1975 Baltimore Colts: A Year In Review

From 1957 to 1971, the Baltimore Colts never experienced a losing season. They played in four NFL Championship games, winning three of them. They also appeared in two AFC Championship games, winning one, and played in two Super Bowls, winning one.

But by 1972, age had caught up with them, and combined with some questionable trades, that led to their worst season since 1954. The Colts finished 1972 with a 5–9 record, and things only worsened. In 1973, they went 4–10; in 1974, they were 2–12. The Colts went through four head coaches in three years.

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1975 Baltimore Colts

The head coach for 1975 was Ted Marchibroda, but there was little hope that the team would improve. The Colts defeated the Bears 35–7 in the season’s first game. They outplayed the Bears in every way, outgaining them in total yardage 304 to 121 and first downs 26 to 6.

Quarterback Bert Jones had a solid game, completing 15 of 24 passes for 177 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions. Although it was an impressive win, the Bears were not a strong team. The Colts’ next three opponents were.

In Week Two, the Raiders came to town. Receiver Glenn Doughty scored on a 46-yard touchdown pass from Bert Jones, and the Colts led 13–10 at halftime, but the Raiders dominated the second half. The Colts outgained Oakland in total yards, 329 to 286, but they lost on the scoreboard 31–20.

The Baltimore defense sacked quarterback Kenny Stabler five times, but they couldn’t contain receiver Cliff Branch, who caught seven passes for 132 yards. Bert Jones threw for over 300 yards but was sacked six times. The offensive line was a concern, as they had already allowed ten sacks in two games.

The Colts traveled to LA and led 13–10 over the Rams going into the fourth quarter, but the Rams scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to win 24–13. The Rams outgained the Colts in total yards, 424 to 239. The Colts’ defense couldn’t stop the Rams’ passing or running games.

Rams quarterback James Harris completed 16 of 22 passes for 294 yards, with 108 yards gained by receiver Harold Jackson. Rams running back Lawrence McCutcheon gained 95 yards on 20 carries and scored a touchdown.

The Colts started strong with a 14–0 lead in the first quarter against the Bills in Week Four. They still led 21–10 in the second quarter, but the Bills’ offense took over and ultimately won 38–31. The Colts’ defense couldn’t stop O.J. Simpson or receiver John Holland. Simpson rushed for 159 yards on 32 carries and scored one touchdown, while Holland caught six passes for 121 yards and one touchdown.

A bright spot for the Colts was running back Lydell Mitchell, who ran for 107 yards on 19 carries and scored two touchdowns. Mitchell also added 53 receiving yards and scored two more touchdowns.

The Colts finally got a break from playing playoff-caliber teams when they faced the 0–4 Patriots in Week Five, but they still lost 21–10. The Colts’ defense held New England to 74 yards passing and sacked Jim Plunkett five times, but they couldn’t stop running back Andy Johnson, who gained 124 yards on 18 carries and scored two touchdowns.

The Colts’ offense was awful, gaining just 130 yards in total offense and allowing six sacks. The Colts’ record dropped to 1–4, and fans prepared themselves for another long season.

The following week, against the Jets, the Colts led 24–14 going into the fourth quarter, when Bert Jones connected with Marshall Johnson for a 68-yard touchdown. In the fourth quarter, Jackie Wallace returned an interception 38 yards for a touchdown, and Lydell Mitchell ran for a 20-yard touchdown to make the final score Colts 45, Jets 28. The Colts’ defense couldn’t stop Joe Namath, who completed 19 of 28 passes for 333 yards and three touchdowns.

Three of those completions were caught by Richard Caster for 115 yards. But the defense did hold the Jets to just 84 yards rushing and sacked Namath seven times. Bert Jones had a solid performance, completing 17 of 25 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns. Marshall Johnson caught three passes for 105 yards and scored two touchdowns. Lydell Mitchell ran for 98 yards on 14 carries with one touchdown.

The following week the Colts faced the Browns. With the Colts leading 14–0 in the second quarter, Bert Jones connected with Lydell Mitchell for a 35-yard touchdown. The Browns scored a late touchdown to make the score more respectable—the final score was Baltimore 21, Cleveland 7. The Colts’ defense recorded four sacks, while the Browns’ defense sacked Bert Jones five times.

A Week Eight rematch with the Bills turned into an offensive explosion. Buffalo jumped out to a 21–0 lead, but the Colts stormed back. An 89-yard touchdown pass from Bert Jones to Roger Carr in the third quarter cut the deficit to 28 to 21, and an 11-yard touchdown run by Lydell Mitchell tied the game. Then, Bert Jones ran 19 yards to give the Colts a 35–28 lead. The final score was Baltimore 42, Buffalo 35. The Colts gained 498 yards, while the Bills gained 418. Bills quarterback Joe Ferguson threw for 234 yards and three touchdowns. Bills receiver Bob Chandler caught seven passes for 118 yards and scored two touchdowns.

O.J. Simpson ran for 123 yards on 19 carries and scored one touchdown. He added another 71 yards receiving, with two touchdowns. Bert Jones had a big day, passing for 306 yards on 22 attempts with two touchdowns. Roger Carr gained 136 yards receiving, while Glenn Doughty gained 102 yards. Lydell Mitchell ran for 112 yards on 27 carries and scored two touchdowns. He also scored a third touchdown receiving.

In a Week Nine game against the Jets, Bert Jones and Roger Carr connected on a 90-yard touchdown to give the Colts a 21–3 lead in the second quarter, and things only got worse for the Jets. In the fourth quarter, defensive end Fred Cook returned a fumble 49 yards for a touchdown to seal a 52–19 victory. The Colts’ offense totaled 502 yards. Bert Jones completed 16 of 22 passes for 277 yards with three touchdowns and was starting to look like one of the league’s top quarterbacks.

Joe Namath, who had torched the Colts’ defense just a few weeks earlier, completed only 9 of 26 passes for 194 yards and threw two interceptions. His backup, J.J. Jones, didn’t fare much better, completing 6 of 15 for 86 yards with one interception. The Colts’ defense also sacked Namath and Jones five times. Suddenly, the Colts stood at 5–4 and in the playoff hunt.

Week Ten proved to be the real test for this young, emerging team as they traveled to Miami to face the 7–2 Dolphins. The only points the Colts scored in the first quarter were a safety by Bruce Laird, and Miami took a 14–2 lead in the second quarter. However, the Colts responded and led 19–17 before Lydell Mitchell increased the lead to 26–17 with a 32-yard touchdown run.

The final score was Baltimore 33, Miami 17. The Colts’ defense, which had struggled earlier in the season, limited the Dolphins to just 167 total yards, forced five turnovers, and sacked the Dolphins’ quarterbacks four times. Lydell Mitchell rushed for over 100 yards once again.

The following week, the Colts took an early 7–0 lead over the Chiefs when Jackie Wallace returned an interception 42 yards for a touchdown. They extended their lead to 14–0 before halftime. In the third quarter, Lydell Mitchell ran for a 70-yard touchdown, and then tight end Raymond Chester caught a 17-yard pass to make it 28–0. The Chiefs scored two late touchdowns to trim the final to 28–14. Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson threw for 307 yards, but the Colts’ defense limited K.C. to 66 rushing yards and sacked Dawson seven times. Bert Jones completed 12 of 13 passes with only one incompletion.

His backup, Marty Domres, went 4-for-4. Lydell Mitchell, solidifying his status as one of the league’s top running backs, ran for 178 yards and gained another 41 yards receiving. It was the Colts’ sixth straight win, drawing the league’s attention.

In Week Twelve, the Colts traveled to Shea Stadium in New York and shut out the Giants 21–0. The Colts defense, nicknamed the “Looney Tunes,” had three sacks and forced four turnovers, one of which was linebacker Stan White’s 23-yard interception return for a touchdown. Behind some outstanding blocking by the offensive line, Lydell Mitchell ran for 119 yards on 23 carries with one touchdown.

In the second-to-last game of the regular season, the Colts faced the Dolphins. If the Colts won this game, the teams would be tied for first place with identical 9–4 records. The Dolphins took a 7–0 lead late in the third quarter, but the Colts tied it in the fourth.

The game went into overtime as a thick fog hovered over Memorial Stadium. Colts kicker Toni Linhart kicked a 31-yard field goal to secure a hard-fought 10–7 victory for Baltimore. The Colts’ offense played a fairly conservative game but committed no turnovers. The “Looney Tunes” defense struggled to contain Mercury Morris, who rushed for 96 yards on 21 carries, but they limited the Dolphins to just 97 yards passing.

The final game of the regular season was a rematch against the Patriots. The Colts’ goal was simple: win, secure a spot in the playoffs, or lose and see their season end. Things didn’t start well for Baltimore when the Patriots scored the first touchdown on a 99-yard kickoff return. New England still led 14–10 at halftime. A 20-yard touchdown pass from Bert Jones to Raymond Chester gave the Colts a 17–14 lead.

The Patriots retook the lead in the fourth quarter, but an 11-yard touchdown run by Lydell Mitchell put Baltimore back in front. A 30-yard interception return by Nelson Muncey sealed the 34–21 victory for Baltimore. The Colts’ defense recorded three sacks and five interceptions. Over the season, the Colts totaled 59 sacks, the most in the league.

Defensive end John Dutton, offensive tackle George Kunz, and Lydell Mitchell were selected for the Pro Bowl. Kunz was also named to the All-Pro team. Mitchell finished the season with 1,193 rushing yards, the highest total by a Colts running back up to that point. Ted Marchibroda won the Coach of the Year Award.

The Colts and Dolphins tied for first in the AFC East with 10–4 records, but since the Colts had beaten Miami both times they met, they won the division. Not only did Miami lose the division title, but they also missed out on the wild card spot to Cincinnati, which finished with an 11–3 record. The Bengals would face the Raiders, while Baltimore faced the formidable challenge of trying to dethrone the defending Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers.

It was clear from the start that the Colts couldn’t run the ball against the “Steel Curtain” defense. To make things worse, Bert Jones, who completed 6 of 11 passes for 91 yards, was knocked out of the game with a shoulder injury. Despite this, the Colts led 10–7 in the third quarter, mainly because the Steelers committed three turnovers. However, an interception by Mel Blount put the Steelers at the Colts’ seven-yard line.

Rocky Bleier ran it in for a touchdown, giving Pittsburgh the lead. The Steelers added another score in the fourth quarter, extending their lead to 21–10. Jones returned to the game and connected with Glenn Doughty for a 58-yard pass. The Colts advanced to the Steelers’ 3-yard line before Jack Ham knocked the ball loose from Jones. Andy Russell recovered it and returned it 93 yards for a touchdown. The final score was Steelers 28, Colts 10.

The score might have been much closer if Jones hadn’t injured his shoulder, but two other factors contributed to the loss: 1 — The Colts gained just 82 rushing yards on 41 carries, and 2 — The Colts’ defense couldn’t contain Franco Harris, who rushed for 153 yards on 27 carries.

The Colts finished 11–3 in 1976 but were once again defeated in the playoffs by the Steelers. In 1977, they went 10–4 but lost in the playoffs to the Raiders. That game went into double overtime and is considered one of the greatest playoff games in NFL history.

Mark Morthier is the host of Yesterday’s Sports, a podcast dedicated to reliving memorable sports moments from his childhood days and beyond. He grew up in New Jersey just across from New York City, so many of his episodes revolve around the great sport’s teams of the 70s for the New York area.

He is also an author of No Nonsense, Old School Weight Training (Second Edition): A Guide for People with Limited Time and Running Wild: (Growing Up in the 1970s)