Super Bowl III: The Jets’ Guarantee

December 1st, 2016
By Marneen Zahavi
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1968 New York Jets: The Guarantee

The Baltimore Colts lost only one game during the 1968 regular season, a 30-20 defeat to the Cleveland Browns in Week 6. The Colts would face the Browns again in the NFL Championship game, where they crushed them 34-0. Baltimore averaged 28.7 points per game and allowed only 10.3 points per game during the regular season. Entering Super Bowl III, the Colts were heavy favorites against the AFL champion New York Jets, and the media and common sense both picked Baltimore to win. One man believed in the Jets. Their quarterback, Joe Namath, made that clear to everyone when he announced to the world that the Jets were going to win — he guaranteed it.

The Jets’ High-Flying Offense

Through the Air: Namath, Maynard, and Sauer

In 1968, the NFL was viewed as having the better players and the better teams, with the AFL considered the NFL’s little brother. The Jets’ offense, however, was second in the league in points scored, averaging 29.9 points per game while allowing 20 points per contest. New York had two terrific wide receivers in Don Maynard and George Sauer, who finished second and third in the league in receiving yards. Maynard was second with 1,297 yards to go with his 10 touchdowns, while Sauer added 1,141 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Throwing the ball to Sauer and Maynard was fourth-year quarterback Joe Namath. Namath showed flashes of brilliance the year before when he threw for 4,007 yards and 26 touchdowns. During the 1969 campaign, he threw for 3,147 yards and 15 touchdowns on his way to Player of the Year honors.

On the Ground: Snell and Boozer

With Namath, Maynard, and Sauer wreaking havoc in the air, Matt Snell and Emerson Boozer gained yards on the ground. Snell led the team in rushing with 747 yards and 6 touchdowns, while Boozer added 441 yards and 5 touchdowns.

Winning the AFL Championship

The Jets finished the regular season with an 11-3 record, setting up an AFL Championship game against the Oakland Raiders. The Jets were second in the league in scoring, but the Raiders were first. Oakland was led by 1967’s Player of the Year, Daryle Lamonica. The Raiders finished 12-2, a record that included a dramatic come-from-behind win against the Jets in Week 11, and they demolished the Kansas City Chiefs 41-6 in the divisional playoff round on their way to the matchup with New York.

The Jets gained an early 10-0 lead in the first quarter, but the Raiders kept the game close, trailing 13-10 at halftime before tying it in the third quarter. Joe Namath found Pete Lammons for a 20-yard touchdown to give the Jets a 20-13 lead, but the Raiders scored 10 consecutive points to take a 23-20 lead in the fourth quarter. Namath then drove the Jets down the field and found Don Maynard for a 6-yard touchdown to reclaim the lead. The Raiders failed to mount a comeback, and the Jets prevailed, 27-23.

Super Bowl III: The Guarantee Comes True

After the NFL’s Green Bay Packers had won the first two Super Bowls against the Kansas City Chiefs and the Oakland Raiders, the Baltimore Colts were expected to continue the NFL’s dominance over the AFL. Joe Namath guaranteed the Jets would win, and his confidence made his team believe. New York controlled the game by running the ball and keeping the potent Colts offense off the field. When the Colts’ quarterback, Earl Morrall, did make it onto the field, the Jets’ defense was opportunistic, forcing him to throw three interceptions. Baltimore committed five turnovers in total, while the Jets committed only one. Matt Snell ran the ball thirty times for 121 yards and scored the only touchdown of the game for the Jets. Namath didn’t throw any touchdowns, but he constantly beat the Colts’ defense with quick throws and smart decisions, throwing for 206 yards on his way to Super Bowl MVP honors as the Jets shocked the Colts, 16-7, in Super Bowl III.