Reliving Monday Night Miracle at Jets-Vikes Game
Posted by on September 24, 2010 – 10:55 amWhat anniversary should Jets fans be getting ready to celebrate next month? Why, none other than the 10th anniversary of the Monday Night Miracle.
And the Jets will be helping to set the table for the fans and players who were there in person or in spirit for the team’s still-incredible-after-all-these-years 40-37 overtime triumph over the Miami Dolphins at the old Meadowlands stadium on Oct. 23, 2000.
It just so happens that the Jets will be playing the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football in 2½ weeks — Oct. 11 — at New Meadowlands Stadium. We’re bringing in as many of the principles involved in that game — QB Vinny Testaverde, “tight end” Jumbo Elliott, WR Wayne Chrebet, RB Curtis Martin, K John Hall, CB Marcus Coleman and more — to be honored at halftime of the Jets-Vikes game and to bask once more in the remembered glory of that miraculous comeback.
Matt Higgins, the Jets’ executive vice president of business operations, broke the story with a tweet from http://twitter.com/mhigginsjets a short while ago.
The AFC East rivals entered that game with identical 5-1 records and the opportunity to take control of the division. And for the longest time that night, it looked as if the Jets would not be the team in control. The Green & White had fallen behind, 30-7, before they got the ball back on their own 25 for the final play of the third quarter.
That began an avalanche — of yards, first downs, completions and points — as Testaverde spread the field, found virtually every one of his wideouts, tight ends and backs, and led the Jets to a 37-37 tie on the 3-yard touchdown pass with 42 seconds left in regulation to Elliott, the venerable tackle lined up seemingly as a blocking tight end on the play. In overtime, shortly after Coleman’s third interception of the game, Hall calmly completed the miracle with his 40-yard field goal at 1:20 a.m. ET.
I’ll have more details on the celebration for you right here as I get them from our events staff, including the complete list of former Jets players who’ve accepted invitations to return to the new place and celebrate their unlikely night and fantastic finish about two football fields away at the old stadium 10 years earlier.
Update, 1:25 p.m.: Here is the current list of MNM invitees who have accepted invitations to appear at halftime of the Jets-Vikings game on Oct. 11:
TE Fred Baxter
DE Shane Burton
WR Wayne Chrebet
CB Marcus Coleman
T Jumbo Elliott
T Jason Fabini
S Victor Green
K John Hall
G Kerry Jenkins
LB Marvin Jones
QB Ray Lucas
RB Curtis Martin
CB Ray Mickens
QB Vinny Testaverde (who will address the crowd)
G Randy Thomas
WR Dedric Ward
Invitations are still out to a number of other players. We’ll let you know who else is coming as we get the acceptances in.
Tags: John Hall, Jumbo Elliott, Marcus Coleman, Matt Higgins, Miami Dolphins, Monday Night Miracle, Vinny Testaverde, Wayne Chrebet
Posted in Randy Lange | 36 Comments »
By CNY50yrJetsfan on Sep 24, 2010 | Reply
I am ready to celebrate that night …..as I did the night it happened!!! Never before did my Jets play so wonderful and it seems like it was yesterday!! My thoughts are now, and have been, that Vinny should be the QB coach!!
By GaryC on Sep 24, 2010 | Reply
it might be wise of the jets to dress a few more offensive weapons such as Cumberland and possibly McKnight, especially if he is over his fumble woes.McKnight split wide at USC a lot and sanchez is familiar with him. He might be a better receiver at this point then running back and Cumberland and Keller lined up together would give dolphins something to think about.Of course this all depends on if Edwards sits this game.
By 37 year fan on Sep 24, 2010 | Reply
I will never forget that game …..The greatest game I’ve ever seen …..I had the priveledge of watching it live …..with my freind shawn’s ex roomate who was a big Miami fan …She was talkin so much smack to me during the game … To which my response was ,.. you can never count the Jets out …. I will never forget how she got up and left by herself in the fourth quarter …. Poor girl ….
By 37 year fan on Sep 24, 2010 | Reply
This Date should be National Holiday ….
By 37 year fan on Sep 24, 2010 | Reply
Randy ,.. when are they going to re – air that game on T.V. …I lost my VHS tape of it ….. I need to TIVO IT . …You have any pull with that stuff ? …….Maybe on the anniversary .
By Randy Lange on Sep 24, 2010 | Reply
37 year, I have no pull with any of that but every once in a while I’ve seen a replay on NFL Network. Perhaps they’ll think re-airing the game sometime in the next month would be an appropriate 10th anniversary present to their Jets fans.
By scjoe on Sep 24, 2010 | Reply
Funny, I just watched my recorded DVD of the Monday night miracle just a couple of days ago (you can never watch that game to much) A couple of things of note. 1- the TD catch by Gadsen, he was clearly out of bounds 2- Marcus Colemen had a career game even with that fumble after the INT. 3- I believe that the record 19 first downs in that 4th quarter will never be broken. 4- I will never forget how that stadium all but emptied early in the 4th, then almost refilled by games end. WHAT A GAME!!!!! Lets hope that this week the Jets do not have to come back from ANT deficit at all. GO JETS!!!! Final Jets 24 Fins 10
By Dug on Sep 24, 2010 | Reply
Randy – our newspaper no longer gives all the game stats. Is there any way of me getting them on this site ? Thankful for this site ! Also — I hope we find a good offer for DR .It’s time to find team players to replace the selfish ones ! It was nice watching all 3 teams being aggressive ! Smackerel em !!!
By Randy Lange on Sep 24, 2010 | Reply
Dug, bad job by your newspaper but good for us. You can get some of the Jets’ game stats on newyorkjets.com, although to be honest the service we get there is not great. But you can also go to NFL.com, click on Teams, go to New York Jets, then go to the schedule area, click on the score, then click on the Analyze tab and pick either Box Score or Play-by-Play.
By Christopher on Sep 24, 2010 | Reply
Probably the greatest Jets game I ever watched…I don’t think my neighbors enjoyed it with all the loud cheering @1am.
By SuperPinkster on Sep 24, 2010 | Reply
I remember watching that game in my living room in Ankeny, Iowa. I kept watching because for whatever reason it never felt like it was over. I could see that the score was 30-7 and should be a done deal, but the game had an air about it that made me continue to watch. It really was amazing to watch it unfold.
I had bet one of my Dolphin loving friends two pops on the game. He went to bed when it was 30-7. He came to my desk the next morning and wanted payment! :)
J! E! T! S! Jets!! Jets!! Jets!!!
By KevinFan4Life on Sep 24, 2010 | Reply
Surely one of the greatest, def in top 10. My top games are…and of course the Super Bowl, followed by the ’68 championship game vs. Raiders. Namath and Unitas in there see-saw battle of td’s flying all over the place…and vs. Miami…O’brien and Marino going nuts, Jets win in OT with that bomb to Wesley Walker. Monday Night miracle right in there. Was ready to go to bed and said…well one more series…TD….okay, one more series…TD….Hell with bed at that point…LOL
By laurence on Sep 24, 2010 | Reply
To this day, I still can’t believe I went to bed because I thought the Jets weren’t going to comeback. I was in 9th grade and the next morning one of my friends in homeroom told me ” good game by ur jets” and I thought he was busting my chops. The game ended so late that it wasn’t in the newspapers the next day and the media wasnt what it is now. can’t believe i missed it
By Robert on Sep 24, 2010 | Reply
I was there. I saw it. It was my very first football game. My buddy Justin and I joked about how all of the fans who wanted to be on TV left at halftime after that devastating first half. We weren’t going no where. We never gave up. There we were, in the corner of one end zone, convinced that the Jets could come back. We screamed and pounded seats for defense. They responded, stonewalling the Dolphins for much of the second half.
I swear, that half-a-stadium of die hards was louder in that second half, demanding defense, than the entire capacity crowd was in the first. It was super loud.
It was one of the most amazing things I’d ever seen. When the offense came to life, we might’ve been down by 23, but we knew we could win. Because the defense won on their side of the field after being hurt badly in the first half. When they dominated, we just knew there was enough time to come back.
What a game. Hopefully ESPN shows the halftime show on television. It will be nice to relive that memory. We were so happy when Jumbo Elliot caught that TD to tie as OT was forced (in our end zone). We went nuts! And then OT featured the Jets (in our end zone again). What a night. I’ll never forget.
By coat on Sep 24, 2010 | Reply
without a doubt the best game I’ve ever seen after that game I’ve always felt that no lead is either safe or insermountable boy was I tired the next day at work I was to amped up to go to sleep untill around 4 in the morning
By fred on Sep 24, 2010 | Reply
At 30-7 i was disgusted & turned the game off & went to bed. I could not fall asleep & told my wife I was just going to turn the game back on low & it was 30-20 By 1:30 my wife & I were going crazy& I had a few beers & listened to the post game show on the internet- I ended up staying awake until 3:00. I am a contractor so when a fellow contractor saw me wth my Jets hat the next morning he said ” JETS- boy you guys sure got your **** Kicked! You cannot imagine the pleasure I had correcting him!!
By Doug on Sep 24, 2010 | Reply
one of the greatest games ever! My wife came down thought I was havin a heart attack @ 1am! Iguess I dissapointed her I was just overwhelmed with happiness lmao. Thank god I didn’t go to bed!!!!
By Barry on Sep 24, 2010 | Reply
This is the one game I missed as a season ticket holder. I was in pain with a cracked root canal the pain was unbearable but sitting at home watching this game was the best pain releif I could ask for I have never missed a home game since, until this past weekend due to the Flu and 102 fever and of course the Jets beat the Pats, it’s an Omen I tell you. Here’s to another 10 years!
By MikePDX on Sep 25, 2010 | Reply
Don’t forget the famous Arnold prediction at halftime
By george renert on Sep 25, 2010 | Reply
I was on a 40th anniversary trip to Hawaii where the Monday night game was show on a delay starting at 9 PM local time . We had reservations at a hard to get resturant at 9 , on the way out of our Hotel Room I checked the scores on ESPN and went crazy so we canceled the dinner , called room service and watched the most amazing Jets game ever . The Highlight of our trip . WOW . Go Jets
By Kenny P on Sep 25, 2010 | Reply
As I sat above the goal post where Elliot caught that TD, I thought the place would collapse. I had never seen anything like that, the sheer joy!
By Scott on Sep 25, 2010 | Reply
It was an unbelieveable game. I always stay till the end and couldn’t believe what I was seeing. It was the Jets Express squishing the fins. Let see this happen tomorrow night at Miami.
By Kevin-Eugene Dill on Sep 25, 2010 | Reply
Hey I actually live in BERMUDA and i watch the whole game from start to finish, could not believe the come back. when I went to work the next day, every one was like how did you like that thrash’n beat down tha fins put on ya JETS. when I told them the score, and then when i said the JETS won in OVERTIME ..they was like no way .. also won the office pool that day as well.. it gonna be a great game this SUNDAY … just are hopin for a 3 way tie.. as the Dolphins was total control as the # 1 team in the east, but we will see… ALRITE – JETS let do it
** ITS GO TIME **
By Chris on Sep 26, 2010 | Reply
Lets just hope they don’t come out dressed as “the Titans of NY”! I will be at the game wearing Jets colors green & white!
By Jp on Sep 26, 2010 | Reply
Won’t jason taylor be there? Why isn’t he on the list? ;)
By Jrappa on Sep 26, 2010 | Reply
The excitement of that game and how the team came together was amazing. There’s nothing like reliving a game like that, you guys are right, it should be a national holiday!
By Hugolycious on Sep 27, 2010 | Reply
Season Ticket holder for 28 years now. That may have been the best game I’ve ever been to in all those years. The excitement in the stands was incredible. My buddy wanted to leave at the beginning of the 4th quarter to beat the traffic (as many other in the stadium did that night), but I convinced him to stay and he still thanks me to this day for that. We beat each other up with high fives and victory punches! It was a great experience that I am happy to have been a part of. Looking forward to Monday for the anniversary celebration and hopefully another Jets WIN!
By Durf on Sep 27, 2010 | Reply
WOW I talk about it every season. I had 4 sets in a skybox and we got there in plenty of time to enjoy the pregame. then in walk 30 Miami fans with an arrogant swagger about them. We kept saying we’ll put it on the field and as you could imagine it got worse and worse as the first half ended. They partied till the end of the half time and most of them left the game at the start of the third. My buddies we’re getting discouraged into the 3rd and wanted to go because the rest of the stadium was emptying out. I said if we get one first down we stay. The Jets came through. The rest is history. Cherebet, Hall, Jumbo, Vinny the entire D. I can not believe what I saw and the hundreds of Oh My Gods that were said. Watching the stands empty and then fill back up was a once in a life time event. Go JETS and REX
By AndrewAPS on Sep 27, 2010 | Reply
Marcus Coleman was unbeleivable! He will always be my hero.
By Brian B on Sep 27, 2010 | Reply
Wow, as all have mentioned, one of the greatest jets games ever played. As most people where leaving the stadium in the 4th qtr, my friend and I decided to stay as we weren’t going to beat the traffic, nobody was left..there must have been about 20 thousand people that came back in that night. Awe inspiring, I still get goosebumps thinking of Elliot jumbling the ball as he fell into the end zone! I remember calling in to work the next day, and my boss didn’t hear that they came back and won, he was a ‘Phins fan. it was a pleasure to tell him in my cracking voice that I was taking a vacation day, not a sick day and told him about the game. Amazing! Section 320 will always live in infamy!!! The original J! E! T! S! chant callers, throwing candy and whistles getting everyone up, battling the other end zone in the chant was awesome!!
By Billy on Sep 28, 2010 | Reply
I was at this game too, but i left early. thats why we won, cause the Jets never win when I’m at the Stadium. I agree with all above, it really was a great night and an incredible comeback. That being said, we really are a joke of a franchise when we start bringing back guys who won a single regular season football game. C’mon, how small time can you get? I mean if you wanted to make Jumbo an honorary captain or something to just remind people of the anniversary, that seems enough. But we are bringing back the whole team?
At least invite back a team that won a playoff game or something….
i used to be in 320 also!! the original klecko guy, fireman ed stole his entire thing
By Mario on Sep 29, 2010 | Reply
That was a great game those so many years ago. It’ll be fun to see everyone from that team back at halftime. It’s just too bad that this game will be different: Vikings 24, Jets 23. Brett brings the Purple back to life at the New Meadowlands, and Peterson runs for over 140 yds. on Monday night.
By Kathy on Sep 29, 2010 | Reply
Imagine having to watch the game as a JET fan in Ft. Lauderdale due to a business trip. I was among 4 JET fans and hundreds of Fish fans in Champs bar in Ft. Lauderdale. I won the Chrebet giveaway jersey that night and wore it with pride. I had heard so many “who let the dogs out” cheers I was nauseated. I was the only one doing the JETS chant. In the end, I was the only JET fan remaining along with 20 other FISH fans. It was a great victory and I insisted on getting a Miami newspaper the next day to remind my friends of our victory! I opened my meeting the next day with the question, “Who let those dogs out?” Wish I had been in the Meadowlands…
By Jim C. on Sep 30, 2010 | Reply
As a 34 year season ticket holder I never leave. My brother-in-law, my cousin and I were there to the end, beating each other up with each successive first down and defensive stop. What I remember best was getting home to Long Island at about 3:00AM and dropping my barbecue on the street in front of my house. It made such a loud noise I woke up half the block.
By JImmy The Jet on Oct 2, 2010 | Reply
I remember the game like yesterday!!!!!!!! The Green and White came out flat, and the hated fish jumped out in front. It looked like a blow out, the fans were booing, and starting to leave. JJ will never leave a game till its over, no matter the score or time of day or night!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well when the comeback begins whatever fans are left start standing and making alot of noise, JJ jr. refused to stand, but as we got closer jr. wanted to stand but I had to hold him down, didnt want to do anything different to kill the comeback. The rest is history, Jumbos catch and the field goal to ice it.
JJ will never forget it, game started on Oct.23, and finished on my Anniversary Oct. 24. Agift for me!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By Fred Winther on Oct 3, 2010 | Reply
I stayed while others left..I moved from the upper tier to the 50 yard line , row 1 and watched the miracle unfold.