Okay, let?s assume you somehow are granted the power to change just ONE PLAY in Jets history (it doesn?t really matter how you get the power ? let?s just say it?s aliens, or a genie or something). Which one play would you change? Would you opt for the microsurgery approach and change one play that would have won a game? Cary Blanchard making that final field goal attempt against Buffalo in 1993 to nudge the Jets into the playoffs? Doug Brien nailing the kick against the Steelers in the 2004 playoffs? Would you go for a play that seemed to change the direction of the franchise, even though there are no guarantees? Vinny recovering that fumble in 1999 without rupturing his Achilles? Marino?s fake spike play being picked off by Glenn and returned 104 yards for a rub-their-noses-in-it TD? Gastineau pulling up instead of flattening Kosar in the 1986 playoffs? How about a play that just still gets to you even though it probably wasn?t that much of a deal in the big scheme of things? Jon Hall connecting on his field goal against the Pats in 1997 to stop Bill Parcells from getting a little sick in his mouth? Chrebet gracefully vaulting those Bears defenders and actually making it to the end zone in 2002? Would you try to get really clever and go back to Namath?s days at Alabama and save him from that first knee injury, possibly putting his career on a completely different trajectory? Just some ideas? what would you do? (Let?s take it as read that if this was really possible we?d all stop Dennis Byrd from smacking into Scott Mersereau.) After we get some answers perhaps I?ll put together a poll if it seems like there?s enough interest!
Cool thread. I have not a play but an act of Mother Nature. Perhaps change the weather patterns and dry up the Mud Bowl, thus making it to the SB with the win over Miami and possibly beating the Redskins in the 83 SB. Miami lost by 10 pts against the Skins and I know that Jets team was better than Miami.
So you mean reversing the play where Shula left the field uncovered on purpose. There are many other possibilities - the clock play, the Dennis Byrd injury, the Vinny Testaverde injury, one of Vinny's turnovers against the Ravens in that big game, any of the turnovers in the AFC championship game against the Broncos, etc.
Being young, I'd have to go with something that I was around to witness... I'd go with the Vinny Testaverde fumble recovery/achilles injury.... That was the best Jets team I'd ever seen (hell, they managed to pull off 8-8 without a legitimate QB) and I truly believe that we could have been Super Bowl bound without that injury.... A close second... I'd change the play in '01 where Mo Lewis flattened Drew Bledsoe and started the Tom Brady era... Instead of collapsing Bledsoe's lung, I would have made Bledsoe's helmet go flying off on the hit, with the chin strap hitting the un-aware Brady in the eye, screwing up his depth perception just enough so that he would remain a backup forever..
<sarcasm> Now, Beaman, You know that QB play does not matter in this league. The Jets likely would have finished with an 8-8 record had Vinnie not been injured. Unless of course, you disagree with Parcells' decision on the backup QB, in which case you need to answer all sorts of questions about who should have run the show.</sarcasm> Seriously though, I really like the idea of changing the Bledsoe play exactly as you scripted it.
If we went 8-8 with Mirer / Lucas we would have made the playoffs with Vinny no question. If Lucas was named starter in week one we probably would have made the playoffs.
In terms of direct effect it's hard to argue with the Gastineau play compared to for instance the Brien field goals. I don't believe that the Jets would have beaten the Pats in the AFC championship game in 2004 anyway, while I do think they would have beaten the Broncos to get to the SB against the Giants. I don't know if they would have beaten them, but that certainly would have been some show. The Vinny injury is also IMO a very good choice. Of course, maybe that injury was inevitable because of something wrong with his foot, so it would have occurred later anyway - it's not like he was hit or anything when he hurt it.
Wow, awesome thread. For me #1 has to be the wind-blown kickoff in Denver after the Broncos scored in the AFC Championship Game. It amounted to an onsides kick and changed the game. We win the Super Bowl if not for that. The others: *Vinny's achilles in the 1999 opener. * AJ Duhe INT for TD, 1982-83 AFC Championship Game. *Doug Brien in Pittsburgh, 2004-05. *Gastineau's late hit on Kosar, 1986-87. *Mo Lewis knocking out Bledsoe to give Tom Brady a chance, 2001. *Richard Todd's INT in the end zone at the end of the Bullafo Wild Card Game, 1981. *Chad scrambling vs Buffalo, 2004, and getting the first shoulder injury after he had a first down. Just slide. *Hall's missed FG to clinch playoff berth vs Lions in 2000. *Vinny's INT at the half at Baltimore a week later. *Leon Johnson's pass at Detroit in 1997 finale. *Last play vs 3-13 Buffalo, 2001, couldn't get FG team on, cost us the division title.
Good one. Like someone else said re Vinny, though, maybe this was just waiting to happen anyway. Still it's nice to think what Chad could have been without the shoulder injuries... Another one that just came to mind: the Helicopter Play. Not a really important one in terms of playoff implications or anything, but at the moment it's a great play for the Jets AND the Dolphins because the receiver held on. How about if he coughed it up and the Jets recovered, then it would be all ours and we wouldn't have to watch it with bittersweet emotions.
There was another one in the 1985 Wild Card Game, but I can't remember it clearly. Pretty sure we fumbled the second half kickoff and New England returned it for a TD. It was a home game for us, the Pats ended up in the Super Bowl (and got crushed). I want to say Johnny Hector fumbled and Johnny Rembert recovered, but it's fuzzy. Killed us in that game though, ended our 11-5 year.
OK, here goes, see if i can remember...........it woulda been the 70 playoff game against the Chiefs, i beleieve we lost 13-6, or 13-7. We had a chance at the end, holding KC, and making them punt.......Mike Battle was back for the punt, the ball bounced off his chest , right into an awaiting KC defender, and our hopes where dashed right there. Namath and the offense never made it back on the field, to tie, or win the game......or we woulda been in back to back SB's.........and we certainly woulda beat the Vikes!
1) Keith Byars fumble at the Denver 18 2nd quarter AFC Championship game 1998 season. At the start of the 2nd quarter, Denver punter dropped the snap. JETS recovered at Denver 43. A 4th & 9 on that drive was converted from Testaverde to Dedric Ward. Then Byars fumbled. 2) Vinny's achilles in the 1999 opener the following season. 3) Mo Lewis knocking out Bledsoe to give Tom Brady a chance, 2001.
The Byars fumble completely shifted the momentum in that game. Granted it was only the 2nd quarter, but it seemed like we had The Force. We would have gone on to beat Atlanta in the SB had we beat Denver. Following year, Vinny goes down........no chance at the SB that year either. So that's 2 Vince Lombardi trophies we missed out on.
