The 1971 New York Jets season was the twelfth season for the team and the second in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

. It began with the team trying to improve upon its 4–10 record from 1970 under head coach

Weeb Ewbank Wilbur Charles "Weeb" Ewbank (May 6, 1907 – November 17, 1998) was an American professional football coach. He led the Baltimore Colts to consecutive NFL championships in 1958 and 1959 and the New York Jets to victory in Super Bowl III in Janu ...

. Disaster struck before the regular season started and the Jets finished 6–8. Joe Namath was injured in a preseason game against the Detroit Lions and required knee surgery, All-Pro WR

George Sauer George Henry Sauer Sr. (December 11, 1910 – February 5, 1994) was an American football player, coach, college sports administrator, and professional football executive. Career Sauer attended the University of Nebraska where he was an All-Amer ...

unexpectedly retired at the peak of his career, and All-Pro defensive end

Verlon Biggs Verlon Marion Biggs (March 16, 1943 – June 7, 1994) was an American football defensive end in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). He played for the New York Jets (AFL) in Super Bowl III, but felt he didn't ...

exercised his option and signed with the Washington Redskins. After missing nineteen consecutive Jets games in 1970 and 1971, Namath returned to action against the San Francisco 49ers in the third quarter (November 28, 1971) and threw for 258 yards and three touchdowns, but was intercepted by

Johnny Fuller John Charles Fuller (born March 3, 1946) is a former professional American football player. He played eight seasons as a safety in the National Football League (NFL) for the San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears. As a colle ...

in the end zone on the final play of a 24–21 loss. He then started the final three games, and the Jets won the last two after suffering a 52–10 loss in a nationally televised game to the eventual

Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...

champion

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...

Offseason

NFL Draft

Roster

Regular season

Schedule

*Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Standings

''NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book'', Workman Publishing Co, New York, , p. 297

References

External links

1971 statistics
New York Jets seasons

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...

New York Jets season 1970s in Queens {{Americanfootball-season-stub