1989 was the 30th season of the New York Jets and their 20th season in the National Football League. The 1989 Jets began the season with an 8-7-1 record and finished with a 4-12 record. The team’s quarterback, Ken O’Brien led the way with 3,346 yards and eight touchdowns. Jo-Jo Townsell, Al Toon and Al Toon were the team’s secondary. They each accounted for more than 700 receiving yards. Other notable players included Johnny Hector and Erik McMillan, who intercepted six opponent passes, and Dennis Byrd, who dropped seven passes.
The 1989 New York Jets had a point differential (-158) at the end of the regular season. With that record, a team could have won 3.8 games and finished with a record of 4-12. In addition to missing the playoffs, the team was abysmal in close games, with three losses and four wins. In fact, the Jets won just three of their 16 games, and finished fifth in the AFC East with a 4-12 record.
The uniforms of the Jets were easily identifiable. Green jerseys with white numerals are adorned with thin black outlines and thick sans-serif italics. The upper shoulders feature television numerals, and on the back are the player’s name in block, sans-serif style. The uniform also features shoulder stripes in the opposite colors and a football graphic. The helmets are also adorned with gold stars.
In the years that followed their debut in the NFL, the uniforms of the Jets have seen many changes. In 1993, the team began wearing a throwback uniform that replicated the look of the Jets’ original 1963-77 uniforms. The 1993 uniform featured a green-and-white-striped jersey with a white outline. In 1994, the Jets adopted a new uniform with white stripes on the side. And in 2008, they wore a special version of the uniforms in their 50th anniversary celebration.
The Jets adopted a kelly-green and white uniform design in 1964. The sleeves of the pants and jerseys had an opposite-colored sleeve. The helmets were highlighted in green and the names “Jets” and “NY” were written thickly in white sans-serif letters. The bottom center of the uniforms featured a miniature football graphic. This combination made it difficult to see the uniforms from afar.
The team was founded in 1960 and competed within the American Football League. However, they were originally known as Titans. They were relatively new to the New York market. The team’s first wide receiver, Don Maynard, is considered a Hall of Fame wide receiver. The team was renamed the Jets in 1963 when Weeb Ewbank was hired as their head coach. In 1965, they acquired Joe Namath, a Hall-of-Famer.