NFL Team by Team Guide: New York Jets
The New York Jets were founded in 1959 as the Titans of New York, one of the original members of the old American Football League (AFL). The team began play in the AFL in 1960. The franchise was renamed in 1963 and moved into Shea Stadium where it would remain for 20 years.
The Jets, surprisingly, have never won a conference championship yet they have been to a Super Bowl. It was a memorable one, the one in which Jets QB Joe Namath guaranteed his Jets would beat the juggernaut of the NFL, the Baltimore Colts.
Fans can watch Jets’ games on TV and stream through a variety of services including Amazon Prime Video, HULU, and YouTubeTV. The Jets will appear on Monday Night Football and Thursday Night Football in 2020. Fans can watch the Jets complete schedule watching regional games on CBS Sports and FOX Sports, nationally televised games on ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, and ESPN and via live streaming games.
Home of the Jets
The Jets originally played at the old Polo Grounds before moving to Shea Stadium in 1963. They would play there through the 1983 season before moving to Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. In 2010, the Jets moved into MetLife Stadium.
The stadium is one of two shared by two NFL teams (Jets, Giants) and it was the most expensive stadium ($1.6 billion) ever built at the time. MetLife Stadium holds 82,500 fans for Jets’ home games.
Championship History
The Jets first qualified for the postseason in 1968, the same year Namath guaranteed a win in Super Bowl III. That is still the Jets’ only Super Bowl victory.
New York has won four division championships. The first two were in the AFL. The Jets won the AFL East in 1968 and 1969. They won the AFC East in 1998 and 2002.
New York has qualified for the playoffs 14 times. The first two were in the AFL. The rest (1981, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1991, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2009, and 2010) were in the NFL.
Best of the Jets
Namath’s guarantee and then win in Super Bowl III cemented his place in Jets’ history. “Joe Willie,” as he was known, played 13 professional seasons in both the AFL and NFL. He was a four-time AFL All-Star and was twice the AFL’s MVP (1968, 1969). He was also the league’s Rookie of the Year in 1965. Namath won the Super Bowl III MVP award and after leading the NFL with 22 touchdown passes in 1974 won the league’s Comeback Player of the Year award. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.
Wide receiver Don Maynard was on the other end of many of Namath’s passes. Maynard played for the original New York Titans and played for the franchise from 1960 to 1972. He was part of the Super Bowl III championship and was a two-time first team AFL All-Star (1968, 1969). Maynard finished his career with 633 receptions for 11,834 yards and 88 touchdowns. He is also a member of the Hall of Fame.
Author: Dan Anderson