1988 New York Jets season


The 1988 New York Jets season was the 29th season for the team and the 19th in the National Football League. It began with the team trying to improve upon its 6–9 record from 1987 under head coach Joe Walton. The Jets finished the season with a record of 8–7–1. Although for the second straight year they failed to qualify for the playoffs, they would play the spoiler, as a victory over their cross-town rival New York Giants in Week 16 kept the Giants out of the playoffs due to a series of tiebreakers. For the third time in his career, Ken O'Brien had the lowest rate of interceptions among quarterbacks. He had 7 interceptions in 424 passing attempts.
The Jets endured a major distraction when Mark Gastineau, the team's main pass rusher who appeared to be experiencing a career-renaissance, abruptly retired in midseason to tend to ailing actress Brigitte Nielsen.

Offseason

NFL Draft

RoundPickPlayerPositionSchool/Club Team
18Dave CadiganOffensive TackleUSC
237Terry WilliamsDefensive BackBethune-Cookman
363Erik McMillanDefensive BackMissouri
374James HastyDefensive BackWashington State
5119Mike WithycombeGuardFresno State
6146Paul FraseDefensive EndSyracuse
7172Gary PattonRunning BackEastern Michigan
8203Keith NeubertTight EndNebraska
9230Ralph TammGuardWest Chester
10257John BootyDefensive BackTCU
11287John GalvinLinebackerBoston College
12314Albert GossDefensive TackleJackson State

Personnel

Staff

Roster

Starters

POSNameGS
QB7 Ken O'Brien12
RB24 Freeman McNeil16
FB43 Roger Vick12
WR88 Al Toon15
WR85 Wesley Walker10
TE82 Mickey Shuler15
LT61 Jeff Criswell12
LG79 Mike Haight9
C53 Jim Sweeney16
RG60 Dan Alexander13
RT68 Reggie McElroy16

POSNameGS
LDE99 Mark Gastineau7
NT94 Scott Mersereau15
RDE93 Marty Lyons16
LOLB55 Alex Gordon13
LILB54 Troy Benson16
RILB59 Kyle Clifton15
ROLB57 Kevin McArthur16
LCB48 Bobby Humphery16
RCB40 James Hasty15
SS36 Rich Miano16
FS22 Erik McMillan13

Regular season

Schedule

Game summaries

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

Week 8

Week 9

Week 10

Week 11

Week 12

Week 13

Week 14

Week 15

Week 16

Standings