18th season in franchise history; first in the AFC East and first Super Bowl win
The Colts playing against the Cowboys in Super Bowl V
The 1970
Baltimore Colts
season was the 18th season for the team 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
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 Baltimore Colts did not return to any further championship games.
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
Personnel
Staff/Coaches
1970 Baltimore Colts staff
Front office
Coaching staff
Offensive coaches
Defensive coaches
Final roster
1970 Baltimore Colts roster
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
Reserve lists
Practice squad
Rookies in italics
Preseason
Regular season
Schedule
Week
Date
Opponent
Result
Record
Venue
Attendance
1
September 20
at
San Diego Chargers
W 16–14
1–0
San Diego Stadium
47,782
2
Kansas City Chiefs
L 24–44
1–1
Memorial Stadium
53,911
3
October 4
at
Boston Patriots
W 14–6
2–1
Harvard Stadium
38,235
4
October 11
at
Houston Oilers
W 24–20
3–1
Astrodome
48,050
5
October 18
at
New York Jets
W 29–22
4–1
Shea Stadium
63,301
6
October 25
Boston Patriots
W 27–3
5–1
Memorial Stadium
60,240
7
November 1
Miami Dolphins
W 35–0
6–1
Memorial Stadium
60,240
8
at
Green Bay Packers
W 13–10
7–1
Milwaukee County Stadium
48,063
9
November 15
Buffalo Bills
T 17–17
7–1–1
Memorial Stadium
60,240
10
November 22
at
Miami Dolphins
L 17–34
7–2–1
Miami Orange Bowl
67,699
11
November 29
Chicago Bears
W 21–20
8–2–1
Memorial Stadium
60,240
12
December 6
Philadelphia Eagles
W 29–10
9–2–1
Memorial Stadium
60,240
13
December 13
at
Buffalo Bills
W 20–14
10–2–1
War Memorial Stadium
34,346
14
New York Jets
W 35–20
11–2–1
Memorial Stadium
60,240
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries
Week 1
1
2 3 4 Total
• Colts
0
3 7 6
16
Chargers
0
0 7 7
14
Scoring summary 2 BAL
Jim O'Brien 25-yard field goal Colts 3–0
3 SD
Gary Garrison 65-yard pass from
John Hadl (
Mike Mercer kick) Chargers 7–3
3 BAL
Norm Bulaich 1-yard run (Jim O'Brien kick) Colts 10–7
4 BAL Jim O'Brien 34-yard field goal Colts 13–7
4 SD Gary Garrison 43-yard pass from John Hadl (Mike Mercer kick) Chargers 14–13
4 BAL Jim O'Brien 28-yard field goal Colts 16–14
[6]
Week 2
1
2 3 4 Total
• Chiefs
10
21 3 10
44
Colts
0
7 3 14
24
Scoring summary Q1 KC
Richardson 48 yard pass from
Dawson (
Stenerud kick) KC 7–0
Q1 KC Stenerud 28 yard field goal KC 10–0
Q2 KC
Holmes 13 yard pass from Dawson (Stenerud kick) KC 17–0
Q2 KC
Robinson 46 yard fumble return (Stenerud kick) KC 24–0
Q2 KC
Pitts 54 yard pass from Dawson (Stenerud kick) KC 31–0
Q2 BAL
Jefferson 3 yard pass from
Morall (
O'Brien kick) KC 31–7
Q3 BAL O'Brien 26 yard field goal KC 31–10
Q3 KC Stenerud 17 yard field goal KC 34–10
Q4 KC Pitts 4 yard pass from Dawson (Stenerud kick) KC 41–10
Q4 BAL
Hinton 21 yard pass from Morrall (O'Brien kick) KC 41–17
Q4 BAL
Mitchell 2 yard pass from Morrall (O'Brien kick) KC 41–24
Q4 KC Stenerud 48 yard field goal KC 44–24
[7]
Week 3
1
2 3 4 Total
• Colts
0
7 0 7
14
Patriots
0
3 0 3
6
[8]
Week 4
1
2 3 4 Total
• Colts
7
10 0 7
24
Oilers
0
7 7 6
20
Scoring summary Q1 BAL
Maitland 2 yard run (
O'Brien kick) BAL 7–0
Q2 BAL
Jefferson 17 yard pass from
Unitas (O'Brien kick) BAL 14–0
Q2 HOU
LeVias 7 yard pass from
Johnson (
Gerela kick) BAL 14–7
Q2 BAL O'Brien 43 yard field goal BAL 17–7
Q3 HOU
Hopkins 1 yard run (Gerela kick) BAL 17–14
Q4 HOU Gerela 27 yard field goal Tie 17–17
Q4 HOU Gerela 9 yard field goal HOU 20–17
Q4 BAL Jefferson 31 yard pass from Unitas (O'Brien kick) BAL 24–20
[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
Scoring summary Q1 BAL
O'Brien 28 yard field goal BAL 3–0
Q1 BAL
Logan 31 yard interception return (O'Brien kick) BAL 10–0
Q1 BAL
Mitchell 11 yard pass from
Unitas (O'Brien kick) BAL 17–0
Q1 NYJ
Turner 41 yard field goal BAL 17–3
Q2 BAL O'Brien 18 yard field goal BAL 20–3
Q2 NYJ Safety, Maitland tackled by Elliot in end zone BAL 20–5
Q3 BAL
Grant 27 yard interception return (kick failed) BAL 26–5
Q3 NYJ
Bell 17 yard pass from
Namath (Turner kick) BAL 26–12
Q3 NYJ
Boozer 1 yard run (Turner kick) BAL 26–19
Q4 BAL O'Brien 28 yard field goal BAL 29–19
Q4 NYJ Turner 42 yard field goal BAL 29–22
[10]
Week 6
1
2 3 4 Total
Patriots
0
3 0 0
3
• Colts
3
14 3 7
27
Date: October 25Location:
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
Scoring summary Q1 BAL
O'Brien 12 yard field goal BAL 3–0
Q2 BOS
Gogolak 15 yard field goal Tie 3–3
Q2 BAL
Maitland 5 yard pass from
Unitas (O'Brien kick) BAL 10–3
Q2 BAL
Jefferson 15 yard pass from Unitas (O'Brien kick) BAL 17–3
Q3 BAL O'Brien 48 yard field goal BAL 20–3
Q4 BAL
Orr 26 yard pass from Unitas (O'Brien kick) BAL 27–3
[11]
Week 7
1
2 3 4 Total
Dolphins
0
0 0 0
0
• Colts
7
7 14 7
35
Scoring summary Q1 BAL
Gardin 80 yard punt return (
O'Brien kick) BAL 7–0
Q2 BAL
Bulaich 1 yard run (O'Brien kick) BAL 14–0
Q3 BAL
Duncan 99 yard kickoff return (O'Brien kick) BAL 21–0
Q3 BAL
Hinton 32 yard pass from
Unitas (O'Brien kick) BAL 28–0
Q4 BAL
Mitchell 15 yard pass from
Morrall (O'Brien kick) BAL 35–0
[12]
Week 8
1
2 3 4 Total
• Colts
0
7 6 0
13
Packers
3
0 0 7
10
Scoring summary Q1 GB
Livingston 20 yard field goal GB 3–0
Q2 BAL
Hill 15 yard run (
O'Brien kick) BAL 7–3
Q3 BAL O'Brien 42 yard field goal BAL 10–3
Q3 BAL O'Brien 29 yard field goal BAL 13–3
Q4 GB
Grabowski 1 yard run (Livingston kick) BAL 13–10
[13]
Week 11
1
2 3 4 Total
Bears
17
0 0 3
20
• Colts
0
14 0 7
21
Scoring summary Q1 CHI
Farmer 20 yard pass from
Concannon (
Percival kick) CHI 7–0
Q1 CHI Percival 28 yard field goal CHI 10–0
Q1 CHI
Coady 1 yard pass from Concannon (Percival kick) CHI 17–0
Q2 BAL
Hill 1 yard run (
O'Brien kick) CHI 17–7
Q2 BAL
Jefferson 7 yard pass from
Unitas (O'Brien kick) CHI 17–14
Q4 CHI Percival 27 yard field goal CHI 20–14
Q4 BAL
Mackey 54 yard pass from Unitas (O'Brien kick) BAL 21–20
[14]
Week 12
1
2 3 4 Total
Eagles
0
3 7 0
10
• Colts
13
10 3 3
29
Scoring summary Q1 BAL
Mackey 14 yard pass from
Unitas (
O'Brien kick) BAL 7–0
Q1 BAL
Hinton 9 yard run (kick failed) BAL 13–0
Q2 BAL O'Brien 45 yard field goal BAL 16–0
Q2 PHI
Moseley 38 yard field goal BAL 16–3
Q2 BAL
Logan 33 yard interception return (O'Brien kick) BAL 23–3
Q3 BAL O'Brien 44 yard field goal BAL 26–3
Q3 PHI
Snead 1 yard run (Moseley kick) BAL 26–10
Q4 BAL O'Brien 47 yard field goal BAL 29–10
[15]
Week 13
1
2 3 4 Total
• Colts
10
0 7 3
20
Bills
7
7 0 0
14
Scoring summary 1 BAL
Jim O'Brien 32-yard field goal Colts 3–0
1 BUF Lloyd Pate 1-yard run (Grant Guthrie kick) Bills 7–3
1 BAL
Tom Nowatzke 1-yard run (Jim O'Brien kick) Colts 10–7
2 BUF
Marlin Briscoe 10-yard pass from
Dennis Shaw (Grant Guthrie kick) Bills 14–10
3 BAL
Norm Bulaich 2-yard run (Jim O'Brien kick) Colts 17–14
4 BAL Jim O'Brien 38-yard field goal Colts 20–14
[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
Scoring summary Q1 NYJ
Caster 15 yard pass from
Woodall (
Turner kick) NYJ 7–0
Q2 BAL
Hinton 25 yard pass from
Morrall (
O'Brien kick) Tie 7–7
Q2 NYJ
Grantham 41 yard interception return (Turner kick) NYJ 14–7
Q2 BAL Hinton 7 yard pass from Morrall (O'Brien kick) Tie 14–14
Q3 BAL
Orr 18 yard pass from Morrall (O'Brien kick) BAL 21–14
Q3 NYJ Turner 25 yard field goal BAL 21–17
Q4 NYJ Turner 29 yard field goal BAL 21–20
Q4 BAL
Perkins 41 yard pass from Morrall (O'Brien kick) BAL 28–20
Q4 BAL
Hendricks recovered fumble in end zone (O'Brien kick) BAL 35–20
[17]
Standings
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 .
Divisional
1
2 3 4 Total
Bengals
0
0 0 0
0
• Colts
7
3 0 7
17
Scoring summary Q1 BAL
Jefferson 45 yard pass from
Unitas (
O'Brien kick) BAL 7–0
Q2 BAL O'Brien 44 yard field goal BAL 10–0
Q4 BAL
Hinton 53 yard pass from Unitas (O'Brien kick) BAL 17–0
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
Scoring summary Q1 BAL
O'Brien 16 yard field goal BAL 3–0
Q2 BAL
Bulaich 2 yard run (O'Brien kick) BAL 10–0
Q2 OAK
Blanda 48 yard field goal BAL 10–3
Q3 OAK
Biletnikoff 38 yard pass from Blanda (Blanda kick) Tie 10–10
Q3 BAL O'Brien 23 yard field goal BAL 13–10
Q3 BAL Bulaich 11 yard run (O'Brien kick) BAL 20–10
Q4 OAK
Wells 15 yard pass from Blanda (Blanda kick) BAL 20–17
Q4 BAL
Perkins 68 yard pass from
Unitas (O'Brien kick) BAL 27–17
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
Scoring summary Q1 DAL
Clark 14 yard field goal DAL 3–0
Q2 DAL Clark 30 yard field goal DAL 6–0
Q2 BAL
Mackey 75 yard pass from
Unitas (kick failed) Tie 6–6
Q2 DAL
Thomas 7 yard pass from
Morton (Clark kick) DAL 13–6
Q4 BAL
Nowatzke 2 yard run (O'Brien kick) Tie 13–13
Q4 BAL O'Brien 32 yard field goal BAL 16–13
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]
See also
References
^
"Shula replaces Miami's Wilson" . Milwaukee Sentinel . UPI. February 19, 1970. p. 1, part 2. [
permanent dead link ]
^
"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. [
permanent dead link ]
^
Pro-Football-Reference.com
^
Pro-Football-Reference.com . Retrieved 2014-Sep-28.
^
Pro-Football-Reference.com . Retrieved 2014-Sep-28.
^
Pro-Football-Reference.com . Retrieved 2014-Sep-29.
^
Pro-Football-Reference.com . Retrieved 2014-Sep-29.
^
Pro-Football-Reference.com . Retrieved 2014-Sep-29.
^
Pro-Football-Reference.com . Retrieved 2014-Sep-29.
^
Pro-Football-Reference.com . Retrieved 2014-Sep-29.
^
Pro-Football-Reference.com . Retrieved 2014-Oct-01.
^
Pro-Football-Reference.com . Retrieved 2014-Oct-03.
^
Pro-Football-Reference.com
^
Pro-Football-Reference.com . Retrieved 2014-Oct-04.
^
"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.
External links
Played in Baltimore (1953–1983)
Franchise Stadiums Culture Lore Rivalries Division championships (16) Conference championships (7) League championships (5) Retired numbers Media Current league affiliations