Old-school Jets fans-What happened in 1986??

Discussion in 'New York Jets' started by patleahy, Feb 22, 2021.

  1. patleahy

    patleahy Well-Known Member

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    ....I would love to get opinions for any guys on the board who remember this most memorable of Jets seasons...what exactly happened to the Jets after that 10-1 start? I remember everyone was thinking that it was DEFINITELY going to be the Jets year after they started off 10-1, media types across the country were even talking about a "Subway Super Bowl" (in Pasadena, lol) between the Jets and the Giants....and then BAM the Jets not only lose their final 5 games to limp into the playoffs, but get blown out in most of them.

    So what happened down the stretch? I don't remember any key injuries to guys, but is my memory faulty? Or were the Jets, even at 10-1, just paper tigers who got fat on an easy slate of games, only to be exposed down the stretch by tougher competition? I remember reading in the excellent book "New York Sack Exchange: An Oral History of the 80's Jets" that some of the players blamed Walton. They said that he was still kicking their ass in practices late into the season, and that it just wore the team out. Do you guys give that theory any credence? What happened that caused the team (a pretty good Jets team IMO) to implode that season???
     
  2. bicketybam

    bicketybam Well-Known Member

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    Just by looking at the box scores , O'Brien threw 2 TD's vs 12 INT's in the final 5 games (all loses). That's brutal.

    Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
     
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  3. Section 336

    Section 336 Well-Known Member

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    The loss to Cleveland in the playoffs in a game that Jets had won, and should have propelled them to the AFC Championship game anyway completely overshadows the regular season skid almost making it irrelevant.
     
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  4. major33

    major33 Well-Known Member

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    Ken O'Brien was all over the place. Remember, we had that hard turf at Giants Stadium and he got slammed a bunch on his shoulder. They didn't protect QB's back then. I'm going off memory and isn't that the season where KOB was holding his shoulder? Pat Ryan played a bunch. I remember that because he and KOB would drive to the games together. After the games, the players would come out to the parking lot and you could talk to them. I remember throwing the football with Tony Paige. I asked how he was feeling and he said "sore as hell." That was after the 51-45 game against Miami. Driving home we were in front of Pat Ryan and KOB in Manhattan and we were cheering and they were all smiles laughing and waving at us. I remember KOB's hot wife smiling. I miss those days.

    The playoffs ended in typical Jets fashion. Not sure which loss was worse, the one against Cleveland or Buffalo in 82 or 81 whenever it was. I think the Buffalo loss you expected the Interception. The Cleveland game we had won. Ugh the Jets. 50 years of horrific losses.
     
  5. patleahy

    patleahy Well-Known Member

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    Section336, I don't dispute that, but you DO have to admit that it is quite odd that a 10-1 team takes such a historic nose dive to close out the regular season, so I would appreciate your opinion as to what happened to the Jets that year. I know you are an old-school fan who remembers that team fondly and who actually saw it play in-person.
     
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  6. patleahy

    patleahy Well-Known Member

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    Definitely a good point bicketybam. O'Brien was always a steaky QB...when he was ON, he was awesome, but when he was OFF....he was horrible, lol.
     
  7. patleahy

    patleahy Well-Known Member

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    major33, in the mid 80's the players would actually come out to the parking lot and talk to fans after the game, and even toss the football around with them??! Seriously dude?!!
     
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  8. BleedJetsGreen1981

    BleedJetsGreen1981 Well-Known Member

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    Gastineau's brutal roughing the passer penalty gave the Browns a first down deep in Jets territory and it all went down hill from there in Jets Land.
     
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  9. AJW

    AJW Well-Known Member

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    I just remember them making stupid penalties throughout this last 5 games. I remember a Giant fan I knew calling the Jets the great pretenders when they were 10-1. No way anyone was beating the Giants that year. They were hitting on all cylinders. A well oiled machine.

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  10. major33

    major33 Well-Known Member

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    Absolutely at Giants Stadium. We would tailgate before and then after the games, we would hang out in the parking lot, sometimes tailgate again but mostly wait until all the traffic cleared out. So it was just us and the players. Back then there was really no security in the player's parking lot. They would walk out where the tunnel was and then across to the parking lot. You could talk to anyone. The players were really nice especially after great wins like the one against the Dolphins in 86. Ask anyone who would tailgate and stay late back then. Talking to the players was commonplace.

    I also had no fear in the 80's when going to games in any stadium, arena, or ballpark. I walked into the locker room at the old Miami Arena. Just followed the players right in after the game. Walked on the field at the old Orange Bowl. Nobody said a word. Walked into an empty Notre Dame Stadium right onto the field but that was one place we were told to leave. That place was beautiful. Walked into many Spring Training stadiums and would play catch with my dad.

    I still do it but security is much tighter these days. Charlotte arena I sat front row about 10 years ago. The last event I went to that I moved up was ringside at a boxing match at the Hard Rock in South Florida. I was right by Floyd Mayweather. Huge dick. Ignored everyone. It was the day Ali died. Have some nice boxing pictures of that day.
     
  11. NYJFan10

    NYJFan10 Well-Known Member

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    They definitely had injuries down the stretch, O’Brien had a bad thumb and was never the same that year, that’s why he got shuttled in and out of the lineup. I think a couple of the offensive linemen got hurt, I know Klecko was out and I’m sure I’m missing a few guys too. In hindsight I’m almost more amazed they managed to get a second wind in the playoffs, especially with how bad they got whipped in the five game losing streak.
     
  12. ukjetsfan

    ukjetsfan Well-Known Member

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    The Jets were absolutely gutted by injuries that year. Especially on defense. Lance Mehl, Gastineau, Klecko, Lyons off the top of my head. They were either season-ending injuries, worse (Mehl never really recovered and he was a really good linebacker) or guys came back and weren't the same.

    O'Brien was a weird situation. I know by 1988 he was wildly inconsistent because of bicep tendinitis. In 1986 he was absolutely unstoppable for the first chunk of the season. I've got lots of game DVDs from that year, and he was just unbelievably good. He completed more than 70% of his passes in three games and more than 80% in one game. And then over the last six weeks he was down in the 50s and even 40s. It wasn't like the Jets were just airing it out all the time either. He just fell off a cliff. He was banged up earlier in the season and Ryan spelled him for a while, but he came back even better than ever.

    I think there were injuries on the o-line as well, which wasn't talked about as much back then.

    Here's something I didn't realise at the time. The Jets had no general manager then, and Joe Walton was a bully of a coach. I think a lot of the players hated him and when the wheels came off there was no heart in the team, maybe? I know they rallied behind Ryan for a solid wild card win over the Chiefs, but Ryan got injured in the Cleveland playoff game and O'Brien came in and struggled.

    That's the long answer. Short version? Jets fall down go boom.
     
  13. matt robinson 17

    matt robinson 17 Well-Known Member

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    At 10-1, Ken O'Brien had the highest QB rating in nfl history. Then I'll never forget that idiot Paul McGuire on ch4 saying the Jets would lose their last 5 games....and it happened. What a potent offense, KO'B, Toon, Walker, Johnny Hector, Freeman McNeil, Mickey Shuler, Jojo Townsell, Kurt Sohn. Our starting linebackers were Lance Mehl, Kyle Clifton, and Bob Crable. Our Coach was an idiot Joe Walton
     
  14. RPOZ51

    RPOZ51 Well-Known Member

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    I was an STH that year. It seems like a lifetime ago. Overall, it was an exciting, and ultimately disappointing season.

    What I remember about the regular season was that the 51-45 OT win against Miami got the streak going, and everything seemed to be clicking. KOB and the offense looked sharp, but the defense was doing well too. It all came apart in the MNF game against Miami. The Fins dropped another 45 on them, and held the Jets to only a field goal. That game started the losing streak.

    I don’t remember hearing anything at the time about Walton working them too hard in practice and wearing them out. What I remember is that the team was hit by injuries, especially on the defense. O’Brien was also playing hurt at the end of the season.

    The season ended with Boomer going nuts on them with 5 TDs, and settling for a wild card berth. Pat Ryan played the wild card game.

    Those season-ending losing streaks seemed to become a Jets tradition.
     
  15. Footballgod214

    Footballgod214 Well-Known Member

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    This is what I remember. After starting 10-1, McGuire predicts we don't win another game. Part of it was the schedule, but a brutal prediction non the less.
     
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  16. hornblower

    hornblower Well-Known Member

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    I was at the 51 to 45 game. My car broke down in Leonia on the way home. I didn't even care.
     
  17. patleahy

    patleahy Well-Known Member

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    lol that was a CLASSIC Jets game, hornblower. One of my favorite Jets victories of all-time!!
     
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  18. patleahy

    patleahy Well-Known Member

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    you have an outstanding memory and solid Jets knowledge, MattRobinson. reading those names put a smile on my face. That is when I first became a Jets fan.
     
  19. matt robinson 17

    matt robinson 17 Well-Known Member

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    Thanks Pat
     
  20. patleahy

    patleahy Well-Known Member

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    ^^haha, excellent and informative post, ukjetsfan. Thanks! and I have to admit, the "Jets fall down go boom" comment made me laugh.
     

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