and get so much grief for it?? I think there's a scripture that says, Far better to keep silent than open your mouth and let everyone know you're a fool. I say this because I want to make sure that EVERY Cardinal fan is embracing & enjoying this wonderful moment. DO NOT let anyone or anything steal it away from you. I keep thinking of the confetti celebration; the emotion & sheer joy being shown all over the field and in the stands; the (2), and possibly (3) banners, that will be hanging in the rafters at UofP. WE have EVERY reason to be "LOUD & PROUD"!! ...And the out-come of the Super Bowl won't change that. Course, WINNING, and being mentioned in the same breath as the 69' JETS would be pretty KOOL!
GO CARDS! SHOCK THE WORLD!! WE BELIEVE!!!
i was a witness to that 68'-69' Jets team. Namath gets most of the credit but the MVP was Matt Snell their fullback who scored the only touchdown and had over 100 yards rushing. You listening Terrelle Smith or Tim Castille?!
But the D is what carried that team in this one. Five picks of Morrel and Unitas and a stout run D.
Here's a rundown:
The New York Jets, led by head coach Weeb Ewbank, finished the season with an 11-3 regular season record (one of the losses was to the Oakland Raiders in the infamous Heidi Game) and barely defeated the Raiders, 27-23, in the AFL Championship Game, after fortunately recovering a fumbled lateral on their own 27-yard line with less than two minutes left.
Jets quarterback Joe Namath threw for 3,147 yards during the regular season, but completed just 49.2 percent of his passes, and threw more interceptions (17) than touchdowns (15). Still, he led the offense effectively enough for them to finish the regular season with more total points scored (419) than Baltimore. More importantly, Namath usually found ways to win. For example, late in the fourth quarter of the AFL championship game, Namath threw an interception that allowed the Raiders to take the lead. But he then made up for his mistake by completing 3 consecutive passes on the ensuing drive, advancing the ball 68 yards in just 55 seconds to score a touchdown to regain the lead for New York.
The Jets had a number of offensive weapons that Namath used. Future Hall of Fame wide receiver Don Maynard had the best season of his career, catching 57 passes for 1,297 yards (an average of 22.8 yards per catch) and 10 touchdowns. Wide receiver George Sauer recorded 66 receptions for 1,141 yards and 3 touchdowns. Fullback Matt Snell was the top rusher on the team with 747 yards and 6 touchdowns, while halfback Emerson Boozer contributed 441 yards and 5 touchdowns, despite a 3.1 average per carry. Meanwhile, kicker Jim Turner made 34 field goals and 43 extra points for a combined total of 145 points.
The Jets defense led the AFL in total rushing yards allowed (1,195). Gerry Philbin, John Elliott, and Verlon Biggs anchored the defensive line. The Jets linebacking core was led by middle linebacker Al Atkinson. The secondary was led by defensive backs Johnny Sample, who recorded 7 interceptions, and Jim Hudson, who recorded 5.
Several of the Jets' players had been cut by NFL teams. Maynard had been cut by the New York Giants after they lost the 1958 NFL Championship to the Colts. "I kept a little bitterness in me," he says.[3] Sample had been cut by the Colts. "I was almost in a frenzy by the time the game arrived," he says. "I held a private grudge against the Colts. I was really ready for that game. All of us were."[3] Offensive tackle Winston Hill had been cut five years earlier by the Colts as a rookie in training camp. "Ordell Braase kept making me look bad in practice," he says.[3] Hill would be blocking Braase in Super Bowl III.
And here we are - two generations later!
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