1975 Baltimore Colts: The Improbable Rise

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The Baltimore Colts had been in a three-year funk. After winning the Super Bowl in 1970 and reaching the AFC Championship Game in 1971, the Colts had fallen hard. Over 1972-74, they went a combined 11-31. The front office started over. Ted Marchibroda came in as the head coach. Second-year quarterback Bert Jones came into his own. Baltimore did a complete turnaround, capturing a division title and setting up a run of success.

BERT JONES BREAKS THROUGH

Jones’ 59 percent completion rate in 1975 may not look like much today. But in a very different NFL era, this figure ranked third among starting quarterbacks. Jones also excelled at avoiding mistakes, something that proved vital in the team’s biggest games. He finished with an 18-8 TD/INT ration and a 2.3 percent interception rate that ranked third in the league. His 7.2 yards-per-attempt was a solid seventh.

Lydell Mitchell gave Baltimore a strong running game, rolling up nearly 1,200 yards in what was then a 14-game regular season. Mitchell was also a dependable pass catcher, leading the Colts with 60 receptions.

The offensive line was anchored by All-Pro right tackle George Kunz. Jones’ primary targets beyond Mitchell were Glenn Doughty, who caught 39 balls at better than 17 yards a catch. Raymond Chester was a reliable tight end, with 38 receptions, and fullback Bill Olds added 30 more catches. This well-balanced attack ranked second in the NFL for points scored.

A FEROCIOUS PASS RUSH ANCHORS THE DEFENSE

Baltimore’s defensive strength was up front. Defensive end John Dutton racked up 17 sacks and finished second in the Defensive Player of the Year voting. Fred Cook was on the other end, and he delivered 16 ½ sacks. Mike Barnes and Joe Ehrman held down the interior of the line and combined for 16 more sacks.

The Colts could get after the quarterback and linebacker Stan White intercepted eight passes. While the secondary didn’t have Pro Bowl talent, this wasn’t an era that required as much pass defense as today’s game does. Baltimore’s defense ranked a solid 10^th in a 26-team NFL for points allowed.

AN INAUSPCIOUS START

Baltimore opened the season at lowly Chicago, in what would have been assumed at the time to just be a game between two bad teams. After a scoreless first quarter, the Colts took over the trenches and won rush yardage 168-47. Jones went 15/24 for 177 yards and Baltimore cruised to a 35-7 win.

But the home opener against a good Oakland Raiders team, coached by John Madden, brought the Colts back down to earth. They led 13-10 at the half, behind a 46-yard TD pass from Jones to Glenn Doughty. Jones went 21/43 for 307 yards. But he was sacked six times, Baltimore couldn’t run the ball, and Oakland took control in the second half, handing the Colts a 31-20 loss.

Baltimore went west to face another one of the league’s elite, the Los Angeles Rams. Again, they held a 13-10 lead, this time into the fourth quarter, behind Jones’ 28-yard TD pass to Olds. But again, they weren’t running the ball, they were getting beaten up front and they ultimately dropped a 24-13 decision.

Prior to the realignment of 2002, the Colts were an AFC East team, including after their 1984 move to Indianapolis. That meant a home date with Buffalo was a divisional game and it was a big one. The Bills had reached the playoffs in 1974, and they had a star running back named O.J. Simpson.

Baltimore started strong, with Mitchell scoring two early touchdowns for a 14-0 lead. Mitchell, on his way to 107 yards rushing, also caught two TD passes from Jones. But Jones otherwise had a lackluster day, 11/23 for 155 yards. And the defense was helpless to stop the Juice’s running and the passing of Joe Ferguson. The Colts ended up on the wrong side of a 38-31 shootout.

A visit to lowly New England was now must-win. But when Baltimore got hammered in the trenches, lost rush yardage 241-117 and lost the football game 21-10, they were looking at a 1-4 record and there was no reason to think this 1975 edition was any different than its immediate predecessors.

MIDSEASON RESURGENCE

The Colts went on the road to face a terrible New York Jets team. Jones was sharp, going 17/25 for 209 yards with no mistakes. The running game got rolling, with 212 yards. The defense held the Jets to 82 yards rushing and sacked Joe Namath seven times. Defensive back Jackie Wallace had a Pick-6. Baltimore romped to a 45-28 win.

Cleveland came to town. The Browns were the third straight Colt opponent headed for a bad 3-11 season. Baltimore’s defense controlled the game, Jones tossed a short TD pass to Chester and hit Mitchell on a 35-yard scoring strike. The Colts won 21-7.

They went to Buffalo for the rematch with the Bills. The game started terribly, as Baltimore dug themselves a 28-7 hole by the second quarter. But Jones quickly got the Colts back into it, leading one touchdown drive and then connecting with Roger Carr on an 89-yard touchdown pass. The lead was cut to 28-21 by halftime. Jones kept delivering in the second half, going 14/22 for 306 yards. Mitchell scored twice after intermission. The Colts got an improbable 42-35 win and put their record at .500.

The winning and the offensive explosions continued at home against the Jets. After spotting New York a field goal, Jones went 16/22 for 277 yards with three touchdown passes. The rush yardage advantage was 225-82. Baltimore rolled to a 52-19 triumph.

In an era when there was only one wild-card team per conference, thinking about the playoffs would have been getting ahead of ourselves. But the Colts were entering the stretch drive of the season playing some good football. Now, they would test themselves against the team who had been the division’s gold standard in recent years.

DUELING THE DOLPHINS

The Miami Dolphins had won the AFC East each of the last four years. They had gone to three Super Bowls and won two of them, including the only perfect season of the NFL’s Super Bowl era in 1972. And here in 1975, they were rolling along at 7-2 and in control of the division. The Colts and Dolphins would play twice over the final five weeks.

Baltimore went to South Beach and fell behind 14-2. Jones couldn’t get anything going. But Mitchell was able to grind out 106 yards. And the Colts took care of the ball, not turning it over, while forcing five takeaways. They nudged ahead 16-14 in the third quarter. And in the final period, they took over, pulling away to a surprising 33-17 win. They were one game back with four to play and still had a home date with the Dolphins ahead.

In the meantime, Baltimore needed to keep taking care of business. They hosted a bad Kansas City Chiefs squad. Wallace delivered a 42-yard Pick-6 to key a 14-0 halftime lead. Mitchell romped for 178 yards on 26 carries, including a 70-yard touchdown jaunt. The defense sacked K.C. quarterback Len Dawson seven times. With the 28-14 win, the Colts kept pace with Miami.

Another bad opponent awaited on the road. The New York Giants were playing their home games in Shea Stadium while their new stadium in the Meadowlands was being constructed. The Colts took a 7-0 lead on White’s Pick-6, they forced four turnovers while committing none, and Mitchell ran for 119 yards in a 21-0 win.

Miami had also kept winning, and that set up the regular season’s penultimate game at Baltimore’s old Memorial Stadium. The Dolphins still had a one-game lead, so if they came in and won, the AFC East race was over. If the Colts won, they would have the head-to-head sweep and control their destiny in the season finale.

A FOGGY FINISH

The Maryland fog rolled in, and visibility was difficult. Baltimore trailed 7-0 in the fourth quarter, and it looked like this magical ride might be coming to an end. But they were again playing clean football, steering clear of mistakes. The Colts hung in the game long enough for Mitchell to tie with a six-yard TD run. And they got a field goal in overtime for a 10-7 triumph.

A home date with New England was the only obstacle to the playoffs. It bears noting that with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals both having dominant seasons in the old AFC Central, the wild-card route was off the table for Baltimore. They would either win the AFC East, or they would go home.

And they nearly did the latter against a team that came in 3-10. The Colts gave up a 99-yard kickoff return to start the game and still trailed 21-20 in the fourth quarter. This was no way for a special season to end. Mitchell gave Baltimore the lead with an 11-yard TD run. They intercepted five passes, the last of which was brought to the house by defensive back Nelson Munsey. The Colts had survived a scare, 34-21 and they were your improbable 1975 AFC East champions.

A GALLANT EXIT

The following Saturday, Baltimore went to Pittsburgh for an early kickoff that would start the Divisional Round. The Colts were a decisive 10 ½ point underdog to the defending Super Bowl champs. Then Jones was knocked out of the game in the first quarter. Backup QB Marty Domres went 2/11 for nine yards. Baltimore was outrushed 211-82.

But…stop if you’ve heard this before—the Colts were playing clean football while forcing mistakes. They hung in the game and were tied 7-7 in the third quarter. When they recovered a fumble deep in Steeler territory, they even kicked a field goal and took a 10-7 lead.

Even so, you could only hold back the tide for so long. Pittsburgh took over and went ahead 21-10. Jones gamely returned and led a drive to the cusp of the Steeler goal line. Then, he was sacked, fumbled and the ball went 93 yards the other way. Baltimore’s season was over with a 28-10 loss.

It had still been a special season, and this was just the beginning of a nice three-year run for the Colts with Marchibroda at the helm and Jones at quarterback. Baltimore won three straight AFC East titles in what was their last big franchise high point in Charm City before relocating to the Midwest.