Football Jets

New York Jets Postseason Information

Super Bowl Championships: 1
Winning Superbowl III in 1968 over the heavily favored Baltimore Colts

Super Bowl Appearances: 1 in Superbowl III in 1968

Super Bowl MVP: Joe Namath QB Superbowl III in 1968

New York Jets Playoff History
AFL/AFC Championship Games: 3 in 1968, 1982, 1998, 2010

Division Championships: 4 in 1968, 1969, 1998, and 2002

Playoff Appearances: 12 in 1968, 1969, 1981, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1991, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2010

Record in Playoff Games: 10-11.

The New York Jets have only appeared in one Superbowl, but not only did the Jets win that Superbowl but it is also one of the greatest Superbowls in history. The AFL and NFL had merged in 1966 playing a championship game between the AFL champion and NFL champion. However, the NFL’s representative Green Bay Packers had crushed the AFL representative in both the first two years. Another lopsided game was what was expected when the heavily favored Baltimore Colts and their tremendously talented roster faced the New York Jets in the 1968 Superbowl. As an 18 point underdog, the New York Jets were not supposed to be competitive against the powerhouse Baltimore Colts. The New York Jets Coach Weeb Ewbank was facing his former team and the Baltimore Colts coach Don Shula who had replaced him a few years earlier. This would have been the storyline going into the Superbowl had it not been for New York Legend Broadway Joe Namath uttering one of the greatest smack talk lines in the history of sports.

Joe Namath would guarantee victory a few days before the Superbowl. In what was the most important Superbowl in history because of the need for the AFL to gain respect and legitimacy as an equal to the NFL, the Joe Namath guarantee became the center of attention leading up to kickoff. In hindsight, the guarantee had a much greater affect on the teams then most people would have realized. By guaranteeing victory, Joe Namath was able to motivate his teammates into believing they had a chance to win. Conversely, the Joe Namath guarantee put some doubt for the first time into the minds of the Baltimore Colts. Before the guarantee the Colts were extremely confident that they were going to win the game but after the guarantee the possibility that they might lose began to enter the minds of the players.

The guarantee and the charisma of Joe Namath brought a great deal of attention to the Championship Game that year and for the first time the name Superbowl was used.

The game started well for the Jets as they were able to keep the Baltimore Colts high powered offense from scoring for the entire first half. The Jets defense were continually pressuring the Colts quarterback Earl Morrall into making mistakes. In the second quarter the Jets struck first with a 4 yard run by halfback Matt Snell. Baltimore looked like they were going to tie the game near the end of the quarter after Earl Morrall had led a drive deep into the Jets territory. What happened next is considered one of the biggest mistakes in Superbowl history. With wide Receiver Johnny Orr waving his hands signaling how wide open he was in the end zone quarterback Earl Morrall threw instead into double coverage which resulted in a huge NY Jets interception and the Jets taking a 7-0 lead into halftime.

The second half started with the Jets driving down the field and into field goal range where kicker Jim Turner would connect pushing the lead to 10-0. The Jets defense continued to assault Earl Morrall into making mistakes and kept the Baltimore Colts offense from scoring in the third quarter. Again the Jets would strike with another field goal late in the third quarter and then again to open the fourth quarter extending their improbable lead to 16-0. The Baltimore Colts would respond when Head Coach Don Shula yanked Morrall out of the game in favor of Hall of Fame Quarterback Johnny Unitas. Johnny Unitas who had been in and out all season long because of injuries brought an immediate impact on the Superbowl when he drove the Colts down the field and into the end zone. Trailing 16-7 in the fourth quarter, the Baltimore Colts went for an onside kick and recovered it to maintain possession. All of a sudden the game got very interesting and tense as the Baltimore Colts were looking like a come from behind victory was in the works. However, the New York Jets would not be denied their Superbowl Championship as they intercepted a Johnny Unitas pass late in the fourth quarter sealing the New York Jets victory.

The Jets Superbowl win was captured by the pictures of Joe Namath running off the field and into the locker room with his helmet in one hand and his other raised to the sky holding up one finger claiming that the New York Jets were Number 1.