The most embarrassing moment in Jets history happened on Thanksgiving night
In short: On November 22, 2012, a single collision turned a primetime NFL broadcast into a viral disaster. As quarterback Mark Sanchez attempted to salvage a botched handoff, he slid directly into his teammate's backside, causing a fumble that the New England Patriots returned for a touchdown.
The incident, now known as the "Butt Fumble," occurred during a high-stakes Thanksgiving Night game at MetLife Stadium. The Jets were facing the New England Patriots in front of a home crowd of over 79,000 fans and a television audience exceeding 20 million. The play was part of a catastrophic second quarter for the Jets, who surrendered three touchdowns in just 52 seconds of game time.
The error began with a mental mistake by Sanchez. During an I-formation play, Sanchez mistakenly turned to the left instead of handing the ball to fullback Lex Hilliard on the right. In a desperate attempt to recover, Sanchez scrambled toward the line of scrimmage. He attempted to slide to protect himself, unaware that offensive lineman Brandon Moore was positioned directly in his path while engaged with defensive tackle Vince Wilfork.
The collision with Moore's rear end caused Sanchez to lose both his balance and the football. Patriots safety Steve Gregory recovered the ball at the 32-yard line and returned it for a touchdown, extending the Patriots' lead to 21–0. This sequence contributed to a 35–12 loss for the Jets, marking their seventh loss of the 2012 season and effectively eliminating them from playoff contention.
The fallout was significant for both the team and the broadcast. While NBC expected a massive audience for the first-ever network television Thanksgiving Night game, the broadcast averaged 19.2 million viewers, dropping below 15 million by 10 p.m. as the game became a blowout. For Sanchez, the play became a defining moment of his career, leading to specialized training drills designed to improve his ball security.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Butt Fumble
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