Countdown to Camp: 77
As we look ahead to training camp in late July, we're going to take a daily retrospective look back at some random people, moments and games from Jets history...
The Current 77
James Carpenter has played well since signing for the Jets, although last year was a rough season for him. It remains to be seen whether that was just a blip or if he's past his prime, but he's still only 29, so there's no reason he should be done.
The Greatest
Kris Jenkins was a difference maker when he arrived in 2008. Although he spent much of his three seasons with the team on the injured list, he was a dominant player when healthy and a fan favorite because of stuff like this:
The other 77's
Randy Thomas, Austin Howard, Carl Barzilauskas...
The '77 season
Despite getting shut out on opening day, the Jets had some early hope after clawing their record back to 2-2. However, the season went downhill after that and the team ended up 3-11 in Walt Michaels' first year as head coach.
On offense, Richard Todd started 11 games at quarterback and Clark Gaines led the team with 55 catches and over a thousand yards from scrimmage. However, no Jet made the pro bowl for the third straight season.
It was off the field that the Jets did their best work with one of the best drafts in team history. They picked up Dan Alexander, Joe Klecko, Wesley Walker and Marvin Powell, along with a couple of role players. Walker led the team in receiving yards in his rookie year.
77 yards in the playoffs
The 2006 Jets made an improbable run to the postseason despite a stark lack of established talent but their first round playoff game in New England was a forgettable 37-16 loss. However, this game was probably closer than you remember it, as it was still a one-possession game late into the fourth, turning on a dumb play where a Jets lateral fell incomplete and the Patriots picked it up and ran off with it while everyone just stood around.
Earlier on in the game, though, Jerricho Cotchery struck with this 77-yard house call:
Let us know if there's any connections to 77 that we missed...