The Jets of the 80's...best Super Bowl shot?

[sheajets]

Thanks Bryan ... one of the reasons I believe Arnsparger should be in the HOF as an assistant--along with Shaughnessy--was his ability to design defenses to stop the pass.

I would wholeheartedly endorse Arnsparger for the HOF. I think he was the best D-coordinator in NFL history, bar none (or as Don Maynard said, "bar anyone").

His departure from Miami after the 1983 season was a big reason why the team declined by the mid-80's.

And when he returned to San Diego in 1992 their defense went from somewhere in the bottom third of the league to the top 5. They won a division title and a playoff game, and in 1994 they got to the Super Bowl. He's mostly remembered for his work with the Dolphins but he was an important part of the Chargers nice little window of 1992-1994 too.

[Brian wolf]

Arnsparger is deserving. His Baltimore Zone defense and defenses with the Dolphins helped create cover-2, which the Steelers also perfected. These defenses turned the 70s into the dead ball era which Shula helped end with the rules changes ...

[Danny197055]

As a bitter Jets fan that was really raised on those teams, I really feel as though they deserved a "turn" in the big game only to watch teams like the Dolphins, Broncos, and Patriots waltz in on years I thought we could(similar situation with Cleveland, still haven't gotten over those missed opportunities of the 80's). A lot of the wounds were self inflicted. Other times they flat out choked. Those teams were colorful and exciting. You had the sack exchange with Klecko and Gastineau...Toon and Walker, McNeil and Hector.

4 years stick out in particular, 1981, 1982, 1985, and 1986. One of those years I really think we should've been in the Super Bowl

1981 was when the franchise really came out of hibernation. They had an insane 66 sacks. A very solid running game (albeit by a huge committee) Todd cuts down on his pick and suddenly looks like a good QB. Then in the playoffs Bruce Harper fumbles the opening kickoff, Buffalo runs it in for a TD...the snowball starts rolling and the Jets could never quite catch up. Todd has Bobby Jones open for a TD in the waning seconds but underthrows it and it's intercepted. I would've given them a good shot in Cinci the next week. But who knows...

1982 is the one that sticks in the craw of most 40+ year old Jets fans. You had Freeman McNeil really come into his own (1400 yard pace that year rushing, 300 yard pace receiving) Todd continues to look like a respectable QB. The defense was stout even though the sack exchange was having an off year. We beat Cinci and Oakland on the road in the playoffs. Then the infamous Mud Bowl. Jets fans are utterly convinced we would beat Miami had the field been covered...but I'm not so sure. Miami had our number that year. So under more ideal circumstances I could totally see the Jets still losing only 14-10 instead of 14-0. The Miami D was terrific that year. But had we won I'm pretty convinced we would have beaten Washington in the Super Bowl

1985 the Jets fielded a good defense and Ken Obrien looked like a budding star QB. Unfortunately they ran into a NE team that was only slightly inferior but had a little destiny's darlings magic going on. They upset them in a very listless Jets performance. I think they have a pretty good chance of being the one's slaughtered by Chicago in the Super Bowl had they shown up vs New England. The Raiders, Dolphins, Pats, and Jets were so evenly matched that year

as an aside, I also remember some grumbling from places like Denver when the Browns cruised in at 8-8 as division champs and Denver was left out at 11-5.

1986 is the killer. Up 20-10 on Cleveland and the Browns would've had a 3rd and 26 had Gastineau not speared Kosar. Suddenly the wheels come off and the Jets were pretty lucky not to lose in regulation. What really killed them was on the drive that Cleveland tied it, the Jets punter originally pinned Cleveland way back inside the 5...but the Jets were called for some phantom holding penalty and had to re kick, and Cleveland got to start on the 30 or so. I'm utterly convinced they would've beat Denver had they not imploded vs Cleveland. They had the team speed on D to chase down Elway. Their deep game would've killed Denver with Walker/Toon. Could've set up a nice Jets/Giants Super Bowl...I have no read on that game. But tough to see them beating that 86 Giants squad. But I don't think they would've rampaged over us

Glad to be here.

That said, The Jets with Richard Todd in 1982 likely wouldn’t have struggled as much as Woodley did for Miami in that game. I believe Washington would have faced a tougher time against that Jets Front Four, even without Joe Klecko, who got injured in Week 2 in Foxboro and missed most of the season (except for two playoff games against the Bengals and Raiders). Still, I think the Hogs would have managed to wear them down in the second half, just like they did with Miami, and would have pulled ahead in the fourth quarter as they ultimately did, especially with that O-Line wearing down the Sack Exchange up front.

The Jets Secondary that year:
LCB Bobby Jackson: 5 INTs, 2 fumbles recovered
RCB Jerry Holmes: 3 INTs
SS Ken Schroy: 1 INT, 2 fumbles recovered
FS Darrol Ray: 3 INTs, 1 fumble recovered

The probable Starters in that Super Bowl for the Jets (had they beaten Miami) would have been up front (with no Klecko):
Mark Gastineau LDE
Abdul Salaam LDT
Marty Lyons RDT
Kenny Neil RDE

Without Klecko healthy, it would have been tough to get a rush vs the Hogs up front.

The matchups in the trenches for that Super Bowl would have been:
Joe Jacoby at LT v Kenny Neil RDE (Klecko's replacement)
Russ Grimm at LG v Abdul Salaam
Jeff Bostic C
Fred Dean RG v Marty Lyons LDT
George Starke RT v Gastineau LDE

As for 1985, Yes, if they had beaten New England, there might have been a path to the AFCCG, they would have probably beaten the Raiders again in LA, but like in 1982, it would have likely ended in Miami v Marino and Co in the AFCCG, but if they had gone on to New Orleans that year, nobody was beating the Bears that year. Yes, the Jets lost 19-6 in the Meadowlands in Week 15 that year, and Chicago held them to 159 yards of total offense and sacked Ken O'Brien 4 times in that game. It would have been worse like it was ultimately for New England that year v that 46 D of Buddy Ryan's.

As for 1986, if they had beaten Cleveland as they were supposed to, no guarantee they'd beat Denver at Mile High in the AFCCG that year. They struggled v New England the previous week. They did beat Denver 22-10 in Week 7 that year in the Meadowlands, but an AFCCG in Denver, that would have been a big ask. As for a Jets/Giants Super Bowl in Pasadena that year, even if they had gotten there, no one was beating that Giants team that had allowed just 3 points in the NFC Playoffs going in. The Jets certainly weren't going to beat the Giants, however, Phil Simms wouldn't go 22-25 like he ultimately did v Denver. Walker and Toon would have been a challenge, but give Parcells and Belichick two weeks to prepare, and it was all she wrote.

[SeahawkFever]

If we are comparing these 80’s Jets playoff teams, one thing I will mention that I’ve heard people say is that the coach of the 81 and 82 teams Walt Michaels was better than the coach of the 85 and 86 teams Joe Walton.

However I’ve heard Ken O’Brien was a better quarterback than Richard Todd, so those two are worth acknowledging as well.

I would say either 81 or 82 was probably the best Jets team from that generation based on their overall team performance personally, but if you think either of the other two were better, I wouldn’t argue against it.