The 1978 New York Jets season was the nineteenth season for the franchise and the ninth in the National Football League. It began with the team trying to improve upon its 3–11 record from each of the previous three seasons under head coach Walt Michaels. Following an opening-game upset over the Miami Dolphins at Shea Stadium, the Jets stayed in contention for most of the season before finishing with an 8–8 record, with Matt Robinson starting most of the season at quarterback.
Offseason
This photo from 1985 shows the Jets’ uniform redesigned and adopted in 1978. Note the green helmet and modified shoulder/sleeve treatment.
The Jets overhauled their uniforms and logos for the 1978 season, abandoning the jerseys they had worn since 1963 and the helmet and logo they’d used since 1965 in favor of a more modern look using the same kelly-green-and-white color scheme. The new helmets were solid green with white facemasks, and a stylized “JETS” wordmark in white on each side. The mark featured angular lettering and a silhouette of a modern jet airplane extending horizontally to the right from the top of the “J” above the “ETS”. The jerseys featured large TV numerals on the shoulders and two thick parallel stripes on the sleeves, while the pants had a single green stripe from hip to knee on each side.
NFL Draft
Round |
Pick |
Player |
Position |
School/Club Team |
1 |
4 |
Chris Ward |
Offensive Tackle |
Ohio State |
2 |
31 |
Mike Merrill |
Linebacker |
Minnesota |
3 |
61 |
Mickey Shuler |
Tight End |
Penn State |
Roster
1978 New York Jets final roster |
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Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
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Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
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Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
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Reserve lists
Practice squad
Rookies in italics
53 Active, 5 Inactive, 5 Practice squad |
Regular season
Schedule
Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Game site | Attendance |
1 |
September 3, 1978 | Miami Dolphins | W 33–20 | Shea Stadium | 49,598 |
2 |
September 10, 1978 | at Buffalo Bills | W 21–20 | Rich Stadium | 40,985 |
3 |
September 17, 1978 | Seattle Seahawks | L 17–24 | Shea Stadium | 46,911 |
4 |
September 24, 1978 | at Washington Redskins | L 3–23 | Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium | 54,729 |
5 |
October 1, 1978 | Pittsburgh Steelers | L 17–28 | Shea Stadium | 52,058 |
6 |
October 8, 1978 | Buffalo Bills | W 45–14 | Shea Stadium | 44,545 |
7 |
October 15, 1978 | at Baltimore Colts | W 33–10 | Memorial Stadium | 45,563 |
8 |
October 22, 1978 | St. Louis Cardinals | W 23–10 | Shea Stadium | 49,244 |
9 |
October 29, 1978 | at New England Patriots | L 21–55 | Schaefer Stadium | 60,585 |
10 |
November 5, 1978 | at Denver Broncos | W 31–28 | Mile High Stadium | 74,983 |
11 |
November 12, 1978 | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 9–17 | Veterans Stadium | 60,249 |
12 |
November 19, 1978 | New England Patriots | L 17–19 | Shea Stadium | 55,568 |
13 |
November 26, 1978 | at Miami Dolphins | W 24–13 | Miami Orange Bowl | 49,255 |
14 |
December 3, 1978 | Baltimore Colts | W 24–16 | Shea Stadium | 50,248 |
15 |
December 10, 1978 | at Cleveland Browns | L 34–37 (OT) | Cleveland Stadium | 36,881 |
16 |
December 17, 1978 | Dallas Cowboys | L 7–30 | Shea Stadium | 52,532 |
Game summaries
Week 1
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1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Dolphins |
0 |
6 | 7 | 7 |
20 |
• Jets |
10 |
10 | 7 | 6 |
33 |
- Date: September 3
- Location: Shea Stadium, Flushing, New York
- Game start: 1:00 p.m.
- Game attendance: 49,598
- Game weather: 72 °F (22.2 °C); wind 7 miles per hour (11 km/h; 6.1 kn)
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Scoring summary |
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| 1 | | NYJ | Wesley Walker 47 yard pass from Richard Todd (Pat Leahy kick) | Jets 7–0 |
| 1 | | NYJ | Pat Leahy 36 yard field goal | Jets 10–0 |
| 2 | | NYJ | Pat Leahy 22 yard field goal | Jets 13–0 |
| 2 | | MIA | Delvin Williams 58 yard run (kick failed) | Jets 13–6 |
| 2 | | NYJ | Mickey Shuler 1 yard pass from Richard Todd (Pat Leahy kick) | Jets 20–6 |
| 3 | | NYJ | Wesley Walker 43 yard pass from Richard Todd (Pat Leahy kick) | Jets 27–6 |
| 3 | | MIA | Nat Moore 1 yard pass from Don Strock (Garo Yepremian kick) | Jets 27–13 |
| 4 | | NYJ | Pat Leahy 46 yard field goal | Jets 30–13 |
| 4 | | NYJ | Pat Leahy 36 yard field goal | Jets 33–13 |
| 4 | | MIA | Loaird McCreay 5 yard pass from Guy Benjamin (Garo Yepremian kick) | Jets 33–20 |
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[1]
Week 6
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1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Bills |
7 |
0 | 0 | 7 |
14 |
• Jets |
14 |
21 | 10 | 0 |
45 |
- Date: October 8
- Location: Shea Stadium, Flushing, New York
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 44,545
- Game weather: 50 °F (10 °C) • Wind 15 miles per hour (24 km/h; 13 kn)
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[2]
Week 10
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1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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• Jets |
0 |
17 | 7 | 7 |
31 |
Broncos |
14 |
14 | 0 | 0 |
28 |
- Date: November 5
- Location: Mile High Stadium
- Game start: 4:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 74,983
- Game weather: 48 °F (8.9 °C); wind 10 miles per hour (16 km/h; 8.7 kn)
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Scoring summary |
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| Q1 | | DEN | Keyworth 5 yard run (Turner kick) | DEN 7–0 |
| Q1 | | DEN | Thompson 4 yard fumble return (Turner kick) | DEN 14–0 |
| Q2 | | NYJ | Long 4 yard run (Leahy kick) | DEN 14–7 |
| Q2 | | DEN | Moses 14 yard pass from Penrose (Turner kick) | DEN 21–7 |
| Q2 | | DEN | Jackson 28 yard interception return (Turner kick) | DEN 28–7 |
| Q2 | | NYJ | Gaffney 4 yard pass from Robinson (Leahy kick) | DEN 28–14 |
| Q2 | | NYJ | Leahy 38 yard field goal | DEN 28–17 |
| Q3 | | NYJ | Dierking 3 yard run (Leahy kick) | DEN 28–24 |
| Q4 | | NYJ | Walker 75 yard pass from Robinson (Leahy kick) | NYJ 31–28 |
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[3]
External links
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Franchise | |
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Stadiums | |
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Culture | |
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Lore | |
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Rivalries | |
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Key personnel | |
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Division championships (4) | |
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League championships (1) | |
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Retired numbers | |
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Media | |
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Current league affiliations | |
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Former league affiliation | |
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Seasons (58) | |
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Championship seasons in bold Book:New York Jets |