Week 7 featured vintage electric football matchup – Patriots vs. Jets
(Note — today’s post is written by our resident book designer and Jets fan Michael Kronenberg.)
Joe Namath vs. the Patriots in 1966. No sleep, no regrets.
Today’s match up features the New York Jets and New England Patriots. It’s an inner-division rivalry that dates back to 1960, the inaugural season of the AFL when these teams were known as the New York Titans and Boston Patriots. To be honest, it hasn’t been much of a rivalry since Bill Belichick happened upon Tom Brady. The Jets have not won the AFC East since 2002. But there was a time when the Jets dominated the Patriots. From 1966-1975 the Jets were 17-2-1 against the Patriots. Being a diehard Jets fan since the early 1970s, I’d like to focus on two significant wins in Jets history during that time period.
Namath eliminating the Patriots from the AFL playoffs.
In 1966 the Jets had started at a scintillating 4-0, but faded down the stretch. In their final game the Jets faced the Boston Patriots at Shea Stadium. If the Pats won they would be Eastern Division champs and move on to the 1966 AFL Championship game. The Jets were heavy underdogs. When Joe Namath arrived at Shea having not slept and still fresh from a VERY long night on the town, it seemed that the prognosticators got this game correct. To everyone’s surprise, including his own teammates, Namath, as Al Davis liked to describe him, “tilted the field.” Broadway Joe went 14 for 21, 287 yards, 3 TDs and no interceptions. Namath threw two touchdown passes to Don Maynard and added a 77-yard TD to George Sauer. The Jets eliminated the Patriots on the season’s final day 38-28.
Namath in 1975, summoning his quarterbacking magic one last time…
In 1975, the Jets opened the season with a great deal of hope. They had ended 1974 with a six game winning streak which included victories over the Super Bowl champion Miami Dolphins and the playoff bound Buffalo Bills. After a promising start, 1975 would be a disaster. The season revealed that Namath was at the end, his body, riddled with old injuries, failed him, and the team’s roster (with a few exceptions) were cellar dwellers. But on October 5, 1975, Joe Namath played his last truly great game, the last game where he dominated and was an unstoppable force. Against the Patriots and in front of visiting dignitary Emperor Hirohito of Japan, Joe dazzled the home crowd at Shea. He went 15 for 21, 218 yards and 4 TDs. Namath completed touchdown passes to Rich Caster and Jerome Barkum for a 36-7 victory. (Click here for an NFL Films recap of the game). But this was the Jets final day of glory that season. They would embark on an eight game losing streak before snapping it against, you know who…the Patriots in Foxboro.
The Jets are 10.5-point underdogs to the Patriots this Sunday. They could use a hung over Joe Namath to get a much-needed upset.
Michael Kronenberg