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Welcome Back Jets: How the 1998 New York Jets Returned to the Postseason

How the 1998 New York Jets Returned to the Postseason: In 1997, the Jets went 1-15. Two years later, they made the Championship game. How?
1998 New York Jets

The New York Jets’ recent acquisition of tenured Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers had fans in deja vu. They pointed to the similarities to the Brett Favre trade 15 years ago, when the Jets acquired the then-Packers long-time star quarterback. However, this time, New York hopes to make the postseason.

While reminiscing, it is possible to see the similarities between the 2023 roster and another famous season for the franchise: 1998. That year, the Jets revitalized their defense, engineered a strong running game, and, led by a veteran quarterback, made their second AFC Championship game appearance in franchise history.

Welcome Back Jets: How the 1998 New York Jets Returned to the Postseason

The World in 1998

1998 brought with it a year of change for the world. Japan’s launch of the Nozomi Mars explorer made them the third space exploration nation. James Cameron’s “The Titanic” shattered box office records. Two Stanford University PhD students formed a technology company known as Google INC. However, the year produced something few thought was possible in the 1990s. Namely, a competitive Jets team.

The 1990s: A Decade of Mediocrity for the New York Jets

The 1990s were an unfortunate time for the Jets. Between 1992 and 1996, the team finished with a combined total of 22 wins and 48 losses. That record was shared between three head coaches (Bruce Coslet, Pete Carroll, and Rich Kotite). Of the three, Kotite’s tenure was the most egregious after finishing 3-13 in 1995 and 1-15 in 1996. Owner Leon Hess knew he needed to make drastic changes to the football operations. Fortunately, a golden opportunity would emerge in 1997.

Big Tuna Returns to New York

In 1996, Bill Parcells led the New England Patriots to their second Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. After losing to Green Bay 35-21, Parcells expressed his desire to leave New England after public fallout with team owner Robert Kraft. Commissioner Paul Tagliabue was able to broker a deal between New York and New England, allowing Parcells to coach in New York and the Patriots to be compensated with four draft picks over the next three seasons.

This resulted in Parcells gaining full control of the roster as Head Coach and General Manager in New York. Hess trusted the New Jersey native with total control of football operations after Parcell reached his third career Super Bowl with New England.

Parcells was looking to win in New York after capturing two Super Bowls with the New York Giants the previous decade. Soon, Parcells would flip the team on its axis.

1998 New York Jets off-season

Parcells’ first season in 1997 resulted in a 9-7 record, missing the playoffs by just one game. The positive start meant that the franchise underwent heavy construction in the 1998 off-season. To emphasize a new era, the team introduced a new logo and uniform design with a dark green color scheme.

Furthermore, Parcells brought about more change by acquiring running back Curtis Martin from New England. Parcells drafted Martin back in 1995 and he became one of the best running backs in the league after his third season when he topped 1,000 rushing yards. But Parcells knew he would need more than a star running back to return to the playoffs.

Another important step was adding the right quarterback. The team signed former first overall pick and Heisman winner, Vinny Testaverde. The Long Island native and life-long Jets fan was now on his fourth team since joining the NFL in 1987. Turnovers plagued his career, but Parcells trusted Offensive Coordinator Charlie Weis to get Testaverde back on track.

From Pretenders to Contenders: The Story of the 1998 New York Jets Regular Season

In spite of the optimism from the newly-formed roster, the 1998 season had a somber beginning. Back to back losses to San Francisco & Baltimore had fans expecting the worse.

However, the Jets received a major spark after benching Glenn Foley in favor of Testaverde in Week 3. This accounted for their first win of the season against Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. After the bye week in Week 4, Bill Parcells let the world know the Jets have arrived.

The Jets went from starting the season at 1-2 before to winning 11 of their next 13 games. The revitalized fanbase at the Meadowlands watched as the Jets finished the year with a home record of 8-1.

That year, Testaverde threw a franchise record 29 TDs, 10 of which went to Keyshawn Johnson. Meanwhile, Martin rushed for over 1,200 yards. Defensively, cornerback Aaron Glenn ended the season with 6 interceptions.

With a top-five offense and defense in scoring, and ending the year on a six-game winning streak, the Jets went 12-4 enroute to capturing their first division title since 1969.

1998 New York Jets Postseason

AFC Divisional Game

After securing the second best record in the conference, the New York Jets earned a first-round bye and would be playing their first playoff game in a decade at the Meadowlands against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

An expansion team founded in 1995, Jacksonville made their third consecutive playoff appearance thanks to their talented offense led by Mark Brunell, Fred Taylor, and a wide receiver duo of Jimmy Smith & Keenan McCardell.

In the game, Testaverde found Johnson for a 21-yard touchdown pass on the opening drive. New York held the lead for the entire game. Over 100 yards of offense and two touchdowns each from Martin and Johnson helped New York secure a 34 -24 victory. Thus, the Jets reached their first conference championship game in 16 years.

AFC Championship Game

The win against Jacksonville secured the Jets a road game to Colorado to face the reigning champion Denver Broncos.

Defense controlled the first half as a John Hall field goal were the only points scored. But Martin ran in for a one-yard touchdown and New York took a 10-point lead in the third quarter.

Unfortunately, those would be the last points New York scored all game. Parcells’ side turned the ball over four times, allowing Denver to score 23 unanswered points in the second half. The Broncos won 23-10. They then went on to beat the Atlanta Falcons two weeks later for their second consecutive Super Bowl.

Aftermath and Legacy of the 1998 New York Jets

While New York failed to win it all, their 12-4 regular season record remains the best in franchise history (they went 11-3 when they won the Super Bowl in 1968).

In Week 1 of the following season, Testaverde tore his Achilles and was out the remainder of 1999. It led to the team finishing a disappointing 8-8. While he never got back to the elite level he played at, Testaverde spent another four seasons in New York before retiring in 2007, after 21 seasons in the league.

Martin, meanwhile, played another seven years in New York. Over his Jets career, he ran for over 10,000 yards and 58 touchdowns. Five years after his retirement in 2007, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2012.

Johnson was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2000. He won a Super Bowl with the Buccaneers in 2002.

Standout cornerback, Glenn, left in 2002 for the Houston Texans before retiring in 2008. The three time pro bowl defensive back followed Parcells’ footsteps into coaching. He is currently the defensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions and has earned some buzz as a Head Coach candidate of late.

After finishing 8-8 in 1999, Parcells retired from coaching and left the organization in 2000. The legendary coach entered the Hall of Fame in 2013, the year after Martin’s induction. Since Parcells’ departure, New York have made only six playoff appearances the past 25 years, but returned to back-to-back conference championship games in 2009 and 2010.

Main Photo: Peter Brouillet-USA TODAY NETWORK

Michael Zimmelman

Michael Zimmelman

Michael is an NFL editor & writer covering the New York Jets. His articles strive to provide fans with a unique and engaged perspective highlighting the organization as a whole. From player analysis, transactions, coaching retrospectives and more.

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