[[File:1986 Jeno's Pizza - 32 - Earl Morrall.jpg|thumb|right|The Colts playing against the Cowboys in Super Bowl V]]
[[File:1986 Jeno's Pizza - 32 - Earl Morrall.jpg|thumb|right|The Colts playing against the Cowboys in Super Bowl V]]
The '''1970 [[Baltimore Colts]] [[Indianapolis Colts seasons|season]]''' was the 18th season of the second Colts franchise in the [[National Football League]] (NFL). Led by first-year head coach [[Don McCafferty]], the Colts finished the {{nfly|1970}} season with a regular season record of 11 wins, 2 losses, and 1 tie to win the first [[American Football Conference|AFC]] [[AFC East|East]] title. The Colts completed the [[1970–71 NFL playoffs|postseason]] in [[Miami Orange Bowl|Miami]] with a victory over the [[1970 Dallas Cowboys season|Cowboys]] in [[Super Bowl V]], their first Super Bowl title and third world championship<!--overall--> ([[1958 NFL Championship Game|1958]], [[1959 NFL Championship Game|1959]], and 1970). The Baltimore Colts did not return to any further championship games.
The '''1970 [[Baltimore Colts]] [[Indianapolis Colts seasons|season]]''' was the 18th season of the second Colts franchise in the [[National Football League]] (NFL). Led by first-year head coach [[Don McCafferty]], the Colts finished the {{nfly|1970}} season with a regular season record of 11 wins, 2 losses, and 1 tie to win the first [[American Football Conference|AFC]] [[AFC East|East]] title. The Colts completed the [[1970–71 NFL playoffs|postseason]] in [[Miami Orange Bowl|Miami]] with a victory over the [[1970 Dallas Cowboys season|Cowboys]] in [[Super Bowl V]], their first Super Bowl title and third NFL championship<!--overall--> ([[1958 NFL Championship Game|1958]], [[1959 NFL Championship Game|1959]], and 1970).
Behind a offense constructed around ball-control short throws, the 1970 Colts were the first team in NFL history to win a world championship after gaining more yards passing than running over the course of the year.<ref>"Johnny Unitas Was Unique," in Spencer Murray (ed.), ''Petersen's Pro Football: 1976 Annual.'' Los Angeles: Petersen Publishing Co. 1976; p. 84.</ref>
Behind a offense constructed around ball-control short throws, the 1970 Colts were the first team in NFL history to win a championship after gaining more yards passing than running over the course of the year.<ref>"Johnny Unitas Was Unique," in Spencer Murray (ed.), ''Petersen's Pro Football: 1976 Annual.'' Los Angeles: Petersen Publishing Co. 1976; p. 84.</ref>
==Season history==
==Season history==
Revision as of 20:45, 13 September 2024
18th season in franchise history; first in the AFC East and first Super Bowl win
The 1970 Baltimore Coltsseason was the 18th season of the second Colts franchise in the National Football League (NFL). Led by first-year head coach Don McCafferty, the Colts finished the 1970 season with a regular season record of 11 wins, 2 losses, and 1 tie to win the first AFCEast title. The Colts completed the postseason in Miami with a victory over the Cowboys in Super Bowl V, their first Super Bowl title and third NFL championship (1958, 1959, and 1970).
Behind a offense constructed around ball-control short throws, the 1970 Colts were the first team in NFL history to win a championship after gaining more yards passing than running over the course of the year.[1]
Season history
In February 1970, head coach Don Shula departed after seven seasons for the Miami Dolphins,[2][3] now in the same division, and offensive backfield coach McCafferty was promoted in early April.[4][5][6]
This was the Super Bowl III rematch and it was truly a rematch but this time it favors the Colts as they opened up a 19–0 lead and never looked back. The Jets did mount a challenge led by Joe Namath's 392 yards passing, but he also had 6 interceptions as the Colts gain some revenge on this day.
The team made it to the playoffs with the best record in the AFC. The Colts hosted both AFC playoff games that they played in. (It wasn't until the 1975 season that playoff teams were seeded by record; the fact that the Colts hosted both playoff games was just due to the rotation set up with the AFL–NFL merger.) The team won both AFC playoff games as well as Super Bowl V.
The Colts hosted the Cincinnati Bengals in the divisional round. The Colts relied on their defense, which had carried them all season, to best the Bengals 17–0, holding Cincinnati to only 139 total yards.[19]
The Colts next hosted the Oakland Raiders for the AFC Championship game. The Colts jumped out to an early lead over the Raiders, 10–3 at halftime. Oakland came back to tie it up early in the 3rd quarter. The Colts would respond with a Jim O'Brien field goal and a second Bulaich touchdown. Johnny Unitas extended the lead with a 68-yard touchdown pass to Ray Perkins that made the score 27–17. The Colts would seal the win with an interception in the end zone.[20]
The Colts made it to the Super Bowl for the second time in franchise history and played the Dallas Cowboys for the NFL championship. In the 2nd quarter, Johnny Unitas threw a pass that was tipped twice before John Mackey caught it for a 75-yard score. Later in the quarter Unitas was injured and Earl Morrall completed a sloppy and turnover-filled game: the Colts committed a total of 7 turnovers, the Cowboys 4. Following an interception by Mike Curtis, Jim O'Brien kicked the game-winning 32-yard field goal, giving Baltimore a 16–13 lead with 5 seconds left in the game, and the victory.[21]