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1964 Baltimore Colts season

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Head coach Don Shula
1964 Baltimore Colts season
OwnerCarroll Rosenbloom
General managerDon "Red" Kellett
Head coachDon Shula
Home fieldMemorial Stadium
Results
Record12–2
Division place1st NFL Western
Playoff finishLost NFL Championship
(at Browns) 0–27

The 1964 Baltimore Colts season was the 12th season of the second Colts franchise in the National Football League. The Colts finished the regular season with a record of 12 wins and 2 losses, good for first place in the Western Conference.[1][2] It was their first conference title since 1959.[3]

After an opening loss at Minnesota,[4] the Colts won eleven straight,[5] dropped a home game in December to Detroit,[6] then easily won the finale with Washington.[7]

Baltimore met the Cleveland Browns (10–3–1) of the Eastern Conference in the NFL Championship Game in Cleveland, won by the underdog Browns, 27–0.[8][9][10]

History

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Background

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The Colts' sideline commander, former defensive back Don Shula, made his head coaching debut in 1963, getting off to a rocky start by dropping five of the first eight games of the season.[11] The tide then turned, however, and the Colts finished strong, with five wins and a 1-point loss in the final six contests of the year.[11]

"The last half of 1963 we were as good a team as there was in the NFL," Shula said. "As the season progressed, I learned, the veterans learned, and the rookies learned."[11] Four rookies and one newcomer had started for the blue-and-white and after a rough beginning the team had seemingly jelled.[11] Internally, expectations for the team were high for the Colts entering the 1964 campaign.

The team centered around quarterback Johnny Unitas, a two-time NFL champion who was regarded as one of the most talented passers in the league. The 30-year old Unitas had finished 1962 ranked second among NFL QBs, with his 237 completions and 3,481 yards gained tops in the league.[12] Only 2.9 percent of Unitas' passes ended in interception in 1963 — also best in the league.[12]

The Colts' ground attack had been led by halfback Tom Matte, a third-year player who gained 541 yards in 1963.[13] The Colts' receiving corps featured three of the NFL's top 25 in total receptions, headed by sure-handed split end Raymond Berry, characterized by one pundit as "the slowest, most awkward end in the league, and one of the best."[14] He was joined by a "sawed-off jet" named Jimmy Orr, as well as gritty tight end John Mackey, a future NFL Hall of Famer.[15] This potent trio was ably aided by running back and third wide receiver Lenny Moore. It was, on paper, a very solid offensive unit.

The defensive situation was less certain with aging veterans throughout the front seven, including 37-year crowd favorite Gino Marchetti and 32-year old Ordell Braase as bookend defensive ends, with the 36-year old Bill Pellington anchoring the team's linebackers. The defensive backfield was young and fast, however, with cornerback Bob Boyd and safety Jerry Logan regarded as stars.

Preseason

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NFL teams played a five game preseason schedule in 1964.[16] The Colts posted a record of 3 wins, 1 loss, and 1 tie during the season's warmup phase, topping the Philadelphia Eagles in the opener, battling the Detroit Lions to a 28–28 tie, and dropping game 3 to the St. Louis Cardinals by 9.[16] They finished strong, however, recording blowout victories over the Washington Redskins and Pittsburgh Steelers — with the Colts scoring more than 40 points in each of those one-sided contests.[16]

Schedule

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Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance
1 September 13 at Minnesota Vikings L 24–34 0–1 Metropolitan Stadium 35,563
2 September 20 at Green Bay Packers W 21–20 1–1 Lambeau Field 42,327
3 September 27 Chicago Bears W 52–0 2–1 Memorial Stadium 56,537
4 October 4 Los Angeles Rams W 35–20 3–1 Memorial Stadium 56,537
5 October 12 St. Louis Cardinals W 47–27 4–1 Memorial Stadium^ 60,213
6 October 18 Green Bay Packers W 24–21 5–1 Memorial Stadium 60,213
7 October 25 at Detroit Lions W 34–0 6–1 Tiger Stadium 57,814
8 November 1 San Francisco 49ers W 37–7 7–1 Memorial Stadium 60,213
9 November 8 at Chicago Bears W 40–24 8–1 Wrigley Field 47,891
10 November 15 Minnesota Vikings W 17–14 9–1 Memorial Stadium 60,213
11 November 22 at Los Angeles Rams W 24–7 10–1 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 72,137
12 November 29 at San Francisco 49ers W 14–3 11–1 Kezar Stadium 33,642
13 December 6 Detroit Lions L 14–31 11–2 Memorial Stadium 60,213
14 December 13 Washington Redskins W 45–17 12–2 Memorial Stadium 60,213
Note: Intra-conference opponents are in bold text.
Note: The Week 5 game with the Cardinals was scheduled to be played at St. Louis, but moved to Baltimore
when the baseball Cardinals reached the World Series, preempting use of Busch Stadium.

Season summary

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The Colts won their 1964 home opener with a 52–0 thrashing of the Chicago Bears.
Head Coach Don Shula won both 1964 duels against divisional rival Vince Lombardi and the Green Bay Packers.

Week 1 at Vikings

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Week 2 at Packers

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See also: 1964 Green Bay Packers season
Baltimore Colts (0–1) at Green Bay Packers (1–0)
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Colts 7 14 0021
Packers 7 6 7020

at New City Stadium, Green Bay, Wisconsin

  • Date: September 20
  • Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C)
  • Game attendance: 42,327
  • Box Score
Game information
The Colts picked up their second loss of the 1964 season in Week 13 against the Detroit Lions.
The 1964 home finale against the Washington Redskins was proclaimed "Gino Marchetti–Bill Pellington Day" in honor of two retiring Colts veterans.

Standings

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NFL Western Conference
W L T PCT CONF PF PA STK
Baltimore Colts 12 2 0 .857 10–2 428 225 W1
Green Bay Packers[a] 8 5 1 .615 6–5–1 342 245 T1
Minnesota Vikings 8 5 1 .615 6–5–1 355 296 W3
Detroit Lions 7 5 2 .583 6–4–2 280 260 W2
Los Angeles Rams 5 7 2 .417 3–7–2 283 339 T1
Chicago Bears 5 9 0 .357 5–7 260 379 L2
San Francisco 49ers 4 10 0 .286 3–9 236 330 L1
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.
  1. ^ Green Bay was awarded the Playoff Bowl berth from the Western Conference
    by outscoring Minnesota 65–37 in their two meetings.
NFL Eastern Conference
W L T PCT CONF PF PA STK
Cleveland Browns 10 3 1 .769 9–2–1 415 293 W1
St. Louis Cardinals 9 3 2 .750 8–2–2 357 331 W4
Philadelphia Eagles 6 8 0 .429 6–6 312 313 L1
Washington Redskins 6 8 0 .429 5–7 307 305 L2
Dallas Cowboys 5 8 1 .385 4–7–1 250 289 W1
Pittsburgh Steelers 5 9 0 .357 5–7 253 315 L1
New York Giants 2 10 2 .167 2–8–2 241 399 L4
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.

Postseason

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Main article: 1964 NFL Championship Game

After Baltimore's 12–2 regular season, they traveled to Cleveland to take on the Browns (10–3–1) for the NFL title on December 27. The host team was alternated between the conferences, Eastern in even-numbered seasons and Western in the odd-numbered. This was the third championship game appearance for the Colts since joining the NFL in 1953, and they entered the game as seven-point favorites.[17][18] Both teams had two weeks to prepare: the first half was uneventful and scoreless, but the home underdog Browns scored seventeen points in the third quarter in their 27–0 rout of the Colts.

Round Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance
Championship December 27 at Cleveland Browns L 0–27 0–1 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 79,544

1964 NFL Championship Game: at Cleveland Browns

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1964 NFL Championship Game: Cleveland Browns 27, Baltimore Colts 0
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Colts 0 0 000
Browns 0 0 171027

at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

Game information

Awards and honors

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Personnel

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Staff/coaches

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1964 Baltimore Colts staff
Front office

Coaching staff

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches
Source:[1][2]

Roster

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1964 Baltimore Colts roster
Quarterbacks (QB)

Running backs (RB)

Wide receivers (WR)

Tight ends (TE)

Offensive linemen (OL)

Defensive linemen (DL)

Linebackers (LB)

Defensive backs (DB) {{{defensive_back}}}

Special teams


Rookies in italics

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Shula, Don; Maule, Tex (January 11, 1965). "How the Colts met triumph — and disaster". Sports Illustrated. p. 24.
  2. ^ a b Shula, Don; Maule, Tex (January 18, 1965). "The road to the title in the West". Sports Illustrated. p. 42.
  3. ^ "Colts jar Rams, 24-7, to clinch Western title". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. November 23, 1964. p. 4, part 2.
  4. ^ "Vikings, 34-24". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. September 14, 1964. p. 3B.
  5. ^ "Colts edge fumbling Frisco". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. November 30, 1964. p. 3B.
  6. ^ "Lions smash Baltimore, 31-14". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. December 7, 1964. p. 3B.
  7. ^ "Moore, Berry break records". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). December 14, 1964. p. 3B.
  8. ^ Johnson, Chuck (December 28, 1964). "Browns play best game of year, Colts their worst - result: 27-0". Milwaukee Journal. p. 10, part 2.
  9. ^ "Cleveland Browns blank Colts for NFL title". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. December 28, 1964. p. 7.
  10. ^ "Cleveland wallops Baltimore, 27-0". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). December 28, 1964. p. 1D.
  11. ^ a b c d Walter Taylor, "Baltimore Colts," in William H. Martin and Lee O. Ryan (eds.), Petersen's 9th Annual Edition: Pro Fotball 1964. Los Angeles, CA: Petersen Publishing Co., 1964; pp. 20–23.
  12. ^ a b Jim Kensil (ed.), National Football League 1964 Record Manual. New York: National Football League, 1964; p. 49.
  13. ^ Kensil (ed.), National Football League 1964 Record Manual, p. 47.
  14. ^ Bob Oates, "Baltimore Colts," in Sam E. Andre (ed.), Pro Football: Street and Smith's 1964 Yearbook. New York: Conde Nash Publications, 1964; pp. 19–21.
  15. ^ Kensil (ed.), National Football League 1964 Record Manual, p. 51.
  16. ^ a b c Jim Kensil (ed.), National Football League 1965 Record Manual. New York: National Football League, 1965; p. 50.
  17. ^ "Moore, Unitas lead Colts". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. December 27, 1964. p. 4B.
  18. ^ Taylor, Jim (December 27, 1964). "Colts seven-point favorites". Toledo Blade. (Ohio). p. F1.
  19. ^ "Maxwell Football Club - Bert Bell Award Past Recipients". Archived from the original on June 19, 2009. Retrieved June 28, 2010.
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