New York Jets: Five losses worse than Thursday night
Marathon by the Lake
On a personal note, this is the first really bad loss in my young Jets life and I still cringe when thinking about it.
The 1986 season started with the Jets running off a 10-1 record. The offense was flying high. There was no stopping them.
Then the injury bug took over. The Jets lost the last five games of the season and backed into the playoffs as a Wild Card.
During the losing streak, starting quarterback Ken O’Brien was benched in favor of Pat Ryan who started the Wild Card game at the Meadowlands against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Jets found their groove and won the game by a 35-15 score and headed to Cleveland for the divisional playoffs.
Nobody knew the game would go to double overtime.
After a Pat Ryan injury Ken O’Brien re-entered the lineup. Early in the fourth quarter, Freeman McNeil took a handoff and scored from 25 yards out to give the Jets a 20-10 point lead.
Then radio broadcaster Charley Steiner famously announced that the Jets were going to the AFC championship game. It seemed true at the time.
However, a Mark Gastineau roughing the passer call negated a Bernie Kosar incompletion on second and long, extending a drive that ended in a Kevin Mack touchdown. The Browns tied the game at 20.
In double overtime, Mark Moseley kicked a 26 yard field goal to complete the Browns come from behind victory.
THAT one hurt.