I don't think Pittsburgh was anything close to the loss in '98. We had a 10-0 lead at halftime, the team we would have played in the SB was a team we would have destroyed (and did earlier in the season). The Pittsburgh game wouldn't even have sent us to the SB, we would've gone to New England... and I'm sure we all know how that would've ended.
I was terrible for me because I was born and raised in Colorado. I have been a Jets fan since I was a little kid, drove my family nuts. I was offered tickets by my mother in law to the game then when she realized it was probably the last game Elway would play in Denver, she went instead. The number one thing that I remember and what I think cost us the game, was the kickoff after Denver's touchdown that went backwards because of the wind and Denver recovered. I still hear about that game. By the way, with all the arm strength threads, I remember Vinny having some troubles with the wind, but Elway through a ball about 50 yards in the air to Rod Smith, it was absolutely one of the worst losses I have experienced.
It's funny, I have a pretty good memory of all Jets games. But this one I've pretty much forgotten, except for the Blake Spence punt block and the fumble by Anderson or Byars along the sideline right near the goal line. It's probably best I keep the memory back where it's hard to find.
I felt bad about it too, because of the Namath interview... I think we were up 3-0 (I was only 11 at the time, so it was my first BIG Jets game), and Namath said, when asked about his 2nd half predictions, "I think another 3 will do," well.... that didn't do the trick. I love Namath for what life he's given this organization, however, I will never forget that interview. It told me right there, that we were NOT going to win that game.. And I was 11 years old...
He's not looking for a paycheck from the Jets. He can earn 3-4 million a year doing NFL network, ESPN, or the networks. If he comes back to the Jets or any other team, it's because he's a junkie who can't give up the game. The Jets aren't going to pay him 3-4 million to advise the team or to be a special consultant.
The turning point of that game occured on the series after the Blake Spence punt block and Martin TD.... Victor Green (who I loved) jumped the up route letting Ed McCaffrey get behind him...Elway floated a 50 yard balloon that took forever to come down. McCaffrey was 30 yards behind Green and still couldn't score because the ball sailed around like the Underdog balloon on Thankgsiving Day. That got the crowd back in the game, allowed the Broncos to breathe and the Jets to get tight. They put the ball in Terrel Davis' hands and he finally became untethered. The kickoff that died in the wind followed and it was all over from there. Had the Jets been able to shut down Elway on that first series, I think they may have seized control of the game for good. Elway was having a horrific game up till that point. Breathe in the pain...it's what it means to be a Jet fan. Someday, all your wounds will be healed.
I know what you are saying and I was there.... I remember more about the 86 game at Cleveland and I was only 10 when that debacle took place. Looking ack we certainly have had our share of earth shattering losses in the playoffs. I have to think sooner or later we are gonna break through. I went into the 99 season knowing we were hands down the best team in the NFL and of course the injury to Vinny. I think of what could have been when I look at the fact we won 8 games and almost made the playoffs with Ray Lucas as our QB.....
We were up 3-0 at the half but led 10-0 early in the 3rd. I remember reading in 1999 a quote from holmgren going into that week 17 game(which turned out to be Parcells' last) that BP said he thought coming out of camp the '99 team was going to be his best ever until of course Jet luck happened and we lost half the team to injuries.
With a new home in Saratoga is it likely he could come back to the Jets in some capacity? or is he more likely to take the General Managers job at the Giants as rumoured he's interested in! How does this attitude of crossing the divide so to speak stand between the fans of the two sides? is this not seen as sacrilege as it would be between city rivals in the UK particularly in soccer..! Not sure where I stand on Parcells even thoughit appears he's held in very high regard on forum which I understand. IMO his luck held at the right times of his early coaching career which made his name. I'm thinking about the good fortune of being able to draft Lawrence Taylor on second pick and picking Rodney Hampton against his better judgement courtesy of Young and Boisture.. He was also surrounded by some amazing assistants in his Super Bowl winning years..
With 2 chances from a kicker to make 1 FG to ice the game just hurt alot more to me. His 2nd kick he didn't have the stomach to kick it. But being that close from going to the Championship and who knows, with how the Jets were streaking with possibly winning 2 straight road games, I don't know. More than likely Herm would of been outcoached by Belichick, but just the opportunity to get there and the lapses by a coach and kicker just kill it for me. The Denver loss is right there for me, just slightly behind. I understand the Jets had the lead, momentum, everything was going for them, and then it just changed. It's right there, just Pittsburgh still haunts me worse.
I think Denver was worse than Pittsburgh. We were going to win it all if we beat Denver, no doubt. We were a machine in 98 and red hot going into the playoffs, that was the only possible scenario we could lose--at Denver in Elway's last game there. In 2004 Chad was playing hurt and we were just gutting it out. We still would have had to win at New England to make it to the Super Bowl and then play the Eagles whom we've never beaten. It hurt, but I think we lost our best chance in Denver, even a better chance then we had in 1982-83.
1998 was thisclose to the Super Bowl and so my next statement may feel like a stretch, but I think the 1999 team was just as tragic, and not just because we lost Vinny. The Ray Lucas led Jets were on fire, Curtis was having a monstrous season, and the defense was playing lights out at the end. We still had Belichick running our defense, and Charlie Weis on the offensive side. We missed the playoffs by one game (losing to the damn Giants and Kerry Collins was one that sticks in my craw), but there's no doubt in mind that we would've tore up the post-season. I think we would've beat the Titans that year in the AFC bracket and Belichick would've derailed the greatest Show on Turf 2 years earlier than he did. The entire playoff bracket exhaled when the Jets were eliminated from contention.
I would've called him "something else" at that point....In my opinion, HIS fumble was *the* Fumble that cost the Jets(CMart's later on just put the nail in the coffin...that's all).
What really hurts was that the Jets could've made some noise in the '99 playoffs with lucas who was playing out of his mind but that IDIOT FAT-TUNA KEPT GIVING THE BALL TO RICK MIRER AND THEN IT WAS JUST TOO LATE TO CATCH UP.....
To be fair, he went to Lucas and he got hurt right away, then had to go back to Mirer for a couple more games. But I thought they should have gone to Lucas right away, he had been on the team and knew the offense, while Mirer was signed at the end of camp.
