Post by Lithfan on Oct 8, 2015 5:36:44 GMT -5
October 8, 1966
Week 5 of the 1966 season featured a matchup of unbeatens. The New York Jets played host to the San Diego Chargers. The Jets were 3-0-1, coming off of a week 4 tie with Boston. The Chargers were the defending AFL Western Division Champs, having lost to Buffalo in the 65 Championship. They were 4-0, but they came into this game with a quarterback controversy on their hands.
The week before, the Chargers struggled in the first half, falling behind the expansion Miami Dolphins by score of 10-6. Starting QB John Hadl, who led the Chargers to that Championship Game the year before, was benched at halftime. Steve Tensi, a 2nd year pro out of Florida State came on at half time for his first professional game action, and it was quite a debut. Tensi completed 9 of 12 passes for over 200 yards and 4 TDs in the 2nd half as the Chargers crushed Miami 44-10. HIs first game would prove to be the best performance of his 5-year career.
Hadl was benched in favor of Tensi who made his first start the following week against the Jets and he struggled. Tensi completed just 2 of 10 passes and was replaced by Hadl after Jet LB Al Atkinson intercepted a Tensi pass.
The Jets had no such controversy as Joe Namath was entering his first full season as the Jets starter and would go on to lead the league in completions, attempts, yardage & interceptions. Namath, who was not at his best on this October afternoon, was able to make the Chargers pay after the Atkinson interception. He hit Matt Snell with a 27-yard TD pass which gave the Jets a 7-3 lead. Namath finished at just 11 for 22 for 129 yards and the 1 TD, with 3 interceptions.
Hadl came on for Tensi after the Jets took the lead, and he proved to be the most effective QB for either team that afternoon. He shredded the Jets defense over the course of the last 3 quarters, hitting on 22 of 41 passes for 331 yards and 1 TD. Although the Chargers moved the ball all afternoon, out-gaining the Jets by nearly 200 yards, they could not strike paydirt, as the Jets defense continually stiffened in their own end of the field. They forced 7 SD field goal attempts. SD placekicker, Dick Van Raaphorst made just 3 of his 7 attempts. When Hadl finally broke through in the 4th quarter with a 67-yard TD toss to RB Keith Lincoln, the Chargers only had a 16-10, which gave Namath and Emerson Boozer an opportunity to be heroes.
After the SD kickoff, the Jets took over at their own 34 yard line. Namath immediately hit RB Bill Mathis for a 44 yard gain to the SD 22. He connected with George Sauer for a first down at the 12. 2 Emerson Boozer rushes covered the last 12 yards and the Jets had a 17-16 lead. They held on for the win, but not until Van Raaphorst missed his last two game winning FG attempts of 30 and 21 yards in the final minutes.
Although both teams would disappoint over the rest of the 66 season, finishing around .500, the Jets were a young team on the rise. The core of the team that would eventually win Super Bowl III was in place for that 66 season. Boozer was a rookie, Snell, Gerry Philbin and John Schmitt were in their 3rd year and Namath, Sauer, Atkinson & Verlon Biggs in their second.
Source: Gadsden Times, 10/9/1966.
Week 5 of the 1966 season featured a matchup of unbeatens. The New York Jets played host to the San Diego Chargers. The Jets were 3-0-1, coming off of a week 4 tie with Boston. The Chargers were the defending AFL Western Division Champs, having lost to Buffalo in the 65 Championship. They were 4-0, but they came into this game with a quarterback controversy on their hands.
The week before, the Chargers struggled in the first half, falling behind the expansion Miami Dolphins by score of 10-6. Starting QB John Hadl, who led the Chargers to that Championship Game the year before, was benched at halftime. Steve Tensi, a 2nd year pro out of Florida State came on at half time for his first professional game action, and it was quite a debut. Tensi completed 9 of 12 passes for over 200 yards and 4 TDs in the 2nd half as the Chargers crushed Miami 44-10. HIs first game would prove to be the best performance of his 5-year career.
Hadl was benched in favor of Tensi who made his first start the following week against the Jets and he struggled. Tensi completed just 2 of 10 passes and was replaced by Hadl after Jet LB Al Atkinson intercepted a Tensi pass.
The Jets had no such controversy as Joe Namath was entering his first full season as the Jets starter and would go on to lead the league in completions, attempts, yardage & interceptions. Namath, who was not at his best on this October afternoon, was able to make the Chargers pay after the Atkinson interception. He hit Matt Snell with a 27-yard TD pass which gave the Jets a 7-3 lead. Namath finished at just 11 for 22 for 129 yards and the 1 TD, with 3 interceptions.
Hadl came on for Tensi after the Jets took the lead, and he proved to be the most effective QB for either team that afternoon. He shredded the Jets defense over the course of the last 3 quarters, hitting on 22 of 41 passes for 331 yards and 1 TD. Although the Chargers moved the ball all afternoon, out-gaining the Jets by nearly 200 yards, they could not strike paydirt, as the Jets defense continually stiffened in their own end of the field. They forced 7 SD field goal attempts. SD placekicker, Dick Van Raaphorst made just 3 of his 7 attempts. When Hadl finally broke through in the 4th quarter with a 67-yard TD toss to RB Keith Lincoln, the Chargers only had a 16-10, which gave Namath and Emerson Boozer an opportunity to be heroes.
After the SD kickoff, the Jets took over at their own 34 yard line. Namath immediately hit RB Bill Mathis for a 44 yard gain to the SD 22. He connected with George Sauer for a first down at the 12. 2 Emerson Boozer rushes covered the last 12 yards and the Jets had a 17-16 lead. They held on for the win, but not until Van Raaphorst missed his last two game winning FG attempts of 30 and 21 yards in the final minutes.
Although both teams would disappoint over the rest of the 66 season, finishing around .500, the Jets were a young team on the rise. The core of the team that would eventually win Super Bowl III was in place for that 66 season. Boozer was a rookie, Snell, Gerry Philbin and John Schmitt were in their 3rd year and Namath, Sauer, Atkinson & Verlon Biggs in their second.
Source: Gadsden Times, 10/9/1966.