Countdown to Camp: 86
As we look ahead to training camp in late July, we're going to take a daily retrospective look back at some random people, moments and games from Jets history...
The Current 86
Jordan Leggett didn't get a chance to play in his rookie year, although he got close to being ready a few times. He did show some flashes in preseason though, catching five passes for 64 yards, including a 28-yarder. It remains to be seen how high on Leggett the Jets' coaches still are.
The Greatest
Verlon Biggs was a Jet for the first six years of his career and a three-time all-AFL selection. He was a starter in Super Bowl III as the Jets won their lone Super Bowl.
The other 86's
Johnny Mitchell, Chris Baker, Jeff Cumberland...
The '86 season
1986 was a wacky season, which should have been apparent after a wild 51-45 overtime win over the Dolphins in week three, which saw Ken O'Brien and Dan Marino go head-to-head, combining for over 900 yards and 10 touchdowns. Wesley Walker scored his third touchdown as time expired in regulation, then his team-record fourth in overtime.
That was the first of nine consecutive wins for the Jets who were dominating the league at 10-1 with five games to go, behind O'Brien, Walker, running backs Freeman McNeil and Johnny Hector and pro bowlers Mickey Shuler and Al Toon. However, injuries took their toll down the stretch and the Jets limped to a 10-6 record and barely backed into a wildcard spot.
They won the wild card game against the Chiefs 35-15, with Pat Ryan in for O'Brien and then had the Browns on the ropes at 20-10 in the fourth quarter, only to then blow the lead courtesy of a costly roughing call against Mark Gastineau. After Pat Leahy missed a game-winning field goal, the Jets lost in double-overtime.
86 good, 86 bad
The Jets had high hopes for Mark Sanchez when they traded up to draft him with the fifth pick in 2009. Despite leading them (or being dragged by them) to two AFC title games, the Sanchez era will probably not be recalled with much fondness and no stat better sums up his career than the fact he has 86 career touchdown passes AND 86 career interceptions. Following his recent suspension one wonders if those will be his final numbers too.
Let's throw back to better days:
Let us know if there's any connections to 86 that we missed...