Super Bowl III
Encyclopedia
Super Bowl III was the third AFL-NFL Championship Game in professional American football
, but the first to officially bear the name "Super Bowl
". (The two previous AFL-NFL Championship Games came to be known, retroactively, as "Super Bowls".) This game is regarded as one of the greatest upsets in sports history. The heavy underdog
American Football League
(AFL) champion New York Jets
(11-3) defeated the National Football League
(NFL) champion Baltimore Colts (13-1) by a score of 16–7. It was the first Super Bowl victory for the AFL.
The game was played on January 12, 1969, at the Orange Bowl
in Miami, Florida
– the same location as Super Bowl II
. Entering Super Bowl III, the NFL champion Colts were heavily favored to defeat the AFL champion Jets. Although the upstart AFL had successfully forced the long-established NFL into a merger agreement
three years earlier, the AFL was not generally respected as having the same caliber of talent as the NFL. Plus, the AFL representatives were easily defeated in the first two Super Bowls.
After brashly guaranteeing a victory prior to the game, Jets quarterback
Joe Namath
completed 17 out of 28 passes for 206 yards, and was named the Super Bowl's Most Valuable Player
, despite not throwing a touchdown pass in the game or any passes at all in the fourth quarter.
had dominated professional football from its origins after World War I
. Rival leagues had crumbled or merged with it, and when the American Football League
began to play in 1960, it was the fourth of that name to challenge the NFL. Unlike its namesakes, however, this AFL was able to command sufficient financial resources to survive; one factor in this was becoming the first league to sign a television contract—previously, individual franchises had signed agreements with networks to televise games. The junior league proved successful enough, in fact, to make attractive offers to players. After the 1964 season, in fact, there had been a well-publicized bidding war which culminated with the signing, by the AFL's New York Jets, of University of Alabama
quarterback Joe Namath
for an unprecedented contract. Fearing that bidding wars over players would become the norm, greatly increasing labor costs, NFL owners, led by league Commissioner Pete Rozelle
, obtained a merger with the AFL. That merger agreement provided for a single draft, interleague play in the preseason, a championship game to follow each season, and the integration of the two leagues into one in a way to be agreed at a future date. As the two leagues had an unequal number of teams (under the merger agreement, the NFL expanded by one team to 16, and the AFL by one to 10), realignment was advocated by some owners, but was opposed. Eventually, three NFL teams agreed to move to join the AFL franchises in what became the American Football Conference
.
Despite the ongoing merger, it was a commonly-held view that the NFL was a far superior league. This was seemingly confirmed by the results of the first two interleague championship games, in January of 1967 and 1968, in which the NFL champion Green Bay Packers
, coached by the legendary Vince Lombardi
, easily defeated the AFL's Kansas City Chiefs
and Oakland Raiders
.
. The Colts did well under Shula, losing to the Cleveland Browns
in the 1964 NFL Championship Game and, in 1965, losing in overtime to the Green Bay Packers
in a tiebreaking game to decide the NFL Western Division championship. The Colts finished a distant second in the West to the Packers in 1966, and in 1967, with the NFL divided into four divisions of four teams each, went undefeated with two ties through their first 13 games, but lost the game and the Coastal Division championship to the Los Angeles Rams on the final Sunday of the season—under newly-instituted tiebreakers, Los Angeles won the division championship as it had better net points in the two games the teams played (the Rams win and an earlier tie). The Colts finished 11–1–2, out of the playoffs. In 1968 Shula and the Colts were considered a favorite to win the NFL championship, which carried with it a berth what was becoming popularly known as the Super Bowl against the AFL champion. The NFL champion, in both cases the Packers, had easily won the first two Super Bowls over the AFL winner.
Baltimore's quest for a championship seemed doomed from the start when starting quarterback Johnny Unitas
suffered a pre-season injury to his throwing arm and was replaced by Earl Morrall
, a veteran who had started inconsistently over the course of his 12 seasons with four different teams. But Morrall would go on to have the best year of his career, leading the league in passer rating
(93.2) during the regular season. His performance was so impressive that Colts coach Don Shula
decided to keep Morrall in the starting lineup after Unitas was healthy enough to play. The Colts had won ten games in a row, including four shutouts, and finished the season with an NFL-best 13–1 record. In those ten games, they had allowed only seven touchdowns. Then, the Colts avenged their sole regular-season loss against the Cleveland Browns
by crushing them, 34–0, in the NFL Championship Game. By the end of the season, many people thought the Colts were one of the best teams of all time, stronger than even Vince Lombardi's Super Bowl I and II champion Green Bay Packers.
The Colts offense ranked second in the NFL in points scored (402). Wide receivers Jimmy Orr
(29 receptions, 743 yards, 6 touchdowns) and Willie Richardson
(37 receptions, 698 yards, 8 touchdowns) provided Baltimore with two deep threats, with Orr averaging 25.6 yards per catch, and Richardson averaging 18.9. Tight end John Mackey
also recorded 45 receptions for 644 yards and 5 touchdowns. Pro Bowl
running back Tom Matte
was the team's top rusher with 662 yards and 9 touchdowns. He also caught 25 passes for 275 yards and another touchdown. Running backs Terry Cole
and Jerry Hill
combined for 778 rushing yards and 236 receiving yards.
The Colts defense led the NFL in fewest points allowed (144, tying the then all-time league record), and ranked third in total rushing yards allowed (1,339). Bubba Smith
, a 6'7" 295-pound defensive end considered the NFL's best pass rusher, anchored the line. Linebacker Mike Curtis
was considered one of the top linebackers in the NFL. Baltimore's secondary consisted of defensive backs Bobby Boyd
(8 interceptions), Rick Volk
(6 interceptions), Lenny Lyles
(5 interceptions), and Jerry Logan
(3 interceptions). The Colts were the only NFL team to routinely play a zone defense. That gave them an advantage in the NFL because the other NFL teams were inexperienced against a zone defense. (This would not give them an advantage over the Jets, however, because zone defenses were common in the AFL and the Jets knew how to attack them.) After winning the 1968 NFL title, the Colts were touted by the sports media as "the greatest team in pro football history".
in the infamous Heidi Game
) and had to rally to defeat those same Raiders, 27-23, in a thrilling AFL Championship Game.
Jets quarterback Joe Namath
threw for 3,147 yards during the regular season, but completed just 49.2 percent of his passes, and threw more interceptions (17) than touchdowns (15). Still, he led the offense effectively enough for them to finish the regular season with more total points scored (419) than Baltimore. More importantly, Namath usually found ways to win. For example, late in the fourth quarter of the AFL championship game, Namath threw an interception that allowed the Raiders to take the lead. But he then made up for his mistake by completing 3 consecutive passes on the ensuing drive, advancing the ball 68 yards in just 55 seconds to score a touchdown to regain the lead for New York.
The Jets had a number of offensive weapons that Namath used. Future Hall of Fame
wide receiver Don Maynard
had the best season of his career, catching 57 passes for 1,297 yards (an average of 22.8 yards per catch) and 10 touchdowns. Wide receiver George Sauer, Jr.
recorded 66 receptions for 1,141 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Jets rushing attack was also effective. Fullback Matt Snell
, a power runner, was the top rusher on the team with 747 yards and 6 touchdowns, while elusive halfback Emerson Boozer
contributed 441 yards and 5 touchdowns. Meanwhile, kicker Jim Turner made 34 field goals and 43 extra points for a combined total of 145 points.
The Jets defense led the AFL in total rushing yards allowed (1,195). Gerry Philbin
, John Elliott
, and Verlon Biggs
anchored the defensive line. The Jets linebacking core was led by middle linebacker Al Atkinson
. The secondary was led by defensive backs Johnny Sample
(a former Colt who played on their 1958 NFL Championship team) who recorded 7 interceptions, and Jim Hudson
, who recorded 5.
Several of the Jets' players had been cut by NFL teams. Maynard had been cut by the New York Giants
after they lost the 1958 NFL Championship
to the Colts. "I kept a little bitterness in me," he says. Sample had been cut by the Colts. "I was almost in a frenzy by the time the game arrived," he says. "I held a private grudge against the Colts. I was really ready for that game. All of us were." Offensive tackle Winston Hill
had been cut five years earlier by the Colts as a rookie in training camp. "Ordell Braase
kept making me look bad in practice," he says. Hill would be blocking Braase in Super Bowl III.
At an all-night party to celebrate the Jets victory over the Raiders at Namath's nightclub, Bachelors III, Namath poured champagne over Johnny Carson
as the talk show host commented, "First time I ever knew you to waste the stuff."
), John Hadl
of the San Diego Chargers, and Bob Griese
of the Dolphins.
segment, once joked that he "could have shot" Namath for the statement. Namath later claimed he only made his famous "guarantee" in response to a rowdy Colts supporter at the club, who boasted the Colts would easily defeat the Jets. Namath said he never intended to make such a public prediction, and never would have done so if he had not been confronted by the fan. Nevertheless, his comments and subsequent performance in the game itself are one of the more famous instances in NFL lore.
Some analysts suggested that the Jets' record in the NFL might have been 9-5, which would have made them unlikely to have made the 1968 NFL playoffs altogether, let alone competitive against the dominant Colts.
Despite this, the AFL champions shared the confident feelings of their quarterback. According to Matt Snell, all of the Jets, not just Namath, were insulted and angry that they were 18-point underdogs. Most of the Jets considered the Raiders, whom they barely beat (27-23) in the AFL title game, a better team than the Colts. However, watching films of the Colts and in preparation for the game, Jets coaching staff and offensive players noted that their offense was particularly suited against the Colts defense. The Colts defensive schemes relied on frequent blitzing, which covered up weak points in pass coverage. The Jets had an automatic contingency for such blitzes by short passing to uncovered tight ends or backs. After a film session the Wednesday prior to the game, Jets tight end Pete Lammons
, a Crockett, Texas
native, was heard to drawl, "Damn, y'all, we gotta stop watching these films. We gonna get overconfident."
by NBC Sports
- at the time, still a "Service of NBC News
" - with Curt Gowdy
handling the play-by-play duties and joined by color commentator
s Al DeRogatis
and Kyle Rote
in the broadcast booth. Also helping with NBC's coverage were Jim Simpson
(reporting from the sidelines) and Pat Summerall
(helping conduct player interviews for the pregame show, along with Rote). In an interview later done with NFL Films
, Gowdy called it the most memorable game he ever called because of its historical significance.
While the Orange Bowl was sold out for the game, the live telecast was not shown in Miami due to both leagues' unconditional blackout
rules at the time.
For the first time, famous celebrities appeared for the Super Bowl ceremonies. Entertainer Bob Hope
led a pregame ceremony honoring the astronauts of Project Apollo
and the recently completed Apollo 8
mission, the first manned flight around the Moon.
Singer Anita Bryant
later sang the national anthem, and the Florida A&M University
band performed during the "America Thanks" halftime show.
This game is thought to be the earliest surviving Super Bowl game preserved on videotape in its entirety save for a portion of the Colts' fourth quarter scoring drive. The original NBC broadcast was aired as part of the NFL Network
Super Bowl Classics
series the day before Super Bowl XLI
, and again the night before the AFC and NFC Championship games in 2010.
, playing with a pulled hamstring. But his 112-yard, two touchdown performance against the Oakland Raiders
in the AFL championship game made the Colts defense pay special attention to him, not realizing he was injured. Using Maynard as a decoy—he had no receptions in the game—Joe Namath was able to take advantage of single coverage on wide receiver George Sauer, Jr.
. (After studying the Colts' zone defense, Ewbank had told his receivers, "Find the dead spots in the zone, hook up, and Joe will hit you.") The Jets had a conservative game plan, emphasizing the run and short, high-percentage passes to minimize interceptions. Meanwhile, with the help of many fortunate plays, the Jets defense kept the Colts offense from scoring for most of the game.
to tight end John Mackey
on their first play. But after two incomplete passes and a quarterback run for no gain, they came up empty when defensive lineman/kicker Lou Michaels
' 27-yard field goal attempt went wide right. "You could almost feel the steam go out of them," said Snell.
On the Jets' second possession, Namath threw deep to Maynard, who, despite his pulled hamstring, was open by a step. The ball was overthrown, but this one play helped change the outcome of the game. Fearing the speedy Maynard, the Colts decided to rotate their zone defense to help cover Maynard, leaving Sauer covered one-on-one by Lenny Lyles
, helping Sauer catch 8 passes for 133 yards, including a crucial third quarter 39-yard reception that kept a scoring drive alive. The Jets kept rushing Snell to their strong left, rushing off tackle with Boozer blocking the linebacker, and gained first down after first down as the Colts defense gave ground. The Colts defense was more concerned about Maynard, the passing game, and the deep threat of a Namath to Maynard touchdown. Although the Colts were unaware of Maynard's injury, the Jets were aware that Lyles had been weakened by tonsillitis all week, causing them great glee when they saw the one-on-one matchup with Sauer.
With less than two minutes left in the period, Colts punter David Lee booted a 51-yard kick that pinned the Jets back at their own 4-yard line. Three plays later, Sauer caught a 3-yard pass from Namath, but fumbled while being tackled by Lyles, and Colts linebacker Ron Porter
recovered it at New York's 12-yard line. However, on third down (the second play of the second quarter) Baltimore quarterback Earl Morrall
's pass was tipped by Jets linebacker Al Atkinson
, bounced crazily, high into the air off tight end Tom Mitchell, and was intercepted by Jets cornerback Randy Beverly
in the end zone for a touchback. "That was the game in a nutshell," says Matte. Starting from their own 20-yard line, Snell rushed on the next 4 plays, advancing the ball 26 yards. The Jets would have success all day running off left tackle behind the blocking of Winston Hill
, who, according to Snell, was overpowering 36-year-old defensive end Ordell Braase
, the man who had tormented the rookie Hill in Colts' training camp. Said Snell, "Braase pretty much faded out." Namath later completed 3 consecutive passes, moving the ball to the Colts 23-yard line. Jet's RB Boozer gained just 2 yards on the next play, but Snell followed it up with a 12-yard reception at the 9-yard line, a 5-yard run to the 4-yard line, and capped the drive with a 4-yard touchdown run, once again off left tackle. The score gave the Jets a 7-0 lead, and marked the first time in history that an AFL team led in the Super Bowl.
On Baltimore's ensuing drive, a 30-yard completion from Morrall to running back Tom Matte
helped the Colts advance to the New York 42-yard line, but they once again failed to score as Jets cornerback Johnny Sample
broke up Morrall's third down pass and Michaels' missed his second field goal attempt, this time from 46 yards. Two plays after the Jets took over following the missed field goal, Namath's 36-yard completion to Sauer enabled to New York to eventually reach the Baltimore 32-yard line. But Namath then threw two incompletions, then was sacked on third down by Colts linebacker Dennis Gaubatz
for a 2-yard loss. New York kicker Jim Turner tried to salvage the drive with a 41-yard field goal attempt, but he missed.
On their ensuing possession, Baltimore went from their own 20-yard line to New York's 15-yard line in three plays, aided by Matte's Super Bowl record 58-yard run. But with 2 minutes left in the half, Morrall was intercepted again, at the Jets' 2-yard line, deflating the Colts considerably. The Jets then were forced to punt on their ensuing drive, and the Colts advanced the ball to New York's 41-yard line. What followed is one of the most famous plays in Super Bowl history. Baltimore tried a flea flicker play
, which had a huge impact on the momentum of the game. Matte ran off right tackle after taking a handoff, then pitched the ball back to Morrall. The play completely fooled the NBC Camera Crew, and the Jets defense, leaving receiver Jimmy Orr
wide open near the end zone. However, Morrall failed to spot him and instead threw a pass intended for running back Jerry Hill that was intercepted by Jets safety Jim Hudson
as time expired, maintaining the Jets' 7-0 lead at halftime. Earlier in the season, against the Atlanta Falcons, on the same play, Morrall had completed the same pass for a touchdown to Orr, the play's intended target. "I was the primary receiver," Orr said later. "Earl said he just didn't see me. I was open from here to Tampa." "I'm just a lineman, but I looked up and saw Jimmy open", added center Bill Curry
. "I don't know what happened."
for a few plays. Namath returned by the end of the third quarter, but the Jets would not run a pass play for the entire fourth quarter.
Matt Snell said, "By this time, the Colts were pressing. You saw the frustration and worry on all their faces." After Turner's second field goal, with 4 minutes left in the third quarter, Colts head coach Don Shula
took Morrall out of the game and put in the sore-armed Johnny Unitas
to see if he could provide a spark to Baltimore's offense. Unitas could not get the Colts offense moving on their next drive and they were forced to punt again after 3 plays. Then, aided by a 39-yard pass from Namath to Sauer, the Jets drove all the way to the Colts 2-yard line. Baltimore's defense wouldn't quit, and kept them out of the end zone. Turner kicked his third field goal early in the final period to make the score 16-0.
On Baltimore's next possession, they managed to drive all the way to the Jets' 25-yard line. However, Beverly ended the drive by intercepting a pass from Unitas in the end zone, the Jets' fourth interception of the game. New York then drove to the Colts 35-yard line with 7 consecutive running plays, but ended up with no points after Turner missed a 42-yard field goal attempt.
Unitas started out the next drive with 3 incomplete passes, but completed a key 17-yard pass to Orr on fourth down. Ten plays later, aided by three Jets penalties, Baltimore finally scored a touchdown on a 1-yard run by Hill to cut their deficit to 16-7, but with only 3:19 left in the game. The Colts then recovered an onside kick
and drove to the Jets 19-yard line with 3 consecutive completions by Unitas, but they turned the ball over on downs after his next 3 passes fell incomplete. That ended any chance of a Baltimore comeback, as the Jets ran the ball for 6 plays before being forced to punt.
When the Colts got the ball back, only 8 seconds remained in the game. The Colts then attempted two final passes before time ran out, and the Jets had won Super Bowl III. Matt Snell said, "Leaving the field, I saw the Colts were exhausted and in a state of shock. I don't remember any Colt coming over to congratulate me." As he ran off the field, Namath, in a spontaneous show of defiance held up his index finger, signaling "number one."
Years later Morrall said, "I thought we would win handily. We'd only lost twice in our last 30 games. I'm still not sure what happened that day at the Orange Bowl, however; it's still hard to account for." Wrote Matt Snell, "The most distinct image I have from that whole game is of Ordell Braase and some other guys--not so much Mike Curtis
--having a bewildered look."
Namath finished the game having completed 17 of his 28 passes. He is the only quarterback to win Super Bowl MVP without throwing a touchdown pass. Snell rushed for 121 yards on 30 carries with a touchdown, and caught 4 passes for 40 yards. Sauer caught eight passes for 133 yards. Beverly became the first player in Super Bowl history to record 2 interceptions. Morrall had a terrible day—just 6 of 17 completions for 71 yards, and was intercepted 3 times. Despite not being put into the game until late in the third quarter, Unitas finished with more pass completions (11) and passing yards (110) than Morrall, but he also threw one interception. Matte was the Colts' top rusher with 116 yards on just 11 carries, an average of 10.5 yards per run, and caught 2 passes for 30 yards. The Colts were minus-4 in turnovers, four of five deep in Jet territory.
aCarries
bLong play
cReceptions
Statistics provided by NFL.com
Starting lineup provided by NFL.com
Note: A seven-official system was not instituted until 1978
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, but the first to officially bear the name "Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
". (The two previous AFL-NFL Championship Games came to be known, retroactively, as "Super Bowls".) This game is regarded as one of the greatest upsets in sports history. The heavy underdog
Underdog (competition)
An underdog is a person or group in a competition, frequently in electoral politics, sports and creative works, who is popularly expected to lose. The party, team or individual expected to win is called the favorite or top dog. In the rare case where an underdog wins, the outcome is an upset. These...
American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
(AFL) champion New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(11-3) defeated the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) champion Baltimore Colts (13-1) by a score of 16–7. It was the first Super Bowl victory for the AFL.
The game was played on January 12, 1969, at the Orange Bowl
Miami Orange Bowl
The Orange Bowl, formerly Burdine Stadium, was an outdoor athletic stadium in Miami, Florida, west of downtown in Little Havana. Considered a landmark, it was the home stadium for the Miami Hurricanes college football team...
in Miami, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
– the same location as Super Bowl II
Super Bowl II
The second AFL-NFL World Championship Game in professional American football, later to be known as Super Bowl II, was played on January 14, 1968 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida....
. Entering Super Bowl III, the NFL champion Colts were heavily favored to defeat the AFL champion Jets. Although the upstart AFL had successfully forced the long-established NFL into a merger agreement
AFL-NFL Merger
The AFL–NFL merger of 1970 was the merger of the two major professional American football leagues in the United States at the time: the National Football League and the American Football League...
three years earlier, the AFL was not generally respected as having the same caliber of talent as the NFL. Plus, the AFL representatives were easily defeated in the first two Super Bowls.
After brashly guaranteeing a victory prior to the game, Jets quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Joe Namath
Joe Namath
Joseph William "Joe" Namath , nicknamed "Broadway Joe" or "Joe Willie", is a former American football quarterback. He played college football for the University of Alabama under coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and his assistant, Howard Schnellenberger, from 1962–1964, and professional football in the...
completed 17 out of 28 passes for 206 yards, and was named the Super Bowl's Most Valuable Player
Super Bowl MVP
The Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award, or Super Bowl MVP, is an award presented annually to the most valuable player of the Super Bowl, the National Football League's championship game. The winner is chosen by a fan vote during the game and by a panel of 16 American football writers and...
, despite not throwing a touchdown pass in the game or any passes at all in the fourth quarter.
Professional football
The National Football LeagueNational Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
had dominated professional football from its origins after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Rival leagues had crumbled or merged with it, and when the American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
began to play in 1960, it was the fourth of that name to challenge the NFL. Unlike its namesakes, however, this AFL was able to command sufficient financial resources to survive; one factor in this was becoming the first league to sign a television contract—previously, individual franchises had signed agreements with networks to televise games. The junior league proved successful enough, in fact, to make attractive offers to players. After the 1964 season, in fact, there had been a well-publicized bidding war which culminated with the signing, by the AFL's New York Jets, of University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
quarterback Joe Namath
Joe Namath
Joseph William "Joe" Namath , nicknamed "Broadway Joe" or "Joe Willie", is a former American football quarterback. He played college football for the University of Alabama under coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and his assistant, Howard Schnellenberger, from 1962–1964, and professional football in the...
for an unprecedented contract. Fearing that bidding wars over players would become the norm, greatly increasing labor costs, NFL owners, led by league Commissioner Pete Rozelle
Pete Rozelle
Alvin Ray "Pete" Rozelle was the commissioner of the National Football League from January 1960 to November 1989, when he retired from office. Rozelle is credited with making the NFL into one of the most successful sports leagues in the world....
, obtained a merger with the AFL. That merger agreement provided for a single draft, interleague play in the preseason, a championship game to follow each season, and the integration of the two leagues into one in a way to be agreed at a future date. As the two leagues had an unequal number of teams (under the merger agreement, the NFL expanded by one team to 16, and the AFL by one to 10), realignment was advocated by some owners, but was opposed. Eventually, three NFL teams agreed to move to join the AFL franchises in what became the American Football Conference
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
.
Despite the ongoing merger, it was a commonly-held view that the NFL was a far superior league. This was seemingly confirmed by the results of the first two interleague championship games, in January of 1967 and 1968, in which the NFL champion Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
, coached by the legendary Vince Lombardi
Vince Lombardi
Vincent Thomas "Vince" Lombardi was an American football coach. He is best known as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers during the 1960s, where he led the team to three straight league championships and five in seven years, including winning the first two Super Bowls following the 1966 and...
, easily defeated the AFL's Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
and Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Baltimore Colts
The Baltimore Colts had won the 1958 and 1959 NFL championships under Coach Weeb Ewbank. In the following years, however, the Colts failed to make the playoffs, and the Colts dismissed Ewbank after a 7–7 1962 season. He was hired by New York's AFL franchise, which had just changed its name from Titans to Jets. In Ewbank's place, Baltimore hired an untested young head coach, Don ShulaDon Shula
Donald Francis "Don" Shula is a former American football cornerback and coach.He is best known as coach of the Miami Dolphins, the team he led to two Super Bowl victories, and to the National Football League's only perfect season. Shula was named 1993 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated....
. The Colts did well under Shula, losing to the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the 1964 NFL Championship Game and, in 1965, losing in overtime to the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
in a tiebreaking game to decide the NFL Western Division championship. The Colts finished a distant second in the West to the Packers in 1966, and in 1967, with the NFL divided into four divisions of four teams each, went undefeated with two ties through their first 13 games, but lost the game and the Coastal Division championship to the Los Angeles Rams on the final Sunday of the season—under newly-instituted tiebreakers, Los Angeles won the division championship as it had better net points in the two games the teams played (the Rams win and an earlier tie). The Colts finished 11–1–2, out of the playoffs. In 1968 Shula and the Colts were considered a favorite to win the NFL championship, which carried with it a berth what was becoming popularly known as the Super Bowl against the AFL champion. The NFL champion, in both cases the Packers, had easily won the first two Super Bowls over the AFL winner.
Baltimore's quest for a championship seemed doomed from the start when starting quarterback Johnny Unitas
Johnny Unitas
John Constantine Unitas , known as Johnny Unitas or "Johnny U", and nicknamed "The Golden Arm", was a professional American football player in the 1950s through the 1970s, spending the majority of his career with the Baltimore Colts. He was a record-setting quarterback, and the National Football...
suffered a pre-season injury to his throwing arm and was replaced by Earl Morrall
Earl Morrall
Earl Edwin Morrall is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. Morrall, who also occasionally punted, played 21 seasons in the National Football League as both a starter and reserve. In the latter capacity, he became known as the greatest backup quarterback in NFL...
, a veteran who had started inconsistently over the course of his 12 seasons with four different teams. But Morrall would go on to have the best year of his career, leading the league in passer rating
Passer rating
Passer rating is a measure of the performance of quarterbacks or any other passers in American football and Canadian football. There are at least two formulae currently in use: one officially used by the National Football League and the Canadian Football League, and one used in college football...
(93.2) during the regular season. His performance was so impressive that Colts coach Don Shula
Don Shula
Donald Francis "Don" Shula is a former American football cornerback and coach.He is best known as coach of the Miami Dolphins, the team he led to two Super Bowl victories, and to the National Football League's only perfect season. Shula was named 1993 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated....
decided to keep Morrall in the starting lineup after Unitas was healthy enough to play. The Colts had won ten games in a row, including four shutouts, and finished the season with an NFL-best 13–1 record. In those ten games, they had allowed only seven touchdowns. Then, the Colts avenged their sole regular-season loss against the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
by crushing them, 34–0, in the NFL Championship Game. By the end of the season, many people thought the Colts were one of the best teams of all time, stronger than even Vince Lombardi's Super Bowl I and II champion Green Bay Packers.
The Colts offense ranked second in the NFL in points scored (402). Wide receivers Jimmy Orr
Jimmy Orr
Jimmy Orr is a former American Football wide receiver who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Colts for 13 seasons from 1958 to 1970. Orr was a two-time Pro Bowler, as a Steeler in 1959 and as a Colt in 1965...
(29 receptions, 743 yards, 6 touchdowns) and Willie Richardson
Willie Richardson
Willie Louis Richardson is a former professional American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League. He played nine seasons for the Baltimore Colts and the Miami Dolphins...
(37 receptions, 698 yards, 8 touchdowns) provided Baltimore with two deep threats, with Orr averaging 25.6 yards per catch, and Richardson averaging 18.9. Tight end John Mackey
John Mackey (American football)
John Mackey was an American Football tight end who grew up in Roosevelt, Long Island and played for the Baltimore Colts and the San Diego Chargers . He played college football at Syracuse University...
also recorded 45 receptions for 644 yards and 5 touchdowns. Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
running back Tom Matte
Tom Matte
Thomas Roland Matte was an American football player who played quarterback in college and primarily running back in the NFL in the 1960s and 1970s and earned a Super Bowl Ring. He attended Shaw High School in East Cleveland and is an Eagle Scout...
was the team's top rusher with 662 yards and 9 touchdowns. He also caught 25 passes for 275 yards and another touchdown. Running backs Terry Cole
Terry Cole (American football)
Terry Phillip Cole was a former professional American football running back who played professionally in the National Football League....
and Jerry Hill
Jerry Hill (football player)
Jerry Hill is a former professional American football running back for the National Football League's Baltimore Colts.-University of Wyoming:Hill played his collegiate football for Wyoming Cowboys football...
combined for 778 rushing yards and 236 receiving yards.
The Colts defense led the NFL in fewest points allowed (144, tying the then all-time league record), and ranked third in total rushing yards allowed (1,339). Bubba Smith
Bubba Smith
Charles Aaron "Bubba" Smith was an American professional football player who became an actor after his retirement from the sport. He first came into prominence at Michigan State University, where he twice earned All-American honors as a defensive end on the Spartans football team...
, a 6'7" 295-pound defensive end considered the NFL's best pass rusher, anchored the line. Linebacker Mike Curtis
Mike Curtis (American football)
James Michael "Mike" Curtis is a former professional American football player for the Baltimore Colts, the Seattle Seahawks and the Washington Redskins, who played 14 seasons from 1965 to 1978 in the National Football League. He was a four-time Pro Bowler in 1968, 1970, 1971 and 1974. He was...
was considered one of the top linebackers in the NFL. Baltimore's secondary consisted of defensive backs Bobby Boyd
Bobby Boyd
Robert Dean Boyd is a former NFL cornerback who played for the Baltimore Colts in a nine-year career from 1960 to 1968. A quarterback in college at the University of Oklahoma under Bud Wilkinson, Boyd was a two-time Pro Bowler, was voted First Team All-Pro three times, and led the NFL with 9...
(8 interceptions), Rick Volk
Rick Volk
Richard Robert Volk is a former American football player.Volk played college football for the University of Michigan from 1964 to 1966 and was a member of the 1964 team that won the Big Ten Conference championship and defeated Oregon State in the 1965 Rose Bowl...
(6 interceptions), Lenny Lyles
Lenny Lyles
Lenny Lyles, was a professional American Football defensive back who played twelve seasons in the National Football League. He started in Super Bowl III for the Baltimore Colts.-External Links:*...
(5 interceptions), and Jerry Logan
Jerry Logan
Jerry Don Logan is a former American football player. He played as a safety for ten seasons in the NFL. He was a part of the Baltimore Colts Super Bowl V winning team....
(3 interceptions). The Colts were the only NFL team to routinely play a zone defense. That gave them an advantage in the NFL because the other NFL teams were inexperienced against a zone defense. (This would not give them an advantage over the Jets, however, because zone defenses were common in the AFL and the Jets knew how to attack them.) After winning the 1968 NFL title, the Colts were touted by the sports media as "the greatest team in pro football history".
New York Jets
The New York Jets, led by head coach Weeb Ewbank (who was the head coach of the Colts when they won the famous 1958 NFL Championship game), finished the season with an 11-3 regular season record (one of the losses was to the Oakland RaidersOakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the infamous Heidi Game
Heidi Game
The Heidi Game or Heidi Bowl was an American football game played on November 17, 1968. The home team, the Oakland Raiders, defeated the New York Jets, 43–32. The game is remembered for its exciting finish, as Oakland scored two touchdowns in the final minute to overcome a 32–29 New York lead...
) and had to rally to defeat those same Raiders, 27-23, in a thrilling AFL Championship Game.
Jets quarterback Joe Namath
Joe Namath
Joseph William "Joe" Namath , nicknamed "Broadway Joe" or "Joe Willie", is a former American football quarterback. He played college football for the University of Alabama under coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and his assistant, Howard Schnellenberger, from 1962–1964, and professional football in the...
threw for 3,147 yards during the regular season, but completed just 49.2 percent of his passes, and threw more interceptions (17) than touchdowns (15). Still, he led the offense effectively enough for them to finish the regular season with more total points scored (419) than Baltimore. More importantly, Namath usually found ways to win. For example, late in the fourth quarter of the AFL championship game, Namath threw an interception that allowed the Raiders to take the lead. But he then made up for his mistake by completing 3 consecutive passes on the ensuing drive, advancing the ball 68 yards in just 55 seconds to score a touchdown to regain the lead for New York.
The Jets had a number of offensive weapons that Namath used. Future Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
wide receiver Don Maynard
Don Maynard
Donald Rogers Maynard is a former American football player who played collegiately for Texas Western College and professionally with the National Football League's New York Giants and the American Football League's New York Jets and the World Football League's Shreveport Steamer.After having been...
had the best season of his career, catching 57 passes for 1,297 yards (an average of 22.8 yards per catch) and 10 touchdowns. Wide receiver George Sauer, Jr.
George Sauer, Jr.
George Sauer, Jr. is a former professional American football wide receiver who played six seasons for the American Football League's New York Jets. He led the AFL in receptions in the 1967 season. In 1968, he started for the Jets in the third AFL-NFL World Championship Game, helping defeat the...
recorded 66 receptions for 1,141 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Jets rushing attack was also effective. Fullback Matt Snell
Matt Snell
Matt Snell was the American Football League's New York Jets owner Sonny Werblin's first coup, prior to his 1965 acquisition of Joe Namath...
, a power runner, was the top rusher on the team with 747 yards and 6 touchdowns, while elusive halfback Emerson Boozer
Emerson Boozer
Emerson Boozer is a former running back in the American Football League and in the NFL. In the last year of separate drafts by the AFL and the NFL, Boozer signed with the AFL's New York Jets, rather than with an NFL team. He played his entire professional career with the Jets...
contributed 441 yards and 5 touchdowns. Meanwhile, kicker Jim Turner made 34 field goals and 43 extra points for a combined total of 145 points.
The Jets defense led the AFL in total rushing yards allowed (1,195). Gerry Philbin
Gerry Philbin
Gerald John Philbin is a former American collegiate football defensive tackle and four year starter from the University at Buffalo where he earned several honors including Second- team All-American, Little All-America, and All-American Academic team...
, John Elliott
John Elliott (defensive lineman)
John Elliott was an American college and Professional Football defensive tackle. He played collegiately for the University of Texas, and in 1967 was drafted by the American Football League's New York Jets...
, and Verlon Biggs
Verlon Biggs
Verlon Marion Biggs was an American football defensive end in the American Football League and National Football League. He played for the New York Jets in Super Bowl III, but felt he didn't receive enough credit for the Jets' playoff win against the Oakland Raiders in the AFL Championship Game...
anchored the defensive line. The Jets linebacking core was led by middle linebacker Al Atkinson
Al Atkinson
Allen Edward Atkinson is a former American football linebacker who played in the American Football League and the National Football League . He played high school ball at Monsignor Bonner High School. He played college football at Villanova University, where he was a linebacker...
. The secondary was led by defensive backs Johnny Sample
Johnny Sample
John B. Sample, Jr. was an American football defensive back who played in the National Football League for the Baltimore Colts , Pittsburgh Steelers , and Washington Redskins , and in the American Football League for the New York Jets .Sample had the distinction of beginning and ending his career...
(a former Colt who played on their 1958 NFL Championship team) who recorded 7 interceptions, and Jim Hudson
Jim Hudson
Jim Hudson , is a former professional American Football defensive back. He started in Super Bowl III for the New York Jets, and made a key interception just before the end of the first half....
, who recorded 5.
Several of the Jets' players had been cut by NFL teams. Maynard had been cut by the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
after they lost the 1958 NFL Championship
NFL Championship Game, 1958
The 1958 National Football League Championship Game was played on December 28, 1958 at Yankee Stadium in New York City. It was the first ever National Football League playoff game to go into sudden death overtime. The final score was Baltimore Colts 23, New York Giants 17. The game has since...
to the Colts. "I kept a little bitterness in me," he says. Sample had been cut by the Colts. "I was almost in a frenzy by the time the game arrived," he says. "I held a private grudge against the Colts. I was really ready for that game. All of us were." Offensive tackle Winston Hill
Winston Hill
Winston Hill was an American college and professional football player. Hill hails from Joaquin, Texas. His father, the late Garfield Hill, served as principal of Weldon High School in Gladewater, Texas. Winston was a tennis champion in high school...
had been cut five years earlier by the Colts as a rookie in training camp. "Ordell Braase
Ordell Braase
Ordell Wayne Braase is a retired American football defensive end in the National Football League. He played with the Baltimore Colts throughout his career...
kept making me look bad in practice," he says. Hill would be blocking Braase in Super Bowl III.
At an all-night party to celebrate the Jets victory over the Raiders at Namath's nightclub, Bachelors III, Namath poured champagne over Johnny Carson
Johnny Carson
John William "Johnny" Carson was an American television host and comedian, known as host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for 30 years . Carson received six Emmy Awards including the Governor Award and a 1985 Peabody Award; he was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1987...
as the talk show host commented, "First time I ever knew you to waste the stuff."
Super Bowl pregame news and notes
After winning the AFL championship, Namath said that at least four AFL quarterbacks were better than Earl Morrall, including himself, his backup (38-year old Babe ParilliBabe Parilli
-Biography:Parilli was born in the Pittsburgh industrial suburb of Rochester, Pennsylvania. He attended the University of Kentucky as an All-American starting quarterback for the Wildcats under Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant....
), John Hadl
John Hadl
John Willard Hadl is a former collegiate and professional football player.Hadl was born in Lawrence, Kansas. After playing halfback on both offense and defense at the University of Kansas as a sophomore, Hadl played quarterback for his last two years at Kansas, and was selected as the school's...
of the San Diego Chargers, and Bob Griese
Bob Griese
Robert Allen "Bob" Griese is a former American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback who earned All-American honors with the Purdue Boilermakers before being drafted in 1967 by the American Football League's Miami Dolphins...
of the Dolphins.
"The Guarantee"
Despite the Jets' accomplishments, AFL teams were generally not regarded as having the same caliber of talent as NFL teams. However, three days before the game, Namath appeared at the Miami Touchdown Club and boldly predicted to the audience, "We're gonna win the game. I guarantee it." Jets' head coach Weeb Ewbank, in an NFL FilmsNFL Films
NFL Films is a Mount Laurel, New Jersey-based company devoted to producing commercials, television programs, feature films, and documentaries on the National Football League, as well as other unrelated major events and awards shows...
segment, once joked that he "could have shot" Namath for the statement. Namath later claimed he only made his famous "guarantee" in response to a rowdy Colts supporter at the club, who boasted the Colts would easily defeat the Jets. Namath said he never intended to make such a public prediction, and never would have done so if he had not been confronted by the fan. Nevertheless, his comments and subsequent performance in the game itself are one of the more famous instances in NFL lore.
Some analysts suggested that the Jets' record in the NFL might have been 9-5, which would have made them unlikely to have made the 1968 NFL playoffs altogether, let alone competitive against the dominant Colts.
Despite this, the AFL champions shared the confident feelings of their quarterback. According to Matt Snell, all of the Jets, not just Namath, were insulted and angry that they were 18-point underdogs. Most of the Jets considered the Raiders, whom they barely beat (27-23) in the AFL title game, a better team than the Colts. However, watching films of the Colts and in preparation for the game, Jets coaching staff and offensive players noted that their offense was particularly suited against the Colts defense. The Colts defensive schemes relied on frequent blitzing, which covered up weak points in pass coverage. The Jets had an automatic contingency for such blitzes by short passing to uncovered tight ends or backs. After a film session the Wednesday prior to the game, Jets tight end Pete Lammons
Pete Lammons
Peter Spencer Lammons, Jr. is a former professional American football player who played tight end for the American Football League's New York Jets, winning the AFL Championship with them in 1968, and playing in their victory over the National Football League champion Baltimore Colts in the third...
, a Crockett, Texas
Crockett, Texas
Crockett is a city in Houston County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 7,141. It is the county seat of Houston County.- History :...
native, was heard to drawl, "Damn, y'all, we gotta stop watching these films. We gonna get overconfident."
Television and entertainment
The game was broadcast in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by NBC Sports
NBC Sports
NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
- at the time, still a "Service of NBC News
NBC News
NBC News is the news division of American television network NBC. It first started broadcasting in February 21, 1940. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is...
" - with Curt Gowdy
Curt Gowdy
Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,...
handling the play-by-play duties and joined by color commentator
Color commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
s Al DeRogatis
Al DeRogatis
Albert John "Al" DeRogatis was an American football player and television and radio sportscaster.-Biography:...
and Kyle Rote
Kyle Rote
William Kyle Rote, Sr. was an American football player and sports announcer.-Early life:Rote attended Thomas Jefferson High School in San Antonio, Texas, where he was an all-state basketball and football player....
in the broadcast booth. Also helping with NBC's coverage were Jim Simpson
Jim Simpson (sportscaster)
Jim Simpson is a retired American sportscaster, known for his smooth delivery as a play-by-play man and his versatility in covering many different sports. In 1997, he won the Sports Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2000 he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters...
(reporting from the sidelines) and Pat Summerall
Pat Summerall
George Allen "Pat" Summerall is a former American football player and television sportscaster, having worked at CBS, Fox, and ESPN.Summerall is best known for his work with John Madden on NFL telecasts for CBS and Fox.-High school:...
(helping conduct player interviews for the pregame show, along with Rote). In an interview later done with NFL Films
NFL Films
NFL Films is a Mount Laurel, New Jersey-based company devoted to producing commercials, television programs, feature films, and documentaries on the National Football League, as well as other unrelated major events and awards shows...
, Gowdy called it the most memorable game he ever called because of its historical significance.
While the Orange Bowl was sold out for the game, the live telecast was not shown in Miami due to both leagues' unconditional blackout
Blackout (broadcasting)
Blackout usually relates to the broadcasting of sports events, television programming, that is prohibited in a certain media market.The purpose is theoretically to generate more revenue by obliging certain actions from fans, either by making them buy tickets or watch other games on TV...
rules at the time.
For the first time, famous celebrities appeared for the Super Bowl ceremonies. Entertainer Bob Hope
Bob Hope
Bob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was a British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel...
led a pregame ceremony honoring the astronauts of Project Apollo
Project Apollo
The Apollo program was the spaceflight effort carried out by the United States' National Aeronautics and Space Administration , that landed the first humans on Earth's Moon. Conceived during the Presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower, Apollo began in earnest after President John F...
and the recently completed Apollo 8
Apollo 8
Apollo 8, the second manned mission in the American Apollo space program, was the first human spaceflight to leave Earth orbit; the first to be captured by and escape from the gravitational field of another celestial body; and the first crewed voyage to return to Earth from another celestial...
mission, the first manned flight around the Moon.
Singer Anita Bryant
Anita Bryant
Anita Jane Bryant is an American singer, former Miss Oklahoma beauty pageant winner, and gay rights opponent. She scored four Top 40 hits in the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s, including "Paper Roses", which reached #5...
later sang the national anthem, and the Florida A&M University
Florida A&M University
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, commonly known as Florida A&M or FAMU, is a historically black university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States, the state capital, and is one of eleven member institutions of the State University System of Florida...
band performed during the "America Thanks" halftime show.
This game is thought to be the earliest surviving Super Bowl game preserved on videotape in its entirety save for a portion of the Colts' fourth quarter scoring drive. The original NBC broadcast was aired as part of the NFL Network
NFL Network
NFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation...
Super Bowl Classics
NFL Classics
NFL Classics is a series of videotaped rebroadcasts of National Football League games that air on the NFL Network. The show airs weekly during the offseason and also occasionally during the NFL season...
series the day before Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI was an American football game that featured the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion Chicago Bears to decide the National Football League champion for the 2006 season...
, and again the night before the AFC and NFC Championship games in 2010.
Game summary
New York entered the game with their primary deep threat, wide receiver Don MaynardDon Maynard
Donald Rogers Maynard is a former American football player who played collegiately for Texas Western College and professionally with the National Football League's New York Giants and the American Football League's New York Jets and the World Football League's Shreveport Steamer.After having been...
, playing with a pulled hamstring. But his 112-yard, two touchdown performance against the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the AFL championship game made the Colts defense pay special attention to him, not realizing he was injured. Using Maynard as a decoy—he had no receptions in the game—Joe Namath was able to take advantage of single coverage on wide receiver George Sauer, Jr.
George Sauer, Jr.
George Sauer, Jr. is a former professional American football wide receiver who played six seasons for the American Football League's New York Jets. He led the AFL in receptions in the 1967 season. In 1968, he started for the Jets in the third AFL-NFL World Championship Game, helping defeat the...
. (After studying the Colts' zone defense, Ewbank had told his receivers, "Find the dead spots in the zone, hook up, and Joe will hit you.") The Jets had a conservative game plan, emphasizing the run and short, high-percentage passes to minimize interceptions. Meanwhile, with the help of many fortunate plays, the Jets defense kept the Colts offense from scoring for most of the game.
1st half
The game started badly for the Jets. After taking the opening kickoff, they gained only 15 yards on five plays and were forced to punt. However, Colts safety Rick Volk was knocked out and sustained a concussion on the game's second play tackling Snell and would miss much of the game. On the Colts' first drive, they advanced the ball from their own 27-yard line to the Jets' 19-yard-line in an 11-play drive, aided by a 19-yard catch-and-run from Earl MorrallEarl Morrall
Earl Edwin Morrall is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. Morrall, who also occasionally punted, played 21 seasons in the National Football League as both a starter and reserve. In the latter capacity, he became known as the greatest backup quarterback in NFL...
to tight end John Mackey
John Mackey (American football)
John Mackey was an American Football tight end who grew up in Roosevelt, Long Island and played for the Baltimore Colts and the San Diego Chargers . He played college football at Syracuse University...
on their first play. But after two incomplete passes and a quarterback run for no gain, they came up empty when defensive lineman/kicker Lou Michaels
Lou Michaels
Lou Michaels is a former American football player who was a standout defensive lineman for the University of Kentucky Wildcats, 1955-57. After Kentucky's victory over archrival Tennessee in 1957, Michaels was quoted as saying, "Nothing sucks like a Big Orange." Michaels later played pro football...
' 27-yard field goal attempt went wide right. "You could almost feel the steam go out of them," said Snell.
On the Jets' second possession, Namath threw deep to Maynard, who, despite his pulled hamstring, was open by a step. The ball was overthrown, but this one play helped change the outcome of the game. Fearing the speedy Maynard, the Colts decided to rotate their zone defense to help cover Maynard, leaving Sauer covered one-on-one by Lenny Lyles
Lenny Lyles
Lenny Lyles, was a professional American Football defensive back who played twelve seasons in the National Football League. He started in Super Bowl III for the Baltimore Colts.-External Links:*...
, helping Sauer catch 8 passes for 133 yards, including a crucial third quarter 39-yard reception that kept a scoring drive alive. The Jets kept rushing Snell to their strong left, rushing off tackle with Boozer blocking the linebacker, and gained first down after first down as the Colts defense gave ground. The Colts defense was more concerned about Maynard, the passing game, and the deep threat of a Namath to Maynard touchdown. Although the Colts were unaware of Maynard's injury, the Jets were aware that Lyles had been weakened by tonsillitis all week, causing them great glee when they saw the one-on-one matchup with Sauer.
With less than two minutes left in the period, Colts punter David Lee booted a 51-yard kick that pinned the Jets back at their own 4-yard line. Three plays later, Sauer caught a 3-yard pass from Namath, but fumbled while being tackled by Lyles, and Colts linebacker Ron Porter
Ron Porter
Ronald Dean Porter is a former professional American football player who played linebacker for seven seasons for the Baltimore Colts, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Minnesota Vikings....
recovered it at New York's 12-yard line. However, on third down (the second play of the second quarter) Baltimore quarterback Earl Morrall
Earl Morrall
Earl Edwin Morrall is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. Morrall, who also occasionally punted, played 21 seasons in the National Football League as both a starter and reserve. In the latter capacity, he became known as the greatest backup quarterback in NFL...
's pass was tipped by Jets linebacker Al Atkinson
Al Atkinson
Allen Edward Atkinson is a former American football linebacker who played in the American Football League and the National Football League . He played high school ball at Monsignor Bonner High School. He played college football at Villanova University, where he was a linebacker...
, bounced crazily, high into the air off tight end Tom Mitchell, and was intercepted by Jets cornerback Randy Beverly
Randy Beverly
Randy Beverly is a former professional American football player. He played cornerback for the American Football League's New York Jets and is best known for making two key interceptions that helped the Jets to their historic victory in Super Bowl III in 1969.-Early career:Beverly grew up in...
in the end zone for a touchback. "That was the game in a nutshell," says Matte. Starting from their own 20-yard line, Snell rushed on the next 4 plays, advancing the ball 26 yards. The Jets would have success all day running off left tackle behind the blocking of Winston Hill
Winston Hill
Winston Hill was an American college and professional football player. Hill hails from Joaquin, Texas. His father, the late Garfield Hill, served as principal of Weldon High School in Gladewater, Texas. Winston was a tennis champion in high school...
, who, according to Snell, was overpowering 36-year-old defensive end Ordell Braase
Ordell Braase
Ordell Wayne Braase is a retired American football defensive end in the National Football League. He played with the Baltimore Colts throughout his career...
, the man who had tormented the rookie Hill in Colts' training camp. Said Snell, "Braase pretty much faded out." Namath later completed 3 consecutive passes, moving the ball to the Colts 23-yard line. Jet's RB Boozer gained just 2 yards on the next play, but Snell followed it up with a 12-yard reception at the 9-yard line, a 5-yard run to the 4-yard line, and capped the drive with a 4-yard touchdown run, once again off left tackle. The score gave the Jets a 7-0 lead, and marked the first time in history that an AFL team led in the Super Bowl.
On Baltimore's ensuing drive, a 30-yard completion from Morrall to running back Tom Matte
Tom Matte
Thomas Roland Matte was an American football player who played quarterback in college and primarily running back in the NFL in the 1960s and 1970s and earned a Super Bowl Ring. He attended Shaw High School in East Cleveland and is an Eagle Scout...
helped the Colts advance to the New York 42-yard line, but they once again failed to score as Jets cornerback Johnny Sample
Johnny Sample
John B. Sample, Jr. was an American football defensive back who played in the National Football League for the Baltimore Colts , Pittsburgh Steelers , and Washington Redskins , and in the American Football League for the New York Jets .Sample had the distinction of beginning and ending his career...
broke up Morrall's third down pass and Michaels' missed his second field goal attempt, this time from 46 yards. Two plays after the Jets took over following the missed field goal, Namath's 36-yard completion to Sauer enabled to New York to eventually reach the Baltimore 32-yard line. But Namath then threw two incompletions, then was sacked on third down by Colts linebacker Dennis Gaubatz
Dennis Gaubatz
Dennis Gaubatz was a linebacker in the NFL....
for a 2-yard loss. New York kicker Jim Turner tried to salvage the drive with a 41-yard field goal attempt, but he missed.
On their ensuing possession, Baltimore went from their own 20-yard line to New York's 15-yard line in three plays, aided by Matte's Super Bowl record 58-yard run. But with 2 minutes left in the half, Morrall was intercepted again, at the Jets' 2-yard line, deflating the Colts considerably. The Jets then were forced to punt on their ensuing drive, and the Colts advanced the ball to New York's 41-yard line. What followed is one of the most famous plays in Super Bowl history. Baltimore tried a flea flicker play
Flea flicker (American football)
A flea flicker is an unorthodox play in American football designed to fool the defensive team into thinking that a play is a run instead of a pass...
, which had a huge impact on the momentum of the game. Matte ran off right tackle after taking a handoff, then pitched the ball back to Morrall. The play completely fooled the NBC Camera Crew, and the Jets defense, leaving receiver Jimmy Orr
Jimmy Orr
Jimmy Orr is a former American Football wide receiver who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Colts for 13 seasons from 1958 to 1970. Orr was a two-time Pro Bowler, as a Steeler in 1959 and as a Colt in 1965...
wide open near the end zone. However, Morrall failed to spot him and instead threw a pass intended for running back Jerry Hill that was intercepted by Jets safety Jim Hudson
Jim Hudson
Jim Hudson , is a former professional American Football defensive back. He started in Super Bowl III for the New York Jets, and made a key interception just before the end of the first half....
as time expired, maintaining the Jets' 7-0 lead at halftime. Earlier in the season, against the Atlanta Falcons, on the same play, Morrall had completed the same pass for a touchdown to Orr, the play's intended target. "I was the primary receiver," Orr said later. "Earl said he just didn't see me. I was open from here to Tampa." "I'm just a lineman, but I looked up and saw Jimmy open", added center Bill Curry
Bill Curry
William Alexander "Bill" Curry is an American football coach and former player. He is the current head coach at Georgia State University, which began competing in college football in 2010...
. "I don't know what happened."
2nd half
The third quarter belonged to the Jets, who controlled the ball for all but three minutes of the period. Baltimore ran only seven offensive plays all quarter, gaining only 11 yards. Matte lost a fumble on the first play from scrimmage in the second half, yet another demoralizing event, which led to Turner's 32-yard field goal to increase the Jets' lead, 10-0. Then, after forcing the Colts to punt again, Namath completed 4 passes for 40 yards to set up Turner's 30-yard field goal to increase the lead, 13-0. On that drive, Namath temporarily went out of the game after injuring his right thumb, and was replaced by backup quarterback Babe ParilliBabe Parilli
-Biography:Parilli was born in the Pittsburgh industrial suburb of Rochester, Pennsylvania. He attended the University of Kentucky as an All-American starting quarterback for the Wildcats under Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant....
for a few plays. Namath returned by the end of the third quarter, but the Jets would not run a pass play for the entire fourth quarter.
Matt Snell said, "By this time, the Colts were pressing. You saw the frustration and worry on all their faces." After Turner's second field goal, with 4 minutes left in the third quarter, Colts head coach Don Shula
Don Shula
Donald Francis "Don" Shula is a former American football cornerback and coach.He is best known as coach of the Miami Dolphins, the team he led to two Super Bowl victories, and to the National Football League's only perfect season. Shula was named 1993 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated....
took Morrall out of the game and put in the sore-armed Johnny Unitas
Johnny Unitas
John Constantine Unitas , known as Johnny Unitas or "Johnny U", and nicknamed "The Golden Arm", was a professional American football player in the 1950s through the 1970s, spending the majority of his career with the Baltimore Colts. He was a record-setting quarterback, and the National Football...
to see if he could provide a spark to Baltimore's offense. Unitas could not get the Colts offense moving on their next drive and they were forced to punt again after 3 plays. Then, aided by a 39-yard pass from Namath to Sauer, the Jets drove all the way to the Colts 2-yard line. Baltimore's defense wouldn't quit, and kept them out of the end zone. Turner kicked his third field goal early in the final period to make the score 16-0.
On Baltimore's next possession, they managed to drive all the way to the Jets' 25-yard line. However, Beverly ended the drive by intercepting a pass from Unitas in the end zone, the Jets' fourth interception of the game. New York then drove to the Colts 35-yard line with 7 consecutive running plays, but ended up with no points after Turner missed a 42-yard field goal attempt.
Unitas started out the next drive with 3 incomplete passes, but completed a key 17-yard pass to Orr on fourth down. Ten plays later, aided by three Jets penalties, Baltimore finally scored a touchdown on a 1-yard run by Hill to cut their deficit to 16-7, but with only 3:19 left in the game. The Colts then recovered an onside kick
Onside kick
In American and Canadian football, an onside kick is a type of kick used at a kickoff or other free kick, or scrimmage kick or other kick during play, in which the ball is kicked favorably for the kicking team to avoid giving away the ball...
and drove to the Jets 19-yard line with 3 consecutive completions by Unitas, but they turned the ball over on downs after his next 3 passes fell incomplete. That ended any chance of a Baltimore comeback, as the Jets ran the ball for 6 plays before being forced to punt.
When the Colts got the ball back, only 8 seconds remained in the game. The Colts then attempted two final passes before time ran out, and the Jets had won Super Bowl III. Matt Snell said, "Leaving the field, I saw the Colts were exhausted and in a state of shock. I don't remember any Colt coming over to congratulate me." As he ran off the field, Namath, in a spontaneous show of defiance held up his index finger, signaling "number one."
Years later Morrall said, "I thought we would win handily. We'd only lost twice in our last 30 games. I'm still not sure what happened that day at the Orange Bowl, however; it's still hard to account for." Wrote Matt Snell, "The most distinct image I have from that whole game is of Ordell Braase and some other guys--not so much Mike Curtis
Mike Curtis (American football)
James Michael "Mike" Curtis is a former professional American football player for the Baltimore Colts, the Seattle Seahawks and the Washington Redskins, who played 14 seasons from 1965 to 1978 in the National Football League. He was a four-time Pro Bowler in 1968, 1970, 1971 and 1974. He was...
--having a bewildered look."
Namath finished the game having completed 17 of his 28 passes. He is the only quarterback to win Super Bowl MVP without throwing a touchdown pass. Snell rushed for 121 yards on 30 carries with a touchdown, and caught 4 passes for 40 yards. Sauer caught eight passes for 133 yards. Beverly became the first player in Super Bowl history to record 2 interceptions. Morrall had a terrible day—just 6 of 17 completions for 71 yards, and was intercepted 3 times. Despite not being put into the game until late in the third quarter, Unitas finished with more pass completions (11) and passing yards (110) than Morrall, but he also threw one interception. Matte was the Colts' top rusher with 116 yards on just 11 carries, an average of 10.5 yards per run, and caught 2 passes for 30 yards. The Colts were minus-4 in turnovers, four of five deep in Jet territory.
Box score
Statistical comparison
| New York Jets | Baltimore Colts | |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 21 | 18 |
| First downs rushing | 10 | 7 |
| First downs passing | 10 | 9 |
| First downs penalty | 1 | 2 |
| Net yards rushing | 142 | 143 |
| Passes attempted | 29 | 41 |
| Passes completed | 17 | 17 |
| Interceptions-yards | 4-9 | 0-0 |
| Net yards passing | 195 | 181 |
| Total yards | 337 | 324 |
| Punts-average | 4-38.8 | 3-44.3 |
| Fumbles-lost | 1-1 | 1-1 |
| Penalties-yards | 5-28 | 3-23 |
Individual leaders
*Completions/AttemptsaCarries
bLong play
cReceptions
Statistics provided by NFL.com
Starting lineups
| N.Y. Jets | Position | Baltimore |
|---|---|---|
| OFFENSE | ||
| George Sauer, Jr. George Sauer, Jr. George Sauer, Jr. is a former professional American football wide receiver who played six seasons for the American Football League's New York Jets. He led the AFL in receptions in the 1967 season. In 1968, he started for the Jets in the third AFL-NFL World Championship Game, helping defeat the... |
SE | Jimmy Orr Jimmy Orr Jimmy Orr is a former American Football wide receiver who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Colts for 13 seasons from 1958 to 1970. Orr was a two-time Pro Bowler, as a Steeler in 1959 and as a Colt in 1965... |
| Winston Hill Winston Hill Winston Hill was an American college and professional football player. Hill hails from Joaquin, Texas. His father, the late Garfield Hill, served as principal of Weldon High School in Gladewater, Texas. Winston was a tennis champion in high school... |
LT | Bob Vogel Bob Vogel Robert Louis Vogel is a former professional American football offensive lineman for the Baltimore Colts from 1963 to 1972. During that span he appeared in Super Bowl III and Super Bowl V for the Colts and was selected for the Pro Bowl five times. He played college football at Ohio State... |
| Bob Talamini Bob Talamini Robert Guy "Bob" Talamini , a stout, 6'1", 250 lb lineman, earned third-team All-SEC honors at the University of Kentucky and was drafted by the Houston Oilers of the American Football League... |
LG | Glenn Ressler Glenn Ressler Glenn Emanuel Ressler was a National Football League offensive lineman from 1965 through 1974. During that span he appeared in Super Bowl III and Super Bowl V for the Baltimore Colts. He played college football at Penn State University. In 2001 he was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame.... |
| John Schmitt | C | Bill Curry Bill Curry William Alexander "Bill" Curry is an American football coach and former player. He is the current head coach at Georgia State University, which began competing in college football in 2010... |
| Randy Rasmussen Randy Rasmussen Randall Lee Rasmussen was an American football guard for fifteen seasons for the New York Jets, beginning with the 1967 American Football League season... |
RG | Dan Sullivan |
| Dave Herman Dave Herman Dave Herman is a former American collegiate and professional football offensive tackle. He played collegiately for Michigan State University and began his professional career with the American Football League's New York Jets, for whom he played from 1964 through 1969 and for the same team in the... |
RT | Sam Ball Sam Ball Sam Ball was a National Football League offensive lineman from 1966 through 1970. During that span he appeared in Super Bowl III and Super Bowl V for the Baltimore Colts. He played college football at the University of Kentucky.Ironically, he was also drafted in 1966 by the Jets in the 2nd rd,... |
| Pete Lammons Pete Lammons Peter Spencer Lammons, Jr. is a former professional American football player who played tight end for the American Football League's New York Jets, winning the AFL Championship with them in 1968, and playing in their victory over the National Football League champion Baltimore Colts in the third... |
TE | John Mackey John Mackey (American football) John Mackey was an American Football tight end who grew up in Roosevelt, Long Island and played for the Baltimore Colts and the San Diego Chargers . He played college football at Syracuse University... |
| Don Maynard Don Maynard Donald Rogers Maynard is a former American football player who played collegiately for Texas Western College and professionally with the National Football League's New York Giants and the American Football League's New York Jets and the World Football League's Shreveport Steamer.After having been... |
FL | Willie Richardson Willie Richardson Willie Louis Richardson is a former professional American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League. He played nine seasons for the Baltimore Colts and the Miami Dolphins... |
| Joe Namath Joe Namath Joseph William "Joe" Namath , nicknamed "Broadway Joe" or "Joe Willie", is a former American football quarterback. He played college football for the University of Alabama under coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and his assistant, Howard Schnellenberger, from 1962–1964, and professional football in the... |
QB | Earl Morrall Earl Morrall Earl Edwin Morrall is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. Morrall, who also occasionally punted, played 21 seasons in the National Football League as both a starter and reserve. In the latter capacity, he became known as the greatest backup quarterback in NFL... |
| Emerson Boozer Emerson Boozer Emerson Boozer is a former running back in the American Football League and in the NFL. In the last year of separate drafts by the AFL and the NFL, Boozer signed with the AFL's New York Jets, rather than with an NFL team. He played his entire professional career with the Jets... |
RB | Tom Matte Tom Matte Thomas Roland Matte was an American football player who played quarterback in college and primarily running back in the NFL in the 1960s and 1970s and earned a Super Bowl Ring. He attended Shaw High School in East Cleveland and is an Eagle Scout... |
| Matt Snell Matt Snell Matt Snell was the American Football League's New York Jets owner Sonny Werblin's first coup, prior to his 1965 acquisition of Joe Namath... |
RB | Jerry Hill |
| DEFENSE | ||
| Gerry Philbin Gerry Philbin Gerald John Philbin is a former American collegiate football defensive tackle and four year starter from the University at Buffalo where he earned several honors including Second- team All-American, Little All-America, and All-American Academic team... |
LE | Bubba Smith Bubba Smith Charles Aaron "Bubba" Smith was an American professional football player who became an actor after his retirement from the sport. He first came into prominence at Michigan State University, where he twice earned All-American honors as a defensive end on the Spartans football team... |
| Paul Rochester Paul Rochester Paul "Rocky" Rochester is a former American football defensive tackle. He played for the Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs and the New York Jets in the American Football League... |
LT | Billy Ray Smith Sr. Billy Ray Smith Sr. Billy Ray Smith, Sr. was a National Football League defensive lineman .-NFL career:Billy Ray Smith, Sr. began his NFL career in 1957, as the third round draft pick for the Los Angeles Rams. He was traded to the Steelers in 1958 and played for Pittsburgh until 1960... |
| John Elliott John Elliott (defensive lineman) John Elliott was an American college and Professional Football defensive tackle. He played collegiately for the University of Texas, and in 1967 was drafted by the American Football League's New York Jets... |
RT | Fred Miller Fred Miller (defensive lineman) Fred David Miller was an American football defensive tackle in the National Football League from 1963 through 1972. During that span he appeared in Super Bowl III and Super Bowl V for the Baltimore Colts. He played college football at Louisiana State University.Miller was born in Homer, Louisiana... |
| Verlon Biggs Verlon Biggs Verlon Marion Biggs was an American football defensive end in the American Football League and National Football League. He played for the New York Jets in Super Bowl III, but felt he didn't receive enough credit for the Jets' playoff win against the Oakland Raiders in the AFL Championship Game... |
RE | Ordell Braase Ordell Braase Ordell Wayne Braase is a retired American football defensive end in the National Football League. He played with the Baltimore Colts throughout his career... |
| Ralph Baker Ralph Baker Ralph Robert Baker is a former professional American football player.Baker was drafted in both the 1964 AFL and NFL drafts—the Pittsburgh Steelers selected him with their 3rd-round pick, while the New York Jets used their 6th-round pick to select him... |
LLB | Mike Curtis Mike Curtis (American football) James Michael "Mike" Curtis is a former professional American football player for the Baltimore Colts, the Seattle Seahawks and the Washington Redskins, who played 14 seasons from 1965 to 1978 in the National Football League. He was a four-time Pro Bowler in 1968, 1970, 1971 and 1974. He was... |
| Al Atkinson Al Atkinson Allen Edward Atkinson is a former American football linebacker who played in the American Football League and the National Football League . He played high school ball at Monsignor Bonner High School. He played college football at Villanova University, where he was a linebacker... |
MLB | Dennis Gaubatz Dennis Gaubatz Dennis Gaubatz was a linebacker in the NFL.... |
| Larry Grantham Larry Grantham Larry Grantham is a former American collegiate and Professional Football player.A member of the "Ole Miss" Athletic Hall of Fame, he was a linebacker of the University of Mississippi who came to the American Football League's New York Titans in the 1960 college draft and helped form the backbone... |
RLB | Don Shinnick Don Shinnick Donald Dee Shinnick was an American football linebacker who played thirteen seasons in the National Football League for the Baltimore Colts. He had 37 career interceptions with the Colts, still an NFL record for a linebacker.... |
| Johnny Sample Johnny Sample John B. Sample, Jr. was an American football defensive back who played in the National Football League for the Baltimore Colts , Pittsburgh Steelers , and Washington Redskins , and in the American Football League for the New York Jets .Sample had the distinction of beginning and ending his career... |
LCB | Bobby Boyd Bobby Boyd Robert Dean Boyd is a former NFL cornerback who played for the Baltimore Colts in a nine-year career from 1960 to 1968. A quarterback in college at the University of Oklahoma under Bud Wilkinson, Boyd was a two-time Pro Bowler, was voted First Team All-Pro three times, and led the NFL with 9... |
| Randy Beverly Randy Beverly Randy Beverly is a former professional American football player. He played cornerback for the American Football League's New York Jets and is best known for making two key interceptions that helped the Jets to their historic victory in Super Bowl III in 1969.-Early career:Beverly grew up in... |
RCB | Lenny Lyles Lenny Lyles Lenny Lyles, was a professional American Football defensive back who played twelve seasons in the National Football League. He started in Super Bowl III for the Baltimore Colts.-External Links:*... |
| Jim Hudson Jim Hudson Jim Hudson , is a former professional American Football defensive back. He started in Super Bowl III for the New York Jets, and made a key interception just before the end of the first half.... |
LS | Jerry Logan Jerry Logan Jerry Don Logan is a former American football player. He played as a safety for ten seasons in the NFL. He was a part of the Baltimore Colts Super Bowl V winning team.... |
| Bill Baird | RS | Rick Volk Rick Volk Richard Robert Volk is a former American football player.Volk played college football for the University of Michigan from 1964 to 1966 and was a member of the 1964 team that won the Big Ten Conference championship and defeated Oregon State in the 1965 Rose Bowl... |
Starting lineup provided by NFL.com
Officials
- Referee: Tom BellTommy Bell (American football official)Tommy Bell was an American football official in the National Football League . He officiated Super Bowl III in 1969 and Super Bowl VII in 1973. He is also the only official in history to referee in both a Super Bowl and NCAA Final Four...
(NFL) #7 - Umpire: Walt Parker (AFL) #25
- Head Linesman: George Murphy (NFL) #30
- Line Judge: Cal LeporeCal LeporeCal Lepore was a line judge and referee in American Professional Football. He officiated in the American Football League from 1966 through 1969, and then in the NFL from 1970 through 1980. He worked the Third AFL-NFL Championship game, won by the New York Jets over the Baltimore Colts, after the...
(AFL) #72 - Field Judge: Joe Gonzalez (NFL) #54
- Back Judge: Jack ReaderJack ReaderJohn Kenneth "Jack" Reader is a former American football official. After graduation from the College of the Holy Cross in 1950, football star Jack Reader became an on-field official...
(AFL) #42
Note: A seven-official system was not instituted until 1978
1978 NFL season
The 1978 NFL season was the 59th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded the regular season from a 14-game schedule to 16. Furthermore, the playoff format was expanded from 8 teams to 10 teams by adding another wild card from each conference...
.