Feb 4, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; NFL legend Joe Namath arrives on the red carpet prior to the 6th Annual NFL Honors at Wortham Theater. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Ranking the top five quarterbacks in New York Jets history.
The New York Jets had their moment in the sun way back in January 1969 when they defeated the Baltimore Colts, 16-7, in Super Bowl III. Without a doubt it was one of the most important games in NFL history because it established the American Football League (AFL) as being legitimate. The architect for that victory was none other than Hall-of Famer and cultural icon, Joe "Willie" Namath. Much more about Mr. Namath later.
It's not hard to figure out why Gang Green has participated in just one Super Bowl in their team history — the performance of their quarterbacks. Sure, there have been some decent signal-callers that have suited up for the Jets through the decades but they've produced just one Hall-of-Fame quarterback that was able to put them over the top (we all know who that is).
The Dallas Cowboys had Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman. The Pittsburgh Steelers have been led by Terry Bradshaw and Ben Roethlisberger. The San Francisco 49ers had Joe Montana and Steve Young. It's pretty easy to see why those squads won multiple Super Bowl crowns.
The Jets are quite another story. That's an understatement. Anyway, since training camp is still well over a month away, I thought it would be fun to countdown the Top Five quarterbacks in franchise history. Let's take a look.
Aug. 18, 2013; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez (6) calls out a play against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the first quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports
5. Mark Sanchez (2009-12)
I know what you're thinking. "Are you kidding me? Mark Sanchez? C'mon, really?" Yes, indeed, Mark Sanchez. The author of the Butt Fumble, one of the most infamous plays in Jets history. The "Sanchize" gets the slight nod over Richard Todd because he led Gang Green to two consecutive AFC title contests (2010, 2011) and his playoff game stats are really pretty impressive.
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Take at look at these numbers: In six playoff games the USC product owns a 4-2 record and has nine touchdown passes and just three interceptions. Those are actually some of the best numbers in franchise history. Sanchez completed 60.5 percent of his passes in those playoff contests and owned a rating of 94.3. Not bad at all.
With that being said, the former first-round draft selection (fifth overall in 2009) never lived up to expectations. Expectations are through the roof when you're drafted that high. His regular season stats are rather mundane — 68 touchdowns and 69 interceptions with a completion percentage of just 55.1 percent in 62 games.
He'll always be remembered for the Butt Fumble, and that's a shame because the Long Beach, CA native was one of the premier playoff signal-callers in Jets history.
4. Chad Pennington (2000-07)
One of the most accurate passers in franchise history (65.6 percent), the former Rhodes Scholar finalist ranked fourth all-time in passing yards (13,738) and finished with one of the highest passer ratings (88.9) in Jets history as well. In eight seasons with Gang Green, the University of Marshall product compiled 82 touchdowns and tossed just 55 interceptions. He also led the entire NFL in passer rating in 2002 (104.2).
The 2002 season was the coming out party for Pennington. Saddled with a 1-4 record, head coach Herm Edwards turned to Pennington and the Knoxville, TN native turned the season around, leading Gang Green to an eventual 9-7 ledger and the AFC East title. He threw for 3,120 yards with 22 touchdown passes and only six interceptions that season and fired three touchdown passes in New York's 41-0 pasting of the Indianapolis Colts in the Wild Card Round. Believe it or not, that was Gang Green's last home playoff game. Yes, it's been 15 years and counting.
Injuries started to derail Pennington's effectiveness for a while after that. During the 2003 preseason, he broke his hand and had issues with his wrist moving forward. He injured his rotator cuff in 2004 and underwent surgery on his right shoulder twice in 2005. However, those surgeries paid off in 2006 when Pennington was named NFL Comeback Player of the Year when he set career-highs as a Jet in passing yards (3,352) and completions (313).
After a dismal 2007 campaign, the Jets released Pennington in August 2008 after acquiring Brett Favre. Pennington will always be remembered for being one of the smartest, most accurate signal-callers the Jets have ever had. It's a shame that injuries curtailed what would have been an even better tenure in New York.
3. Vinny Testaverde (1998-2003, 2005)
A former first-overall selection by Tampa Bay in the 1987 NFL Draft, Testaverde came to the Jets at the ripe old age of 35 in 1998 and enjoyed one of the finest seasons any quarterback has ever had in a Jets uniform. The Brooklyn, NY native tossed 29 touchdown passes against just seven interceptions. His passer rating was a stellar 101.6.
Testaverde's effort landed him in the Pro Bowl that season as he guided Gang Green to a 12-4 record and the AFC East crown. The Jets lost a bitter 23-10 contest to Denver in the AFC championship game, a game in which they led 10-0 at halftime. Led by head coach Bill Parcells, I really thought the Jets were going to the Super Bowl that year. It was one of their best teams ever.
The bubble burst quickly for Testaverde the following season. In the season opener at home against New England, he turned to hand the ball off to Curtis Martin and crumpled to the ground with a ruptured Achilles tendon. I was at that game and you could hear a pin drop when that devastating injury occurred. Testaverde was lost for the season and the Jets struggled to an 8-8 mark behind backup Ray Lucas.
Blessed with one of the strongest arms of any Jets quarterback, Testaverde would play five more seasons in New York and finish with the fifth most passing yards in team history (12,497). He'll always be remembered though for that magical 1998 campaign that brought Gang Green to the brink of the Super Bowl.
2. Ken O'Brien (1984-92)
A two-time Pro Bowler, O'Brien passed for the second most yards in team history (24,386) and had an excellent touchdown pass to interception ratio of 124-95. His finest campaign came in his second season (1985) when he led the Jets to an 11-5 ledger and a wild card playoff berth.
The former first-round pick in the 1983 NFL Draft (24th overall and three spots ahead of Dan Marino) owned the league's top passer rating in 1985 (96.2) when he threw for 25 touchdowns with just eight interceptions. O'Brien also paced the NFL in percentage of times being intercepted when attempting to pass (1985, 1987, 1988) which meant that he did a solid job of protecting the football.
O'Brien possessed a very strong arm and quite often hooked up on long post routes with speedy wide receiver Wesley Walker. Their were two blemishes on O'Brien's resume though: 1. He was always compared to Marino, and 2. He never won a playoff game (0-2 as a starter, 0-3 overall).
The UC Davis product will always be remembered as a very steady, mistake-free quarterback with a rocket for an arm. It's too bad though that he was never able to taste victory in a NFL playoff game.
1. Joe Namath (1965-76)
There was never any doubt who the top-ranked Jets quarterback of all-time is. Joseph William Namath. Broadway Joe. The pride of Beaver Falls, PA. Super Bowl III MVP. New York's all-time leader in passing yards (27,057), touchdown passes (170) and interceptions (215). Five-time Pro Bowler. Hall of Famer. Football and cultural icon.
I realize that is a lot of interceptions but it didn't really matter. Namath probably had the strongest arm and quickest release of any New York signal-caller and he had a gunslinger's mentality from time to time. He was aggressive. He took chances down the field. However, in the most important game in team history, Namath was brilliant in leading Gang Green to that improbable 16-7 victory over the Colts, a win that showed the world that the American Football League (AFL) was for real.
Namath called many of his own plays back then and he was mistake-free in that Jan. 1969 contest in Miami, completing 17 of 28 passes for 206 yards for an impressive passer rating of 83.3. Three days before the game, Namath guaranteed that the Jets would win it. Remember, the odds makers in Las Vegas had set the Jets as 18-point underdogs. He showed remarkable poise and field leadership in that contest, one of the most important games in NFL history.
Even if the Jets win another Super Bowl (I have been waiting forever for that) and a new hero comes along, Namath has established himself as not only the greatest Jets quarterback ever but also the greatest player in franchise history.
