1970 Baltimore Colts season

Baltimore Colts
1970 Baltimore Colts season
Head coach	Don McCafferty
General manager	Don Klosterman
Owner	Carroll Rosenbloom
Home field	Memorial Stadium
Results
Record	11–2–1
Division place	1st AFC East
Playoff finish	Won Divisional Playoffs (Bengals) 17–0; Won Conference Championship (Raiders) 27–17; Won Super Bowl V; (Cowboys) 16–13

The 1970 Baltimore Colts season was the 18th season for the team in the National Football League. 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 AFC East 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 world championship (1958, 1959, and 1970). The Colts did not return to the championship game for 36 years, until Super Bowl XLI in February 2007.

The Colts playing against the Cowboys in Super Bowl V

In February 1970, head coach Don Shula departed after seven seasons for the Miami Dolphins,[1][2] now in the same division, and offensive backfield coach McCafferty was promoted in early April.[3][4][5]

NFL Draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	School/Club Team
1	18	Norm Bulaich	Running Back	TCU
2	44	Jim Bailey	Defensive tackle	Kansas
3	70	Jim O'Brien	Wide Receiver	Cincinnati
3	74	Ara Person	Tight End	Morgan State
4	95	Steve Smear	Linebacker	Penn State
5	122	Billy Newsome	Defensive End	Grambling State
6	148	Ron Gardin	Defensive Back	Arizona
7	174	Gordon Slade	Quarterback	Davidson
8	199	Bob Bouley	Tackle	Boston College
9	226	Barney Harris	Defensive Back	Texas A&M

Personnel

Staff/Coaches

1970 Baltimore Colts staff

Front Office

Owner/President and Treasurer – Carroll Rosenbloom
General Manager – Don Klosterman

Coaching Staff

Head Coach – Don McCafferty

Offensive Coaches

Receivers/Offensive Ends – Dick Bielski
Offensive Coordinator – John Idzik
Offensive Line Coach - Lou Rymkus

Defensive Coaches

Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Line - John Sandusky
Defensive Backfield – Bobby Boyd
Linebackers Coach – Hank Bullough

Final roster

**1970 Baltimore Colts roster**

	Quarterbacks 15 Earl Morrall 19 Johnny Unitas Running backs 36 Norm Bulaich 48 Larry Conjar 45 Jerry Hill 23 Jack Maitland 41 Tom Matte 34 Tom Nowatzke Wide receivers 17 Sam Havrilak 45 Jerry Hill 33 Eddie Hinton 87 Roy Jefferson 28 Jimmy Orr 27 Ray Perkins Tight ends 88 John Mackey 84 Tom Mitchell		Offensive linemen 73 Sam Ball T 50 Bill Curry C 61 Cornelius Johnson G 68 Dennis Nelson T 62 Glenn Ressler G 71 Dan Sullivan G 72 Bob Vogel T 65 John Williams G Defensive linemen 65 Jim Bailey DT 85 Roy Hilton DE 76 Fred Miller DT 81 Billy Newsome DE 74 Billy Ray Smith DT 78 Bubba Smith DE 60 George Wright DT		Linebackers 32 Mike Curtis 51 Bob Grant 83 Ted Hendricks 56 Ray May 52 Robbie Nichols Defensive backs 40 Bobby Boyd CB 35 Jim Duncan CB-KR 25 Tom Curtis SS 20 Jerry Logan S 42 Tommy Maxwell CB 47 Charlie Stukes CB 21 Rick Volk S Special teams 30 Ron Gardin PR-CB 54 Tom Goode LS 49 David Lee P 80 Jim O'Brien K		Reserve lists Practice squad -- George Mira QB Rookies in italics

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	TV Time(ET)	TV Announcers	Record	Game Site	Attendance
1	September 20	at San Diego Chargers	W 16–14	NBC 4:00pm	Ross Porter & Willie Davis	1–0	San Diego Stadium	47,782
2	September 28	Kansas City Chiefs	L 24–44	ABC 9:00pm	Keith Jackson, Don Meredith, & Howard Cosell	1–1	Memorial Stadium	53,911
3	October 4	at Boston Patriots	W 14–6	NBC 1:00pm	Dave Martin & Willie Davis	2–1	Harvard Stadium	38,235
4	October 11	at Houston Oilers	W 24–20	NBC 4:00pm	Bill O'Donnell & George Ratterman	3–1	Astrodome	48,050
5	October 18	at New York Jets	W 29–22	NBC 1:00pm	Curt Gowdy & Kyle Rote	4–1	Shea Stadium	63,301
6	October 25	Boston Patriots	W 27–3	NBC 1:00pm	Bill O'Donnell & Johnny Morris	5–1	Memorial Stadium	60,240
7	November 1	Miami Dolphins	W 35–0	NBC 1:00pm	Jim Simpson & Al DeRogatis	6–1	Memorial Stadium	60,240
8	November 9	at Green Bay Packers	W 13–10	ABC 9:00pm	Keith Jackson, Don Meredith, & Howard Cosell	7–1	Milwaukee County Stadium	48,063
9	November 15	Buffalo Bills	T 17–17	NBC 1:00pm	Bill Enis & Dave Kocourek	7–1–1	Memorial Stadium	60,240
10	November 22	at Miami Dolphins	L 17–34	NBC 1:00pm	Curt Gowdy & Kyle Rote	7–2–1	Orange Bowl	67,699
11	November 29	Chicago Bears	W 21–20	CBS 1:00pm	Lindsey Nelson & Don Perkins	8–2–1	Memorial Stadium	60,240
12	December 6	Philadelphia Eagles	W 29–10	CBS 1:00pm	Lindsey Nelson & Don Perkins	9–2–1	Memorial Stadium	60,240
13	December 13	at Buffalo Bills	W 20–14	NBC 1:00pm	Ross Porter & Willie Davis	10–2–1	War Memorial Stadium	34,346
14	December 19	New York Jets	W 35–20	NBC 3:00pm	Curt Gowdy & Kyle Rote	11–2–1	Memorial Stadium	60,240

Game summaries

Week 1

[6]

Week 2

	1	2	3	4	Total
• Chiefs	10	21	3	10	44
Colts	0	7	3	14	24

Date: September 28
Location: Memorial Stadium, Baltimore
Game start: 9:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: 61 °F (16 °C); wind 9 mph (14 km/h)
Referee: Jim Tunney
TV announcers (ABC): Keith Jackson, Don Meredith, and Howard Cosell

[7]

Week 3

	1	2	3	4	Total
• Colts	0	7	0	7	14
Patriots	0	3	0	3	6

Date: October 4
Location: Harvard Stadium, Boston
Game start: 1:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: 59 °F (15 °C); wind 17 mph (27 km/h)

[8]

Week 4

	1	2	3	4	Total
• Colts	7	10	0	7	24
Oilers	0	7	7	6	20

Date: October 11
Location: Houston Astrodome, Houston
Game start: 3:00 p.m. CDT
Game weather: Indoors (dome)

[9]

Week 5

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.

	1	2	3	4	Total
• Colts	17	3	6	3	29
Jets	3	2	14	3	22

Date: October 18
Location: Shea Stadium, Flushing, New York
Game start: 1:00 p.m. EDT
Game attendance: 63,601
Game weather: 51 °F (11 °C); wind 15 mph (24 km/h)
Referee: Pat Haggerty

[10]

Week 6

	1	2	3	4	Total
Patriots	0	3	0	0	3
• Colts	3	14	3	7	27

Date: October 25
Location: Memorial Stadium, Baltimore
Game start: 2:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: 61 °F (16 °C); wind 6 mph (9.7 km/h)
Referee: Bob Finley

[11]

Week 7

	1	2	3	4	Total
Dolphins	0	0	0	0	0
• Colts	7	7	14	7	35

Date: November 1
Location: Memorial Stadium, Baltimore
Game start: 2:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: 58 °F (14 °C); wind 8 mph (13 km/h)

[12]

Week 8

	1	2	3	4	Total
• Colts	0	7	6	0	13
Packers	3	0	0	7	10

Date: November 9
Location: Milwaukee County Stadium, Milwaukee
Game start: 8:00 p.m. CST
Game weather: 50 °F (10 °C); wind 14 mph (23 km/h)
Referee: Ben Dreith
TV announcers (ABC): Keith Jackson, Don Meredith and Howard Cosell

[13]

Week 9

Week 10

Week 11

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bears	17	0	0	3	20
• Colts	0	14	0	7	21

Date: November 29
Location: Memorial Stadium, Baltimore
Game start: 2:00 p.m. EST
Game attendance: 60,240
Game weather: 71 °F (22 °C); wind 6 mph (9.7 km/h)
Referee: Jack Vest

[14]

Week 12

	1	2	3	4	Total
Eagles	0	3	7	0	10
• Colts	13	10	3	3	29

Date: December 6
Location: Memorial Stadium, Baltimore
Game start: 2:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: 38 °F (3 °C); wind 22 mph (35 km/h)
Referee: Bernie Ulman

[15]

Week 13

	1	2	3	4	Total
• Colts	10	0	7	3	20
Bills	7	7	0	0	14

Date: December 13
Location: War Memorial Stadium, Buffalo, New York
Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: Snow • 28 °F (−2 °C) • Wind 11 mph (18 km/h)
Referee: Bob Finley

[16]

The Colts clinched the division title with the win.

Week 14

	1	2	3	4	Total
Jets	7	7	3	3	20
• Colts	0	14	7	14	35

Date: December 19
Location: Memorial Stadium, Baltimore
Game start: 3:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: 49 °F (9 °C); wind 5 mph (8.0 km/h)
Referee: Tommy Bell
TV announcers (NBC): Curt Gowdy and Kyle Rote

Earl Morrall 18/33, 348 Yds

[17]

Standings

AFC East
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Baltimore Colts	11	2	1	.846	6–1–1	8–2–1	321	234	W4
Miami Dolphins	10	4	0	.714	6–2	8–3	297	228	W6
New York Jets	4	10	0	.286	2–6	2–9	255	286	L3
Buffalo Bills	3	10	1	.231	3–4–1	3–7–1	204	337	L5
Boston Patriots	2	12	0	.143	2–6	2–9	149	361	L3

Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.

Postseason

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.

Playoff Round	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game Site	Attendance
Divisional	December 26, 1970	Cincinnati Bengals	W 17–0	1–0	Memorial Stadium	51,127
Conference Championship	January 2, 1971	Oakland Raiders	W 27–17	2–0	Memorial Stadium	56,368
Super Bowl	January 17, 1971	Dallas Cowboys	W 16–13	3–0	Orange Bowl	80,055

Divisional

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bengals	0	0	0	0	0
• Colts	7	3	0	7	17

Date: December 26
Location: Memorial Stadium, Baltimore
Game start: 1:30 p.m. EST
Game weather: 30 °F (−1 °C); wind 15 mph (24 km/h)
TV announcers (NBC): Jim Simpson and Al DeRogatis

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.[18]

Conference Championship

	1	2	3	4	Total
Raiders	0	3	7	7	17
• Colts	3	7	10	7	27

Date: January 3
Location: Memorial Stadium, Baltimore
Game start: 2:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: 34 °F (1 °C); wind 6 mph (9.7 km/h)
Referee: Ben Dreith
TV announcers (NBC): Curt Gowdy and Kyle Rote

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.[19]

Super Bowl

	1	2	3	4	Total
• Colts	0	6	0	10	16
Cowboys	3	10	0	0	13

Date: January 17
Location: Orange Bowl, Miami
Game start: 1:50 p.m. EST
Game weather: 59 °F (15 °C); wind 11 mph (18 km/h)
Referee: Norm Schachter
TV announcers (NBC): Curt Gowdy, Kyle Rote, and Bill Enis

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.[20]

References

"Shula replaces Miami's Wilson". Milwaukee Sentinel. UPI. February 19, 1970. p. 1, part 2.
"Dollar signs convince Shula to jump to Miami Dolphins". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. February 19, 1970. p. 4D.
"Colts passed up 3 head coaches". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). Associated Press. April 7, 1970. p. 21.
Riker, Dan (April 7, 1970). "Don McCafferty, ex-Kent State mentor, is named Baltimore head coach". Youngstown Vindicator. (Ohio). UPI. p. 14.
"McCafferty Colt coach". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. April 7, 1970. p. 1, part 2.
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"Cincinnati Bengals 0 at Baltimore Colts 17. Saturday, December 26, 1970". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2014-Oct-04.
"Oakland Raiders 17 at Baltimore Colts 27, Sunday, January 3, 1971". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2014-Oct-04.
"Baltimore Colts 16 vs. Dallas Cowboys 13, Sunday, January 17, 1971". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2014-Oct-04.

Baltimore Colts Super Bowl V champions
15 Earl Morrall 17 Sam Havrilak 19 Johnny Unitas 20 Jerry Logan 21 Rick Volk 25 Tom Curtis 27 Ray Perkins 28 Jimmy Orr 30 Ron Gardin 32 Mike Curtis 33 Eddie Hinton 34 Tom Nowatzke 35 Jim Duncan 36 Norm Bulaich 40 Jack Maitland 41 Tom Matte 42 Tom Maxwell 45 Jerry Hill 47 Charles Stukes 49 David Lee 50 Bill Curry 51 Bob Grant 52 Robbie Nichols 54 Tom Goode 56 Ray May 60 George Wright 61 Cornelius Johnson 62 Glenn Ressler 68 Dennis Nelson 71 Dan Sullivan 72 Bob Vogel 73 Sam Ball 74 Billy Ray Smith 75 John Williams 76 Fred Miller 78 Bubba Smith 79 Jim Bailey 80 Jim O'Brien 81 Billy Newsome 83 Ted Hendricks 84 Tom Mitchell 85 Roy Hilton 87 Roy Jefferson 88 John Mackey
Head coach: Don McCafferty
Coaches: Dick Bielski Bobby Boyd Hank Bullough John Idzik Lou Rymkus John Sandusky

Indianapolis Colts
Founded in 1953 Played in Baltimore (1953–1983) Based and headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana
Franchise	History in Baltimore relocation to Indianapolis Players Quarterbacks Coaches Seasons Draft First-round draft picks Ring of Honor
Stadiums	Memorial Stadium RCA Dome Lucas Oil Stadium
Culture	Carroll Rosenbloom Robert Irsay Jim Irsay 12th Man AAFC Colts Baltimore Colts Marching Band The Band That Wouldn't Die Blue Cheerleaders Parks and Recreation
Lore	The Greatest Game Ever Played Ghost to the Post 1995 AFC Championship Game Deflategate Colts Catastrophe Snow Bowl
Rivalries	Houston Texans New England Patriots Brady–Manning rivalry
Division championships (16)	1968 1970 1975 1976 1977 1987 1999 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2009 2010 2013 2014
Conference championships (7)	1958 1959 1964 1968 1970 2006 2009
League championships (5)	1958 1959 1968 1970 (V) 2006 (XLI)
Retired numbers	18 19 22 24 70 77 82 89
Media	Broadcasters WFNI-AM Bob Lamey Jim Sorgi
Current league affiliations	League: National Football League Conference: American Football Conference Division: South Division
Seasons (67)	1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Championship seasons in bold Category