Jets' season is terrible, but not as bad as the 'butt fumble'

It might be hard to believe, but even if the Jets go 0-16 (and they’re 0-10 as of this writing), it might not be considered the franchise’s low point. It would be hard to rival what happened on Nov. 22, 2012: one of the most infamous plays in NFL history, the “butt fumble.” It took place in a home game at the Meadowlands in front of a national television audience on Thanksgiving in a game against the mighty New England Patriots.

The legendary miscue took place in the second quarter with the Jets (who were 4-6 at the time) trailing 14-0. The Patriots had just scored as a result of another Jets’ fumble to take the two score lead. After a successful pass play, the Jets had the ball first and ten at their own 31 yard line. The butt fumble play was supposed to be a simple hand off from quarterback Mark Sanchez to fullback Lex Hilliard; Hilliard went to the right but Sanchez turned to the left and had no one to hand the ball to. Sanchez tried to scramble on the broken play and got back to the line of scrimmage before trying to slide; before he could get to the ground, though, he ran right into the butt of offensive lineman Brandon Moore.

The collision caused Sanchez to fumble and Moore fell on top of him. The ball bounced right into the hands of Patriots player Steve Gregory who returned it all the way for a touchdown. Sanchez later told ESPN, "I guess (I was) more stunned than anything. It was just like … a car accident. I was like, 'Whoa, what just happened? The ball is gone.' It was weird, man. That sucked." The play became an internet sensation and is a staple of blooper reels everywhere. It was ranked by ESPN to be the Jets’ most embarrassing play of all time. The Patriots went on to win easily, 49-19; the Jets finished the season 6-10.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Doyle. Any opinions expressed are Bill Doyle's own.