1968 New York Jets season
| 1968 New York Jets season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Leon Hess |
| General manager | Weeb Ewbank |
| Head coach | Weeb Ewbank |
| Home stadium | Shea Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 11–3 |
| Division place | 1st AFL East |
| Playoffs | Won AFL Championship (vs. Raiders) 27–23 Won Super Bowl III (vs. Colts) 16–7 |
| Pro Bowlers | MLB Al Atkinson RDE Verlon Biggs HB Emerson Boozer RDT John Elliott RG Dave Herman LT Winston Hill FL Don Maynard QB Joe Namath LDE Gerry Philbin SE George Sauer K Jim Turner |
The 1968 New York Jets season was the ninth season for the team in the American Football League (AFL), and the most successful season in franchise history. Trying to improve upon their 8–5–1 record of 1967, the Jets won the AFL Eastern Division with an 11–3 record. They defeated the defending champion Oakland Raiders, 27–23, in the AFL championship game, earning the right to play in Super Bowl III against the NFL champion Baltimore Colts. After fourth-year quarterback Joe Namath announced a "guarantee" of victory, the Jets defeated the heavily favored Colts, 16–7. The Jets did not appear in a semi-final playoff round again until 1983, and they have never returned to the Super Bowl; their ongoing drought of 57 complete seasons is the longest in NFL history. They and the New Orleans Saints are the only teams to have won their lone championship game.
In 2007, NFL Network aired America's Game: The Super Bowl Champions, the 1968 New York Jets, with team commentary from Joe Namath, Gerry Philbin and Don Maynard, and was narrated by Alec Baldwin. The Jets ranked No. 24 on the 100 greatest teams of all time presented by the NFL on its 100th anniversary. Of those 24, only three came before the AFL-NFL Merger. The Jets were the highest-ranked team that played in the AFL, and also the highest pre-merger team not coached by Vince Lombardi.
The last active member of the 1968 New York Jets was guard Randy Rasmussen, who retired after the 1981 NFL season.