1964 Baltimore Colts season

12th season in franchise history; first NFL Championship loss August 2023 March 2026 Baltimore Colts 1964 12–2 1st NFL Western Carroll Rosenbloom Don "Red" Kellett Don Shula Memorial Stadium Lost NFL Championship(at Browns) 0–27 Colts seasons thumb|Head coach Don Shula 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.https://www.si.com/vault/1965/01/11/607265/how-the-colts-met-triumphand-disaster Sports Illustrated Shula Don Don Shula Maule Tex Tex Maule How the Colts met triumph — and disaster January 11, 1965 24https://www.si.com/vault/1965/01/18/607284/the-road-to-the-title-in-the-west Sports Illustrated Shula Don Don Shula Maule Tex Tex Maule The road to the title in the West January 18, 1965 42 It was their first conference title since 1959.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=A4BQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZBEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5897%2C4810040 Milwaukee Sentinel Associated Press Colts jar Rams, 24-7, to clinch Western title November 23, 1964 4, part 2 After an opening loss at Minnesota,https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=CP1VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=aOMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2478%2C2763885 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Associated Press Vikings, 34-24 September 14, 1964 3B the Colts won eleven straight,https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Vf1VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9-IDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3888%2C6067987 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Associated Press Colts edge fumbling Frisco November 30, 1964 3B dropped a home game in December to Detroit,https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=R7ZQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_eIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5045%2C1387302 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Associated Press Lions smash Baltimore, 31-14 December 7, 1964 3B then easily won the finale with Washington.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=TrZQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_eIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3364%2C3129455 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Moore, Berry break records December 14, 1964 3B 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.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=BFIaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lCcEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7294%2C2555411 Milwaukee Journal Johnson Chuck Browns play best game of year, Colts their worst - result: 27-0 December 28, 1964 10, part 2https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=rzhWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=wOgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7488%2C3738033 Spokesman-Review Spokane, Washington Associated Press Cleveland Browns blank Colts for NFL title December 28, 1964 7https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XLZQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_eIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5652%2C5993581 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Cleveland wallops Baltimore, 27-0 December 28, 1964 1D History Background The Colts' sideline commander, former defensive back Don Shula, made his head coaching debut in 1963 at age 33, getting off to a rocky start by dropping five of the first eight games of the season.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. 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. "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." Four rookies and one newcomer had started for the blue-and-white and after a rough beginning the team had seemingly jelled. 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.Jim Kensil (ed.), National Football League 1964 Record Manual. New York: National Football League, 1964; p. 49. Only 2.9 percent of Unitas' passes ended in interception in 1963 — also best in the league. The Colts' ground attack had been led by halfback Tom Matte, a third-year player who gained 541 yards in 1963.Kensil (ed.), National Football League 1964 Record Manual, p. 47. 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."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. 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.Kensil (ed.), National Football League 1964 Record Manual, p. 51. This potent trio was ably aided by running back and third wide receiver Lenny Moore; on paper, it was 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 NFL teams played a five-game preseason schedule in 1964.Jim Kensil (ed.), National Football League 1965 Record Manual. New York: National Football League, 1965; p. 50. 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. 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. Schedule 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 New City Stadium 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, 1964 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 thumb|right|240px|The Colts won their 1964 home opener with a 52–0 thrashing of the Chicago Bears. thumb|right|240px|Head Coach Don Shula won both 1964 duels against divisional rival Vince Lombardi and the Green Bay Packers. Week 1 at Vikings Week 2 at Packers 1964 Green Bay Packers season Baltimore Colts 1964 2; text-align:center collapsed Baltimore Colts (0–1) at Green Bay Packers (1–0) September 20 Colts 7 14 0 0 Packers 7 6 7 0 New City Stadium, Green Bay, Wisconsin 42,327 65 F C Box Score First quarter BAL – Lenny Moore 52-yard pass from Johnny Unitas (Lou Michaels kick). Colts 7–0. Drive: GB – Paul Hornung 20-yard run (Paul Hornung kick). Tie 7–7. Drive: Second quarter BAL – Lenny Moore 4-yard run (Lou Michaels kick). Colts 14–7. Drive: GB – Paul Hornung 4-yard run (kick failed). Colts 14–13. Drive: BAL – John Mackey 40-yard pass from Johnny Unitas (Lou Michaels kick). Colts 21–13. Drive: Third quarter GB – Jim Taylor 23-yard run (Paul Hornung kick). Colts 21–20. Drive: Fourth quarter No scoring Top passers BAL – Johnny Unitas – 7/12, 154 yards, 2 TD GB – Bart Starr – 16/21, 175 yards, 3 INT Top rushers BAL – Jerry Hill – 15 rushes, 49 yards GB – Jim Taylor – 18 rushes, 98 yards, TD Top receivers BAL – Lenny Moore – 1 reception, 52 yards, TD GB – Boyd Dowler – 7 receptions, 66 yards thumb|right|240px|The Colts picked up their second loss of the 1964 season in Week 13 against the Detroit Lions. thumb|right|240px|The 1964 home finale against the Washington Redskins was proclaimed "Gino Marchetti–Bill Pellington Day" in honor of two retiring Colts veterans. Standings Postseason 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 a seven-point favorite.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=W7ZQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_eIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4983%2C5448999 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Associated Press Moore, Unitas lead Colts December 27, 1964 4Bhttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=YwhPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UgEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4422%2C7724904 Toledo Blade Ohio Taylor Jim Colts seven-point favorites December 27, 1964 F1 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 text-align:center; Baltimore Colts text-align:center; autocollapse 1964 NFL Championship Game: Cleveland Browns 27, Baltimore Colts 0 December 27 1:30 p.m. EST Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio 79,554 34 F, relative humidity 75%, wind 15 mph on, wind chill 23 F Norm Schachter CBS Chuck Thompson (BAL) (second half) and Ken Coleman (CLE) (first half) (play-by-play), Frank Gifford (color commentator) Colts 0 0 0 0 Browns 0 0 17 10 Pro-Football-Reference.com Third Quarter CLE - Lou Groza 43 yard field goal - Browns 3-0 CLE - Gary Collins 18 yard pass from Frank Ryan - (Lou Groza kick) Browns 10-0 CLE - Gary Collins 42 yard pass from Frank Ryan - (Lou Groza kick) Browns 17-0 Fourth Quarter CLE - Lou Groza 10 yard field goal - Browns 20-0 CLE - Gary Collins 51 yard pass from Frank Ryan - (Lou Groza kick) Browns 27-0 Colts Browns Awards and honors Johnny Unitas, Bert Bell Awardhttp://www.maxwellfootballclub.org/content/awards/bell/past_bell.htm Maxwell Football Club - Bert Bell Award Past Recipients 2010-06-28 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20090619081037/http://www.maxwellfootballclub.org/content/awards/bell/past_bell.htm 2009-06-19 Personnel Staff/coaches 1964 Baltimore Colts staff Front office Owner/president and treasurer – Carroll Rosenbloom General manager – Red Kellett Coaching staff Head coach – Don Shula Offensive coaches Receivers/offensive ends – Dick Bielski Offensive backs – Don McCafferty Offensive line coach - John Sandusky Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator - Charley Winner Defensive line - Bill Arnsparger Defensive backfield – Chuck Noll Linebackers coach – Don Shula Source: Roster 1964 Baltimore Colts 15 Gary Cuozzo 19 Johnny Unitas 24 Lenny Moore 32 Joe Don Looney P y 33 Tony Lorick y 41 Tom Matte 45 Jerry Hill American football 25 Alex Hawkins 28 Jimmy Orr 82 Raymond Berry 84 Neal Petties y 87 Willie Richardson 88 John Mackey American football 86 Butch Wilson 52 Dick Szymanski C 60 George Preas T 61 Lou Kirouac G/T 66 Alex Sandusky G 71 Dan Sullivan American football G 72 Bob Vogel T 73 Tom Gilburg C/P 77 Jim Parker American football G 74 Billy Ray Smith Sr. DT 75 Guy Reese DT 76 Fred Miller defensive lineman DT 78 John Diehl American football DT 81 Ordell Braase DE 89 Gino Marchetti DE 31 Steve Stonebreaker OLB 35 American football Ted Davis yOLB/MLB 36 Bill Pellington MLB 55 Jackie Burkett OLB 66 Don Shinnick OLB 20 Jerry Logan SS 26 Wendell Harris FS 30 Alvin Haymond y CB 40 Bobby Boyd CB 43 Lenny Lyles CB 46 Jim Welch FS 79 Lou MichaelsK/DE 53 Butch Maples LB IR See also 1964 NFL season History of the Indianapolis Colts References 2 External links 1964 Baltimore Colts at Pro-Football-Reference.com 1964 Baltimore Colts at JT-SW.com "The Baltimore Colts (1964): Best in the West," Baltimore Football, Inc. via YouTube.com, Oct. 19, 2022 (Video.) Baltimore Colts Category:Baltimore Colts seasons Baltimore Colts Category:1960s in Baltimore