Super Bowl Summaries

Super Bowl III
New York Jets 16, Baltimore 7
MVP: QB Joe Namath, New York Jets

January 12, 1969
Miami, Florida; Orange Bowl
Attendance: 75,389

IMAGE: Super Bowl III
Photograph by: Walter Iooss Jr.
Namath, who guaranteed victory for New York, was the center of attention poolside.

Despite the fact that the Colts were coming into the game as 17-point favorites, Jet quarterback Joe Namath "guaranteed" victory on the Thursday before the game. He then went out and led the AFL to its first Super Bowl victory over a Baltimore team that had lost only once in 16 games all season.
This game is remembered for Namath's famous prediction of a Jets victory, but the legend of Broadway Joe obscures other extraordinary performances. Fullback Matt Snell rushed for 121 yards on 30 carries for the Jets, and the New York secondary picked off three Earl Morrall passes in the first half, each deep in New York territory, to completely shut down the heavily favored Colts. Johnny Unitas, who had suffered from a sore elbow most of the season, came off the bench in the second half and led Baltimore to its only touchdown late in the fourth quarter after New York led 16-0. Unitas completed 11 of 24 passes. Namath completed 17 of his 28 passes for 206 yards to win the MVP award.
The Jets finished the game with 337 total yards.

Super Bowl III Drive Charts and Play-by-Play

1st Quarter

2nd Quarter

3rd Quarter

4th Quarter

New York won the coin toss and elected to receive.

First Quarter
New York (15:00) Michaels kick 2 yards into end zone, Christy 25 return (Hawkins).
NY 23	1–10	Snell 3 run left tackle (Shinnick).
NY 26	2–7	Snell 9 run left tackle (Volk).
NY 35	1–10	Boozer run right end, loss of 4 (Shinnick).
NY 31	2–14	Namath 9 pass to Snell (Boyd).
NY 40	3–5	Snell draw middle, loss of 2 (Miller).
NY 38	4–7	Johnson 44 punt to B 18. Play nullified and Baltimore penalized 5 for offsides.
NY 43	4–2	Johnson 39 punt, Brown 9 return (McAdams).
Baltimore (10:55)
B 27	1–10	Morrall 19 pass to Mackey (Elliott).
B 46	1–10	Matte 10 sweep right (Baker).
NY 44	1–10	J. Hill 7 sweep left (Hudson).
NY 37	2–3	Matte 1 run left (Elliott).
NY 36	3–2	J. Hill 5 run right tackle (Baird).
NY 31	1–10	J. Hill run right, loss of 3 (Philbin).
NY 34	2–13	Morrall pass to Orr underthrown, incomplete.
NY 34	3–13	Morrall 15 pass to Mitchell (Baird).
NY 19	1–10	Morrall pass to Richardson dropped.
NY 19	2–10	Morrall pass to Mitchell overthrown, incomplete.
NY 19	3–10	Morrall run evading rush, no gain (Atkinson).
NY 19	4–10	Michaels’s 27–yard field–goal attempt was wide right, no good.
New York (5:33)
NY 20	1–10	Namath pass to Snell dropped.
NY 20	2–10	Namath 2 pass to Lammons (Lyles).
NY 22	3–8	Namath 13 pass to Mathis (Gaubatz).
NY 35	1–10	Namath pass to Maynard overthrown, incomplete.
NY 35	2–10	Namath 6 pass to Sauer (Lyles).
NY 41	3–4	Namath pass to Sauer overthrown, incomplete.
NY 41	4–4	Johnson 38 punt, Brown 21 return (Snell).
Baltimore (3:05)
B 42	1–10	Morrall pass to Mackey dropped, incomplete.
B 42	2–10	J. Hill 3 run middle (Elliott).
B 45	3–7	Morrall pass to Richardson broken up (Sample).
B 45	4–7	Lee 51 punt downed at NY 4.
New York (1:58)
NY 4	1–10	Snell 4 run right tackle (Shinnick).
NY 8	2–6	Snell 5 draw right (Gaubatz).
NY 13	3–1	Namath 3 pass to Sauer left (Lyles), fumbled, Porter recovered for Baltimore at NY 12.
Baltimore (:14)
NY 12	1–10	J. Hill run left tackle, loss of 1 (Philbin).
		END OF FIRST QUARTER: Baltimore 0, New York 0
Second Quarter
NY 13	2–11	Matte 7 sweep left (Beverly).
NY 6	3–4	Morrall pass to Mitchell off his shoulder pad and intercepted in end zone, Beverly no return, touchback.
New York (14:09)
NY 20	1–10	Snell 1 run left tackle (Braase).
NY 21	2–9	Snell 7 run left tackle (Shinnick).
NY 28	3–2	Snell 6 run left end (Lyles).
NY 34	1–10	Snell 12 draw left end (Lyles).
NY 46	1–10	Namath pass to Sauer broken up (Shinnick), incomplete.
NY 46	2–10	Namath 6 pass to Mathis (Bubba Smith).
B 48	3–4	Namath 14 pass to Sauer (Lyles).
B 34	1–10	Namath 11 pass to Sauer (Volk).
B 23	1–10	Boozer 2 run right (Shinnick).
B 21	2–8	Namath 12 pass to Snell (Gaubatz).
B 9	1–goal	Snell 5 run right tackle (B.R. Smith).
B 4	2–goal	Snell 4 run over left tackle, touchdown (9:03). J. Turner kicked extra point.
		New York scoring drive: 80 yards, 12 plays, 5:06. New York 7, Baltimore 0
Baltimore (9:03) Johnson kick to B 2, Pearson 26 return (Richards).
B 28	1–10	Morrall pass to Richardson overthrown, incomplete.
B 28	2–10	Morrall 30 pass to Matte (Hudson).
NY 42	1–10	J. Hill 4 run right tackle (Atkinson).
NY 38	2–6	Matte run right, no gain (Biggs).
NY 38	3–6	Morrall pass to Mackey broken up (Sample), incomplete.
NY 38	4–6	Michaels’s 46–yard field–goal attempt was no good.
New York (6:37)
NY 20	1–10	Boozer 1 run right (Logan).
NY 21	2–9	Namath 35 pass to Sauer (Lyles).
B 44	1–10	Snell 9 run left (Gaubatz).
B 35	2–1	Snell 3 run middle (Shinnick).
B 32	1–10	Namath pass to Maynard overthrown, incomplete.
B 32	2–10	Namath pass to B. Turner underthrown, incomplete.
B 32	3–10	Namath sacked, loss of 2 (Gaubatz).
B 34	4–12	J. Turner’s 41–yard field–goal attempt was no good.
Baltimore (4:13)
B 20	1–10	Morrall 6 pass to Richardson (Sample).
B 26	2–4	Matte 58 run around right end (Baird).
NY 16	1–10	J. Hill 1 run left tackle (Atkinson, Hudson).
NY 15	2–9	Morrall pass to Richardson intercepted at NY 2, Sample no return. Two–Minute Warning.
New York (2:00)
NY 2	1–10	Snell 2 run left (Shinnick).
NY 4	2–8	Snell 3 run left tackle (Miller).
NY 7	3–5	Snell draw left, no gain (Bubba Smith).
NY 7	4–5	Johnson 32 punt, Brown fair catch. Play nullified by offsetting penalties, illegal procedure against New York and roughing the kicker against Baltimore.
NY 7	4–5	Johnson 39 punt, Brown 4 return (Neidert).
Baltimore (:43)
NY 42	1–10	Morrall 1 pass to J. Hill (Crane).
NY 41	2–9	Matte lateraled back to Morrall, Morrall pass to J. Hill middle intercepted at NY 12, Hudson 9 return to NY 21 as time expired.
		END OF SECOND QUARTER: New York 7, Baltimore 0
Third Quarter
Johnson kick to goal line, Brown 25 return (Smolinski).
B 25	1–10	Matte 8 run, fumbled, Baker recovered for New York at B 33.
New York (14:25)
B 33	1–10	Boozer 8 run left (Volk).
B 25	2–2	Snell 4 run right (Bubba Smith).
B 21	1–10	Boozer 2 run left (Curtis).
B 19	2–8	Namath 5 pass to Snell (Curtis).
B 14	3–3	Snell 3 run right (Gaubatz).
B 11	1–10	Boozer run left end, loss of 5 (Lyles).
B 16	2–15	Namath sacked, loss of 9 (Bubba Smith).
B 25	3–24	Namath pass to Lammons broken up (Logan), incomplete.
B 25	4–24	J. Turner, 32–yard field goal (10:08).
		New York scoring drive: 8 yards, 8 plays, 4:17. New York 10, Baltimore 0.
Baltimore (10:08) Johnson kick to B 5, Brown 21 return (D’Amato).
B 26	1–10	Morralll pass to Mackey overthrown, incomplete.
B 26	2–10	Morrall pass to J. Hill, no gain (Grantham).
B 26	3–10	Morrall run evading rush, loss of 2 (McAdams).
B 24	4–12	Lee 44 punt, Baird no return (S. Williams).
New York (8:04)
NY 32	1–10	Namath 1 pass to Mathis (Curtis).
NY 33	2–9	Namath 14 pass to Sauer (Volk).
NY 47	1–10	Namath pass to Maynard overthrown, incomplete.
NY 47	2–10	Boozer 4 run left (B.R. Smith).
B 49	3–6	Namath 11 pass to Lammons (Logan).
B 38	1–10	Namath pass to Maynard overthrown, incomplete.
B 38	2–10	Namath 14 pass to Snell (Curtis).
B 24	1–10	Mathis 1 draw middle (Shinnick).
B 23	2–9	Namath pass to Maynard incomplete. Namath hurt.
B 23	3–9	Parilli pass to Sauer underthrown, incomplete.
B 23	4–9	J. Turner, 30–yard field goal (3:58).
		New York scoring drive: 45 yards, 10 plays, 4:06. New York 13, Baltimore 0
Baltimore (3:58) Johnson kick hit goal post, touchback.
B 20	1–10	Matte 5 sweep right (Baker).
B 25	2–5	Unitas pass to Matte, no gain (Grantham).
B 25	3–5	Unitas pass to Orr dropped, incomplete.
B 25	4–5	Lee 38 punt, Baird fair catch.
New York (2:24)
NY 37	1–10	Snell 3 run left (B.R. Smith).
NY 40	2–7	Namath pass to Sauer overthrown, incomplete.
NY 40	3–7	Namath 11 pass to Sauer (Lyles).
B 49	1–10	Namath 39 pass to Sauer (Lyles).
B 10	1–goal	Snell 4 run right tackle (Gaubatz).
		END OF THIRD QUARTER: New York 13, Baltimore 0
Fourth Quarter
B 6	2–goal	Snell 3 run left tackle. Play nullified and Baltimore penalized 3 (half the distance) for offsides.
B 3	2–goal	Snell run left, no gain (Volk).
B 3	3–goal	Mathis 1 run left (Gaubatz).
B 2	4–goal	J. Turner, 9–yard field goal (13:26).
		New York scoring drive: 61 yards, 7 plays, 3:58. New York 16, Baltimore 0
Baltimore (13:26) Johnson kick 6 yards into end zone, Pearson 33 return (Richards).
B 27	1–10	Unitas 5 pass to Mackey (Grantham).
B 32	2–5	Matte 7 sweep right (Baker).
B 39	1–10	Unitas 5 pass to Richardson (Sample).
B 44	2–5	Matte 19 run left (Hudson).
NY 37	1–10	J. Hill 12 run right tackle (Baird).
NY 25	1–10	Unitas pass to Richardson overthrown, incomplete.
NY 25	2–10	Unitas pass to Orr deep intercepted in end zone, Beverly no return, touchback.
New York (11:06)
NY 20	1–10	Boozer 2 draw middle (Miller).
NY 22	2–8	Snell 2 run left (Porter).
NY 24	3–6	Boozer 7 sweep left (Gaubatz).
NY 31	1–10	Snell 10 run left (Curtis). Baltimore penalized 15 for personal foul.
B 44	1–10	Snell 7 run middle (Bubba Smith).
B 37	2–3	Boozer 2 run right tackle (B.R. Smith).
B 35	3–1	Mathis run left tackle, no gain (Michaels).
B 35	4–1	J. Turner’s 42–yard field–goal attempt was no good.
Baltimore (6:34)
B 20	1–10	Unitas pass to Mackey broken up (Grantham), incomplete.
B 20	2–10	Unitas pass to Richardson overthrown, incomplete.
B 20	3–10	Unitas pass to Mackey overthrown, incomplete.
B 20	4–10	Unitas 17 pass to Orr (Beverly).
B 37	1–10	Unitas pass to Richardson overthrown, incomplete.
B 37	2–10	Unitas pass to J. Hill underthrown, incomplete.
B 37	3–10	Unitas 11 pass to Mackey (Baird). New York penalized 15 for personal foul.
NY 37	1–10	Matte 1 run left (Biggs).
NY 36	2–9	Unitas 21 pass to Richardson (Sample).
NY 15	1–10	Unitas pass to Matte overthrown, incomplete.
NY 15	2–10	Unitas 11 pass to Orr (Beverly).
NY 4	1-goal	NY penalized 2 (half the distance) for offsides.
NY 2	1–goal	Matte run left, no gain. Play nullified and New York penalized 1 (half the distance) for offsides.
NY 1	1–goal	Unitas keeper middle, no gain (Biggs).
NY 1	2–goal	Matte run right, no gain (Atkinson).
NY 1	3–goal	Hill 1 run over left tackle, touchdown (3:19). Michaels kicked extra point.
		Baltimore scoring drive: 80 yards, 14 plays, 3:15. New York 16, Baltimore 7
New York (3:19) Michaels onside kick, Mitchell recovered for Baltimore at NY 44.
Baltimore (3:14)
NY 44	1–10	Unitas 6 pass to Richardson (Sample).
NY 38	2–4	Unitas 14 pass to Orr (Beverly).
NY 24	1–10	Unitas 5 pass to Richarson (out of bounds).
NY 19	2–5	Unitas pass to Richardson broken up (Sample), incomplete.
NY 19	3–5	Unitas pass to Orr underthrown, incomplete.
NY 19	4–5	Unitas pass to Orr overthrown, incomplete.
New York (2:21)
NY 20	1–10	Snell 1 run right (Bubba Smith). Baltimore–first time out.
NY 21	2–9	Snell 6 run right (Logan). Two–Minute Warning.
NY 27	3–3	Snell 4 run right (Gaubatz). Baltimore–second time out (1:54).
NY 31	1–10	Snell 2 run right tackle (Boyd).
NY 33	2–8	New York penalized 5 for delay of game.
NY 28	2–13	Snell 1 run right (B.R. Smith).
NY 29	3–12	New York penalized 5 for delay of game.
NY 24	3–17	Snell 3 sweep left (Austin). Baltimore–third time out (:15)
NY 27	4–14	Johnson 39 punt, Brown no return, out of bounds.
Baltimore (:08)
B 34	1–10	Unitas pass to Richardson incomplete.
B 34	2–10	Unitas 15 pass to Richardson (Sample).
	FINAL SCORE: New York 16, Baltimore 7
	FINAL RECORDS: New York 13–3, Baltimore 15–2

Super Bowl III Boxscore

                           SCORING
New York (A.F.L.)                           0  7  6  3 -- 16
Baltimore                                   0  0  0  7 --  7

NYJ- Snell 4 run  (J. Turner kick),  5:57 2nd

NYJ- FG J. Turner 32,  4:52 3rd
NYJ- FG J. Turner 30, 11:02 3rd

NYJ- FG J. Turner 9,   1:34 4th
BAL- Hill 1 run  (Michaels kick), 11:41 4th


TEAM STATISTICS                          NY-J           Balt.
Total First Downs                          21             18
  Rushing                                  10              7
  Passing                                  10              9
  Penalty                                   1              2
Total Net Yardage                         337            324
Total Offensive Plays                      74             64
  Average Gain per Offensive Play           4.6            5.1
Rushes                                     43             23
  Yards Gained Rushing (Net)              142            143
  Average Yards per Rush                    3.3            6.2
Passes Attempted                           29             41
  Passes Completed                         17             17
  Had Intercepted                           0              4
  Tackled Attempting to Pass                2              0
  Yards Lost Attempting to Pass            11              0
  Yards Gained Passing (Net)              195            181
Punts                                       4              3
  Average Distance                         38.8           44.3
Punt Returns                                1              4
  Punt Return Yardage                       0             34
Kickoff Returns                             1              4
  Kickoff Return Yardage                   25            105
Interception Return Yardage                 9              0
Fumbles                                     1              1
  Own Fumbles Recovered                     0              0
  Opponent Fumbles Recovered                1              1
Penalties                                   5              3
  Yards Penalized                          28             23
Total Points Scored                        16              7
Touchdowns                                  1              1
  Rushing                                   1              1
  Passing                                   0              0
  Returns                                   0              0
Extra Points                                1              1
Field Goals                                 3              0
  Field Goals Attempted                     5              2
Safeties                                    0              0
Third-Down Efficiency                    8/18           4/12
Fourth-Down Efficiency                    0/0            1/2
Time of Possession                      36:10          23:50

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing
New York (A.F.L.)                 No.      Yds.     LG    TD
Snell                             30       121      12     1
Boozer                            10        19       8     0
Mathis                             3         2       1     0
Baltimore                         No.      Yds.     LG    TD
Matte                             11       116      58     0
Hill                               9        29      12     1
Unitas                             1         0       0     0
Morrall                            2        -2       0     0

Passing
New York (A.F.L.)            Att.   Comp.    Yds.   TD   Int.
Namath                        28      17     206     0     0
Parilli                        1       0       0     0     0
Baltimore                    Att.   Comp.    Yds.   TD   Int.
Unitas                        24      11     110     0     1
Morrall                       17       6      71     0     3

Receiving
New York (A.F.L.)                 No.      Yds.     LG    TD
Sauer                              8       133      39     0
Snell                              4        40      14     0
Mathis                             3        20      13     0
Lammons                            2        13      11     0
Baltimore                         No.      Yds.     LG    TD
Richardson                         6        58      21     0
Orr                                3        42      17     0
Mackey                             3        35      19     0
Matte                              2        30      30     0
Hill                               2         1       1     0
Mitchell                           1        15      15     0

Interceptions
New York (A.F.L.)                 No.      Yds.     LG    TD
Beverly                            2         0       0     0
Hudson                             1         9       9     0
Sample                             1         0       0     0
Baltimore                         No.      Yds.     LG    TD
None                              --        --      --    --

Punting
New York (A.F.L.)                 No.      Avg.     LG   Blk.
Johnson                            4        38.8    39     0
Baltimore                         No.      Avg.     LG   Blk.
Lee                                3        44.3    51     0

Punt Returns
New York (A.F.L.)                No.   FC     Yds.   LG   TD
Baird                             1     1       0     0    0
Baltimore                        No.   FC     Yds.   LG   TD
Brown                             4     0      34    21    0

Kickoff Returns
New York (A.F.L.)                 No.      Yds.     LG    TD
Christy                            1        25      25     0
Baltimore                         No.      Yds.     LG    TD
Pearson                            2        59      33     0
Brown                              2        46      25     0


   New York Jets               Baltimore Colts    
  
                   ==  Offense  ==                     
Schmitt, John           C    Curry, Bill             C 
Rasmussen, Randy        G    Ressler, Glenn          G 
Talamini, Bob           G    Sullivan, Dan           G 
Herman, Dave            T    Ball, Sam               T 
Hill, Winston           T    Vogel, Bob              T 
Lammons, Pete           TE   Mackey, John            TE
Maynard, Don            WR   Orr, Jimmy              WR
Sauer, George Jr.       WR   Richardson, Willie      WR
Boozer, Emerson         RB   Hill, Gerald            RB
Snell, Matt             RB   Matte, Tom              RB
Namath, Joe             QB   Morrall, Earl           QB

                   ==  Defense  ==                      
Elliott, D. John        DT   Miller, Fred D.         DT 
Rochester, Paul         DT   Smith, Billy Ray Sr.    DT 
Biggs, Verlon           DE   Braase, Ordell          DE 
Philbin, Gerry          DE   Smith, Bubba            DE 
Baker, Ralph            OLB  Curtis, James           OLB
Grantham, Larry         OLB  Shinnick, Don           OLB
Atkinson, Al            MLB  Gaubatz, Dennis         MLB
Beverly, Randy          CB   Boyd, Bobby             CB 
Sample, Johnny          CB   Lyles, Lenny            CB 
Baird, Bill             FS   Volk, Rick              FS 
Hudson, Jim             SS   Logan, Jerry            SS 

                  ==  Substitute  ==                    
Christy, Earl                Austin, Ocie               
Crane, Paul                  Brown, Timmy               
D'Amato, Mike                Cole, Terry                
Dockery, John                Hawkins, Alex              
Gordon, Cornell              Hilton, Roy                
Johnson, Curley              Johnson, Cornelius         
Mathis, Bill                 Lee, David                 
McAdams, Carl                Michaels, Lou              
Neidert, John                Mitchell, Tom              
Parilli, Babe                Pearson, Preston           
Rademacher, Bill             Perkins, Ray               
Richards, Jim                Porter, Ron                
Richardson, Jeff             Stukes, Charles            
Smolinski, Mark              Szymanski, Dick            
Thompson, Stephen            Unitas, Johnny             
Turner, Jim B.               Williams, John M.          
Turner, Bake                 Williams, Sidney           
Walton, Samuel             

                  ==  Did Not Play  ==
                             Ward, Jim

Super Bowl III Recap

The Super Bowl wasn't always "super," you know. For the first couple of years the game, which wasn't even officially called the Super Bowl yet--it was "AFL-NFL World Championship Game"--was seen by almost everybody as an anti-climax after the *real* contest for the title, the NFL championship game. In both 1966 and 1967, the Green Bay Packers had battled the Dallas Cowboys down to the final seconds before winning the NFL title game; the '67 game, the Ice Bowl, is often considered the greatest game ever played. After each of those epic games, the Pack went on to relatively easy wins over the Kansas City Chiefs (35-10) and Oakland Raiders (33-14) in what would later be called Super Bowls I and II (the title became official in game number four, with the Roman numerals arriving a year later). To put it bluntly, which game do *you* remember from the 1967-68 season--Super Bowl II or the Ice Bowl? And Lombardi was speaking for a lot of people when he summed up Super Bowl I:

     Dallas is a better team. Kansas City is a good team, but they don't even rate with the top teams in our
     division.  There.  That's what you wanted me to say, isn't it?

Joe Namath

Joe Namath was named MVP after leading the Jets to victory in Super Bowl III. (AP)

Well, actually, that probably wasn't what Pete Rozelle, NBC, ABC, the AFL and everyone else who wanted to build up the Super Bowl wanted Vince to say. But most people agreed with him.

Then came Super Bowl III, and the New York Jets. The Jets were considered by many observers, including me, to be the weakest AFL Super Bowl representative yet; their opponents, the NFL champion Baltimore Colts, were thought by more than a few people (also including me) to be even better than the Packers had been. But in an astonishing upset, the Jets upset the Colts, 16-7. Pro Football, and the Super Bowl, were never the same again.

I thought it might be fun to revisit this game--one of the most significant in football history--in some depth. I was lucky enough to obtain a videotape of the game a while back, and I've watched it several times now. I've also read extensively about the game, both in articles that written at the time, and in books and stories that have been written since then. So here is the story of Super Bowl III. It's an amazing one: I guarantee it.

The Teams

To put it mildly, hardly anyone gave the Jets a chance going into the game. The Colts, who had gone 13-1 during the regular season, had outscored their opponents 402-144 during the regular season, and then had shut out a pretty good Cleveland Brown team in the NFL title game, 34-0. Though Baltimore immortal Johnny Unitas had missed virtually the entire season with elbow problems, Earl Morrall had filled in so brilliantly at quarterback that he'd won the NFL Most Valuable Player Award.

The Jets, on the other hand, had posted only the third-best record in the AFL in 1968 (11-3). With the young Joe Namath at quarterback, great receivers in Don Maynard and George Sauer and a good running game led by Matt Snell and Emerson Boozer, the Jets could score. But their defense, which had given up nearly twice as many points as the Colts (280), was suspect. "Given a much better secondary than the Jets, better linebackers, a better defensive line and a more coherent defense, the Colts could win with only an adequate offense," Tex Maule wrote in his Sports Illustrated game preview. "But their offense is far more than that, as the Jets are likely to discover." That was the party line; the Colts were favored by as many as 22 points.

A few days before the game, Namath had spoken the words that everyone remembers him for: "We're going to win on Sunday, I guarantee you" He had also remarked that there were several quarterbacks in the AFL better than Morrall. At the time, his words were loudly dismissed as the brash comments of a guy who talked too much (and thought too little). A lot of people felt worse would only rile up the Colts and make a big Baltimore victory even more likely. But as Jet C John Schmitt put it:

     I'll tell you, that guarantee was probably one of the greatest things Joe could have done because the
     Colts were really pissed off. They wanted to kill Namath and kill us. They wanted to eat us alive and
     that had to throw them off their game.

One of the few people who gave the Jets a chance was NBC's primary color commentator for the Super Bowl telecast, Al DeRogatis. "If the New York Jets get 120 to 130 yards on the ground, and nine to 13 (rushing) first downs. . . if they do that, they have a whale of a chance to win the game," said DeRogatis on NBC's pregame show. It was a remarkably perceptive comment, given the way events unfolded; most people thought the only way the Jets could win would be if Namath went crazy passing. But no one paid much attention to DeRo, who after all was an AFL announcer. His comments were lost amid all the pregame hoopla, which included the Apollo 8 astronauts reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and a huge wooden cake, out of which popped these really big footballs, one for every AFL and NFL club. That Pete Rozelle sure knew how to put on a show!

The First Half

The Jets took the opening kickoff, made a first down on the ground (remember that), then had to punt. The Colts began their first drive on their own 27, and--just as everyone had predicted--immediately began to roll down the field. Morrall hit TE John Mackey for 19 yards on the first play, RB Tom Matte ran for 10 yards on the second, three running plays produced another first down, and then Morrall passed to TE Tom Mitchell for still another. All this unnerved the Jets a little. As DE Gerry Philbin put it, "They were really moving the ball on us. They made three first downs in their first five plays. I started yelling in the huddle, `Hit somebody, dammit. We're getting embarrassed out there.'" Added Jet G Randy Rasmussen: "That first Colts drive scared me a little bit. At that point I felt, `Maybe we misjudged these guys.'"

The Colt drive reached the Jets 19, and they had a chance at another first down when WR Willie Richardson got open at the Jet five. But Richardson dropped Morrall's pass. Two more plays gained nothing, and Colt kicker Lou Michaels, who was considered on of the best in the business, lined up for a 27-yard chip shot (in case you don't recall, the goal posts were on the goal line in those days). Incredibly, he missed it. The Jets, who had dodged a bullet, immediately took heart. As the Jets kicker, Jim Turner, put it, "When Lou missed that field goal, you could hear our guys saying, `These Colts ain't so tough.'"

Well, maybe. The Jets and Colts exchanged punts after the Michaels miss, but the Baltimore punt pinned the Jets back on their own four-yard line. On third and one from the 13, Namath hit Sauer with a short pass, but Sauer fumbled and Colt LB Ron Porter recovered on the Jet 12. Another golden opportunity for Baltimore. . . but once again they blew it. Two running plays reached the six as the first quarter ended. Then, on third down, Morrall fired a pass into the end zone, where Tom Mitchell had broken free. But Jets MLB Al Atkinson managed to tip the ball with his finger, and the ball came in a little higher than Mitchell expected it to. It wound up bouncing off his shoulder pads, a CB Randy Beverly grabbed the ball in the air for an interception. (The NBC replay of this play was remarkably good, considering the relatively crude technology in use back then.) Another huge play. As Jet S Bill Baird put it, "We regrouped and it's still 0-0 and I think that set the tone for the whole game. Panic started to set in on their side early, probably because that big point spread put so much pressure on them to win big."

You could begin to see this when the Jets began their first sustained drive of the game after the Beverly interception. Jet FB Matt Snell ran beautifully start the drive, gaining 26 yards on four consecutive runs, and when the Colts moved up to stop Snell, Namath went to the air. Watching the broadcast, one could sense that the Colts were starting to come unglued. As John Schmitt commented to Stephen Hanks in Hanks' excellent book, "The Game That Changed Pro Football" (many of the quotes in this article come from this book):

     We could hear them cussing in their defensive huddle. They were starting to fight among themselves
     about why guys weren't getting penetration on defense. . . . They were just pissed off at each
     other because they couldn't believe what was happening.

Snell finished the 80-yard drive with a four-yard touchdown run, and the underdog Jets had a 7-0 lead nearly six minutes into the second quarter. Tex Maule put it this way in his Sports Illustrated story the week after the game:

     By now five minutes and 57 seconds had elapsed in the second quarter and the Colts began to come apart
     a bit. A player who prefers to be unidentified said, "We should have had points on the board with the
     way we moved the ball, and we were behind 7-0. We should have stuck to the game plan, but we began to
     panic. That's what they were supposed to do, but they played with great poise. We didn't."

They sure didn't. When the Colts got the ball after the Snell touchdown, they drove into field goal range once again, but Michaels missed a 46-yarder. After the Jets had missed a field goal attempt of their own from the 41--one of New York's few miscues in the game--a 58-yard run by Matte put the Colts in business again at the Jet 16. But again they came up empty when Morrall's pass to Richardson was picked off by Jet DB Johnny Sample, an ex-Colt. Morrall was looking really bad now, throwing wobbly passes into heavy coverage.

The Colts final attempt to score in the first half came on the last play of the quarter. With the ball on the Jet 41, the Colts called a flea-flicker play in which Morrall passed to Matte, who then lateraled back to Morrall, who then heaved it downfield. The Jets defense was totally confused by all the razzle-dazzle, and WR Jimmy Orr was left uncovered near the New York goal line. Morrall only had to toss the ball to Orr to get the tying touchdown. Only he didn't see him. Instead he tried to pass to FB Jerry Hill, and Jet S Jim Hudson intercepted as the half ran out. Orr couldn't believe it. "I was the primary receiver on the play," he said later. "Earl just said he didn't see me. I was open from here to Tampa."

Actually, Earl wasn't the only one who missed Orr being wide-open: NBC missed him, also. As the play unfolded, Curt Gowdy began shouting, "Jimmy Orr's wide open! There's nobody near him!" But there was no camera shot of Orr, either during the play or on a replay afterward, though the announcers talked about it plenty. So don't feel so bad, Earl; you weren't the only one who didn't see Jimmy.

"That was the game in a nutshell," said Matte in summing up the Colts bizarre first half. "We were a great team during the season because we did not make mistakes. But that day we threw four interceptions. I fumbled once. We had a chance to have 27 points in the first half. It was right there. We didn't get any."

For all their blown chances, the Colts were still only down 7-0. But as Allan Barra put it nearly two decades later in "Football by the Numbers":

     It was obvious midway through the second quarter that the Colts were a shaken team; they were playing
     like a team that was trying to win the game but like a team that felt it had to win by the *spread*.
     Compare their panic and lack of composure with the calm of Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers in the
     Super Bowl two years earlier when the Kansas City Chiefs tied them in the second quarter in a game in
     which the Packers were favored by about 20. The Packers were content to take a 14-10 lead in the
     locker room, assessed the situation at halftime, and came out to blow the Chiefs away, 21-0, in the
     second half. The Colts, by contrast, had many more scoring chances in the first half of Super Bowl III
     than Green Bay had in the first half of Super Bowl I. Trailing 7-0, they came out and saw Tom Matte
     fumble the first play.  The Jets recovered, kicked a field goal, and the game was never in doubt after
     that.

Exactly. The Colts played as if it wasn't enough to win; they had to win *big*, or be disgraced. As C Bill Curry put it, "The whole NFL thing was riding on us. We were going to be the greatest team in history." Instead of calming themselves down and saying, "It's not so bad, we played horribly and we're only down seven," the Colts continued to play like a panicky team that had to win by 17 or more, or be humiliated. Shula's comments after the game reflected this. "After the first half, I decided to give Morrall one more series. We were behind 7-0, but things looked bleaker than that because we were the big favorites." Not exactly the mindset that Vince Lombardi would have had, I don't think. The simple truth is that the Jets were a lot better than the Colts thought they'd be, and Baltimore--not Don Shula, not the players, not anybody--didn't know to respond to that.

NBC at Halftime

What did Curt Gowdy and company have to say about the astonishing events of the first half? Well, nothing, actually. The Peacock Network went right to the "great halftime show" featuring the Florida A & M marching band while Curt and DeRo went to the men's room, I guess. But then, Curt and DeRo didn't have much to say in the way of commentary *during* the first half, either. . . they basically just called the plays, one after another. Kind of refreshing, in a way. But gee, with the upset of the century unfolding before your eyes, you sort of wanted them to say *something*. (Actually, one of the most interesting things about watching the first half of the broadcast was seeing all those cigarette commercials. I haven't had a smoke since 1972, but I swear, I felt like lighting up a Salem. . .)

The first NBC commentator who offered a clue that something unusual was going on in this game was that noted football analyst, Bob Hope. Toward the end of the halftime show, the network shifted to Jim Simpson on the sidelines for a quick interview with Hope. Bob was supposed to be plugging his upcoming Chrysler comedy show along with the Bob Hope Desert Classic, but he couldn't resist making a couple of quick comments about the game. "How about those Jets?" he gushed. "I'm really shocked."

So was everybody. Especially the Colts.

The Second Half

The Colts got the ball to start the second half, but it was more of the same. Matte fumbled on Baltimore's first play form scrimmage, giving the Jets the ball on the Colt 33. That led to a 32-yard field goal by Jim Turner, making the score 10-0. Figuring the fumble wasn't Morrall's fault, Shula stuck with Earl for another series after the field goal, but the Colts went three-and-out. Once again the Jets put together a poised, competent, scoring drive, going 45 yards in 10 plays to set up another Turner field goal. That made it 13-0 with 3:58 left in the third quarter.

When the Colts took the field again on offense, Morrall was out, and Johnny Unitas was in at quarterback. Unitas was still nursing his elbow problem, and he looked shaky on Baltimore's first series, throwing a couple of wobbly passes. Three-and-out again. Once again the Jets made it look easy after getting the ball back, going 61 yards in 10 plays to set up Turner's third field goal. The Colts now seemed completely demoralized (or should that be De-Morrall-ized?). Said Gerry Philbin:

     The third quarter was when I really started noticing the Colts hanging their heads. Late in the quarter
     they were looking worn out. We were a younger team and the heat was getting to them as much as the
     frustration. I saw it more on their defense than their offense. We controlled the ball over 10
     minutes in that quarter and their defense was whipped. Our offense had pounded them, just
     manhandled them.

Joe Namath hands off to Matt Snell.

Joe Namath hands off to Matt Snell. (AP)

Watching the broadcast, you could see the frustration setting in. A number of small fights and near-fights broke out in the second half, most of them featuring Jet defensive back Johnny Sample, who had been a teammate of many of the Colts. In the custom of the day, NBC would quickly turn the cameras away whenever any action would break out. Too bad. . . those were probably the best licks the Colts got in all afternoon.

The fourth quarter started, and up 16-0, the Jets became extremely conservative. The defense played a little looser to prevent any big plays, and on offense, Namath didn't throw a pass the whole period. Unitas moved the ball effectively against the semi-prevent defense on Baltimore's first drive of the period, but came up empty when his pass to Orr was intercepted in the end zone by Randy Beverly. There was only 6:34 left in the game when Baltimore got the ball back, and this time Unitas was finally able to put together a scoring drive. Even then it was frustrating. The Colts had first-and-goal at the Jet two, but it took them four running plays, including a penalty, before Jerry Hill finally punched the ball in. That made it 16-7, but the running plays had eaten up clock time, and there was only 3:15 left to play.

The game wasn't quite over. Everyone in the Orange Bowl knew the Colts would try an onside kick, but amazingly, it worked and the Colts recovered. Three Unitas passes moved the Colts to the Jet 19, and there were still over two and a half minutes left to play. Time for a miracle? Not on this day. Unitas missed four straight passes, the Jets ran out all but the last eight seconds of the clock, and the game was over. For the first time, an American Football League team had won a Super Bowl.

Aftermath

It was, like the game, a little weird. NFL people thought the game was a fluke, or worse. In his 1971 book "They Call It a Game," former Cleveland Brown defensive back Bernie Parrish suggested the game was fixed, that the Colts were giving their defensive signals to Namath. . . the theory being that the NFL wanted a Jet victory, since people were losing interest in Super Bowl mismatches. (Nowadays we could assure him that people *never* lose interest in Super Bowl mismatches.) Colt defensive star Bubba Smith also repeated rumors of a fix in his 1983 book, "Kill, Bubba, Kill."

Dumb, Bubba, dumb . . . especially since his account, and Parrish's, was written years *after* AFL teams had clearly proven that they could handle clubs from the old NFL--starting with another "upset" victory by the Kansas City Chiefs in the very next Super Bowl. But many people who knew the game was on the level still dismissed the Jets victory as a fluke. Jimmy the Greek Snyder, one of the people who had embarrassed himself by making the Colts 17-point favorites, insisted after the game that he wasn't far off:

     The Jets did about the same as the other AFL teams had done in the Super Bowl. I mean, they got 16
     points, but their defense was lousy. The thing was, the Colts had their receivers in the end zone, but
     Morrall missed them.  If they played again the next day, I'd make the Colts the favorite by 12, like I
     originally thought.

The Greek was covering his own considerable backside, of course. But Allen Barra, an intelligent pro football observer writing nearly 20 years after the game in "Football by the Numbers," basically dismissed the Jets victory as a the product of a botched coaching job by Baltimore's Don Shula (a favorite Barra whipping boy). Barra went on to repeat the pre-Super Bowl III notion that the Jets weren't even the best team in the AFL that year. Take that, Broadway Joe.

I tended to agree with Barra at first. But having watched the game myself four times now, I now think that this is doing the Jets a terrible injustice. They moved the ball all day against the Baltimore defense, and the main reason they only scored 16 points was that they got ultra-conservative after taking a 10-point lead in the second half. Even though the fourth quarter featured the Jets throwing no passes--none--and giving up lots of meaningless yards while playing what was essentially a prevent defense, they outgained the Colts for the game. They even outgained the Colts in the first half, when the Colts seemed to be the dominant club. And look at the turnovers: Colts five, Jets one. The best team didn't win? It sure doesn't look that way to me.

I thought Doctor Z, Paul Zimmerman, put it best. "Some people say Super Bowl III was a game the Jets didn't win, but that the Colts lost. I've seen too much football to buy that copout. NFL people bitched and moaned about the missed opportunities, but they couldn't bring themselves to admit the AFL had come of age. And they couldn't say it was a fluke because it really was a thoroughly convincing win by the Jets."

It sure was.

by Don Zminda STATS, Inc.

Super Bowl III Photos

A view of the Orange Bowl in Miami Florida, host of Super Bowl III when the New York Jets defeated the Baltimore Colts 16-7 on January 12, 1969 in front of 75,377 fans in attendance.

(Photo by NFL/WireImage.com)

A "Super Bowl Cake," part of the pregame festivities for Super Bowl III, a 16-7 Jets victory over the Baltimore Colts on January 12, 1969, at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida.

(Photo by NFL/WireImage.com)

Apollo 8 astronauts Jim Lovell, Frank Borman, and William Anders (left to right) lead the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance just before the New York Jets 16-7 victory over the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III on January 12, 1969 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida.

(Photo by NFL/WireImage.com)

New York Jets cornerback Johnny Sample (24) during Super Bowl III, a 16-7 victory over the Baltimore Colts on January 12, 1969, at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida.

(Photo by NFL/WireImage.com)

Photograph by:
The Jets Matt Snell (far left) dragged Colts linebacker Dennis Gaubatz into the end zone to score the Jets only touchdown on a four-yard, second quarter run.

Photograph by:
The Jets Matt Snell (41) scores the Jets only touchdown on a four-yard, second quarter run.

Pro Football Hall of Fame and New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath (12) went 17 for 28 and threw for 206 yards, and was awarded the game's most valuable player in the Jets 16-7 victory over the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III on 1/12/1969 at the Orange Bowl in Miami Florida.

(Photo by NFL/WireImage.com)

Photograph by:
New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath (12) hands off to running back Matt Snell (41).

Photograph by:
New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath (12) drops back to pass as running back Emerson Boozer (32) prepares to block.

New York Jets wide receiver George Sauer (83) goes airborne to make a catch during Super Bowl III, a 16-7 victory over the Baltimore Colts on January 12, 1969, at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida.

(Photo by NFL/WireImage.com)

Photograph by:
Baltimore Colts running back Tom Matte (41).

Photograph by: (Photo by NFL/WireImage.com)
Baltimore Colts fullback Tom Matte (41) shows some frustration during Super Bowl III, a 16-7 loss to the New York Jets on January 12, 1969, at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida.

Photograph by:
On the second play of the second quarter, Baltimore Colts quarterback Earl Morrall's pass to tight end Tom Mitchell hits off his shoulder pad and is intercepted in the end zone by New York Jets corner back Randy Beverly. New York Jets middle line backer Al Atkinson had tipped the pass causing it to come in a little higher than Mitchell had expected it. There was no return, touchback.

Photograph by:
One of two missed field goals by Baltimore Colts kicker Lou Michaels.

Photograph by: (Photo by NFL/WireImage.com)
Baltimore Colts offensive tackle Bob Vogel walks off field in a 16-7 loss to the New York Jets in Super Bowl III on January 12, 1969 at Orange Bowl.

Photograph by:
New York Jets strong safety Jim Hudson intercepts an Earl Morrall pass and returns it for 9 yards as time expires in the second quarter.

Photograph by:
New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath (12) throws a pass downfield without much pressure from the Baltimore Colts rush.

Pro Football Hall of Fame and Baltimore Colts head coach Don Shula watched from the sidelines as his Colts lost to the New York Jets 16-7 in Super Bowl III on 1/12/1969 at the Orange Bowl in Miami Florida.

(Photo by NFL/WireImage.com)

Photograph by:
Baltimore Colts Hall of Fame quarterback Johnny Unitas (19).

Photograph by:
New York Jets running back Matt Snell (41).

Photograph by:
New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath (12) releases the ball before being hit by Baltimore Colts defender Bubba Smith (78).

Photograph by:
New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath (12) calls out signals at the line of scrimmage.

Photograph by: Sports Illustrated/Walter Iooss Jr.
New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath.

Photograph by:
New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath.

New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath (12) raises his finger in championship form as he leaves the field following the New York Jets victory in Super Bowl III.

Pro Football Hall of Fame and New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath (12) walks through the national media after being recognized as the game's most valuable player in the Jets 16-7 victory over the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III on 1/12/1969 at the Orange Bowl in Miami Florida.

(Photo by NFL/WireImage.com)

New York Jets Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath signals that the Jets are number one after a 16-7 win over the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III on January 12, 1969 at Orange Bowl. Natmath was voted the game's MVP after completing 17 of 28 passes for 206 yards.

(Photo by NFL/WireImage.com)

New York Jets Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath with his father and his coach Weeb Ewbank after a 16-7 win over the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III on January 12, 1969 at Orange Bowl. Namath was voted the game's MVP after completing 17 of 28 passes for 206 yards.

(Photo by NFL/WireImage.com)

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Super Bowl III New York Jets 16, Baltimore 7 MVP: QB Joe Namath, New York Jets

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Super Bowl III
New York Jets 16, Baltimore 7
MVP: QB Joe Namath, New York Jets