1968 AFL Championship Jets vs Raiders

this is NFL action and I'm Pat Summerall until 1968 winning the AFL championship was like climbing a hill only to stand in the shadow of a mountain but this year climbing the hill was harder than climbing the mountain for the AFL championship in retrospect became the most important game of the year as it would in the end produced pro football's world champion absolutely quick for years you know took a long time coming for years when I'm in every year first year on winning nothing else matters to me winning what I catch one or ten nothing else mattered at the time I thought it was almost so I reached out like that often to God we're just happy to get the ball has there been a key this year there about 15 strong hard cider that's where the key was then Willie had said all up there today for the thousands who came for the millions who viewed the AFL championship seemed to offer a predictable struggle the league's two best quarterbacks would match passes well their respective coaches would match strategy the game would be predictable in some ways bizarre in others but as the tension group of the opening kickoff one thing was clear if the AFL championship was to be a mere prelude to Miami's Super Bowl it would indeed be a stunning prelude [Music] [Music] let's go alright off the fan just easy pause now John rowdy coached the most prolific offense in pro football he would have liked to have scored early but the Oakland Raiders found it impossible to do anything in their first offensive series as New York's defense Delta mutt telling psychological blow in round one [Music] [Applause] [Music] like a school of sharks the Jets off instructs swiftly as swiftly as Oakland had been stuck joe namath to don maynard for a first down Matt Snell over left tackle for six name of de maynard again 14 yards and a touchdown on the play Maynard had been aided by his own muddy field defender George Atkinson slipped his may turn made his cut and the Jets flanker made the catch unmolested it was quick and it was easy but it would be their only touchdown for nearly three quarters of the game Oakland's second series was as fruitless and as frustrating as its burden dropped passes would not be uncommon freezing temperatures in 50 mile-per-hour gusts made it difficult for either team's receivers to hold the ball [Music] yet fate somehow dealt the Raiders more than their fair share the fast that tipped off the hands of Fred Biletnikoff was won in a series of near misses that would haunt Auckland long after the final gun [Music] this attempted field goal that followed was yet another [Music] the rest of the first quarter was a struggle for both team characterized by grudging defensive play and the inaccurate passing of both quarterbacks the teams exchanged the ball eight times and could collectively muster only two first down through all the windblown classes and flying bodies it was evident that the Raiders were flat they were playing as dead as this punt that rolled to a halt deep in New York territory from here late in the quarter Joe Namath went to his ground game in hopes of adding another touchdown to his 7-nothing lead but after Boozer and Snell took him to the Raiders 25 nameís armed betrayer [Music] you the Jets would have to settle for a field goal from Jim Turner and attend nothing first quarterly [Music] [Applause] I saw a community through the first quarter viewers had not yet seen what they had expected a battle of the league's best receivers their complex formations and patterns there was Don Maynard number 13 who had scored the game's only touchdown and had been wide open on other occasions in the first period but in the second quarter Atkinson would play him tight and tough and would hole Maynard to one insignificant catch then there was the Raiders great receiver number 25 Fred Biletnikoff letting the cough had been shut out and intimidated by New York's fiery quarterback Johnny sample in the first period while sample may have won the fight but let me cough won the war [Music] number 25 would lead the Raiders to their first score early in the second period quarterback Daryle Lamonica relied heavily on Biletnikoff during the touchdown drive he and number 35 set back here at Dixon where to be la Monica's only effective weapons however throughout the game after Dixon's 20-yard run with a flair pass litany cop again broke loose in the secondary for the Raiders initial score a repeat of the play shows Biletnikoff pattern contain neither great moves nor great speed all he did was avoid an attempted tackle and an attempted trip by two jet defenders neither of which seemed to faze him down by three the Raiders had finally seen their first ray of Sun the touchdown must have given Oakland's defense an emotional lift for the ensuing jet drive they block nameís passes they broke down his iron pocket and forced him to scramble on too fragile knee and they took him to the soggy ground for the first and only time in the game not only did they stop Broadway Joe they stopped his entire game plan by containing the running of Emerson Boozer and Matt Snell and preventing the long bomb to his deep receiver a completion to number 83 George Sauer did keep the drive going but on a third down play a faster Titan feat lemons fell far short of a first and Jim Turner had to salvage the drive with a field goal the Raiders were not confident that even when Namath was on target they could prevent him from scoring a touchdown Broadway Joe would ultimately shatter this confidence on the following kickoff the Raiders receive their only real break of the game George Atkinson seemingly fumbled but the whistle blew the ball dead and Auckland retain possession lamonica quickly moved his team into New York Territory again having success with a flair pastor Dixon but here marked the beginning of what was to be the key to defeat for the Raiders their inability to cross the goal line once inside the Jess 20 this was the first of five such opportunities in the game all but one would fail George Blanda steal gold made it 1310 with only minutes left in the half [Music] there would be no more scoring for either team Oakland got the ball back with the whistle in adapt with Lamonica awaiting the snap and the Jets awaiting the third quarter I happened by three points [Music] [Music] the first half had seen both teams erratic in which neither offense was able to control the ball for long periods of time but the tenor of the game would change radically in the third quarter the Jets would have the ball twice the Raiders only won [Music] Oakland's defense was charged up for the third quarter and they stopped the Jets goal after the kickoff but their efforts were negated when Roger Byrd fumbled the punt return right into bake Turner's an unruffled by a seemingly fatal turn of events the Raiders defense closed the door on nameís offense from his own 6-yard line Lamonica would again take the raiders to the brink of New York's goal line and he would do it exclusively through the air Oakland's ground game by now had become ineffectual but but let me cop was unstoppable [Music] [Music] the last play was not only dependent on Biletnikoff sketch and breakaway move for its success his co receiver number 81 Warren Wells laid a crushing crossbody block on safety Jim Hudson that afforded Biletnikoff extra yardage used mainly as a decoy until now Wells then turned receiver on the next play and the Raiders would have a first and goal on the sixth but the Jets defense refused to budge Jim Hudson made three straight tackles and the Raiders could move only to the two now midway through the period coach rout refused to gamble on fourth and two Landa's field goal tied the score at 13 [Music] the rest of the third quarter belonged to Joe Namath on a brilliantly executed time-consuming Drive that would take seven minutes Namath engineered his team 80 yards to a texture how did he do it Namath did it by making four crucial third down plays to keep the drive going he first hit emerson boozer sprung three by Sauer screen block for 12 yards and a first down he then utilized the running of Matt's nel who gained 25 yards on this drive and made the second crucial third down play [Applause] he took advantage of a play that almost ended the drive a near interception he hit John Maynard on a third and nine play with a perfect pass good for another first down and finally he made the big play the touchdown again on a third down come a flat faster tied in Pete lamins rolled into the endzone and gave the Jets a 22:13 lead at the end of the third quarter [Music] for the first time since early in the game Joe Namath at Shona devastating he and the Jets offense could really be [Music] [Music] fifteen minutes to play in a touchdown behind the Raiders again eased their way into the shadow of the jetsons own but letting the Kop beat Johnny sample 457 yards soon after the quarter began [Applause] [Music] on the last play sample went for an early fake that allowed the Raiders receiver a step but sample made a good recovery after the catch to prevent a touchdown [Music] then it would happen again for the third time in the game the Jets defense met la Monica's challenge and denied the Raiders their goal on the tragedy for Oakland on this third down play was that Wells had sneaked free by the secondary but the pass instead went to Dixon and was easily batted away and almost intercepted by Jim OTT [Music] the judge gave up three points but had prevented seven which must have decided the Raiders Namath then made his only mistake of the game as he was intercepted by George Atkinson only a rare tackle by Namath himself saved the score [Music] nameless mistake on the pass was obvious young the ball up a hair too long and hakonsen had a good angle to easily steal the pass away from Maynard this time the Raiders made good their challenge Pete vanna's axe sliced through the line and into the end zone the decision not to use banner Zack more often in the game hurt the Raider attack he demonstrated a singular ability to break tackles and here gave open their first and last lead of the game 23 to 20 Joe Namath the weight of the ensuing kickoff with anticipation he had eight minutes to regain the lead it would take him exactly 68 seconds old Christie's returns that Namath up at the 32 yard line burst in ten George Sauer on a quick sideline pattern for a first down on the play defender Willie Brown was protecting against the long pass and sour easily made the catch [Music] then it was dawn Maynard's turn Maynard made a great over-the-shoulder catch 52 yards away and the Jets were suddenly at the Raider 12 Maynard appeared to have bobble the catch but a replay will show that he did have possession for the required length of time on a magnificent effort that set up the winning touchdown [Applause] [Music] Namath refused to probe the defense he went directly for a score seeing George Sal recovered Namath slipped regained his balance and fired a rifle fasted on Maynard through three defenders for the crucial touchdown of the game nameís and Maynard approved themselves as poised the combination under pressure as the AFL had ever seen thus far attempts an exciting game the drama had only just begun following New York's go-ahead touchdown the Raiders again quickly approached the Jets goal line but again they could not unlock the door [Music] you [Music] on fourth down and with six minutes to play ouch this time chose to disdain the field goal the strategy backfired the man who made the last play with Berlin big number 86 who came crashing in from the right to end another rare threat [Music] time and opportunity were now slipping away from the silver and black with three minutes left another opportunity and another failure would come to haunt the Raider [Music] passes to biletnikov and wells plus a piling on penalty gave them a first down on the 12 [Music] Lamonica called for a flair pass to set back Charlie Smith a good call in this situation but the play was executed poorly considered a free ball but not advancable the Jets took possession at the point of recovery and what it took the last real hope of victory from Oakland [Music] like pallbearers at their own funeral the Raiders and their coach silently Watts New York run out the clock [Music] fate dealt its last blow to Oakland went on third down Boozer's fumbled gracefully bounced back into his own hand the other courageous defense had contained the Jets in Oakland would have one final chance [Music] with all their timeouts gone only a miracle could save the Raiders the kind that had occurred six weeks earlier in the Heidi bow today that miracle would not come [Music] [Applause] [Music] in a game fought to the bitter end the final play must have seemed like an eternity [Music] [Applause] [Music] yeah at 3:30 Eastern Standard Time a champion was crowned the Jets had closed the door on Oakland's offense when it had counted most and well-deserved their first league title for the Raiders it was a heartbreaking loss that would be remembered for a long time but as the Sun began to fade buying Shea's stadiums Westwall others would remember a game that produced pro football's world champion Oh [Music] you [Music] you

Channel: Adrian Horodecky

Views: 141,653

Keywords: Joe namath, 1968 New York Jets, 1968 AFL Championship, Super Bowl 3

Id: ef1VCWBIiu0

Length: 24min 30sec (1470 seconds)

Published: Wed Jun 14 2017