Countdown to Camp: 8
As we look ahead to training camp in late July, we're taking a daily retrospective look back at some random people, moments and games from Jets history...
The Current 8
Placekicker Cairo Santos is the favorite to land the job, especially after the team just released his only experienced competition, Nick Rose, to bring aboard a player who has never kicked in an NFL game.
The Greatest
Quarterback Browning Nagle - a former second round pick - had a debut that was the stuff of legends in the 1992 season opener. He passed for 366 yards and two scores and led the Jets to a big comeback, only for Jason Staurovsky's field goal miss to cost the Jets the game. Shockingly, Nagle never again passed for more than 200 yards in a game, but is still the most accomplished Jet to wear that number.
Here was the first touchdown pass of his career:
The other 8's
Nick Lowery, Randy Bullock, Mark Brunell...
8 years ago
In 2010, the Jets' season was almost derailed by a Darrelle Revis holdout and then an early-season hamstring pull. However, after losing the first ever game at Metlife Stadium 10-9 to the Ravens, they won their next five, three of them without Revis.
After a 9-0 loss to the Packers, the Jets benefited from Santonio Holmes heroics in three straight games. His catch in overtime set up the winning field goal against the Lions, then he scored the winning touchdown in overtime against the Browns and another late game-winner against Houston. However, the Jets - despite their 9-2 record - were clearly overachieving, as a 45-3 loss to New England and a 10-6 loss to lowly Miami (featuring a dropped touchdown by Holmes) put their season on the ropes.
A big win in Pittsburgh basically ensured they'd be in the postseason where they beat Indianapolis on a last second Nick Folk field goal and then stunned the Patriots 28-21 in a rematch in Foxborough. Unfortunately, the rematch with Pittsburgh in the AFC title game didn't go as well, as the Jets fell into a big first half hole and ultimately lost 24-19 as the comeback fell short.
Revis and Nick Mangold were all-pros again and D'Brickashaw Ferguson also went to the pro bowl.
8-yard touchdown
Here's Shonn Greene's first career touchdown from 2009:
8-time pro bowler
Tackle Winston Hill has made the most pro bowl or AFL all-star apperances in team history, spanning from 1964 to 1973.
8 in the record books
Jim Turner holds the team record with eight field goal attempts in one game in 1968. He made six as the Jets beat the Bills 25-21 with cornerback Johnny Sample returning an interception for their only touchdown.
Let us know if there's any connections to 8 that we missed...