For one day they were, but the rest is debatable. Plus I was born in January 1967 so for me personally I had other shit to focus on.
'68 was the best season but this is the best stretch of Jets football. '68 & '69 we won 2 playoff games, the last 2 years alone we won 4. '01-'10 we made the playoffs 6 times, from '60-'80 we made it twice. We also know we are a contender annually now and it appears the run is just beginning rather than that brief window we had in the late 60s.
For one day? Really? In '68 & '69 there were 2 and 3 rounds of playoff football (including the SB) and now there are 4. We were a WC both years which gave us more opportunities to win p/o games. I get your point that we have never seen this kind of sustained success, but winning it all trumps all else. And being that '68 is our only SB Championship that automatically is the greatest time in franchise history.
which made it easier to advance to a SB, we played a title game at home against a team that beat us during the reg season and had a better record. '68 was obviously our best year but our next playoff win was 1982. We didn't have the consistency we have had over the last decade.
Playing the top team in the other division doesn't make it an easy route to the SB. I get what your saying, but winning a championship trumps all non-championship seasons.
getting to play only one home game(while Oak had to play 2) against a team that had beaten us and had a better record made it much easier. Oak was a good team, was it easy? no but easier than it should have been. '68 is the best(for now) w/o a doubt.
By the same token it was easier to get there and win then than it is now. So yes, for that one day 1968 (or 69, whichever you prefer) was better and it lives through history, I'm not knocking it. Now there's more teams, more playoffs and you can't get there by winning one game. So it's not a level comparison but I'd say the first two years of Rex has given us as many great moments as any two-year stretch in team history. There have been single greater years--of course 1968 and I'd say 1982 and 1998, for a two-year stretch I'd say 1981-82 and 1985-86, both fall short of 2009-10 in my opinion. Again, I wasn't around for 1967-69 so I can't say with certainty.
They had a round robin style scheduling back then so every team played everyone in the league. The 1968 Jets were 5-1 against the best teams in the AFL. Every game was essentially a playoff game as the only way you could get in the playoffs was by winning your division. So, your theory that it was easier is incorrect. Yes, there are more teams and more playoff teams. The difference is that the talent is more diluted throughout the league and the teams that make the playoffs aren’t as good as the one’s from yesteryear. You really think that 68 was only 1 day and that there weren’t as many great moments in 67-69 than there have been in 09-10. Seriously?? The bomb to Maynard on opening day of 68 against KC, actually winning the division in back to back seasons, having the 1st 4,000 yard passer in Pro Football history, the pass to Maynard setting up the GW TD to beat Oakland to get to the Super Bowl, then winning the Super Bowl against the powerhouse Colts The best two year stretches in Jets history were 68-69, 09-10, 97-98, 01-02, 81-82 You don’t have to have been around in 67-69 to be able to discuss them.
no you dont. But how many of todays jets fans have a damn clue about the history of the team beyond actually winning it all in 68? Even for me, a 22 year old, who has studied the history of the Jets because I love the team, its hard to really compare now to then because reading about it, and watching highlights is not nearly as exciting as watching it live like we are in todays day and age. Which means that today sticks out more than the past in the average persons mind. But you are right it certainly is an exciting debate. Heck I would wager that these first 3 years under Rex (especially if we make the postseason this year) will be undoubtably the best time in jets history since 67-69. If we win a ring in the near future, I think it blows 6-69 out of the water, but then again, like I said, I wasnt there, I don't know what it felt like to be there.
When the Jets hoist up the Lombardi trophy under Ryan we can call it the best time in Jets history. Until then, the Superbowl 3 team and the years around that game had to have been the most exciting before now. So in a way junc is right, but until we win the SB again, back to back championship games just doesn't cut it..but that champions feeling is in the air.
I agree completely. I also don't think you can consider back to back wild card seasons sustained success. The jets are not contenders every year as people have stated in this thread. They put together back to back playoff wins 2 yrs in a row, that's it. Both times they were underdogs in the divisional round and the afccg. The colts for 10 yrs were annual contenders, the pats have been long time contenders, the steelers have been up and down, they're there more often than not. Those are what annual contenders look like. When the Jets can win the division 3 or 4 yrs out of 5, that's sustained success. When they're favored in playoff games they're hosting, then I'll call them annual contenders. Nevertheless, it is still a good time to be a fan...we at least have hope with some semblance of a realistic shot.
Simply put if Sanchez pans out to be even a slightly mediocre QB, this is undoubtedly will be the best time to be a Jets fan period. The fact is the Patriots are a dying team, literally built entirely around one player (32nd ranked defense anybody) and soon as that player retires (which isn't in the distant future) nobody will even come close to touching us in the division. Meanwhile we easily have the best coach in the HISTORY of our organization, who undoubtedly will go down as one of the most elite coaches in the sport as well, as well as a young cornerback who virtually guarantees this to be an elite passing defense for at LEAST another 6-7 years and also will go down as either the best or 2nd best at his position EVER. I mean sure the Jets of old did some old stuff, but were talking a dynasty here. And if our promising 24 year old QB continues to mature at even a fraction of his current rate, were talking about 15 more years of Sanchez/Rexy possibly completely surpassing alot of things even those other 2 guys in the AFC east did. Lets be honest, had we been in ANY other division in football other than the AFC east there wouldnt even be a fraction of debate about this right now
At the end of your post I can see the potential for agreement so don't take this personal but fanbase wide. That said, I don't understand this Sanchez if bullshit. Look, when else has a QB come into the league to lead an offense right into back to back title games? Sure a lot of the wins were on the defense but think about all of the 2 minute drills (sometimes 58 seconds) Sanchez has had to run in order to win a game. He's clutch in those instances and I think in his career he's only cost us 1 game in the last two minutes. It's definitely less than 3. You can't be anything but happy with the way Sanchez has been before this season. On paper he's been as good as 2010 so far. When else have we had a QB this good? Pennington's first couple of years? Before that and Vinny? My point is historically the Jets draft like shit. We drafted Sanchez and we've made the playoffs every year since. I don't understand the complaining or worrying. He's proven himself already..he just has to get to the Superbowl, and he will. This kid already beats New England 4 out of 5 times and we never have had reason to write off any opponent since. Good enough for me.
I would go 1968, 1998, 1969, 2010, 1982 as the best seasons in Jets history. Those were the years when the Jets really had a strong chance to win a championship. Every other year something derailed the team and they fizzled out but in those 5 seasons the Jets entered the playoffs thinking they could win a Super Bowl if a few things bounced their way. In terms of best eras for the Jets really they haven't had any. The Jets have never been really good for more than back-to-back seasons in their history. They have not had a single dynastic moment in 50 years as a franchise. The first really good Jets team got it's knees taken out from under it when Namath got hurt. The next team saw Klecko go down in 1982 and never really recovered from that. They stayed good when he was available but his injuries kept mounting, like Namath's, and took the soul out of the team. Vinny's achilles sunk the Parcells era. Edwards never really had an era because as soon as he solved the Vinny got old problem he had to deal with the Chad got hurt problem.
2009 and 2010 -- top 5 with 68, 98 and 86 hopefully 2011 still turns out to be the best of them all starting with assblasting Norval and the Bolts on Sunday
A combination of factors made the 1968 team the best Jets team ever... #1 defense, #2 offense, they beat all the teams in the AFL, the team's leader was our best player in history, the head coach was a Hall of Famer, and, of course, one of the biggest victories in the history of pro football. The 81-82 team was the most talented team... pre-injury Klecko @ DE was the greatest DL we ever had, young Gastineau, McNeil, Walker, Mehl, Todd at his peak, dominant OL Shuler/Barkum TE combo, Bruce Harper, Darrol Ray, Bobby Jackson This team is perhaps the best coached team, certainly on defense, and seems more motivated, although you have to give props to '98 as well.('98 had more talent) Before this season, I had a very good feeling about this team, but as the season unfolds, it unfortunately reminds me of the very disappointing fall we took in 1983, after two great seasons. I think we've gone as far as we can with coaching and we need a talent upgrade.
