1. 1968 NFL CHAMPION BALTIMORE COLTS
Record: 13-1
Pythag: 13-1
Off: 2nd
Def: 1st
1st NFL Coastal Division
d. Vikes Div Rnd 24-14
d. Browns NFL Title 34-0
Lost Super Bowl Jets 16-7
d. '83 49ers 13-10 (PotG-Earl Morrall)
HC: Don Shula
Memorial Stadium: 50 degrees
Chuck Thompson
Offense
QB Earl Morrall (34 All Pro) 26 td/17 int 57.4% 9.2 y/a 207.8 y/g 93.2 1td rush
RB Jerry Hill (29) 360 yds 4.0 y/c 18 ctch 161 yds 2td
RB Tom Matte (29) 662 yds 3.6 y/c 25 ctch 275 yds 10 td
WR Willie Richardson (29) 37 ctch 698 yds 18.9 y/c 8 td
WR Jimmy Orr (33) 29 ctch 743 yds 25.6 y/a 6 td
TE John Mackey (27 All Pro) 45 ctch 644 yds 14.3 y/a 5 td
LT Bob Vogel (27)
LG Glenn Ressler (25)
C Bill Curry (26)
RG Dan Sullivan (29)
RT Sam Ball (24)
Defense
LDE Bubba Smith (23 Michigan St) 10.5 scks
LDT Billy Ray Smith (33) 7 scks
RDT Fred Miller (28) 8 scks
RDE Ordell Braase (36) 7 scks
LLB Mike Curtis (25 All Pro) 2 int 1.5 scks td
MLB Dennis Gaubatz (28) 2 int sck
RLB Don Shinnick (33) int
LCB Bobby Boyd (31 All Pro) 8 int td
RCB Lenny Lyles (32) 5 int
LS Jerry Logan (27) 3 int
RS Rick Volk (23) 6 int
K Lou Michaels (33)
P David Lee (25)
KR Preston Pearson (23)
PR Timmy Brown (31)
Here's the best Colts team of all time, Shula's 1968 NFL Champs that lost to Namath's Jets. 2nd in offense. 1st in defense. 31 year old Bobby Boyd had 8 picks; he and 25 year old Mike Curtis were All Pros on defense. Offensively, Earl Morrall was an All Pro at 34 27 total scores and 11 picks (35 year old Unitas is on the bench) 27 year old John Mackey was also an All Pro, 10 scores for 29 year old Tom Matte. The defense came through in beating the '83 Niners in rnd 1.
8. 2020 NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
Record: 12-4
Pythag: 11-5
Off: 5th
Def: 5th
1st NFC South
d. Bears WC 21-9
Lost Bucs Div Rnd 30-20
d. '64 Bills 16-9 (PotG-Latavius Murray)
HC Sean Payton OC Pete Carmichael DC Dennis Allen
Superdome
Zach Strief/Deuce McAllister
Offense
QB Drew Brees (41 Purdue) 24 td/6 int 70.5% 7.5 y/a 245.2y/g 106.4 2 rush td
RB Alvin Kamara (25 Tenn) 932 yds 5 y/c 83 ctch 756 yds 9.1 y/c 21 td
WR Emmanuel Sanders (33 SMU) 61 ctch 726 yds 11.9 y/c 5 td
WR Tre'Quan Smith (24 C Florida) 34 ctch 448 yds 13.2 y/c 4 td
WR Michael Thomas (27 Ohio St) 40 ctch 438 yds 11 y/c
TE Jared Cook (33 S Carolina) 37 ctch 504 yds 13.6 y/c 7 td
LT Terron Armstead (29 Ark PB)
LG Andrus Peat (27 Stanford)
C Erik McCoy (23 Tex A&M)
RG Cesar Ruiz (21-R Mich)
RT Ryan Ramczyk (26 Wisc)
Defense
LDE Cameron Jordan (31 Cal) 7.5 scks
LDT David Onyemata (28 Manitoba) 1 int 6.5 scks
RDT Malcom Brown (26 Tex) sck
RDE Trey Hendrickson (26 FAU) 13.5 scks
LLB Kwon Alexander (26 LSU)
MLB Demario Davis (31 Ark St) 4 scks
LCB Jackrabbit Jenkins (32 Florida) 3 int td
RCB Marshon Lattimore (24 Ohio St) 2 int
SS Malcolm Jenkins (33 Ohio St) 3 int 2.5 scks
FS Marcus Williams (24 Utah) 3 int
DB Chauncey Gardner Johnson (23 Florida) int sck
K Wil Lutz (26 Geo St)
P Thomas Morstead (34 SMU)
KR/PR Deonte Harris (23 Assumption)
The '19 Saints have advanced, the '17 Saints went down, here's another Brees squad, the 2020 Saints, 5th in both offense and defense. Brees is 41, 26 scores and 6 picks; Alvin Kamara's 25 and kept scoring TDs, 21 total. The front 4 can get to the QB, 31 year old Cameron Jordan, 26 year old Trey Hendrickson combine for 21 sacks. They beat the '64 Bills in a very tight rnd 1 game.
The top seeded Colts are 7.5 point favorites, let's go to Baltimore for the kick.
1st Qtr
Saints start at the 33.
3 and out - Billy Ray Smith sacked Drew Brees on the first play of the game. Colts at the 35.
1/10 - Terry Cole is stopped at the line.
2/10 - Nothing for Tom Matte
3/10 - Morrall -- Morrall Going Deep --- WILLIE RICHARDSON CATCHES THE BALL IN STRIDE! WILLIE RICHARDSON CATCHES THE BALL IN STRIDE -- 65 YARDS TOUCHDOWN COLTS - Earl Morrall With a Perfect Strike to Willie Richardson and the Colts are immediately on the board.
Saints at the 29 - another 3 and out.
Colts at the 35, they go 3 and out, David Onyemata with a sack. Saints at the 40
1/10 - Brees to Marquez Callaway, 3 yards.
2/7 - Latavius Murray breaks a 14 yarder across midfield.
1/10 - Brees to Muchael Thomas, 7 yards to the 36.
1/10 - Brees to Alvin Kamara, he's got blocks - Kamara speeds for the 26 yard gain to the Colts 10.
The drive ends - Fred Miller sacks Brees, NO settles for the FG.
Colts at the 33.
1/10 - Tom Matte 8 yards
2/2 - Morrall to Jimmy Orr, 12 yards and a first down across midfield.
1/10 - Matte stopped at the line as the qtr ends
2nd Qtr: Colts 7 Saints 3
The big strike from Morrall to Richardson is the difference, Colts around midfield.
They don't get the first down, after the punt, Saints at the 20.
1/10 - Brees to Emmanuel Sanders, 13.
1/10 - Kamara for 3
2/7 - Kamara loses 1
3/8 - Brees to Callaway, he's got 10 yards and a first down at the 45.
1/10 - Nothing for Kamara.
2/10 - Brees hits Jared Cook - 20 yards to the Colts 35.
1/10 - Brees to Murray out of the backfield, 8 yards to the 27
2/2 - Brees finds Michael Thomas, he is out of bounds at the 10 -- Thomas has a first down at the ten, Saints first and goal.
But again - they are turned back, Bubba Smith with the 3rd Colts sack of the day - Lutz FG makes it 7-6.
Colts at the 29.
1/10 - Incomplete
2/10 - Matte for 3
3/7 - Morrall to John Mackey, that's a 14 yard pickup to the 46.
1/10 - Nothing for Matte
2/10 - A yard for Jerry Hill.
3/9 - Morrall -- Going To Ray Perkins -- Another big strike for Morrall, 32 yards - the Colts are at the Saints 21!
1/10 - Morrall - Mackey -- Mackey-- John Mackey busting tacles -- John Mackey busting tackles -- John Mackey is Gonna Go Into the End Zone -- TOUCHDOWN COLTS -- Great individual effort for Mackey, just devastating and the Colts go up 14-6.
Saints at the 31 - 3 and out, Ordell Braase with the 4th Colts sack of the day, Baltimore takes over at the 34.
3 and out - Saints at the 37 with a minute left. They don't advance the ball and it is halftime.
3rd Time: Colts 14 Saints 6
Morrall's thrown 2 TD scores, the Colts defense has 4 sacks.
Colts at the 32.
1/10 - Matte for 2
2/8 - Morrall to Cole, 18 yards to the 47
1/10 - Morrall scrambles for a yard.
2/9 - Matte with the 11 yard run to the Saints 41.
That ends the drive - Saints at the 10. They go 3 and out - Billy Ray Smith with his second sack, Saints have to punt from DEEP in their own end and that gives the Colts amazing field position at the Saints 29.
1/10 - Nothing for Cole
2/10 - Morrall is sacked by Trey Hendrickson.
3/15 - Morrall -- Mackey -- Mackey to the 22 yard line and a first down!
1/10 - Morrall -- Mackey -- End Zone -- TOUCHDOWN COLTS -- Earl Morrall 13 yards to John Mackey and the Colts go up 21-6! Baltimore starting to pull away from the Saints!
Saints at the 22.
1/10 - Brees finds Cook, 11.
1/10 - 2 for Kamara
2/8 - 1 for Murray.
3/7 - Brees finds Sanders, he's got a step, 21 yards to the Colts 43.
But the drive ends in a Bubba Smith sack, the Colts defense has just swarmed Brees today, after the punt the Colts will start the 4th qtr at the 20.
4th Qtr: Colts 21 Saints 6
Colts too much on both sides of the ball; 15 minutes away from the regional semi final.
3 and out. Saints in good shape at their own 47.
1/10 - Murray with a big gain, 13 yards and an offsides on the next play puts the Saints on the 35.
1/10 - Mike Curtis sacks Brees - that is 7 Baltimore sacks today.
2/13 - Brees picks it up - finds Cook, brought down at the 21. First down.
1/10 - Fred Miller sacks Brees - Good God, this Colts defense, 8 sacks, that may be a tournament high.
2/17 - Murray draw doesn't fool anyone.
3/17 - Brees ---- Brees is in huge trouble - 41 year old Drew Brees running for his life - he Finds Tre'Quan Smith! Smith's got a first Down -- Smith knocked out of bounds at the 1 yard line! Huge Play For Brees, he picks up a 3rd and 17 and now it's a first and goal at the 1.
1/goal -- Alvin Kamara is Into The End Zone....TOUCHDOWN SAINTS - Brees comes back after his 8th sack - running for his life, converts a 3rd and 10 and now it is 21-13.
9 minutes left, Colts at the 28.
3 and out. Saints get the ball back with 6:48 to go, down 8.
1/10 - Someone stop the fight - Bob Grant with the 9th Colts sack.
2/14 - Murray back to the original line of scrimmage.
3/10 - Man - Drew Brees, what a game, he hits Michael Thomas for the first down, just dead at the sticks, out of bounds across midfield.
1/10 - Kamara for 3
2/7 - Brees to Thomas again, at the 36, that's a first down for the Saints.
The drive ends - Lutz hits the long FG, we are just before the 2 minute warning, Colts up 21-16 getting the ball back.
Colts at the 33.
3 and out - Saints use two timeouts, that's a big stop - just one first down would have ended the game, there's still 1:12 left and the Saints take over at their own 28, still with a timeout - this game is not over, this game is not over - Drew Brees has been sacked 9 times, but with 1:12 left, the Saints have the ball only down 5.
1/10 - Brees to Murray, 7 yards, clock still running.
2/3 - Incomplete. 49 seconds left, Saints have a timeout.
3/3 - Brees to Sanders - 12 yards - that's a first down, Saints at the 47, Brees running to the line, 37 seconds left.
1/10 - Brees finds Thomas - he's got 12 yards and gets out of bounds at the Colts 41 yard line, 24 seconds left in the game -- 24 seconds left in the game, Saints do still have a timeout.
1/10 - Brees to Kamara, 6 yards, out of bounds. 16 seconds left, Saints at the 35. They need a TD.
2/4 - Brees.....quick dump to Murray, he's got the first down and the Saints do now call timeout with 9 seconds left, they are at the 31.
1/10 - Brees....This will be the last play....Brees --- Brees.....Throwing to the End Zone.....TOUCHDOWN --- TOUCHDOWN --- TOUCHDOWN -- TOUCHDOWN -- TRE'QUAN SMITH...DREW BREES 31 YARDS TO TRE'QUAN SMITH...the Saints swarm the field -- they swarm the field -- 16 4th qtr points -- the New Orleans Saints aren't going to attempt the XP -- they have won -- the Saints have won --- Drew Brees Finds Tre'Quan Smith and the Saints have beaten the Colts!!!
Final: Saints 22 Colts 21
A stunner - Colts up 21-6, Colts sack Brees 9 times -- Colts had the ball with just over 2 minutes to play and a 5 point lead --- and they go home. Wow.
Brees: 28 for 35 291 yds TD
Morrall: 12 for 20 225 yds 3 TD
Murray: 12 carries, 52 yds
Matte: 13 carries, 24 yds
Thomas: 7 catches, 70 yds
Mackey: 4 catches, 70 yds 2 TD
Smith/Smith/Miller: 2 sacks
Player of the Game: Drew Brees
