Keyshawn Johnson’s first NFL playoff game in 1998 was one to remember.
Not only did he have nine catches, two touchdowns, a fumble recovery and an interception against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the ex-Jets wide receiver also witnessed then-Jets defensive coordinator Bill Belichick and former coach Bill Parcells get into it.
“It was the craziest (expletive) that I’ve ever seen on the sideline between two coaches,” Johnson told Julian Edelman on the “Games With Names” podcast. “Because Belichick didn’t want to put me in and Parcells wanted to put me in.”
Johnson, continued, telling Edelman he was ready to go into the game at safety, but Belichick told him no. The Jaguars scored a touchdown, and that’s when Parcells stepped in.
“Parcells told him something to the effect of: ‘You think you know every (expletive) thing. You’re a (expletive) genius, huh? You think you know everything. That’s why you (expletive) got fired from Cleveland,’” Johnson recalled.
Belichick finally put Johnson into the game and he hauled in an interception — the only one of his career. The Jets advanced to the AFC Championship Game where they eventually lost to the Denver Broncos.