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14 bad NY Jets games during their long NFL playoff drought

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14 bad NY Jets games during their long NFL playoff drought

NEW YORK — The 2024 New York Jets are on a quest to snap a 13-year playoff drought — the longest active streak in the NFL and tied for the longest in the four major North American professional sports.

The Jets will take the field for their game against the San Francisco 49ers tonight as one of only two NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB teams that have missed the playoffs every year since the 2010-11 season. The other is the Buffalo Sabres.

With one of their most-talented rosters in quite some time this season, and a schedule that could work in their favor, the Jets have a golden opportunity to move on from one of the worst eras in team history. 

When was the last Jets playoff game? 

Rex Ryan was coaching, Mark Sanchez was quarterbacking, MetLife Stadium was less than a year old, and President Barack Obama was in his first term the last time the Jets were in the playoffs. 

Divisional Playoffs - New York Jets v New England Patriots
Braylon Edwards and Santonio Holmes of the New York Jets celebrate on their way to defeating the New England Patriots 28-21 in the 2011 AFC divisional playoff game at Gillette Stadium on January 16, 2011 in Foxboro, Massachusetts.

Al Bello / Getty Images


On Jan. 23, 2011, New York was in the AFC Championship game for the second year in a row after thrilling wins against the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots. But with a trip to Super Bowl XLV on the line, the Jets lost 24-19 to the Pittsburgh Steelers and haven’t been back to the playoffs since.

Ironically, Aaron Rodgers won his only Super Bowl to date that year, as the Green Bay Packers defeated the Steelers 31-25. Rodgers hasn’t been back to the Super Bowl since. 

The 2010-11 AFC title game was one of the most heartbreaking games in Jets history. Sadly, there are plenty to choose from over the team’s 64-year history. 

Here are 14 games from just the last 13 years that will always haunt Jets fans: 

Tim Tebow leads a 4th quarter comeback  

New York Jets v Denver Broncos
Quarterback Tim Tebow of the Denver Broncos eludes Eric Smith of the New York Jets and rushes 20 yards for the game winning touchdown in the fourth quarter at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on November 17, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. The Broncos defeated the Jets 17-13.

Doug Pensinger / Getty Images


Call it a mile-high meltdown. The 2011 Jets season started looking grim in Week 11 as Tim Tebow led a painstaking 95-yard touchdown drive that gave the Broncos the lead for good in the final minute of the game in Denver.

The Jets traded for Tebow after the season, but never got anything close to the magic he had on that cold Thursday night. 

Victor Cruz scores a 99-yard touchdown

Giants Jets Football
New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz jumps over a New York Jets defender while scoring 99-yard touchdown during the second quarter on Saturday, Dec. 24, 2011. 

Julio Cortez / AP


Rex Ryan talked a big game before this Week 16 showdown between the Jets and Giants, who were both still in the playoff mix. Then in the second quarter, Eli Manning slung a pass to Victor Cruz from deep in the Giants endzone. Cruz caught it at the 11, broke a tackle and sprinted the rest of the way down the sideline for a 99-yard touchdown.

The Giants took a 10-7 lead, and the Jets never recovered and lost almost all hope of making the playoffs three years in a row.

The Butt Fumble

New York Jets V New England Patriots
New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez fumbles in the first half after smacking into lineman Brandon Moore’s rear end against the New England Patriots on Nov. 22, 2012. 

Photo By: Robert Sabo/NY Daily News via Getty Images


The Jets embarrassed themselves at home quickly on Thanksgiving in 2012. The Patriots pummeled New York with 35 points in the second quarter, including one of the most iconic defensive touchdowns in NFL history: the Butt Fumble. 

Quarterback Mark Sanchez lost the football when he crashed into right guard Brandon Moore’s rear end. The Patriots scooped it up and took it to the house in a highlight for the ages. 

Jets’ playoff hopes end on a fumble

Jets Titans Football
Tennessee Titans linebacker Zach Brown celebrates with Derrick Morgan and Kamerion Wimbley after Brown recovered a fumble by New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez with 43 seconds left in the fourth quarter on Monday, Dec. 17, 2012, in Nashville, Tenn. Jets players Matt Slauson and D’Brickashaw Ferguson look on.

Joe Howell / AP


The 6-7 Jets had a narrow path to the playoffs in Week 15 of 2012, but they could not afford to lose. 

Down 14-10 in the fourth quarter, the Jets needed a touchdown and got a gift from Titans punter Brett Kern: a measly 19-yard punt that put the ball at the Tennessee 25 with less a minute remaining. But Sanchez — who already had four turnovers — fumbled the snap on the very next play and the Titans recovered to win the game.

As ESPN’s announcer Mike Tirico put in, “That’s the way this game should end. That’s the way the Jets’ season should end. Ugly!” 

Jets call timeout and lose a game-tying touchdown

New York Jets v Green Bay Packers
Wide receiver Jeremy Kerley of the New York Jets catches a pass in the end zone ahead of cornerback Tramon Williams of the Green Bay Packers late in the fourth quarter of at Lambeau Field on September 14, 2014 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The touchdown was reversed because a timeout was called by the Jets before the play started. The Packers defeated the Jets 31-24.

Christian Petersen / Getty Images


The Jets’ Week 2 game in 2014 was a sign of things to come. 

Late in the fourth quarter in Green Bay, quarterback Geno Smith heaved a 37-yard pass to Jeremy Kerley that appeared to be a game-tying touchdown. But there was one problem: New York called timeout right before the snap and the play didn’t count.

The Jets lost the game, and their next seven.

Jets lose “win-and-in” game in Buffalo

New York Jets v Buffalo Bills
Ryan Fitzpatrick of the New York Jets passes the ball during the first half against the Buffalo Bills on January 3, 2016 at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, New York. Buffalo Bills defeat New York Jets 22-17.

Brett Carlsen / Getty Images


After a dramatic overtime win against the Patriots, the Jets had a chance to make the playoffs for the first time in four years in the final week of the 2015 regular season. 

The Jets had multiple opportunities to take the lead in Buffalo, but veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick’s three fourth-quarter interceptions cost the team dearly. 

The Jets lost 22-17 and let one of the franchise’s best offensive seasons go to waste.

Jets commit 8 turnovers in Kansas City

Jets Chiefs Football
New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick throws as Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Allen Bailey closes in during the first half in Kansas City, Mo. on Sept. 25, 2016.

Ed Zurga / AP


The Jets had high hopes entering 2016, but none of that optimism survived this early-season trip to Kansas City. 

Fitzpatrick tied the franchise record by throwing six interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown. In all, New York committed a whopping eight turnovers — their most in a game in 40 years! 

Sam Darnold sees “ghosts” on Monday Night Football

NFL: OCT 21 Patriots at Jets
New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold drops back to pass against the New England Patriots on October 21, 2019 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. 

Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images


The Jets looked lost against the Patriots from start to finish in this one, and Sam Darnold summed it up with his most memorable quote as a member of Gang Green. 

Mic’d up for the ESPN broadcast, Darnold was heard on the sideline saying, “I’m seeing ghosts.” 

The Jets’ first-round pick in 2018 only completed 11 passes, not including the four that were picked off by New England, in the 33-0 loss. 

Jets lose on a Hail Mary, then fire their defensive coordinator

Raiders Jets Football
Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III catches the game-winning touchdown pass in front of New York Jets cornerback Lamar Jackson on Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020, in East Rutherford, N.J.

Adam Hunger / AP


The Jets were 13 seconds away from snapping an 11-game losing streak on Dec. 6, 2020, but nothing went Gang Green’s way that season. 

Raiders quarterback Derek Carr unleashed a 46-yard heave to Henry Ruggs III, who was wide open for a game-winning touchdown that sent the Jets to 0-12.

The play was so bad, the Jets fired their defensive coordinator Gregg Williams the next day. 

Jets snap 13-game losing streak, but lose 1st overall pick

NFL: DEC 20 Jets at Rams
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Nsimba Webster is tackled by New York Jets punter Braden Mann on December 20, 2020, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA.

Chris Williams/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images


The Jets were positioned to get the first overall pick in the 2021 draft, widely expected to be quarterback Trevor Lawrence, until they finally won a game. 

The key play came in the fourth quarter when the Jets punted leading 23-20. Punter Braden Mann stopped what might’ve been a go-ahead Rams touchdown on the return with a tackle at midfield. The Jets hung on for their first win of the season, but they no longer had the first overall pick.

In the end, the Jacksonville Jaguars picked Lawrence first overall and the Jets selected Zach Wilson second. 

Patriots score 54 points against Gang Green

Jets Patriots Football
New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones celebrates a touchdown against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium, Sunday, Oct. 24, 2021 in Foxborough, Mass.

Winslow Townson / AP


This matchup between rookie quarterbacks Wilson and Mac Jones was quite lopsided. Wilson left with a knee injury early in the second quarter, while Jones led an offense that gained more than 550 yards

The Patriots’ 54 points were the most by any team against the Jets since 1978.

Jets lose on a punt-return touchdown in Foxborough

Jets Patriots Football
New England Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones runs on this touchdown punt return during the 4th quarter against the New York Jets on Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022, in Foxborough, Mass.

Michael Dwyer / AP


A special teams meltdown handed the Jets their 14th straight loss to the Patriots in one of the rivalry’s lowest-scoring games ever.

It seemed like this 3-3 game was heading to overtime when New York punted with 26 seconds left in regulation. Instead, Marcus Jones returned the punt 84 yards for the only touchdown of the game for New England. 

Aaron Rodgers tears his Achilles in Jets debut

Buffalo Bills v New York Jets
Aaron Rodgers of the New York Jets is helped off the field after suffering an apparent injury after being sacked by Leonard Floyd of the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium on September 11, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Michael Owens / Getty Images


The most anticipated season in Jets history got off to a nightmarish start when Rodgers suffered a season-ending Achilles tear four plays into his Jets debut. 

The Jets wound up winning on a dramatic punt-return touchdown in overtime, but their chances of finally snapping the playoff-less streak took a massive hit. 

Tim Boyle throws a 99-yard pick-6 on Black Friday

Miami Dolphins v New York Jets
Jevon Holland of the Miami Dolphins scores a 99-yard touchdown off of an interception thrown by Tim Boyle of the New York Jets during the second quarter of the NFL’s first Black Friday game on November 24, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

/ Getty Images


The NFL’s inaugural Black Friday game was one Jets fans would rather forget. 

On the last play of the first half, quarterback Tim Boyle hurled a pass from midfield that was intercepted by Miami’s Jevon Holland at the 1-yard line. Holland ran it all the way back for a 99-yard touchdown

The Jets could’ve taken a knee and trailed by only four points at halftime. Instead, they opted for a Hail Mary and gave the Dolphins a greater lead.

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