Welcome back all! It is officially Super Bowl week! As we get closer to the Super Bowl 54 showdown between the Chiefs & 49ers, I'll be taking a look back throughout the week at memorable Super Bowls from years past. Each one will be from a different era, and important to the league's history. Let's kick it off by taking a trip to the early 1970s, and flash all the way back to Super Bowl V.
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Super Bowl V was the first Super Bowl to officially take place after the AFL-NFL merger of 1970. The Baltimore Colts had been an NFL power throughout the 1950s, but became one of three teams (along with the Cleveland Browns & Pittsburgh Steelers) to join the 10 AFL teams to form the post-merger AFC.
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The Colts had appeared in Super Bowl III two years earlier, after dominating the competition in the NFL. Legendary QB Johnny Unitas had been lost to injury early in the season, but veteran backup Earl Morrall had stepped in and delivered an MVP season in replace of Unitas. They came into the game against the upstart AFL Champion New York Jets as heavy 18-point favorites. The Packers had easily won the first two Super Bowls over the Chiefs & Raiders, respectively, and they were both perceived to better teams than the 1968 Jets, helping to feed into the belief that the NFL was the far superior league. After their impressive regular season, the Colts were being openly considered the greatest team of all-time.
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Joe Namath of course went on to lead those Jets to perhaps the biggest upset in NFL history, by taking down the mighty Colts, 16-7, in a surprisingly dominant effort from the Orange Bowl in Miami. The Colts stumbled to an 8-5-1 record the following season, and missed the playoffs all-together as there appeared to be lingering effects from the shocking loss to the Jets. Shula was off to the Dolphins during the following offseason, and long-time assistant Don McCafferty took over to provide continuity and became a much welcomed calming presence.
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The Dallas Cowboys, meanwhile, had come on strong during the mid-60s under the tutelage of legendary coach Tom Landry after a lackluster start to the franchise at the beginning of the decade. The Cowboys had come up short in both the 1966 & 1967 NFL Championship games, falling to Vince Lombardi and the Green Bay Packers on both occasions, with the latter being the infamous "Ice Bowl". They had made the playoffs in 68' & 69' as well, but bowed out to the Browns in the Conference playoffs both times.
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Thus, Dallas came into Super Bowl V with the reputation of being an excellent football team, but they just couldn't win the big one. Baltimore came in with the perception of being a quality team full of veterans that were chasing history one last time after their shortcomings in Super Bowl III.
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The Cowboys were looking to finally "get over the hump" & the Colts were looking to showcase just how good they really were and prove their Super Bowl performance from two years prior was an anomaly. Therefore, it wasn't a huge surprise that from the first whistle, the game was played with an intense sense of urgency from both sides. Instead of seeing the exceptional showdown everyone expected, the two teams were on edge, and the game devulged into a sloppy, turn-over plagued game that stands out in NFL history.
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Dallas struck first behind a pair of short field goals, only to lose their early 6-0 lead in one quick, unlucky break. Unitas fired high for his intended receiver early in the second quarter, but the pass was deflected beyond two Cowboys defenders' grasps, and fell right into the hands of TE John Mackey, who caught the ball in stride behind the Cowboys defense and was off to the races for a 75-yard TD. Rookie kicker Jim O'Brien's ensuing extra point was kicked low and blocked by the Cowboys to leave it tied at 6. Dallas responded with a Craig Morton TD pass, and the Cowboys took a 13-6 lead into the half.
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Both teams struggled in the first half, with turnovers playing a huge roll in the scoring. After an equally sloppy 3rd quarter resulted in no scoring for either team, Dallas took the 13-6 lead into the 4th quarter. The Colts were able to rally for a score behind Earl Morrall, who had replaced an injured Unitas in the 2nd quarter. After LB Mike Curtis picked off Morton in Dallas territory with less than 2 minutes to play, Baltimore had a chance to complete the rally. The Colts picked up as much yardage as they could, and then it was all up to O'Brien, who hoped to put his artificial turf kicking woes' behind him. His 32-yard kick in the closing seconds, was true and sent the Colts to a dramatic 16-13 Super Bowl V victory.
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The demons of two years' prior had been exercised, and the Colts were crowned World Champions on the very same field where they had suffered their worst defeat just two years prior. This time, they left the Miami Orange Bowl with the newly named Vince Lombardi Trophy.
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The game itself set several records for futility, including the most turnovers by a single team in Super Bowl history, most turnovers by a winning team, and most turnovers total. The two teams' combined to turn it over 11 times, with Baltimore leading the way with 7 and Dallas with 4. Each team threw 3 interceptions, and the Colts fumbled the ball a whopping 5 times, losing 4 of them (both Super Bowl records as well).
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The two teams combined to complete only 23 of 51 passes for the game (45%), with Dallas's Craig Morton (12/26/127yds/1TD/3INTs) leading the way. Unitas had the 75-yard TD pass, but finished just 3/9 for 88 yards with a pair of INTs before exiting with a rib injury.
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The game is also known for being the first & only time in Super Bowl history where the game's MVP came from the losing squad. Dallas's Chuck Howley caused havoc for the Colts all game long, and the linebacker was chosen as the game's MVP largely due to his two interceptions, and forced fumble. He was also the first defensive player to win the award.
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It would be the last Championship for the Colts - and only Super Bowl Title - before they left Baltimore and relocated to Indianapolis a decade later. The loss would go on to motivate the Cowboys to comeback even stronger the following year, as they were able to win Super Bowl VI in dominant fashion over Don Shula's Miami Dolphins for their first World Championship - and spur them on to become one of the most storied & decorated franchises in NFL history.
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