NFL History: Ranking the 30 best wild card teams in NFL history

Ranking the 30 best wild card teams in NFL history: 24. 1982 New York Jets

The New York Jets have been known as a laughing stock for most of their tenure in the league, but there are these pockets of greatness that are hard to ignore. We all know about the stretch with Joe Namath which included the original guarantee to win Super Bowl III. One of the best stretches of Jets history involved a unit nicknamed The New York Sack Exchange.

The Jets defensive line of the early 80s was one of the best ever. Mark Gastineau, Joe Klecko, Marty Lyons, and Abdul Salaam combined to become one of the most destructive forces on the football field. It was so impressive and a joy to watch for those who were alive at the time. The 1982 version of the Jets was the only time where the Sack Exchange saw playoff success.

The 1982 season was severely shortened by the player’s strike, so the Jets made the playoffs as a six seed despite only losing three games (out of nine). So, the Jets were actually one of 16 teams to make the playoffs because of this weird format. Strange, sure, but it’s a Wild Card team nonetheless.

The Jets destroyed the third-seeded Bengals in the first round of the playoffs. They went up against the top-seeded Raiders in the next round, and they won by a razor-thin margin. Linebacker Lance Mehl intercepted Jim Plunkett twice in the final three minutes of the game, and it secured a victory that meant everything to Jets fans. It was already a gritty contest that had fights on the field, big hits, and slamming players who were clearly out of bounds. Emotions were running high, but the Jets were able to score the game-winning touchdown with less than four minutes left.

The Jets ended up losing in the AFC Championship, but this destructive force deserved one great run, and this ended up being that run.