If Unitas was healthy, do the Colts win SBIII? (1 Viewer)

[cstu]

In 1968, Johnny Unitas missed most of the season because of his sore elbow and Earl Morrall helped lead the team to the Super Bowl. During the game, Morrall was terrible throwing 3 INT's on only 17 passes. Unitas came in during the 3rd quarter and led the Colts do their only TD in the game.

My question is this - assuming Unitas was healthy the entire season and led the Colts to the Super Bowl like Morrall did, would the Colts have won SBIII?

It seems to me that they would have and in doing so have kept Namath from being a superstar and eventual HOF'er since he certainly didn't get in on his stats.

 

[Ditkaless Wonders]

Unquestionably.

Watch the tape, once unitas came in the colts came back to life. They moved the ball, they scored. they were driving again and where only beat by the clock. You could see it in the jets eyes that they knew the unitas lead colts were far superior. They were leading but they looked like scared rabbits.

I still wonder why Morral could not find wide open recievers waving their hands for the ball.

 

[Jous]

Most definetly. Unitas was the greatest QB to ever play the game...Morall was a journeyman who happened to have it all click for that regular season, but showed his true colors in that game.

 

[jurb26]

Oh yeah!

 

[paul0]

uuuummmm - I think that he is too old even if healthy

 

[jurb26]

OK serioulsy now, how is this close?

 

[paul0]

Never min - I didn't read the question correctly

 

[Fla\/\/ed]

If Bart Starr was the Colts QB it would have been a victory.

 

[BigRed]

Unquestionably.

Watch the tape, once unitas came in the colts came back to life. They moved the ball, they scored. they were driving again and where only beat by the clock. You could see it in the jets eyes that they knew the unitas lead colts were far superior. They were leading but they looked like scared rabbits.

I still wonder why Morral could not find wide open recievers waving their hands for the ball.

Exzachary.fn injuries

 

[Facenda's Voice]

Unquestionably.

Watch the tape, once unitas came in the colts came back to life.  They moved the ball, they scored.  they were driving again and where only beat by the clock.  You could see it in the jets eyes that they knew the unitas lead colts were far superior.  They were leading but they looked like scared rabbits.

I still wonder why Morral could not find wide open recievers waving their hands for the ball.

Exzachary.fn injuries

Bubba Smith swears to this day that game was fixed. If you watch the tape, you will see Morrall look right at Jimmy Orr, who was standing wide open waving his arms. Instead he threw it over the middle, and I think it was Johnny Sample who made the pick close to the goal line. Not only did Morrall look right at Orr on the play, he also had all day to throw it.

 

[glock]

Haters...

Wouldn't have matter one bit. Destiny, babyy- Joe Willie guaranteed it.

:ducksandruns:

 

[Rubi]

Unquestionably.

Watch the tape, once unitas came in the colts came back to life. They moved the ball, they scored. they were driving again and where only beat by the clock. You could see it in the jets eyes that they knew the unitas lead colts were far superior. They were leading but they looked like scared rabbits.

I still wonder why Morral could not find wide open recievers waving their hands for the ball.

What tape did you watch? Yes,Unitas led them to a TD but he made mistakes after the score just like Morrall did. Not to give away my age,I watched that game live,the Jets were the better team that day,their defense made the difference all day long,Unitas or not,the Jets still win that game,Weeb knew the Colts as well as he knew his own team,he was the real MVP of that game,he outcoached Shula that day and even Don admitted it afterward.

 

[Mungo Burrows]

he outcoached Shula that day and even Don admitted it afterward.

If I had benched Johnny U, I would consider myself outcoached too.

 

[redman]

Isn't the better question whether the Colts would have won more than 3 playoff games in the last 3 years if Jim Sorgi had been playing?

 

[BigRed]

Bubba Smith swears to this day that game was fixed. If you watch the tape, you will see Morrall look right at Jimmy Orr, who was standing wide open waving his arms. Instead he threw it over the middle, and I think it was Johnny Sample who made the pick close to the goal line. Not only did Morrall look right at Orr on the play, he also had all day to throw it.

I kinda doubt it, but ya never know. Hey if the Chisox can do it Plus I wouldn't put it past Shula, who slinked outta town shortly thereafter.

GDB how many great Colt teams of the 60s didn't win a title but shoulda.

 

[glock]

Unquestionably.

Watch the tape, once unitas came in the colts came back to life. They moved the ball, they scored. they were driving again and where only beat by the clock. You could see it in the jets eyes that they knew the unitas lead colts were far superior. They were leading but they looked like scared rabbits.

I still wonder why Morral could not find wide open recievers waving their hands for the ball.

What tape did you watch? Yes,Unitas led them to a TD but he made mistakes after the score just like Morrall did. Not to give away my age,I watched that game live,the Jets were the better team that day,their defense made the difference all day long,Unitas or not,the Jets still win that game,Weeb knew the Colts as well as he knew his own team,he was the real MVP of that game,he outcoached Shula that day and even Don admitted it afterward.

Thanks... fellow old FBG...

 

[Ditkaless Wonders]

Unquestionably.

Watch the tape, once unitas came in the colts came back to life.  They moved the ball, they scored.  they were driving again and where only beat by the clock.  You could see it in the jets eyes that they knew the unitas lead colts were far superior.  They were leading but they looked like scared rabbits.

I still wonder why Morral could not find wide open recievers waving their hands for the ball.

What tape did you watch? Yes,Unitas led them to a TD but he made mistakes after the score just like Morrall did. Not to give away my age,I watched that game live,the Jets were the better team that day,their defense made the difference all day long,Unitas or not,the Jets still win that game,Weeb knew the Colts as well as he knew his own team,he was the real MVP of that game,he outcoached Shula that day and even Don admitted it afterward.

I also watched the game as it was played. Nobody outside of New York or the New York media believed the game wasn't fishy. I've since seen countless replays and my conclusion has not changed from the time I was a boy to my now advancing years. I've seen the game on tape many times since. Each time you can see the cocky expressions on the faces of the Jets simply melt away when Unitas came in. They were worried and rightfully so.

 

[Sea Bass]

OK serioulsy now, how is this close?

The younger posters on this board are depending on oral mythology instead first hand experience.

 

[cstu]

Here's a good recap of the Colt's playoff run:

http://www.ravensnests.com/playoffs/po1968.htm

Johnny Unitas replaced Morrall in the fourth quarter. Unitas had missed most of the season due to an elbow injury. Unitas thought that by halftime he would have been placed into the game by Shula, but for some unknown reason, didn't put Unitas into the game until it was too late.

Johnny Sample, former Baltimore Colt defensive back now playing with the Jets said, "Man, when Johnny came into the game...yea I was worried, anyone but him, but you knew, I knew, if anyone was going to bring a team back, it was him." Unitas, with four completed passes, drove the Colts 80 yards and a touchdown on his first series. Too little, too late.

What did Shula say about why he left Morrall in during the 3rd quarter after Morrall threw an INT into double coverage instead of hitting the wide open Orr for a TD right before halftime?

 

[Jous]

It's a shame that Unitas wasn't healthy and able to elad the Colts to the win, because had they won that Super Bowl....I GUARANTEE YOU that Colts team is considered one of the best teams of all time. They were absolutely dominant.

But, the Joe Namath "guarantee" makes for a great story too, so it was a great game either way.

 

[Jous]

...On another, interesting note, Joe Namath played high school football and grew up right near me. His nephew, in fact, is one of my current high school coaches.

 

[BigRed]

...On another, interesting note, Joe Namath played high school football and grew up right near me. His nephew, in fact, is one of my current high school coaches.

I know someone who was his next-door neighbor growing up. We didn't get along after I found that out.

 

[Jous]

...On another, interesting note, Joe Namath played high school football and grew up right near me. His nephew, in fact, is one of my current high school coaches.

I know someone who was his next-door neighbor growing up. We didn't get along after I found that out.

Colts fan, I presume? Western PA here is the hotspot for HOF QB's....a coach of mine is Namath's nephew, my uncle actually went to high school at Central Catholic with Dan Marino, and a friend of mine has an aunt who was a date to a school dance with Joe Montana.

 

[MarshallRob]

Here's a good recap of the Colt's playoff run:

http://www.ravensnests.com/playoffs/po1968.htm

Johnny Unitas replaced Morrall in the fourth quarter. Unitas had missed most of the season due to an elbow injury. Unitas thought that by halftime he would have been placed into the game by Shula, but for some unknown reason, didn't put Unitas into the game until it was too late.

    Johnny Sample, former Baltimore Colt defensive back now playing with the Jets said, "Man, when Johnny came into the game...yea I was worried, anyone but him, but you knew, I knew, if anyone was going to bring a team back, it was him."  Unitas, with four completed passes, drove the Colts 80 yards and a touchdown on his first series. Too little, too late.

What did Shula say about why he left Morrall in during the 3rd quarter after Morrall threw an INT into double coverage instead of hitting the wide open Orr for a TD right before halftime?

That recap is pretty inaccurate. Unitas entered the game with 3:58 left in the 3d quarter with the score 13-0 and did not drive the Colts to a TD on his first series. Here's the complete play by play.

Here's a recap of Unitas' drives:

1) 3:58 left in 3d quarter. Started at own 20. Three-and-out.

2) 13:26 in 4th quarter. Following Jets' FG, Colts start at own 27. Unitas drives team to Jets 25. Throws INT in end zone on 2d down.

3) 6:34 left in 4th quarter. Drives team 80 yards to a TD with 3:19 left.

4) Colts recover onside kick at Jets' 44 with 3:14 left. Unitas drives team to Jets' 19, then throws 3 straight incompletions and Colts turn ball over on downs.

5) 0:08 left in 4th quarter. Completes 15-yarder and time expires.

Unitas' last good season was 1967. His last great season was 1965. 1964 was one of his best years ever and he and his team got destroyed by the Browns in the NFL Championship game. He didn't play all that well in Super Bowl III. So in my opinion the answer to the original question is no.

Shula's biggest blunder was actually letting David Woodley start the second half of Super Bowl XVII instead of Don Strock. Or else it was drafting Eric Kumerow in 1988 instead of Thurman Thomas.

 

[The Jerk]

I voted no. I wasn't even born when the game was played so obviously I have no firsthand knowledge. I'm aware of the early opportunities the Colts had to score but failed due to two missed field goals and an intereception deep in Jets territory. However, don't forget that Jim Turner missed two field goals too, and that the final field goal by the Jets was from the Baltimore two yard line. In other words, the final score could have been even worse.

More importantly, who can say how the game unfolds if the first quarter is different. It's easy to say that an early lead by the Colts would have fed into the psychology that the NFL was superior to the AFL. However, there's no way to be sure. And the determination of the Jets to bring respectability to the AFL may have been an even stronger psychological presence.

Bubba Smith can say whatever he wants - he was there; I wasn't. All I know is that other accounts of that game, and I believe even from Shula himself, indicate overconfidence and a sense of expectation affected the Colts performance as much as anything else.

I might feel differently if the NFL dominated the AFL in SB IV, but the Chiefs were even more impressive in demolishing the Vikings. Remember that starting with the Jets defeat of the Colts, the AFL/AFC won 8 out of the 9 SB games and 11 out of the 13. Of course, SB V was won by the Colts themselves the year after they switched to the AFC.

 

[cstu]

Here's a good recap of the Colt's playoff run:

http://www.ravensnests.com/playoffs/po1968.htm

Johnny Unitas replaced Morrall in the fourth quarter. Unitas had missed most of the season due to an elbow injury. Unitas thought that by halftime he would have been placed into the game by Shula, but for some unknown reason, didn't put Unitas into the game until it was too late.

Johnny Sample, former Baltimore Colt defensive back now playing with the Jets said, "Man, when Johnny came into the game...yea I was worried, anyone but him, but you knew, I knew, if anyone was going to bring a team back, it was him." Unitas, with four completed passes, drove the Colts 80 yards and a touchdown on his first series. Too little, too late.

What did Shula say about why he left Morrall in during the 3rd quarter after Morrall threw an INT into double coverage instead of hitting the wide open Orr for a TD right before halftime?

That recap is pretty inaccurate. Unitas entered the game with 3:58 left in the 3d quarter with the score 13-0 and did not drive the Colts to a TD on his first series. Here's the complete play by play.

Here's a recap of Unitas' drives:

1) 3:58 left in 3d quarter. Started at own 20. Three-and-out.

2) 13:26 in 4th quarter. Following Jets' FG, Colts start at own 27. Unitas drives team to Jets 25. Throws INT in end zone on 2d down.

3) 6:34 left in 4th quarter. Drives team 80 yards to a TD with 3:19 left.

4) Colts recover onside kick at Jets' 44 with 3:14 left. Unitas drives team to Jets' 19, then throws 3 straight incompletions and Colts turn ball over on downs.

5) 0:08 left in 4th quarter. Completes 15-yarder and time expires.

Unitas' last good season was 1967. His last great season was 1965. 1964 was one of his best years ever and he and his team got destroyed by the Browns in the NFL Championship game. He didn't play all that well in Super Bowl III. So in my opinion the answer to the original question is no.

Shula's biggest blunder was actually letting David Woodley start the second half of Super Bowl XVII instead of Don Strock. Or else it was drafting Eric Kumerow in 1988 instead of Thurman Thomas.

My view is that he should have retired after 1968 anyway since it was clear that he wasn't the same after that, not to mention he was 35. He actually had a better 1967 than 1966 and while neither were as good as 1965 he was still easily a top 5 QB. I think he would still have been a top QB in 1968 as well if he hadn't blown out the tendons in his elbow. With today's medicine he may have returned 100% by the Super Bowl.