Why am I watching this right now on NFL Network. It was my second season with tickets, I was 19. One of the worst days of my life! I Wanted to die on the way home!
It was one of those "never forget where you were when it happened" moments. I spent an hour in a dark room staring at a wall after that game. Just could not understand how that really happened.
I was switching between UFC prelims and the NFL Network showing of that game. I remember that game like it was yesterday. Jets blew not only a big lead in the game, but the season (the team quit on PC IMO.) Also, for the old time fans, it felt like only the Jets could blow a game like that. The Jets always seem to invent new, painful ways to lose games.
Some people have fond memories of Boomer as a Jet. All I remember is 8,000 swing passes to Johnny Johnson. Then again, at least he could throw a swing pass.
My buddy and I were watching in Section 326. He said something to the effect that the game was in the bag. I kept saying that this was exactly the kind of game that they could lose. A pivotal game in Jets history. :breakdance:
I could not be there,,,,,my friend got married that day,,,,we watched while at the wedding / bar,,,,,,,only our team :sad:
It's a far more important game historically than it felt at the time. We were still in contention even after the loss but went into a three-year tailspin. Conversely, this game still makes me want to slaughter newborn babies.
It still feels that way...until I saw the Denver-Baltimore playoff game. Even the Jets haven't lost one quite like that.
It was painful for sure. I remember going with some of my buddies, it was my senior yr of HS. However we were so used to the Jets sucking because that was such a dark period in the team's history that we just got shitfaced and I remember chasing some Dolfags out of the stadium that day. Good times.
How it happened? Boomer Esiason underthrew a wide open James Thornton for 7, with the Jets turning it over on downs. Then, in the 4th quarter, Boomer threw not one, but TWO interceptions in Field Goal range to keep the Phags close enough for that p,ay to happen. With the Division lead on the line.
That was devastating. That one fumble seemed to destroy him mentally. As soon as Blair Thomas had that balled yanked out of his grasp, so much of the positive vibes I had from Coslet's regime started to wane. It didn't help that every damn week, there's quotes from Coslet how Blair Thomas is awesome & went though the Gauntlet drills in practice without fumbling.
That was bad, but not a playoff game. Worse for Thomas than anything else. Fumbles happen, giving up 70-yard bombs on a prevent defense doesn't.
That was always a very over played and overrated moment in my mind. The Jets had a big lead and blew it, when Marino brought them all the way to the 2, they were going in no matter what. The fact that it was that fake spike play, to me was no big deal, in that if they spiked the ball, they were still scoring.
WTF???? Did you see the '05 Divisional Playoff game against the Steelers??? Doug Brien missed 2 FG's in the last 1:58 which would have sent the Jets to the AFC title game vs The Pats. Fuck the Broncos game. Were you alive for the Mud Bowl? The Cleveland/Jets AFC Divisional playoff with the Gastineau late hit? The Broncos game had nothing on those if you were a Jets fan.
Was 13 years old during the spike game. Watched it on the tiny 13' TV in my bedroom. Cried my eyes out when they lost. At some point all these miserable losses lead to something good right?
Hate the fact that Marino was glorified for taking advantage of a stupid "gentlemen's agreement" not to rush the passer when a QB signals he's spiking the ball to stop the clock. The NFL network showing this game years later proves that. Why was he great for essentially cheating? I was at the game and remember a dominant Jets first half that would have been even more so if not for a dropped sure TD in the EZ near the end of the first half. Was it the great Mickey Shuler? I forget...
