1996 New York Jets season

1996 New York Jets season
Owner	Leon Hess
Head coach	Rich Kotite
Home field	The Meadowlands
Results
Record	1–15
Division place	5th AFC East
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	None

The 1996 New York Jets season was the franchise's 27th season in the National Football League and the 37th overall. They failed to improve upon its league-worst 3–13 record from 1995 as they finished 1–15, which is the worst record in franchise history. This led to the firing of head coach Rich Kotite before the season ended with a record of 1–15.

The Jets tied an NFL record that the New Orleans Saints set in 1980 and became the fifth team and first since the 1991 Indianapolis Colts to finish a season with fifteen losses. The record would be equaled by the 2000 San Diego Chargers, 2001 Carolina Panthers, and the 2007 Miami Dolphins before the 2008 Detroit Lions eclipsed it by becoming the first team to go through a sixteen-game season without a single victory.

Offseason

After three seasons with quarterback Boomer Esiason as the starter, the Jets decided to go in a different direction and released Esiason in the offseason. They signed Neil O'Donnell, who had just led the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Super Bowl, to replace him in the hopes he would duplicate his success with the Steelers. The Jets received the first pick in the NFL draft in April and drafted wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson out of the University of Southern California. The Jets also signed offensive tackles Jumbo Elliott and David Williams and receivers Jeff Graham and Webster Slaughter. The Jets spent $70 million in the offseason on free-agent and rookie contracts.

Additions	Subtractions
QB Neil O'Donnell (Steelers)	QB Boomer Esiason (Cardinals)
QB Frank Reich (Panthers)	T James Brown (Dolphins)
RB Reggie Cobb (Jaguars)	TE Johnny Mitchell (Dolphins)
T Jumbo Elliott (Giants)	FS Anthony Prior (Vikings)
G Harry Galbreath (Packers)
WR Jeff Graham (Bears)
WR Webster Slaughter (Chiefs)

NFL Draft

Main article: 1996 NFL Draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	School/Club Team
1	1	Keyshawn Johnson	Wide Receiver	USC
2	31	Alex Van Dyke	Wide Receiver	Nevada-Reno
3	62	Ray Mickens	Defensive Back	Texas A&M
5	133	Marcus Coleman	Defensive Back	Texas Tech
6	168	Hugh Hunter	Defensive End	Hampton
7	210	Chris Hayes	Defensive Back	Washington State

Personnel

Staff/Coaches

1996 New York Jets staff
	Front Office Owner - Leon Hess Team President & CEO - Steve Gutman General Manager - Rich Kotite			Coaching Staff Head Coach - Rich Kotite Offensive coaches Offensive Coordinator - Ron Erhardt Wide Receivers Coach - Richard Mann Offensive Line Coach - Bill Muir Running Backs - Dick Wood Tight Ends - Pat Hodgson			Defensive coaches Defensive Coordinator - Jim Vechiarella Defensive Line Coach - Ray Hamilton Defensive Backs - Peter Giunta Quality Control /Defensive Assistant Coach - Tom Gamble Scouting Department Assistant Scout - Todd Haley

Roster

1996 New York Jets final roster

	Quarterbacks  4 Glenn Foley 14 Neil O'Donnell  7 Frank Reich Running backs 20 Richie Anderson 28 Reggie Cobb 27 Lou D'Agostino FB 29 Adrian Murrell 33 Ronald Moore Wide receivers 85 Henry Bailey 80 Wayne Chrebet 81 Jeff Graham 19 Keyshawn Johnson 89 Phillip Riley 86 Alex Van Dyke Tight ends 84 Fred Baxter 88 Kyle Brady 83 Tyrone Davis		Offensive linemen 69 Harry Boatswain G 62 Roger Duffy C 76 Jumbo Elliott T 64 Harry Galbreath G 65 John Hudson C 75 Siupeli Malamala T 70 Matt O'Dwyer G 77 James Parrish T 73 David Williams T Defensive linemen 94 Matt Brock DT 71 Mike Chalenski DE 99 Hugh Douglas DE 96 Jeff Faulkner DE 98 Mark Gunn DT 92 Bobby Hamilton DE 95 Brad Keeney DT 93 Marc Spindler DT		Linebackers 53 Chad Cascadden 59 Kyle Clifton 56 Rick Hamilton 55 Bobby Houston 54 Marvin Jones Defensive backs 42 Marcus Coleman CB 26 Ron Carpenter 38 Kwame Ellis 31 Aaron Glenn CB 21 Victor Green SS 22 Carl Greenwood S 25 Gary Jones FS 23 Eric Zomalt S Special teams 11 Brian Hansen P  5 Don Silvestri K		Reserve lists 72 David Alexander C (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 78 Lou Benfatti DT (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 74 Erik Howard DE (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 57 Mo Lewis LB (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 51 Eddie Mason LB (IRTooltip Injured reserve) Rookies in italics

Season

O'Donnell was the starter for the first six games of the season, but they went 0–6 under him. He suffered a season-ending shoulder injury during pregame warmups before the seventh game. Longtime Buffalo Bills backup quarterback Frank Reich replaced him, but he didn't fare much better. They lost to Jacksonville and Buffalo, before the now lowly 0–8 Jets beat former Jets QB Boomer Esiason and his new team, the Arizona Cardinals (although Esiason didn’t play for Arizona in that game), at Sun Devil Stadium for what would become their only win of the season in their first game against the Cardinals since 1978. Kotite announced his resignation on December 20.

Week 6 vs Raiders

See also: 1996 Oakland Raiders season

Week Six: Oakland Raiders (1–4) at New York Jets (0–5)

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Raiders	0	13	0	21	34
Jets	0	3	3	7	13

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

• Date: October 6
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 53 °F (12 °C)
• Game attendance: 63,611
• TV: NBC
• Box Score, Box Score

Game information

First quarter No scoring Second quarter OAK – Cole Ford 26-yard field goal, 13:04. Raiders 3–0. Drive: NYJ – Nick Lowery 43-yard field goal, 11:23. Tie 3–3. Drive: OAK – Rickey Dudley 23-yard pass from Jeff Hostetler (Cole Ford kick), 6:43. Raiders 10–3. Drive: OAK – Cole Ford 35-yard field goal, 0:21. Raiders 13–3. Drive: Third quarter NYJ – Nick Lowery 24-yard field goal, 10:11. Raiders 13–6. Drive: Fourth quarter OAK – Daryl Hobbs 3-yard pass from Jeff Hostetler (Cole Ford kick), 14:25. Raiders 20–6. Drive: OAK – Rickey Dudley 2-yard pass from Jeff Hostetler (Cole Ford kick), 7:25. Raiders 27–6. Drive: NYJ – Alex Van Dyke 3-yard pass from Frank Reich (Nick Lowery kick), 3:48. Raiders 27–13. Drive: OAK – Joe Aska 30-yard run (Cole Ford kick), 3:20. Raiders 34–13. Drive: Top passers OAK – Jeff Hostetler – 17/28, 188 yards, 3 TD, INT NYJ – Frank Reich – 15/31, 177 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers OAK – Joe Aska – 21 rushes, 136 yards, TD NYJ – Adrian Murrell – 20 rushes, 102 yards Top receivers OAK – Rickey Dudley – 4 receptions, 60 yards, 2 TD NYJ – Henry Bailey – 3 receptions, 42 yards

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Game site	Network	Kickoff (ET)	Attendance	Record
1	September 1, 1996	at Denver Broncos	L 6–31	Mile High Stadium	NBC	4:00pm	70,595	0–1
2	September 8, 1996	Indianapolis Colts	L 7–21	The Meadowlands	NBC	1:00pm	63,534	0–2
3	September 15, 1996	at Miami Dolphins	L 27–36	Pro Player Stadium	NBC	1:00pm	68,137	0–3
4	September 22, 1996	New York Giants	L 6–13	The Meadowlands	Fox	4:00pm	58,339	0–4
5	September 29, 1996	at Washington Redskins	L 16–31	Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium	TNT	8:00pm	52,068	0–5
6	October 6, 1996	Oakland Raiders	L 13–34	The Meadowlands	NBC	1:00pm	63,611	0–6
7	October 13, 1996	at Jacksonville Jaguars	L 17–21	Alltel Stadium	NBC	1:00pm	65,699	0–7
8	October 20, 1996	Buffalo Bills	L 22–25	The Meadowlands	NBC	4:00pm	49,775	0–8
9	October 27, 1996	at Arizona Cardinals	W 31–21	Sun Devil Stadium	NBC	4:00pm	28,088	1–8
10	Bye
11	November 10, 1996	New England Patriots	L 27–31	The Meadowlands	NBC	1:00pm	61,843	1–9
12	November 17, 1996	at Indianapolis Colts	L 29–34	RCA Dome	NBC	1:00pm	48,322	1–10
13	November 24, 1996	at Buffalo Bills	L 10–35	Rich Stadium	NBC	1:00pm	60,854	1–11
14	December 1, 1996	Houston Oilers	L 10–35	The Meadowlands	NBC	1:00pm	21,731	1–12
15	December 8, 1996	at New England Patriots	L 10–34	Foxboro Stadium	NBC	1:00pm	54,621	1–13
16	December 14, 1996	Philadelphia Eagles	L 20–21	The Meadowlands	Fox	12:30pm	29,176	1–14
17	December 22, 1996	Miami Dolphins	L 28–31	The Meadowlands	NBC	1:00pm	49,933	1–15

Standings

AFC East
	W	L	T	PCT	PF	PA	STK
(2) New England Patriots	11	5	0	.688	418	313	W1
(4) Buffalo Bills	10	6	0	.625	319	266	W1
(6) Indianapolis Colts	9	7	0	.563	317	334	L1
Miami Dolphins	8	8	0	.500	339	325	W2
New York Jets	1	15	0	.063	279	454	L7

External links

• 1996 statistics