Jets and Giants finished at 4-12in 1980 For some reason, Giants got slotted ahead of Jets Giants pick Taylor..he simply revolutionizes the game of football and turns their fortunes around for a ride that's still going on to this day. Jets get McNeil, a great Jet, but hardly Lawrence Taylor How different would things be if the roles were reversed and Jets had picked LT? Would the Jets win a VLT in the 80s w/LT? Would the Giants win one w/out him Is Parcells fired after '83 w/out Taylor Is Parcells even picked as Giants coach? Jets beat the Dolphins in the last game of the '80 season (the announcerless game IIRC) I remember rooting so hard for them to win and finish w/a more respectable 4-12 record than the 3-13 record (Ha!) Could it be that a meaningless win in that game sealed the Jets fate even through to today? Of course the cynics among us to point to a FO that took O'Brien over Marino and ask whether they even would've picked LT @ 2, but it's my fantasy, so I'm assuming they would.
wow could u imagine LT with that defensive line.....but we all know even if they did pick in the 2 slot they wouldn't have picked LT.
Fozzi: I downloaded dvdshrink and compressed the filed, I still don't understand what I need to do next even w/ that other link. Can I send the file to you?
I was watching that Bills game on TV and when Buffalo took that Harper fumble in for a TD, Shea went from complete bedlam to dead silence. you could hear a pin drop. the announcers were quiet for a few seconds and I remember thinking that the sound on my TV went dead. one play in that game which sticks out in my mind ... Quickly Down 14-0 we were desperate for a break and Furgeson got sacked around midfield and fumbled the football. Gastineau was the only guy anywhere near the ball, but instead of falling on it, he had dreams of picking it up and running it in for a TD. Instead he fumbled it along the ground until he finally pushed it out of bounds giving possession back to the Bills. a few plays later it was 17-0 and I was furious.
You are so right about that.These memories are so painful! That is just one small reason why Gastineau, who should be revered as one of the great pass rushers of all time, is held in such low regard by JETs fans.
So many painful games . The Mud bowl was very hard to watch----the Browns game was up there but not as painful ----but the one that really hurts is the Denver AFCC game--------we are up 10 nothing and I HAD won the Jet lottery and had 2 tickets waiting for me. One of my best buds also won the lottery--plan was to sell 2 of the tickets and go down to Miami and have a blast. I had a place to stay-------------------------and then the bottom fell out Mccaffrey got open downfield over the middle--Terrell Davis turned back into TD and the jets fumbled and stumbled it away------------ahhhhhhhhh theres always next year :wink:
They may have gone with George Rogers over McNeil if they had the overall #1 if they wanted only a RB...they were deep in LB's, but a guy I knew was in the NY Jets scouting department and told me a few years later that they had LT #1 on their board. They actually thought New Orleans and Bum Philips would take him.
2 seconds? I could have sworn there was like a half minute left when he intercepted that ball. That's the season I became a diehard fan, and I was heartbroken by that game. Absolutely crestfallen.
The Cleveland game with the roughing the passer call is my all-time heartbreaker too. Three great games (great being ironic of course) that you mention there - all three are my top playoff heartbreak games as well. Hands down. Although the Miami game in '82 stings a lot as well. But I think the '82 championship game was more about disappointment than it was about heartbreak like these three games are. I still want to crush Herman Edwards windpipe for playing not to lose against Pittsburgh in the game. And the Buffalo game, as the final game in my first season as a fan, sticks with me as well. Great call on those games.
Because before that, the Jets just stunk. Since then, with some exceptions of course (Kotite anyone?), they've been a decent to pretty good team that just finds ways to lose or has horrendous seasons.
I think that's one reason it was never a story like the Jets missed out on Taylor. for one thing he was gone by #3, but if I remember correctly we were set on Freeman and they were set on Taylor. The Jets had built the O-line, Todd was coming into his own, they felt good about the D, the last piece was a top flight RB. Of course hindsight is 20/20 but I don't think the Jets were looking at Taylor.
I remember watching the opening kickoff on TV full of excitement and anticipation. When Harper fumbled and Romes took it in, I slammed the TV shut thinking this must be a joke this can't be the actual playoff game. Already full of anger and disgust I turned it back on to see Frank Lewis make it 14-0 after Wesley Walker dropped a sure game tying TD moments before. In my third season following the Jets, this was the first devastating loss. The what ifs from that game still linger a little.
Dave Anderson of the New York Times said it best in an article the next day entitled "Those 7 Gift Points". He basically said that those 7 points sent the Jets into a stupor that they didn't come out of until it was 24-0. In another article, Marty Lyons said "that touchdown on the opening kickoff took the wind out of our sails". OK, nobody's perfect. But, considering the magnitude of the game, with Shea Stadium absolutely fired up, I don't care how much bigger Ervin Parker was than Bruce Harper, he should have been able to hold on to that ball, protected it better. The highlights of this game are on videosurf.com in one of the old NFL game of the week shows and watching Buffalo celebrating in the end zone like they just won the super bowl after 16 seconds makes me as sick now as it did then.
Just reading this, 30 years after the actual memories were created, is frustrating me to no end. I was 12 years old and so excited for that game, and reading this and realizing how much of a better team the Jets were makes me sick. To be down 24-0 after sleepwalking through most of the first half, only to come all the way back and have a chance to win in the final seconds.......still with me.
