Post by Lithfan on Dec 17, 2015 6:37:45 GMT -5
December 17, 1966
The Jets closed out the 1966 regular season hosting the Boston Patriots. They came into the game at 5-6-2, hoping to finish at .500. The Patriots were in first place in the East and in control of their destiny. At 8-3-2, they were half game ahead of the 8-4-1 Bills. A Patriot win would earn them an opportunity to go up against Kansas City for the AFL Championship. For the Jets, it was a chance to play spoiler.
Boston got on the board first with an 18 yard TD pass from Babe Parilli to Gino Cappelletti on their second possession. The Jets took control from there. The Jets needed just four plays to go 80 yards to tie the game. Emerson Boozer broke free for a 54 yard run to open the drive. 3 plays later, Joe Namath hit Don Maynard and the game was tied.
The Jets expanded their lead to 17-7 at the half, getting a 1 yard TD run by Boozer and a 12 yard field goal by Jim Turner. It was a balanced Jets attack on this day. Joe Namath hit 14-21 passes for 287 yards and 3 TDs. The Jets also ground out 241 yards on the ground as both Matt Snell and Emerson Boozer went over 100 yards with a TD each. The 528 yards of total offense set a record at the time for the young franchise.
The Jets took advantage of two Bill Baird interceptions in the 3rd quarter to stop Patriot drives into Jet territory. They were able to extend the lead to 24-7 when Boston began to mount a 4th quarter comeback. But every time Boston closed the gap, the Jets offense responded. Babe Parilli threw his 2nd TD pass to cut the lead to 24-13, but the Jets quickly re-established their 17 point lead as Namath hooked up with George Sauer for 77 yards and a score. When the Pats got a Jim Nance TD to make it 31-21, Matt Snell ran one in from 25 yards out to extend the lead to 38-21.
The Jets went on to win by a 38-28 score. At the same time, Buffalo was beating the Broncos, 38-21 and winning the AFL East Division title.
It was a bitter loss for the Patriots that was hard for Head Coach Mike Holovak to take. “We lost it, that’s all,” Holovak said. “If I knew what we were doing wrong, I’d have done something about it. We get 28 points. I’ll take 28 points every game I ever play. We just played a lousy defensive game.”
“If I wanted to see anyone win the championship it was your club,” Namath said to Pats owner Billy Sullivan after the game. "But I got to play my game.I kinda think Boston should be in it. They had a great year. They kinda deserve it. But not at our expense.”
As for Buffalo, team owner Ralph Wilson was grateful for the Jets effort, "Anything I can send you? Champagne? I'll give them anything they want," he would say after his team's victory. The Bills would be defeated by the Chiefs in the Championship game two weeks later by a 31-7 score.
Source: The Daytona Beach Morning Journal & The Spokesman Review
The Jets closed out the 1966 regular season hosting the Boston Patriots. They came into the game at 5-6-2, hoping to finish at .500. The Patriots were in first place in the East and in control of their destiny. At 8-3-2, they were half game ahead of the 8-4-1 Bills. A Patriot win would earn them an opportunity to go up against Kansas City for the AFL Championship. For the Jets, it was a chance to play spoiler.
Boston got on the board first with an 18 yard TD pass from Babe Parilli to Gino Cappelletti on their second possession. The Jets took control from there. The Jets needed just four plays to go 80 yards to tie the game. Emerson Boozer broke free for a 54 yard run to open the drive. 3 plays later, Joe Namath hit Don Maynard and the game was tied.
The Jets expanded their lead to 17-7 at the half, getting a 1 yard TD run by Boozer and a 12 yard field goal by Jim Turner. It was a balanced Jets attack on this day. Joe Namath hit 14-21 passes for 287 yards and 3 TDs. The Jets also ground out 241 yards on the ground as both Matt Snell and Emerson Boozer went over 100 yards with a TD each. The 528 yards of total offense set a record at the time for the young franchise.
The Jets took advantage of two Bill Baird interceptions in the 3rd quarter to stop Patriot drives into Jet territory. They were able to extend the lead to 24-7 when Boston began to mount a 4th quarter comeback. But every time Boston closed the gap, the Jets offense responded. Babe Parilli threw his 2nd TD pass to cut the lead to 24-13, but the Jets quickly re-established their 17 point lead as Namath hooked up with George Sauer for 77 yards and a score. When the Pats got a Jim Nance TD to make it 31-21, Matt Snell ran one in from 25 yards out to extend the lead to 38-21.
The Jets went on to win by a 38-28 score. At the same time, Buffalo was beating the Broncos, 38-21 and winning the AFL East Division title.
It was a bitter loss for the Patriots that was hard for Head Coach Mike Holovak to take. “We lost it, that’s all,” Holovak said. “If I knew what we were doing wrong, I’d have done something about it. We get 28 points. I’ll take 28 points every game I ever play. We just played a lousy defensive game.”
“If I wanted to see anyone win the championship it was your club,” Namath said to Pats owner Billy Sullivan after the game. "But I got to play my game.I kinda think Boston should be in it. They had a great year. They kinda deserve it. But not at our expense.”
As for Buffalo, team owner Ralph Wilson was grateful for the Jets effort, "Anything I can send you? Champagne? I'll give them anything they want," he would say after his team's victory. The Bills would be defeated by the Chiefs in the Championship game two weeks later by a 31-7 score.
Source: The Daytona Beach Morning Journal & The Spokesman Review
