Pro Football Championship 3 - Jets - Colts

Welcome to our podcast on Super Bowl 3, one of the most iconic and influential games in NFL history. This matchup between the NFL's Baltimore Colts and the AFL's New York Jets took place on January 12, 1969, at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. The game would prove to be a turning point in professional football, forever changing the landscape of the sport and cementing the legacy of one of its most charismatic figures. To understand the significance of Super Bowl 3, we need to set the stage. At the time, the NFL and AFL were still separate leagues, with the Super Bowl serving as a championship game between the two. The NFL was widely considered to be the superior league, having won the first two Super Bowls convincingly. The Green Bay Packers, led by laegendary coach Vince Lombardi, had dominated both games, reinforcing the perception that AFL teams simply couldn't compete with the established NFL franchises. Entering Super Bowl 3 , the Baltimore Colts were heavy favorites. They had finished the regular season with a 13 and one    record and were considered by many to be one of the greatest teams in NFL history. Led by head coach Don Shula, the Colts boasted a fearsome defense that had allowed only 144 points all season, the fewest in the league. Their offense was equally impressive, having scored 402 points, second-most in the NFL. The Colts' quarterback situation was interesting. Their starter for most of the season had been Earl Morrall, who had stepped in when Johnny Unitas was injured in the preseason. Morrall had an outstanding year, throwing for 2,909 yards and 26 touchdowns, and was named the NFL's Most Valuable Player. Unitas, a future Hall of Famer, had returned from his injury late in the season but was relegated to a backup role due to Morrall's stellar play. On the other side of the field were the New York Jets, champions of the AFL. The Jets had finished the regular season with an 11-3 record and defeated the Oakland Raiders in the AFL Championship game to reach the Super Bowl. While they were a strong team in their own right, few gave them much chance against the mighty Colts. The Jets were led by quarterback Joe Namath, a charismatic and controversial figure who had been lured to the AFL with a then-record $427,000 contract. Namath had a strong season, throwing for 3,147 yards and 15 touchdowns. He had a talented receiving corps, including Don Maynard and George Sauer Jr., as well as a solid running game featuring Matt Snell and Emerson Boozer. In the lead-up to the game, the disparity between the two teams was a constant topic of discussion. The Colts were favored by 18 points, one of the largest spreads in Super Bowl history. Many pundits and fans believed the game would be another showcase of NFL superiority, much like the previous two Super Bowls. It was in this context that Joe Namath made his famous guarantee. Three days before the game, at the Miami Touchdown Club, Namath responded to a heckler by saying, "We're going to win Sunday. I guarantee it." This bold proclamation made headlines across the country and added even more intrigue to the already highly anticipated matchup. As game day arrived, the Orange Bowl was packed with 75,389 fans, eager to see if Namath could back up his words or if the Colts would prove the oddsmakers right. The game began with the Jets receiving the opening kickoff, and from the outset, it was clear that this would not be the blowout many had predicted. The Jets' first drive was a statement of intent. They moved the ball effectively, with Namath completing passes to Sauer and Snell gaining yards on the ground. While they didn't score on this drive, they showed they could move the ball against the vaunted Colts defense. The Colts' first possession ended in disaster. Earl Morrall threw an interception to Jets safety Jim Hudson, giving New York excellent field position. While the Jets couldn't capitalize with a touchdown, they did get on the board first with a 9-yard field goal from Jim Turner. As the first quarter came to a close, the score remained 3-0 in favor of the Jets. The Colts had another opportunity to score, but Morrall threw another interception, this time to Randy Beverly in the end zone. The Jets were holding their own against the heavily favored Colts, and the crowd began to sense that something special might be happening. The second quarter saw the Jets extend their lead. Matt Snell, who would finish the game with 121 rushing yards, scored on a 4-yard run, capping off an 80-yard drive. The Jets now led 10 to zero, and the Colts were in unfamiliar territory, trailing by double digits. The Colts continued to struggle offensively. Morrall threw yet another interception, this time to Jets cornerback Johnny Sample. The Jets turned this turnover into another field goal, extending their lead to 13 to zero. As halftime approached, the Colts had one more chance to get on the board, but in a play that would be remembered for years to come, they failed

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to our podcast on Super Bowl three, one of
the most iconic and influential games in NFL history. This
matchup between the NFL's Baltimore Colts and the AFL's New
York Jets took place on January twelfth, nineteen sixty nine,
at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. The game would
prove to be a turning point in professional football, forever

(00:20):
changing the landscape of the sport and cementing the legacy
of one of its most charismatic figures. To understand the
significance of Super Bowl three, we need to set the stage.
At the time, the NFL and AFL were still separate leagues,
with the Super Bowl serving as a championship game between
the two. The NFL was widely considered to be the
superior league, having won the first two Super Bowls convincingly.

(00:44):
The Green Bay Packers, led by legendary coach Vince Lombardi,
had dominated both games, reinforcing the perception that AFL teams
simply couldn't compete with the established NFL franchises. Entering Super
Bowl three, the Baltimore Colts were heavy favors. They had
finished the regular season with a thirteen to one record
and were considered by many to be one of the

(01:05):
greatest teams in NFL history. Led by head coach Don Shula,
the Colts boasted a fearsome defense that had allowed only
one hundred and forty four points all season, the fewest
in the league. Their offense was equally impressive, having scored
four hundred and two points, second most in the NFL.
The Colts quarterback situation was interesting. Their starter for most

(01:28):
of the season had been Earl Morrile, who had stepped
in when Johnny Unitas was injured in the preseason. Morral
had an outstanding year and was named the NFL's Most
Valuable Player. Unitas, a future Hall of Famer, had returned
from his injury late in the season, but was relegated
to a backup role due to Maral's stellar play. On

(01:49):
the other side of the field were the New York Jets.
The Jets had finished the regular season with an eleven
to three record and defeated the Oakland Raiders in the
AFL Championship Game to reach each the Super Bowl. While
they were a strong team in their own right, few
gave them much chance against the Mighty Colts. The Jets
were led by quarterback Joe Namath, a charismatic and controversial

(02:12):
figure who had been lured to the AFL with a
then record four hundred and twenty seven thousand dollars contract.
Namath had a strong season, throwing for three thousand, one
hundred and forty seven yards and fifteen touchdowns. He had
a talented receiving corps including Don Maynard and George Sower Junior,
as well as a solid running game featuring Matt Snell

(02:34):
and Emerson Boozer. In the lead up to the game,
the disparity between the two teams was a constant topic
of discussion. The Colts were favored by eighteen points, one
of the largest spreads in Super Bowl history. Many pundits
and fans believed the game would be another showcase of
NFL superiority, much like the previous two Super Bowls. It

(02:54):
was in this context that Joe Namath made his famous
guarantee three days before the game at the Miami Touchdown Club,
Namath responded to a heckler by saying, we're going to
win Sunday. I guarantee it. This bold proclamation made headlines
across the country and added even more intrigue to the
already highly anticipated matchup. As game day arrived, the Orange

(03:15):
Bowl was packed with seventy five, three hundred and eighty
nine fans, eager to see if Namath could back up
his words or if the Colts would prove the odds
maker's right. The game began with the Jets receiving the
opening kickoff, and from the outset it was clear that
this would not be the blowout many had predicted. The
Jets' first drive was a statement of intent. They moved
the ball effectively, with Nameath completing passes to sour and

(03:36):
Snell gaining yards on the ground. While they didn't score
on this drive, they showed they could move the ball
against the vaunted Colts defense. The Colts' first possession ended
in disaster. Earl Morale threw an interception to Jets' safety
Jim Hudson, giving New York excellent field position. While the
Jets couldn't capitalize with a touchdown, they did get on

(03:56):
the board first with a nine yard field goal from
Jim Turner. As the first quarter came to a close,
the score remained three nil in favor of the Jets.
The Colts had another opportunity to score, but Morale threw
another interception, this time to Randy Beverly in the end zone.
The Jets were holding their own against the heavily favored Colts,

(04:18):
and the crowd began to sense that something special might
be happening. The second quarter saw the Jets extend their lead.
Matt Snell, who would finished the game with one hundred
and twenty one rushing yards, scored on a four yard run,
capping off an eighty yard drive. The Jets now led
ten to zero and the Colts were in unfamiliar territory,
trailing by double digits. The Colts continued to struggle offensively.

(04:40):
Marall threw yet another interception, this time to Jets cornerback
Johnny Sample. The Jets turned this turnover into another field goal,
extending their lead to thirteen to zero. As halftime approached,
the Colts had one more chance to get on the board,
but in a play that would be remembered for years
to come, they failed spectacularly. With seconds left in the half,
the Colts attempted a flee flicker play. Morale handed off

(05:03):
to Tom Matt who pitched the ball back to Maral.
Jets defender Johnny Sample fell down, leaving Jimmy Or wide
open near the end zone. However, Maral didn't see Or
and instead through to Jerry Hill, who was covered. The
pass was intercepted by Jim Hudson and the Jets went
into halftime with a shocking thirteen to zero lead. The

(05:23):
halftime show, featuring the Florida A and M University marching band,
must have seemed surreal to many in attendance. The unthinkable
was happening. The AFL champions were not only competing with
the NFL's best, they were dominating them. As the third
quarter began, Colts coach Don Shula made a crucial decision.
He benched Earl Moral and brought in Johnny Unitas, hoping

(05:45):
the veteran quarterback could spark a comeback. Unitas, still not
fully recovered from his injury, entered the game to a
roar from the crowd. However, the Jets defense continued to
stand strong. They forced a Colt's punt and then extended
their lead with an nother Jim Turner field goal, making
the score sixteen to zero. The Colts finally showed signs

(06:06):
of life late in the third quarter, driving into Jets' territory,
but the drives stalled and they had to settle for
a field goal attempt, in a moment that seemed to
sum up the Colt's day, the kick was blocked. As
the fourth quarter began, the Jets added yet another field goal,
pushing their lead to nineteen to zero. The Colts, desperate,
now finally managed to put together a scoring drive. Unitis

(06:28):
led the team down the field and connected with Jerry
Hill for a one yard touchdown pass. With the score
now nineteen to seven and just over three minutes left,
the Colts attempted an on side kick, but the Jets recovered.
The final minutes ticked away, and as the clock hit zero,
Joe Namath jogged off the field with his index finger
raised high, signaling that the Jets were number one. The

(06:51):
final score New York Jets sixteen, Baltimore Colts seven. The
impact of this game cannot be overstated. It was a
seismic shock to the football world, proving that the AFL
could not only compete with the NFL, but could beat
its best team. Joe Namath was named the game's most
valuable player. While he didn't throw any touchdown passes, his
leadership and poise under pressure were crucial to the Jets victory.

(07:15):
The Jets defense deserves immense credit for their performance. They
forced five turnovers and completely stifled the Colt's high powered offense.
Randy Beverly's two interceptions, both in the end zone, were
particularly crucial in preserving the Jets lead. For the Colts,
the loss was a bitter disappointment. Earl Morale, who had
been so brilliant during the regular season, had the worst

(07:38):
game of his career at the worst possible time. Johnny
Unitas showed flashes of his old self, but it was
too little, too late. The aftermath was profound. It legitimized
the AFL in the eyes of fans and pundits alike,
paving the way for the AFL NFL merger that would
take place the following year. The Jets victory proved that

(07:58):
the best teams from each league were on par with
each other, creating the foundation for the modern NFL. Joe
Namath's guarantee and subsequent victory turned him into a cultural icon.
His brash, confidence and undeniable skill made him one of
the most recognizable athletes of his era. The image of

(08:19):
Namath jogging off the field. Index finger raised became one
of the most enduring in sports history. For Don Shula,
the loss was a turning point in his career. He
would leave the Colts after the season and take over
as head coach of the Miami Dolphins, where he would
go on to even greater success, including leading the only
undefeated season in NFL history in nineteen seventy two. Super

(08:41):
Bowl three also changed the way the game was played.
The Jets victory showed that a team could win with
a strong passing attack, helping to usher in a new
era of offensive football. Name Its ability to read defenses
and make quick decisions became a model for future quarterbacks.
As we look back on Super Bowl Three more than
five decades later, it signified as only seems to grow.

(09:01):
It was more than just a football game. It was
a cultural moment that changed the sport forever. The Jets
victory over the Colts proved that on any given Sunday,
any team could win, regardless of their pedigree or the
odds against them. This game also cemented the Super Bowl's
place as a true American spectacle. The drama, the upset,

(09:23):
and the larger than life personality of Joe Namath all
combined to capture the public's imagination in a way that
previous Super Bowls had not. From this point on, the
Super Bowl would be more than just a championship game.
It would be an event that transcended sports and became
a part of American popular culture. In conclusion, Super Bowl

(09:44):
three stands as one of the most important games in
NFL history. It was a David versus Goliath's story, a
tale of an underdog team backing up their brash quarterbacks
guarantee with a stunning performance on the field. It changed
the balance of power in professional football, ushered in a
new era for the sport, and created a legend in
Joe Namath. As we continue to watch and enjoy Super

(10:07):
Bowls today, we owe a debt to that Jets team
and their improbable victory, which helped transform the game into
the spectacle we know and love.