1998 New York Jets

1998 New York Jets season
Head Coach	Bill Parcells
Home Field	Giants Stadium
Results
Record	12–4
Place	1st AFC East
Playoff Finish	Won Divisional round 34–24 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Lost AFC Championship 23–10 vs. Denver Broncos
Timeline
Previous Season	Next Season
1997	1999

The 1998 New York Jets season was the 39th season for the team and the 29th in the National Football League. The team tried to improve upon its 9–7 record from 1997 and finished 12–4 in their second season under head coach Bill Parcells, winning their first division title since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970; the 12–4 record was also the best in Jets history. In the process, they also earned their first first-round bye, given to the two division winners with the best records. They defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Divisional round of the playoffs. Their attempt to reach their first Super Bowl in thirty years fell short when they lost to John Elway and the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship game 23–10.

Offseason

In the offseason, the Jets signed New England Patriot running back Curtis Martin to an offer sheet. The Patriots had offered Martin, their star running back, a tender deal that would net them a first-round pick and a third-round pick if a team signed him. Jets coach and general manager Bill Parcells, who had left New England two years prior and still harbored some bad blood with the team, offered Martin a very large contract that the Patriots were unwilling to match, further fueling the rivalry between the teams.

In addition, the Jets parted ways with veteran quarterback Neil O'Donnell after two seasons and signed another veteran, Vinny Testaverde, to serve as backup to Glenn Foley. Testaverde eventually succeeded Foley as the starter and led the Jets to their division title. On defense, New York added former Miami Dolphin linebacker Bryan Cox.

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Game site	Attendance
1	September 6	at San Francisco 49ers	L 36–30 (OT)	3Com Park	64,419
2	September 13	Baltimore Ravens	L 24–10	The Meadowlands	70,063
3	September 20	Indianapolis Colts	W 44–6	The Meadowlands	79,469
4	Bye week
5	October 4	Miami Dolphins	W 20–9	The Meadowlands	75,257
6	October 11	at St. Louis Rams	L 30–10	Trans World Dome	65,437
7	October 19	at New England Patriots	W 24–14	Foxboro Stadium	60,062
8	October 25	Atlanta Falcons	W 28–3	The Meadowlands	71,573
9	November 1	at Kansas City Chiefs	W 20–17	Arrowhead Stadium	65,104
10	November 8	Buffalo Bills	W 34–12	The Meadowlands	75,403
11	November 15	at Indianapolis Colts	L 24–23	RCA Dome	55,520
12	November 22	at Tennessee Oilers	W 24–3	Vanderbilt Stadium	37,084
13	November 29	Carolina Panthers	W 48–21	The Meadowlands	71,501
14	December 6	Seattle Seahawks	W 32–31	The Meadowlands	72,200
15	December 13	at Miami Dolphins	W 21–16	Pro Player Stadium	74,369
16	December 19	at Buffalo Bills	W 17–10	Rich Stadium	79,056
17	December 27	New England Patriots	W 31–10	The Meadowlands	74,302

Standings

AFC East
Team	W	L	T	PCT	PF	PA
New York Jets	12	4	0	.750	416	266
Miami Dolphins	10	6	0	.625	321	265
Buffalo Bills	10	6	0	.625	400	333
New England Patriots	9	7	0	.563	337	329
Indianapolis Colts	3	13	0	.188	310	444

Playoffs

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Game site	Attendance
Divisional	January 10	Jacksonville Jaguars	W 34–24	The Meadowlands	78,817
AFC Champ.	January 17	at Denver Broncos	L 23–10	Mile High Stadium	75,482

External links

• 1998 team stats
• 1998 New York Jets video