Sunday, Nov. 2
Shea Stadium, New York
Jets 34, Dolphins 31

By Anthony Holden
CBS SportsLine Historian
It was on this rainy autumn New York day that two franchises sort of passed each other on the way to their futures.

First there were the 4-year-old Miami Dolphins, a team that came into Shea Stadium for this Eastern Division matchup having won just 13 of its first 48 AFL games since entering the league as an expansion club in 1966.

Don Maynard (left) was Joe Namath's favorite target when throwing deep. (AP)

This was a young, energetic bunch that was just starting to find its way around the league with a talented quarterback named Bob Griese, three superb runners in Larry Csonka, Jim Kiick and Mercury Morris and a defense being built around veterans Nick Buoniconti and George Webster as well as youngsters such as Bill Stanfill, Manny Fernandez and Dick Anderson.

Then there were the New York Jets, the defending Super Bowl champions who had shocked the sports world 10 months earlier by beating the heavily-favored Baltimore Colts in pro football's championship game, forever legitimizing the AFL's place in sports history.

The Jets were led by flashy, gun-slinging quarterback Joe Namath, a dangerous receiving corps consisting of Don Maynard, George Sauer and Pete Lammons, a bruising pair of runners in Matt Snell and Emerson Boozer, and a defense that featured ends Gerry Philbin and John Elliott and linebacker Larry Grantham.

New York would ultimately win the Eastern Division title in a romp with a 10-4 record while the Dolphins would finish last at 3-10-1. But as the Jets struggled in front of 61,761 fans at Shea Stadium to squish these fish, needing 18 fourth-quarter points to pull out a 34-31 victory, you could almost sense that the fortunes of the two teams were about to change.

One year hence with the AFL and NFL merged, new Miami coach Don Shula would drive the upstart Dolphins to second place in the new AFC East division and the franchise's first playoff appearance. Meanwhile, the aging Jets, playing much of the year without the injured Namath, would crash to a 4-10 record, and a precedent was set. In the 1970s, the Dolphins would win five division titles, finish tied for the top spot three times, and capture two Super Bowls. The Jets never made the playoffs.

But we digress. On this day, the Jets ruled supreme as they built a 10-0 advantage, watched Miami storm into the lead on two occasions, then rallied with 10 points in the final minutes to pull out their seventh win in as many tries against the Dolphins all-time.

Jim Turner kicked a 14-yard field goal and Namath threw a 42-yard touchdown pass to Maynard -- the beginning of a monumental day for the All-Pro receiver -- to provide that 10-0 cushion.

However, the Dolphins took control of the game as Griese threw three straight touchdowns passes of 5 yards to Jack Clancy, 29 yards to Larry Seiple and 11 yards to Csonka to forge a 21-10 halftime lead.

In the third quarter, Snell scored on a one-yard plunge, but Miami kicker Karl Kremser made a 22-yard field goal to give the Dolphins a 24-16 lead and setting the stage for a frantic final quarter.

New York pulled even when Namath whipped a 27-yard TD pass to Sauer and then hit Maynard for the tying two-point conversion, but Griese answered with a 9-yard TD strike to Seiple. His fourth TD pass of the game set a new team record and gave Miami a 31-24 lead with about eight minutes remaining to play.

Namath was quickly in a third-and-11 hole, and when he threw incomplete to Snell, the Jets seemed to be in deep trouble. However, Stanfill barreled into Namath after he threw the ball and was nailed for a 15-yard roughing penalty, which gave New York a first down.

"I thought he was going to run and I wasn't going to watch him run," said Stanfill, his explanation ringing hollow.

Given that reprieve, Namath did not waste it. On back-to-back plays he fired a 37-yard pass to Maynard and then went right back to his favorite target for a 25-yard score. The first catch enabled Maynard to become the first player in pro football history to surpass 10,000 career-receiving yards. The TD pass was Maynard's 83rd which broke Art Powell's career AFL record.

"Joe threw the ball so hard, I couldn't help but catch it," Maynard said, insinuating that the ball imbedded into his body. Turner's extra point tied the score.

Griese couldn't do anything with the ensuing possession and Seiple dropped back to punt, but he never got it away as Elliott broke through and blocked it.

"My hand happened to be in the right place," said Elliott. "I told coach (Buddy) Ryan earlier that I thought I could block one. I got a good jump on the play and I don't think anyone hit me at the line."

Randy Beverly recovered the loose ball and with 2:41 left to play, Jim Turner lined up for a winning 31-yard field goal. Turner, who had already produced the winning points in four other 1969 Jet victories, was then confronted with a dilemma. From the 31, Turner was kicking on grass, but when guard Randy Rasmussen was flagged for illegal procedure, Turner had to move back five yards and that put him on the baseball infield, which had turned to mud.

"Usually the mud is harder to kick from, but there was a little mound of it at the 36 so we were lucky," said Turner, who nonchalantly kicked his ninth field goal in the last three games to put New York ahead 34-31.

"I'm sure ready for one of those 50-0 games," Turner said. "We've played eight games now and field goals have been either crucial or important in seven of them."

Griese had one more chance to pull it out, but he had to leave the game for a few plays when Elliott nailed him for a 12-yard loss and banged his passing arm. Rick Norton entered and drove Miami past midfield, then gave way to Griese.

However, Griese misread a zone defense and threw a pass right to New York safety Bill Baird with a minute to go, ending the comeback attempt. "We were in a zone and I saw Griese turn and look my way," said Baird.

New York's fifth straight win improved its record to 6-2 while Miami fell to 1-6-1. It wouldn't be long before those records were reversed.