NEW YORK JETS AFL Champions	January 12, 1969 Miami, FL   Orange Bowl	BALTIMORE COLTS NFL Champions

Namath and the Jets stun Baltimore
Quarterback's guarantee comes to fruition in New York's 16-7 win

The Baltimore Colts were eighteen point favorites coming into the third NFL vs. AFL meeting.  Just days before the big  game in which they would meet the AFL Champion New York Jets, Joe Namath, the confident Jets' quarterback, guaranteed a New York win during a banquet speech.  Such a proclamation by such an underdog was shocking, but Namath and his New York Jets proved the world wrong.  The Jets beat the Colts convincingly, 16-7.

BACKDROP

The New York Jets arrived in Miami after winning their first AFL Championship, 27-23 victory over the defending champion Oakland Raiders at Shea Stadium.  They went 11-3 during the regular season with a defense that ranked best in the league.  They produced a league-best 22 touchdowns on the ground and receiver Don Maynard led the league with 23 yards per catch.  Their last loss of the year was against the Raiders in Oakland, the infamous Heidi game, but after that they won four straight to close out the regular season before topping the Raiders to reach Super Bowl III.

Had Baltimore won Super Bowl III they may be remembered as one of the greatest teams of all time.  Quarterback Johnny Unitas was injured for most of the season, so Earl Morrall led the Colts to a 13-1 regular season record.   Morrall would be the top quarterback in the NFL that season and was voted MVP.   The Colts defeated the Minnesota Vikings in the Western Conference playoff, 24-14.   Their only loss of the season had been to the Cleveland Browns.  Now they traveled to Cleveland to play for the NFL Championship.  Baltimore dominated the Browns and walked away with a resounding 34-0 win.

THE GAME

"We're going to win Sunday.  I guarantee it."

Those were Joe Namath's words the Thursday before the game, and from the outset, the New York Jets lived up to them.  With Matt Snell grinding out yard after yard on the ground, New York set out to control the ball and the clock.

In the second quarter, Namath directed an 80-yard drive that culminated in a 4-yard touchdown run by Snell.  On the drive, Snell carried the ball six times for 35 yards, while Namath completed four passes for 43 yards.

When the Colts did have the ball they struggled.  Earl Morrall, who had been spectacular in sixteen game prior, had three first half interceptions.  The last of these was painful, and came right before halftime.   Morrall handed off to Tom Matte who ran right, then tossed it back to Morrall.   Morrall threw the ball to Jerry Hill, but it never got to him.  Jets defender Jim Hudson intercepted it.  The tragedy of this play is that Bobby Orr, who had caught a pass on the same play earlier in the year for a touchdown, was wide open.   Morrall never saw him.  The Jets took a 7-0 lead, and full control of the game, to the locker room.

The Colts' Tom Matte fumbled on the first play of the second half.  New York recovered and the Jets' Jim Turner kicked the first of three field goals, a 32-yarder.  Namath consistently alternated between the run and pass, eating up the clock.  Turner added field goals of 30 and 9 yards to build the Jets' lead to 16-0.

Baltimore was in trouble.  Colts' coach Don Shula replaced Morrall with Johnny Unitas.  With a little over three minutes remaining in the game, they finally scored.  Fullback Jerry Hill went into the end zone from one yard out to cut the deficit to nine.  It was too late.

Namath finished the game 17-of-28 for 206 yards passing, and was voted Most Valuable Player.  Snell's game wasn't too shabby, either.  He rushed 30 times for 121 yards and caught four passes for 40 yards.

NOTES

Baltimore coach Don Shula stuck around for one more year before going to the Miami Dolphins, where Morrall would later join him.  Jets coach Weeb Ewbank was the Colts' coach in 1958 and 1959, when Baltimore won back-to-back NFL Championships with Unitas.

2nd
NY - Snell 4 run (Turner kick) (5:57)

3rd
NY - FG Turner 32 (4:52)
NY - FG Turner 30 (11:02)

4th
NY - FG Turner 9 (1:34)
BAL - Hill 1 run (Michaels kick) (11:41)

RUSHING
New York -- Snell 30-121 1 TD, Boozer 10-19, Mathis 3-2
Baltimore -- Matte 11-116, Hill 9-29 1 TD, Unitas 1-0, Morrall 2-(-2)

PASSING
New York -- Namath 17-28-206, Parilli 0-1
Baltimore -- Unitas 11-24-110 1 INT, Morrall 6-17-71 3 INT

RECEIVING
New York -- Sauer 8-133, Snell 4-40, Mathis 3-20, Lammons 2-13
Baltimore -- Richardson 6-58, Orr 3-42, Mackey 3-35, Matte 2-30, Hill 2-1, Mitchell 1-15

Attendance -- 75,389

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