has the edge, but will it matter in this anything-can-happen tournament? We just saw Neil O’Donnell nearly knock off Broadway Joe.
The 2004 Jets wasted no time showing that they play to win the game. Herm Edwards’ squad jumped out to a 10-0 lead by the end of the first quarter, highlighted by a 30-yard touchdown run from Curtis Martin.
In the second quarter, the 2004 offense slowed down, allowing the 1986 bunch to creep back into it. Two Pat Leahy field goals cut the halftime deficit to 10-6.
About halfway through the third, Freeman McNeil found paydirt from 10 yards out, giving the 1986 team its first lead. Doug Brien responded with a 38-yard field goal to tie the score at 13 entering the fourth.
Both defenses came to play in this one. After Brien’s third-quarter field goal, the score remained dormant for more than 17 minutes. The ice was finally broken with 40 seconds left in the game as Pat Leahy hit a 44-yard field goal to put the 1986 team up 16-13.
On their last-ditch attempt to come back, Pennington lost a fumble. The 1986 team came out on top with the 16-13 win, holding Pennington’s offense to 3 points over the final 45 minutes.
The 1986 offensive weaponry was a force to be reckoned with. While Al Toon and Wesley Walker played five seasons together, the 1986 season was the only one where the Jets got to enjoy both players at their best. Toon was a rookie in 1985 while Walker began declining after 1986. But in 1986, both players eclipsed 1,000 yards.
Toon and Walker showed their impact in this faux game, combining for nine receptions and 114 receiving yards despite the team running only 27 passing plays.
After seeing the 1968 defense struggle against Neil O’Donnell, I’m skeptical of whether they can handle the peak Al Toon-Wesley Walker duo. That Elite Eight matchup is going to be a classic.
WINNER: 1986 Jets (16-13)
(5) 1985 Jets vs. (12) 2001 Jets
I’ll make this one quick.
Announcing themselves as a serious contender in this bracket, the 1985 squad laid a wire-to-wire thumping upon the team led by a rookie Herm Edwards.
They jumped out to a 16-0 lead in the first quarter, buoyed by two explosive touchdowns from Freeman McNeil: a 28-yard receiving score and a 38-yard rushing score (Pat Leahy missed the extra point). From there, the 2001 team never got closer than nine points as the 1985 team cruised to a 35-18 win.
Although Abdul Salaam was no longer there, the 1985 team was the peak of the Sack Exchange era; the Jets allowed the third-fewest points per game in the NFL that season, which was their best ranking of the 1980s and remains tied for their third-best ranking in franchise history. It was on full display in this game.
While the 1985 Jets only got one sack, the pressure from Mark Gastineau, Joe Klecko, and Marty Lyons helped force Vinny Testaverde into five interceptions. Lance Mehl picked him off twice while Kyle Clifton, Johnny Lynn, and Harry Hamilton each got in on the action.
Ken O’Brien was a surgeon in this one, finishing with a 135.8 passer rating as he completed 16-of-22 passes for 226 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions.
WINNER: 1985 Jets (35-18)
(4) 2010 Jets vs. (13) 1967 Jets
These teams bring opposite strengths to the table. The 1967 team relied on its offense, leading the AFL in yards per game. The 2010 team counted on its defense, allowing the sixth-fewest points per game and third-fewest yards per game.
Rex Ryan’s team dictated the tone of this one. It was an ugly game, with exciting plays hard to come by. Entering halftime, a 51-yard Nick Folk field goal was the only score.
Midway through the third quarter, Ewbank’s team finally found its way onto the scoreboard as Joe Namath found Emerson Boozer for an 11-yard touchdown. This gave 1967 a 7-3 lead, which would hold firm until about 10 minutes remaining in the fourth.
Then, in his typical fashion, LaDainian Tomlinson came through with a clutch play, running one in from six yards out for the 10-7 lead.
The final six minutes played out similar to a shootout in the other football. With 5:45 left, Jim Turner tied the game with a 23-yarder. Three minutes later, Turner struck again from 39 yards for the 13-10 lead.
But Mark Sanchez did that thing he loved to do in 2010: come up clutch in the fourth quarter even if he wasn’t great for the whole game. Sanchez led the Jets down the field and positioned Nick Folk for a 50-yard attempt with 1:01 remaining, which he made to tie the game. Shoutout to the Folk hero for making two 50-yarders in this game – equal to his total from the entire 2010 season.
However, Sanchez left too much time for Joe Namath. Broadway Joseph drove his team down the field to position Jim Turner for a 41-yard game-winning attempt. Remember what we mentioned earlier; a 40-plus-yard attempt was very difficult for kickers from that era.
Turner calmly stepped up to the ball. Donning baggy pants, oversized sleeves, a narrow little facemask, and a set of digits currently donned by Jermaine Johnson, he swept his right leg.
BONK. It didn’t sound like he got it clean. The accuracy was clearly perfect; it was just a matter of whether it would get there. It knuckleballed its way through the air, seemingly on a crash course for the stanchion. 2010 fans rejoiced.
But as it fluttered through the air… it somehow… stayed in the air? As if it had found an invisible platform to roll along? After what felt like eons, the ball arrived at the crossbar. The only question was, which way would it go? The Meadowlands collectively held its breath as the unorthodox “ball” and the yellow piece of metal braced for a collision. DONG. The pigskin comes face to face with its destiny. It’s all in the hands of the crossbar now. As it comes to a warm embrace with the jittery football, the crossbar makes its judgment… sending it straight into the net.
An 8-5-1 AFL team steals the 16-13 victory over a Jets team that won 13 total games between the regular season and the playoffs, including road playoff wins over Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. Go figure.
WINNER: 1967 Jets (16-13)
(3) 1969 Jets vs. (14) 2009 Jets
While the 1969 Jets could not defend their Super Bowl title, they were still an elite team, going 10-4 while ranking third in both scoring offense and scoring defense among 10 AFL teams. Their +84 point differential is still the fifth-best in team history. Two spots ahead are the 2009 Jets (+112). This is a powerhouse matchup.
Boasting a Super Bowl pedigree, the 1969 team wasted no time imposing its will, taking a 17-0 lead into the half. Matt Snell had a 37-yard touchdown run while Mark Sanchez threw a 26-yard pick-six to Ralph Turner.
Rex Ryan’s defense held Joe Namath’s offense scoreless in the second half. The offense slowly chipped away, cutting the lead to 17-9 with 4:16 remaining on the strength of three Jay Feely field goals. But it wasn’t enough, as the 1969 team held firm for the 17-9 victory.
Fans on Twitter are irate at Brian Schottenheimer after this game for his lack of trust in Mark Sanchez. Schottenheimer called 38 runs against just 16 passes, even though the 38 runs netted 154 yards (4.1 per attempt) compared to the 16 passes netting 124 yards (7.8 per attempt). Sanchez had two interceptions, and yes, he was facing a stacked defense with three 10-sack players (Gerry Philbin, Verlon Biggs, and John Elliott), but come on, Schotty. The defense stepped up against Broadway Joe. There was no reason to continue running into walls when the game was there for the taking. Let Mark take some shots and see what happens.
Twitter user @RevisIsHim24 eloquently opined, “FIRE SCHOTTY! TRUST THE USC KID!! HOW DO WE LOSE TO A TEAM FROM THE YEAR OF THE MOON LANDING?”
With this victory, both the 2009 and 2010 teams have been eliminated, while the 1967, 1968, and 1969 teams are all headed to the Elite Eight.
(6) 1982 Jets vs. (11) 2006 Jets
The old-school squads have been humbling the kiddos. So far in the Elite Eight, the elder team is 5-0.
It’s been fascinating to see the classic squads dominating. Can the 2006 team right the ship for the younger generation? We’ll have to see, but this resurgent team is fit for the challenge. After a four-win 2005 season derailed by Chad Pennington’s absence, Pennington came back strong and led the Jets to a 10-6 record – although it was the defense (sixth-fewest points per game allowed) that led the charge.
Younger fans on Twitter talked a lot of trash going into this game, with Lakers head coach J.J. Redick claiming that the older teams only played against “plumbers” and “firemen” and that the younger teams were letting them win to make them feel good. Reddit user u/fortnitefan agreed, claiming, “The talent in today’s game is so clear of where it was back then bro. Freeman McNeil would have been on the practice squad in 2006.” The widely held opinion among the educated masses of social media was that the 2006 team would make a statement in this one.
And the kids came out strong. Pennington immediately led the 2006 Jets all the way down the field, but the 1982 boys held strong, forcing a 23-yard Mike Nugent field goal to make it 3-0 in favor of 2006.
Soon thereafter, Richard Todd marched his team down the field, culminating in a 2-yard touchdown pass to Jerome Barkum. The second quarter was scoreless, giving the 1986 team a 7-3 halftime lead.
After a 35-yard Pat Leahy field goal in the third quarter, it was 10-3 going into the fourth. Two Mike Nugent field goals cut the lead to 10-9 with 11:54 remaining. It was finally going to happen – a win for the younger generation, proving the old heads couldn’t hang in today’s game.
Nope.
Wesley Walker crushed the youngsters’ hearts with a 3-yard touchdown catch from Todd to make it 17-9. With 1:52 remaining, McNeil got the dagger, running one in from six yards out for the 24-9 lead.
McNeil took u/fortnitefan’s criticism personally, rushing for 108 yards. Richard Todd went 14-of-26 for 166 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions.
The 1982 defense was sublime, holding the 2006 offense to 2.9 yards per rush attempt and limiting Pennington to a 47% completion rate (16/34). While Jerricho Cotchery had six catches for 100 yards and Laveranues Coles had six grabs of his own for 87 yards, the rest of the team had a combined four catches for 48 yards.
Make it 6-0 for the old heads. Checkmate, Facegram and Instachat generation.
WINNER: 1982 Jets (24-9)
(7) 1981 Jets vs. (10) 2015 Jets
The 2015 Jets are the only remaining representative from the last 20 years, and one of two remaining teams from the 21st century. Can they buck the trend?
While the season ended in a disappointing fashion, the 2015 Jets had a +73 point differential, which stands as the seventh-best in team history. The 1981 team was very similar, ranking ninth in team history with a +68, so these teams are evenly matched.
I’ll admit it: By this point, I am openly rooting for the younger teams. And, no, it’s not because I was born in 2000. I just want to see some balance in the bracket as we make our way to the Elite Eight. It would be fun to see multiple eras represented.
But it’s all out of my hands. Let’s see what happens.
BANG! Did you hear that? It wasn’t Mike Breen. It was me, slamming my front door out of frustration because the 1981 team has taken a 14-0 lead by the end of the first quarter. I’m going to take a walk around my neighborhood to decompress a little. Hopefully some Fitzmagic is on the horizon, but I’m not holding my breath. I guess the older generation is just flat-out better at football.
Or is it?
Early in the second quarter, Brandon Marshall secured an 11-yard touchdown from Ryan Fitzpatrick to rejuvenate the team. With 5:40 remaining, Chris Ivory busted loose for a 41-yard touchdown run, tying the game at 14 apiece.
With 44 seconds left, Richard Todd hit Wesley Walker from 12 yards out to put the 1981 team back up 21-14. Shockingly, Bowles did not take the conservative route of kneeling into halftime. Instead, the Jets came out firing. And with one second left on the clock, Fitzpatrick hit Marshall on a 44-yard Hail Mary touchdown to tie the score at 21 entering halftime.
Midway through the third, Fitzpatrick tossed his third touchdown of the game, connecting with Jeremy Kerley from 14 yards away. The 2015 Jets had their first lead of the game, entering the fourth quarter leading 28-21.
The second half was all about the 2015 Jets defense. They allowed zero second-half points to secure the victory. Nick Folk added two field goals in the fourth quarter, and the 2015 team ran away with the 34-21 win, finishing the game on a 34-7 run.
Phew. We finally have a winner from the younger side.
Marshall and Ivory went nuclear in this game, combining for 293 yards from scrimmage. Bilal Powell added eight carries for 66 yards while Eric Decker caught five passes for 83 yards.
Fitzpatrick posted a perfect passer rating, going 20-of-23 for 309 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions.
Look out for this 2015 team.
WINNER: 2015 Jets (34-21)
(2) 1998 Jets vs. (15) 2002 Jets
Though separated by only four years, the 1998 and 2002 Jets teams were vastly different.
The 1998 Jets are pretty clearly the second-best team in franchise history, just about however you want to measure it. By 2002, the Jets had already gone through one coach (Al Groh) and onto another (Herm Edwards), while the roster had undergone major changes. The 2002 team was only slightly above average overall, although they rebounded from a 1-4 start and played great football after their bye week.
Can the 2002 team pull off the upset to give us a second 21st-century representative in the Elite Eight?
Their quest to do so began on the right track, as the 2002 version of Curtis Martin gave them a 7-0 lead at the end of the first quarter with a 23-yard touchdown run.
Early in the second quarter, the 1998 team got on the board with a safety as Aaron Glenn tackled Martin in the end zone. However, the 2002 defense pitched a first-half shutout. John Hall kicked a 36-yard field goal with 6:36 remaining in the second, and that was it for your first-half scoring, putting the 2002 team up 10-2 entering the break.
On the opening drive of the third, the 1998 team started to come alive as Vinny Testaverde found Dedric Ward for a 26-yard touchdown pass. That cut the lead to 10-9.
And from there, it was all about the 2002 defense. The 1998 offense never scored again, and with two more John Hall field goals to extend the lead, the 2002 team pulled off the massive upset, winning 16-9.
Marvin Jones and James Darling had interceptions for the 2002 defense, while John Abraham added a sack. Chad Pennington went 18-of-28 for 202 yards with no touchdowns or picks. Anthony Becht led the team with 46 receiving yards.
The 2002 team will meet up with Ryan Fitzpatrick’s ragtag bunch in the Elite Eight, so we will have one 21st-century representative in the Final Four.
Elite Eight
Here is the bracket going into the Elite Eight.
(1) 1968 Jets vs. (9) 1986 Jets
After an overtime scare from the 16th-seeded 1997 team, the 1968 team put together a stress-free whooping of the 1986 squad in the Elite Eight. They never trailed on their way to a 20-6 victory, led by Emerson Boozer’s 12-yard touchdown reception and Johnny Sample’s 64-yard pick-six of Ken O’Brien.
The most impressive aspect of the win was their run defense. Freeman McNeil has been a monster in these simulations so far, but not this time. The 1968 defense held McNeil to 44 yards on 18 carries. His teammate Johnny Hector had 15 yards on 10 carries, bringing the backfield to 59 yards on 28 attempts (2.1 yards per attempt).
Everyone talks about Namath and Maynard, but the 1968 team’s run defense was its most underrated strength. They allowed an AFL-low 3.2 yards per rush attempt in the regular season, and in the AFL Championship Game, they held the Raiders to 50 rushing yards after a season in which they led the AFL in yards per rush attempt.
WINNER: 1968 Jets (20-6)
(5) 1985 Jets vs. (13) 1967 Jets
This is a pretty similar matchup to the previous one, although in this edition, we get a stronger version of the 1980s-era team and a weaker version of the 1960s-era team.
All of the scoring in this game occurred in the second and fourth quarters. After a Pat Leahy field goal opened the scoring with a 3-0 lead for 1985, Namath responded with a 3-yard touchdown to Pete Lammons. Freeman McNeil came back with a 2-yard touchdown run, putting the 1985 team up 10-7 at the half.
Ken O’Brien opened the fourth quarter with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Kurt Sohn, padding the lead to 17-7. Over seven minutes later, Matt Snell punched it in from one yard out to slice the lead to three. Jim Turner tied it with a 25-yard field goal less than two minutes later off of a lost fumble by O’Brien. With 1:13 left, Turner hit another field goal from 30 yards out, and that was all she wrote.
It’s a 20-17 win for the 1967 team, pitting them against their 1968 counterparts in the Final Four.
WINNER: 1967 Jets (20-17)
(3) 1969 Jets vs. (6) 1982 Jets
It’s our third 80s-versus-60s matchup of the Elite Eight. The 60s came out on top in each of the previous two. Can the AFC Championship-bound 1982 team come through to represent the Sack Exchange era in the Final Four?
Namath had something to say about that, as he came out swinging with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Maynard in the first quarter. Fret not, my 80s people. Freeman McNeil responded quickly with a 64-yard touchdown run on the ensuing drive. However, Pat Leahy missed the extra point, so it’s still 7-6.
The Namath-Maynard duo struck again with 10:33 in the fourth, connecting from four yards out for a 14-6 lead. But Wesley Walker would respond with an 11-yard touchdown from Richard Todd, making it 14-13. With 1:46 left in the half, Pat Leahy nailed a 23-yarder to give the 1982 team a 16-14 halftime lead.
Leahy heated up after missing his first extra point. In the third quarter, he made kicks from 38 and 50 yards to put his team up 22-14 going into the last frame.
Namath drove his squad into scoring range but was halted short as Jim Turner settled for a 26-yard field goal. The scoring halted for a while until McNeil iced the win with a 14-yard touchdown run after the two-minute warning, making it 29-17. Leahy rubbed it in by making a 25-yard field goal with 25 seconds left (I don’t think this simulator accounts for sportsmanship), securing the 32-17 win.
McNeil ran 22 times for 159 yards and two scores. The 1982 secondary deserves credit for limiting Namath to 185 yards and 16 completions on 37 attempts.
WINNER: 1982 Jets (32-17)
(10) 2015 Jets vs. (15) 2002 Jets
We’re going to get a heavy old-school flavor in the Final Four, but one of these two teams will make a Cinderella run to represent the younger generation of Jets fans. Who will it be?
After two John Hall field goals, Chris Ivory responded with a 20-yard touchdown run to make it 7-6 at the end of the first quarter. On the first play of the second quarter, Wayne Chrebet nabbed a 12-yard touchdown reception from Pennington. Hall missed the extra point, leaving it at 12-7 in favor of the 2002 team.
Midway through the quarter, Martin rumbled downfield for a 54-yard touchdown reception from Pennington, making it 19-7. Nick Folk canned one from 45 yards to cut the lead to nine going into the half.
All we got in the third was a John Hall field goal. Early in the fourth, Ryan Fitzpatrick drove the Jets into scoring range and hit his signature skinny post in from the back end of the red zone to Brandon Marshall, scoring from 16 yards out to make it 22-17.
The 2015 Jets got a few stops but couldn’t answer back offensively. With 6:04 left, Chad Pennington found Richie Anderson for a 28-yard touchdown, extending the lead to 12.
Fitzpatrick threw a late interception to Marvin Jones, and that was it. The 2002 Jets – a 9-7 team that earned the 15th seed in this bracket and had to win a play-in game – are going to the Final Four.
Chad Pennington exploded in this one, going 15-of-21 for 271 yards, three touchdowns, and no picks. Shoutout to Calvin Pace for getting two sacks and leading the team with 10 tackles.
WINNER: 2002 Jets (29-17)
Final Four
(1) 1968 Jets vs. (13) 1967 Jets
Joe Namath is going to be in the championship. But which one?
The ’67ers came out strong, leading 14-3 through 15 minutes after a 2-yard Emerson Boozer run and an 11-yard pass from Namath to Pete Lammons. The 1968 version of Jim Turner made a 41-yard field goal, bringing it to 14-6 going into halftime.
With 4:55 left in the third, Jim Turner connected from 26 yards out.
After that… wait, why are you giving me that look? Oh, right. There are two Jim Turners. It was the 1967 one. He put the underdogs up 17-6.
But less than one minute later, the 1968 Jets turned the tied of the game with a 76-yard George Sauer touchdown run, making it 17-13 entering the fourth.
After a long stalemate, Joe Namath – the 1968 one – charged down the field and found Don Maynard for a 12-yard touchdown to take the lead with 1:47 remaining. The other Joe Namath figured he’d do his counterpart one better. Just 33 seconds later, Namath-67 found Maynard-67 for a 16-yard touchdown, reclaiming the lead for 1967.
The 1967 defense held strong to secure the victory, toppling the number one seed of the tournament.
WINNER: 1967 Jets (23-20)
(6) 1982 Jets vs. (15) 2002 Jets
Can the Cinderella run continue?
The 1982 team talked all week about preventing the 2002 team from gaining early momentum, and they did just that. Thanks to an 11-yard Wesley Walker touchdown reception and a 29-yard Bruce Harper touchdown run, they had a 17-0 lead by the midway point of the second quarter.
But you don’t get this far as a 15th seed without resilience. Curtis Martin plowed into the end zone from four yards out to get his team on the board with 5:59 left in the second. However, the 1982 team managed to squeeze in another field goal with five seconds left, giving them a 20-7 halftime lead.
And then he struck again! Freeman McNeil broke free from 58 yards out for the only third-quarter score, making it 27-7.
This was never much of a game. Scott Dierking added a 3-yard touchdown run for good measure, and the 1982 made a loud statement as they secured a 36-14 victory.
McNeil had 206 yards from scrimmage in the win.
With the final post-1990 team eliminated, the deal has officially been sealed: Old heads > Young heads. Just like how LeBron wouldn’t last two seconds in MJ’s NBA, we now know that Freeman McNeil would win MVP on a yearly basis in today’s NFL, and Joe Namath would cook all of these TikTok-dancing DBs of the 2020s.
WINNER: 1982 Jets (36-14)
CHAMPIONSHIP: (6) 1982 Jets vs. (13) 1967 Jets
If you made it this far – more than 5,000 words into a July 11 article about a fake tournament between historical New York Jets teams – congratulations, you are a maniac. Well, you’re not quite as maniacal as the maniac who actually wrote those 5,000-plus words, but, yeah, you’re still a maniac. And you should be proud of it.
In one corner, we have the 1982 New York Jets, led by head coach Walt Michaels.
This is one of the best teams in Jets history. In a strike-shortened season, they went 6-3 and registered the second-best point differential in the NFL (+79), falling just two points short of a Dallas Cowboys team that was at the tail-end of Tom Landry’s prime years with the team. In the Wild Card round, the Jets went on the road and smacked the reigning AFC champion Bengals by a score of 44-17. In the Divisional round, they traveled to Los Angeles and defeated the 8-1 Raiders. Their season ended in the controversial “Mud Bowl” against the Dolphins.
In the other corner, we have the 1967 New York Jets, led by head coach Weeb Ewbank.
This was the first team in franchise history to record a winning record. While they did not make the playoffs, they showed glimpses of the potential that would be fully realized the following year. Third-year quarterback Joe Namath enjoyed a breakout season, becoming the first quarterback to throw for 4,000 yards while also leading the league in yards per attempt (8.2). According to Pro Football Reference’s Approximate Value metric, he was the most valuable player in the AFL that season.
The 1982 Jets were an extremely well-rounded team in both phases. Out of 28 teams, they ranked third in points per game and 10th-best in points allowed per game. The defense was even better in the playoffs, allowing 15.0 points per game across three road games against elite opponents.
Offensively, quarterback Richard Todd had his best season, setting career highs in passer rating (87.3) and passing yards per game (217.9). Running back Freeman McNeil was named a first-team All-Pro for racking up 973 yards from scrimmage and seven total touchdowns in just nine games. Wesley Walker was the team’s explosive No. 1 receiver, catching 39 passes for 620 yards and six touchdowns. Defensively, the team was anchored by the complete four-man Sack Exchange: Gastineau, Salaam, Klecko, and Lyons, who combined for 12 sacks in just nine games.
The 1967 Jets relied on an offense that led the AFL in total yards per game. Specifically, they relied on their top-ranked passing attack, as their run game was poor – it ranked eighth in yards per attempt. This season was the pinnacle of the Namath-Maynard duo. Maynard led the AFL with 1,434 receiving yards, a whopping 102.4 per game. He added 10 touchdown receptions. Maynard did all of this on just 71 receptions, giving him a ridiculous average of 20.2 yards per reception.
The Jets were mediocre on defense in 1967, ranking fifth out of nine AFL teams with 23.5 points per game allowed. With a poor run game and a mediocre defense, this team relied extremely heavily on Namath and Maynard to be successful. It wasn’t until 1968 that they became a complete championship-caliber team.
So, we have an elite 1982 team with playmakers in all facets of the game versus a 1967 team that was on the precipice of greatness but not quite there yet. The 1982 team is clearly the favorite here. Will they handle business? Or can Joe Namath pull off another championship miracle?
Things got off to a beautiful start for the ’67ers. They held McNeil and Walker in check for the first 20 minutes, and with a 1-yard Emerson Boozer touchdown run paired alongside a 43-yard Jim Turner field goal, they had a 10-0 lead. Sound familiar? The Jets had a 10-0 lead in Super Bowl III.
Pat Leahy got the 1982 squad on the board with a 34-yarder at the 5:30 mark of the second. On their next offensive possession, Richard Todd marched his team down the field and topped it off with a 24-yard touchdown pass to Wesley Walker, tying the score going into halftime.
The halftime show starred a variety of famous Jets characters. Nick Mangold challenged himself to see how many beers he could chug in two minutes. Next, there were two sanctioned boxing matches. The undercard bout featured Geno Smith vs. IK Enemkpali, referred by Brandon Marshall. The main event featured Darrelle Revis vs. Antonio Cromartie, referred by Rex Ryan.
Mangold chugged only two beers before ripping off his Igor Shesterkin jersey like Superman to reveal a No. 55 jersey in the Jets’ current uniform style. He snatched the microphone from host JB Smoove and announced he is unretiring to back up Joe Tippmann this season. Mangold admirably allowed rookie Olu Fashanu to keep his No. 74 and elected to go with his college number. Chazz Surratt currently owns the No. 55 jersey, but reports indicate that Mangold traded Surratt tickets to five Rangers games for the number.
The boxing matches were canceled due to unexpected time constraints. Security took nearly 12 minutes to catch a streaking Antonio Brown.
Finally, fans were treated to a performance from acclaimed hip-hop artist Le’Veon Bell, whose tracklist included smash hit “Gas on E.” Scholarly Jets fans might remember that Bell dropped this track as part of his album “Life Is A Gamble” at midnight following the opening of free agency in 2019. Fans speculated whether the title was referencing the last name of the Jets’ head coach at the time, Adam Gase (Gas on E), suggesting Bell was hinting that he planned to sign with the Jets. Not long after the album dropped, he did sign with the Jets, so that was that.
Back to the game. Coming out of the half at 10-10, both sides are fairly happy with how they’ve played. “It’s all about execution,” says Ewbank in a sideline interview with Smoove.
The third quarter gets off to a sluggish start, but with 8:44 left, Pat Leahy strikes from 34 yards to put the 1982 team up 13-10. With 4:10 left in the quarter, Freeman McNeil adds a 19-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 20-10.
In an effort to make the comeback, Namath tried to do too much. He finished the game with three interceptions, two going to Jerry Holmes and one to Darrol Ray. McNeil added another touchdown on a 7-yard reception from Todd, and that sealed the deal. The 1982 team secured the championship with a 27-10 victory.
Your Meadowlands Bowl MVP is none other than McNeil, who ran 20 times for 103 yards and a touchdown while adding three receptions for 17 yards and a touchdown. Richard Todd took advantage of an exploitable 1967 defense as he completed 17-of-24 passes for 175 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions.
We knew coming into this game that the Namath-Maynard duo was the only elite strength of the 1967 team. If that duo wasn’t outstanding, they weren’t going to win, and they were held in check. Maynard only had six receptions for 47 yards. Namath went 20-of-35 for 185 yards, no touchdowns, and three picks.
Credit is due to an elite 1982 Jets secondary that doesn’t get talked about enough. In 1982, the Jets allowed the fourth-lowest opposing passer rating in the NFL (59.4). Cornerback Bobby Jackson (5 INT), safety Darrol Ray (3 INT), and cornerback Jerry Holmes (3 INT) were among the standouts on that unit. Remember, those numbers were accumulated in nine games.
What a run this was. Thanks to everyone who stuck around for the ride. Congratulations to the 1982 Jets!
WINNER: 1982 Jets (27-10)
