If you walk into a sports bar in Baltimore today and bring up the Colts, you’ll likely get a mix of nostalgic smiles and a few lingering glares directed toward a certain moving truck company from 1984. But before the Mayflower vans snuck out of town in the middle of a snowy night, there was a powerhouse. A team that defined the city’s grit. While the franchise—now in Indianapolis—claims two Super Bowl trophies, only one of those belongs to the city of Baltimore.
It’s weird to think about.
Usually, when we talk about Baltimore Colts super bowl wins, we’re looking at a singular, chaotic, and oddly beautiful moment in 1971. Super Bowl V. The game everyone called the "Blunder Bowl." It wasn't the "Greatest Game Ever Played"—that was 1958, a pre-Super Bowl era NFL Championship. No, this was something else entirely. It was a game where the winner turned the ball over seven times and somehow still walked away with the ring.
Honestly, the history of this team in the big game is more than just a box score. It’s about the legendary Johnny Unitas, a kicker named "Straight-Arrow," and a heartbreaking loss to Joe Namath that changed football forever.
The One That Got Away: Super Bowl III
You can't really talk about the wins without mentioning the loss that set the stage. In January 1969, the Baltimore Colts were essentially the final boss of the NFL. They were 13-1. They were favored by nearly 20 points against the upstart New York Jets from the AFL.
Then Joe Namath opened his mouth.
He guaranteed a victory. Everyone laughed. The NFL was supposed to be the superior league, and the Colts were its crown jewel. But on that day in Miami, the Jets defense turned Baltimore into a shell of itself. Earl Morrall, the league MVP that year, couldn't buy a completion. He even missed a wide-open Jimmy Orr on a flea-flicker because he didn't see him.
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Unitas came off the bench late, but it was too little, too late. The 16-7 loss was a catastrophe for Baltimore. It wasn't just a game; it was a humiliation. That sting is what fueled the 1970 season. They needed redemption. They needed to prove that the old-school NFL wasn't dead.
Super Bowl V: The "Blunder Bowl" Victory
Fast forward two years. The NFL and AFL have merged. The Colts are now in the AFC, weirdly enough. They find themselves back in the Orange Bowl in Miami for Super Bowl V. Their opponent? The Dallas Cowboys.
If you like "clean" football, this wasn't it.
The game featured 11 total turnovers. Eleven! Baltimore fumbled on their own goal line. They threw interceptions. They even had an extra point blocked. Bubba Smith, the legendary defensive end, famously hated this game so much he refused to wear his Super Bowl ring for years. He thought they played like garbage.
The Weirdest Touchdown in History
One of the most famous plays in Colts history happened in the second quarter. Unitas threw a pass meant for Eddie Hinton. It tipped off Hinton’s fingers, soared through the air, may or may not have been touched by a Cowboys defender (Mel Renfro), and landed perfectly in the arms of Hall of Fame tight end John Mackey.
He took it 75 yards to the house.
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Today, that play would have been reviewed for ten minutes. In 1971, it was just a miracle catch that kept Baltimore alive. Even with that spark, the Colts trailed 13-6 at halftime. Unitas got knocked out of the game with a rib injury, leaving the redemption arc in the hands of Earl Morrall.
Jim O'Brien and the Kick
The fourth quarter was pure tension. The Colts tied it up on a two-yard run by Tom Nowatzke. Then, with less than two minutes left, Mike Curtis—the linebacker they called "The Mad Dog"—intercepted a pass from Dallas’s Craig Morton.
Enter Jim O’Brien.
He was a rookie kicker. He had already missed an extra point earlier in the game. The ball was spotted at the 32-yard line with five seconds left. O'Brien swung his leg, the ball cleared the uprights, and the Baltimore Colts finally had their first (and only) Super Bowl win while residing in Maryland.
Final score: 16-13.
Why the 1970 Win Matters So Much
It’s easy to look back and mock the quality of play in Super Bowl V. But for Baltimore fans, it was the validation of a generation. You had guys like Johnny Unitas and Raymond Berry who had built the league. Seeing them finally hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy—even if Unitas was on the sidelines for the end of it—was the closure the city needed after the Namath upset.
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Technically, the franchise won again in 2007 (Super Bowl XLI) with Peyton Manning. But if you ask a Baltimorean, that trophy belongs to Indianapolis. The Baltimore Colts super bowl wins history is anchored to that 1970-71 squad.
- Key Players of the 1970 Championship Team:
- Johnny Unitas (QB): The legend who started the game.
- Earl Morrall (QB): The veteran who finished it.
- John Mackey (TE): The man behind the 75-yard "immaculate" deflection.
- Mike Curtis (LB): Whose late interception set up the winning kick.
- Jim O'Brien (K): The rookie who didn't blink at the end.
The Stats That Don't Make Sense
It is still the only Super Bowl where the MVP came from the losing team. Linebacker Chuck Howley of the Cowboys took the trophy because the game was so messy no one on the winning side stood out enough. Think about that. You win the biggest game on earth, and the MVP is the guy crying in the other locker room.
Also, the Colts' seven turnovers remain a record for a winning team. It’s a statistical anomaly that shouldn't exist. It defies logic.
How to Appreciate This History Today
If you’re a fan of the modern Baltimore Ravens or the Indianapolis Colts, you owe it to yourself to watch the grainy highlights of Super Bowl V. It’s a reminder that football wasn't always the polished, high-scoring product we see on Sundays now. It was a grind.
To dive deeper into this era, look for the NFL Films documentary "The Baltimore Colts: The Greatest Game Ever Played," which, while focusing on 1958, provides the context of why the city was so obsessed with football by the time the Super Bowl era arrived. You can also visit the Sports Legends Museum at Camden Yards if you're ever in Baltimore; they have a dedicated section to the Colts that treats the 1971 victory like the holy relic it is.
The real takeaway here is that champions aren't always perfect. Sometimes they’re just the team that makes the second-to-last mistake. For the 1970 Baltimore Colts, that was more than enough to become legends.
Next Steps for the History Buff:
- Search for "NFL Films Super Bowl V highlights" on YouTube to see the Mackey touchdown.
- Read "The Best Game Ever" by Mark Bowden for the full backstory of the Unitas era.
- Compare the 1970 Colts defensive stats to the 2000 Ravens to see how Baltimore's defensive identity started.