This Day in Jets History: Jets Crushed in Mile High

Sept 1, 1996

What a difference a year makes. Yesterday’s entry recalled the Jets 41-3 opening day victory in 1997 over the Seahawks which welcomed in a new era of Jet football. Today, we are looking at a game that took place just 364 days earlier. The Jets and Coach Rich Kotite would open the 1996 season with a trip to Mile High Stadium in Denver.  And it accurately foretold a 2nd straight season of misery for the fans and ineptitude on the field.  A stretch of bad football unparalleled in Jet history.

Hopes were high for Gang Green as they headed into the 96 season. Yes, they were coming off of a 3-13 1995 campaign, but an off-season spending spree would bring them 2 new offensive tackles (David Williams and Jumbo Elliott), 2 new QBs, (starter Neil O’Donnell and back-up Frank Reich) and a new starting WR, Jeff Graham. Add #1 overall draft pick Keyshawn Johnson and the Jets were ready for a turnaround season.

      

With David Williams out with a back injury and Jumbo Elliott out with a groin injury, the Jets patchwork offensive line was no match for the Broncos pass rush. The Broncos sacked O’Donnell 8 times by the middle of the 3rd quarter (he was only sacked 15 times the entire 1995 season). It got so bad that O’Donnell was removed from the game by the coaching staff who were afraid that he would get hurt from the beating he was taking. In total, O’Donnell threw for 50 yards and lost 53 on the 8 sacks, for a total of -3 net passing yards.

The Broncos capitalized on 3 2nd quarter turnovers and jumped out to a 31-0 halftime lead. They coasted to an easy 31-6 victory and went on to finish the season at 13-3 and won the AFC West Championship before falling to Jacksonville in the Divisional playoffs. The Jets would finish the season 1-15 and Kotite would be fired after the season.

Been to a Jets game at Charlotte once and it was great. The fans were so cool and nice to us. It was one of the Jets horrible years (and I think the Panthers went to the SB that year). They gave everyone entering the stadium a panthers practice jersey. By half time the Jets were getting DESTROYED by like 40 points, so my brother and I said F this and put on the panthers jerseys. There were some drunk, dumb obnoxious jets fans screaming, trying to pick fights and carrying on like morons (again, this as the Jets were getting manhandled and killed) and they were basically bothering everyone in our section. We stood up, yelled to security that there were "some obnoxious drunken New Yorkers causing a scene!!!" And security escorted them out to the cheers of all. Hahaha. It was grand!

Jets were like 2-8 at that point in the season. Anyone who was drunkenly and obnoxiously screaming about the jets and picking fights as they were down by 40 points deserves to get smacked down. It would have been me, my brother and 55,921 panthers "fans" vs. a couple of kotite loving, Kyle Brady jersey wearing no bodies. It wouldn't have been a fight, it would have been a massacre.

Completely different situation my man. Yanks vs. Red Sox is no holds barred. I'm sure he deserved it.

Hard to troll? I really hope ur rite about shocking the world. Just don't c it happening with fitz. Hope he can hold the fort and geno comes back on fire and proves the doubters wrong, but the punch really threw a wrench into this seasons plans. I know u weren't a geno fan and think we r better off with fitz, but I have never been impressed with him. I remember we killed him and had like 4 picks on him one game and that just sticks in my head. He couldn't complete a pass without us picking him off that day.

Been to a Jets game at Charlotte once and it was great. The fans were so cool and nice to us. It was one of the Jets horrible years (and I think the Panthers went to the SB that year). They gave everyone entering the stadium a panthers practice jersey. By half time the Jets were getting DESTROYED by like 40 points, so my brother and I said F this and put on the panthers jerseys. There were some drunk, dumb obnoxious jets fans screaming, trying to pick fights and carrying on like morons (again, this as the Jets were getting manhandled and killed) and they were basically bothering everyone in our section. We stood up, yelled to security that there were "some obnoxious drunken New Yorkers causing a scene!!!" And security escorted them out to the cheers of all. Hahaha. It was grand!





Kool. I was at that game, 2005 I believe.   Check us out charlottejetsfans.com