The Pitt game bothers me much more than the Indy game. The Indy game we were sort of happy to be there, the Pitt game I expected to win and if we showed up in the 1st half we would have won. That one is even more furstrating now after what we saw in 2011.
The 1978 New England game, when Todd came back from the injury, got hurt and Robinson came back in, I'm pretty sure that was the first televised home game after the Namath era. Going into that one we were something like 6-4 or 6-5, with Todd coming back it was a huge game. Beginning with 1979 we were mostly on TV (thanks bro), the one exception I can think of was the last home game of 1980 when we lost to the 0-14 Saints en route to a 4-12 season. I think it was sold out but NBC just decided not to show it, not sure about that. I remember listening to our furious last drive on the radio--we were trying to get a FG, Bruce Harper didn't get out of bounds and we couldn't get the FG unit on in time.
Definitely, we were 11-5. Anyone want to say this year's 9-7 Giants were any better than our 2010 team? I don't think so.
I was at a friend's house watching the Ahmad Rashad game (Browns-Vikings). Bryant Gumble cut in to announce the Jets lost. Another game they blew. Todd had a long TD pass to Walker called back on a penalty, fumbled a snap deep in Saints territory, and also I think the Jets were stopped on a 4th and 1 late deep in Saints territory. I don't think the Jets got quite into Leahy's range on that last Harper play but I could be wrong.....the game was a sellout (less than 40,000 showed), CBS decided not to show the game - not sure how they got away with that I know with today's league rules they wouldn't....
The first half we played against Pitt was a joke. We dominated on defense in the 2nd half, had we played like that in the first we should have been able to hold Pittsburgh to no more than 14 points the entire game.
Agreed, but if you are up 11 points in the AFC Championship game, you have to close the deal. The Greene injury shot us in the foot, plus feeley missing the FG to open the 2nd half that would have put us up 20-13. Instead he missed it, and Manning went down the field to go up 20-17. At that point the Colts were in control. If it was 20-13 the Colts wouldnt be able to take control till at least the 4th quarter. If it was 20-20 it woulda been anyones game still.
You're right, it was CBS not NBC, good call. I should have remembered this because I hated CBS for that, pretty sure NBC would have shown us the game. CBS was more interested in the NFC playoff implications and showed I think a Dallas game. They got away with it because the network is only obligated to show a game in its entirety to the visiting team's market. That's why to this day the network of the visiting team carries an AFC-NFC game. I remember the last home game of 1990 vs the Patriots, NBC showed it but switched away in the 4th quarter because the Jets were killing them and both teams were bad. I was at the game and when I went home and watched the tape later I saw where they left the game for the NY market. Regarding that Saints game, I don't remember how close we got on the last drive, probably because it was on radio, but a FG would have been the only hope. Probably not a great hope though, it was a very windy day and Leahy really wasn't that good, especially in pressure kicks. It's amazing he stayed so long, even extra points weren't a given with him.
Yes this is true, especially when the Jets played at Shea Leahy was a very shaky kicker, but somehow hung on with them. When they moved to the Meadowlands, he became more consistent. BTW, have the Jets ever had a kicker who put the ball consistently into the end zone on kickoffs?
Kickers have evolved, Leahy was 30 years ago. He would never survive that long now, especially in New York with the talk stations etc. A couple of those misses and he'd be gone. I think John Hall used to boom them through the end zone pretty regularly, of course they've moved the spot of the kickoffs around too.
It was an early 11 pt lead, if we had an 11 pt lead in the 4th I'd agree. The Feely miss was big but that was very long FG, I don't think we should have attempted it and Indy's O had already gotten going. I don't think the game changes much if he makes that FG.
In a Championship game, all FG misses are huge. Each one is a missed opportunity. It is largely forgotten, but Feeley missed a 38 yarder on the Jets opening drive of the game. Had he made that one the halftime lead is 14 which may have made a difference. Both misses together did have an impact.
I was at that game, and don't recall it being a nail-biter at the end. It was pretty pathetic losing to the "Ain'ts" at home, in weather, when they were a winless dome team. Definitely a low moment, perhaps topped only by another cold, last game of the season home loss to the Saints years later at the Meadowlands. I have a friend who's a pro photographer who still has undeveloped rolls of ektachrome from that game - he knew it wasn't worth the expense of processing them. Now THAT'S bad. Two of the more pathetic losses I've endured. Who else here sat through both?
I was at a miserable last home game vs the Saints in 1992, again in 1995 but not sure if it was the last game. Also in December of 2005 but that was early December, there were two home games after that, both wins.
'92 and '95 were both last games of seasons. One was the day after Christmas('92), the other the day befor Christmas('95) and we got shut out in both games. The '95 game featured 2 infamous Jets names in our history- Bubby Brister was our QB and Doug Brien was kicking for NO.
Wow. Now that you mention it, I remember standing in the cold rain at the 1995 game thinking we had just done this not too long ago.
I think you're right about that. That was the only Shea game that I recall seeing on television prior to getting my tickets in the '79 season, but, I attended a December home game against the Colts in '78 that might also have been televised - not sure 'cause I was there. Back to the Pats game - I have a vivid memory of watching Leahy miss a 33 yarder which resulted in the loss to the Pats that day. I was quite dejected by the "near-win" until I spun the dial over to see how the Giants were doing only to watch the infamous Pisarcik fumble, picked up by Herm Edwards and run into the end zone for the Miracle at the Meadowlands Giants disaster. That cheered me up, in the days when I'd have to go to school the next day to face Giants fans. Yes indeed, Leahy missing that '78 FG against the Pats and Pisarcik crashing into Czonka causing the fumble occurred moments from each other, back in the days when the jets and giants would play at the same time, and in this case, both at home. At least in my mind I remember it that way.
Yes, they were the same day. I remember the Shea scoreboard had the Giants up 17-12, we both lost 19-17. I was at the Jet game, upstairs behind the home plate end zone where Leahy was kicking. Because I was 11 and everyone stood up in front of me I didn't see the kick, I knew what happened by the reaction of the fans around me. New England's Steve Nelson came over and taunted Leahy after he missed the kick. Then in 1985 when Leahy beat the Pats in OT at the Meadowlands, he mentioned that incident and how he'd been waiting seven years to get another shot to beat New England.
Damn good memory, for being 11 at the time. I remember the guy on the Pats doing that now that you mention it. I think you were also the one some posts-back to mention how poorly Leahy kicked at Shea. For as good as the record books say he was, he was FAR from clutch in those days. My friend and I would joke that the uprights got closer together for him as the clock ticked. By the time it was under a minute left, he was kicking towards a single pole ; ) Leahy was the happiest guy in the league when they moved the Meadowlands.
True. However the misses I hold against Leahy most were in the Orange Bowl in 1982, he missed an extra point on the opening drive TD and later a FG in a game we lost by 1 point. If we win that game the Mud Bowl never happens--seeding would be all different of course, but we'd have been at home if we played Miami. If I'm not mistaken he also missed a big kick in the 28-28 tie down there in 1981, which would have also meant a division for us instead of a Wild Card. This whole thread would be different.
