1976 New York Jets season


The 1976 New York Jets season was the seventeenth season for the team and the seventh in the National Football League. It began with the team trying to improve upon its 3–11 record from 1975 under new head coach Lou Holtz. The Jets again finished with a record of 3–11, which combined with the resignation of Holtz with one game left in the season to become coach at the University of Arkansas, prompted John Facenda to say about the Jets during the NFL Films highlight film for that season “Perhaps the best thing to say about the 1976 New York Jets season is that it’s over”.
The only teams that the Jets defeated in 1976 were the 2–12 Buffalo Bills and the 0–14 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Jets were 0–9 vs. teams with a winning record.
The 1976 season was also the twelfth and final year with the Jets for quarterback Joe Namath.

Offseason

Draft

Undrafted free agents

PlayerPositionCollege
Jim RosecransLinebackerPenn State
Howard SatterwhiteWide ReceiverSam Houston State

Personnel

Staff

Roster

Schedule

Week 1 at Cleveland Browns

The Lou Holtz era began in cleveland, but it didn't start out that way. Reggie Rucker, the veteran wide receiver who led the Browns with 60 receptions in 1975, caught 5 against the jets in the season opener, three of them we're for touchdowns. Quarterback Mike Phipps threw two of those and three scoring passes in all before departing early in the third period with what team officials called either a mild separate shoulder or sprain.

Standings

In popular culture