Actual: Joe Namath made a $400,000 impression by turning in possibly the best passing show any rookie has put on in his first start as a professional Sunday against the toughest defense in the American Football League. Namath, signed by the Jets off the Alabama campus for six-figure bonus, piled up 287 yards passing, hitting 19 of 40 attempts, including two for touchdowns. He had the Jets on the verge of upsetting the Bills with five minutes left in the game. New York pulled within five points at 26-21 before the Bills took over and drove 66 yards for the insurance touchdown. Jack Kemp, a nine-year veteran, had an even better day – perhaps Kemp’s best in a Buffalo uniform – passing the Bills to a 33-21 triumph over the Jets. He completed 22 of 37 passes for 292 yards and threw a scoring strike to Elbert Dubenion.
