October 23, 2000: Once again, the New York Jets had the indignity of playing a home game in a venue that was named after another team, Giants Stadium, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, Bergen County, New Jersey.
They were playing the Miami Dolphins, then considered to be their arch-rivals. (The New England Patriots would, over the next few years, replace the Dolphins as such.) Both teams came in with 5-1 records, so this would decide, for at least a week, 1st place in the AFC Eastern Division. And the game was on national television, on ABC Monday Night Football.
At least, for the 1st time since 1982, they would be facing the Dolphins without Dan Marino as their starting quarterback. Marino threw 420 touchdown passes in his career, and it seemed like half of them were against the Jets. As it turned out, it was 72, still the most by a single quarterback against a single team, and 17 percent of his total, or 1 out of every 6.
The Jets no longer had to deal with Marino. It didn't seem to matter: With a little more than 3 minutes gone in the 2nd quarter, the Dolphins led, 20-0. The Jets got a touchdown in the last minute of the half when Vinny Testaverde threw to Wayne Chrebet, but Jay Fiedler led the Dolphins downfield in enough time to get a field goal from Olindo Mare. At the end of the 3rd quarter, Lamar Smith ran the ball in for a touchdown, and the Dolphins led, 30-7.
Given how bad the traffic can be at the Meadowlands when there's a full house -- and it was, with 78,389 fans on hand -- thousands of fans gave up and left early. What they may have heard on their radios as they were going back toward the Lincoln Tunnel or down the New Jersey Turnpike or State Route 3 may have made them wish they had stayed.
Some fans stayed and, recognizing that it was an off-day in the World Series, with the 2 New York teams playing each other, Jet fans, traditionally more favorable to the Mets than the Yankees, started a "Let's go, Yankees!" chant during the 3rd quarter. This was quickly countered by a "Let's go, Mets!" chant.
With 13:49 left in regulation, Testaverde threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Laveranues Coles. The 2-point conversion attempt failed, and, at 30-13, it looks like little more than a consolation score. But Testaverde put another touchdown drive together, and, with 9:51 left, passed to Jermaine Wiggins for a touchdown, the extra point making it 30-20. Suddenly, the Jets had a chance.
Testaverde got the Jets close again, and, with 5:43 left, John Hall kicked a 34-yard field goal. It was 30-23. The Jets were now one score away. Their defense held the Dolphins to a three-and-out, and, with 3:55 to go, Testaverde threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Chrebet. Extra point by Hall. Tie ballgame, 30-30.
But Fiedler struck quickly -- maybe a little too quickly. With 3:33 left, he threw a 46-yard touchdown pass to Leslie Shepherd, and it was 37-30 Dolphins. But that left plenty of time for an old pro like Testaverde, who was about to turn 37. With 42 seconds left, he called a tackle-eligible play, and John "Jumbo" Elliott, his fellow Long Islander, all 6-foot-7 and 308 pounds of him, caught a 3-yard touchdown pass. With 30 points in the 4th quarter, the Jets had sent this game to overtime.
In overtime, Marcus Coleman intercepted Fiedler, allowing Testaverde to get the Jets within field goal range. With 8:13 left in overtime, Hall attempted a 40-yard field goal. It was good, and the Jets won, 40-37. It became known as the Monday Night Miracle.
When Monday Night Football celebrated its 30th Anniversary that season, this game -- possibly because it was so recent, or possibly because a lot of New Yorkers voted -- was voted the greatest game the show had ever aired. It may be the greatest regular-season moment in Jet history, with their win in Super Bowl III in 1969 topping it, of course.
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October 23, 2000 was a Monday. As I said, it was an off-day in the World Series. The Yankees then led, 2-0, and would win the Series in 5 games.
The NBA season didn't start for another 8 days. But there was 1 NHL game that night, and it was between local rivals, on the other coast: The Los Angeles Kings beat the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, 5-4 at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim (now named the Honda Center). Ziggy Palffy scored the winning goal with 3:56 left in overtime.
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