I just need to point out that the two leading vote getters in this thread are the same 2 I put in the other thread along with "other"
Yes you are or you just don't get what was going on. The Colts were considered the greatest Defensive team in NFL history up until that game. The Jets were prohibitive underdogs and the guarantee wasn't a stunt for the public or bullitin board material for the Colts, it was Namath's way to let his team know that he thought they could win. Guess who called every play in that game including every pass and every run against what everyone considered the best Defensive team in NFL history. The Colts were completly off balance the entire game. Unlike Pennington efficeincy, Joe could go over the top of the D on any play with pressure on him and Baltimore knew it. It's one of the reasons the Jets could run the ball at will. The league MVP QB Morrall and the greatest QB in NFL History along with a HOF coach had lousy games but Namath is over rated. He inspired that team to win before the game was played. He beat every blitz with quick accurate throws in traffic to Sauer and when the Baltimore D got tired Hill caved in the entire right side of the Baltimore DL and Snell ran through huge holes created by over committed Lineman and a secondary scared to play up trying to stop Joe Namath.
the jets were so dominate that namath did not have to throw a single pass the entire 4th quarter. but, he could backpeddle, flip his wrist, and the ball was 60 yards downfield like on a rope. the colts blitz, which destroyed a really good browns team 27-0 two weeks earlier, only got to joe once. so much for the nearly 1/2 of the posters who voted for someone else, but especially for the fools who comepare stats from two different eras and types of offenses.:lol:
In A Thinking Man's Guide to Pro Football, Paul Zimmerman wrote this about Namath's Super Bowl 3 performance: Zimmerman also had this to say: and this:
That wouldn't be really fair. I respect Namath a hellluva lot, he led the Jets to their only SB win, he has been the face of the franchise forever, and usually when you think Jets, you think of SB III and "The Guarantee". I'd sport his throwback jersey anytime. But I never saw him, so it has to be Curtis for me. Jets all-time leading rusher, blue-collar guy, never let his size or speed hinder him, etc. Had I seen him as closely as I saw Martin, then he'd probably get my vote.
I can't call a guy w/ -47 TD to INT ratio that led us to just 2 postseason appearances our best player. If he never gto hurt I think he would have been but he did so he wasn't our best player just most important.
Because you play to win a Champoinship and our team has won 1 in 45 years. If a running back came to the Jets tomorrow and dominated the league for two years and we won a champoinship, I retire his number ahead of Curtis Martin's. Herm said it best. "You play to win the game" The goal is not stats, it's not longevity it's wins.
The man played about 10 years here and took us to the playoffs twice. By that logic I guess Trent Dilfer is the greatest QB in Ravens/Browns history?
Except the times we went to the playoffs Vinny lead us not Curtis and Chad Lead us not Curtis and he bombed in the playoffs head to head against a real HOF back TD when we made it to the Champoinship. The QB's on the teams that went to the playoffs were the leaders of the team not Curtis and Curtis came up small in the big moments except on 04 although he was awful against the Steelers.
Curtis changed us, we went to 4 POs w/ Curtis and 2 div titles. We did so w/ Vinny having a great year(By the way he outplayed Elway in that game but some key TOs and missed Fgs killed us) then w/ vinny post-achilles then w/ Chad as a 1st yea starter and w/ Chad post torn rotator cuff. the constant in that was Curtis Martin. We had Key, Chrebet, Coles, Moss, McCareins all playing WR at various times but Curtis remianed the same AND Curtis carried NE to a SB in 1996- he made Drew Bledsoe a SB QB.
This poll is about opinions , no ones pick is better than anyone elses. I don't remember Namath at all I was 3 years old with no TV and had a wait of another 18 years to even know what american football was. I don't think are too many posters here who don't know WHO Namath was/is and no-one is taking anything away from him. Instead of being arguably the best Jet , how about in the entire history of the NFL. Compare him to Manning , Unitas, Baugh and Montana to name a few. But leave off telling people they are wrong to vote for anyone other than Namath.
Did you read my earlier post about how every team in the league during Namath's career threw more interceptions than touchdowns? You can't compare QB stats from the 1960s and 1970s with 2006 stats.
This shows a complete lack of knowledge about the Browns history Junc. The Browns actually have a history of winning unlike the Jets who only won with Namath leading the team. I think you may have heard of Otto Graham? http://www.profootballhof.com/history/team.jsp?franchise_id=8
I agree with you completely, these are all just opinions. The fact is the Jets had a lot of players in the late 60's who were much better than the Jet players of the last 20 years and they don't even come up in conversation because you didn't see them.
Not only that, but Dilfer only played with the Ravens for one year. Later he played for the new Browns. Those are two separate teams. There is no such thing as Ravens/Browns history.
Klecko was the greatest Jet player that I got to see play through his prime. My vote would probably be different if I had been a Jet's fan before 1970. Both Namath and Maynard were really great during their primes also.
Good point Cakes. Perhaps Dilfer is the best QB in Ravens history. Let's see: Banks<Dilfer Grebec<Dilfer Testeverde>Dilfer but not when he was with the Ravens, still have to take Dilfer. Blake<Dilfer Boller<Dilfer McNair>Dilfer. You know I think Junc is right, I would take McNair over Dilfer. Sorry Junc.
Just a little clarification, it was January of 1969..The Jets have one Super Bowl Championship, its not that hard to remember when it was.
