In tribute to a certain hyperbolic Jaguars fan who posts on YouTube...
People here might remember a late season game in 1973 between the Colts and the Dolphins. A 2-10 rebuilding Colts team shocked a 11-1 Dolphins team 16-3. The Dolphins still went on to win Super Bowl VIII that same year.
Now the Dolpnins had a playoff spot sewn up, and the playoff sites were rotational at the time and going through MIami anyway. The Dolphins did rest Bob Griese for Earl Morrall, but cornerback Tim Foley was the only other regular not to see action. The rest of the starters went the whole way.
After a Colt three and out, the Dolphins began to move. Morrall and Marlin Briscoe just missed connecting in the end zone on a 35 yard bomb. The Dolphins came away empty when Yepremian missed a 42 yard FG attempt on the next play. The Colts then started a long drive that featured eight Lydell Mitchell carries and three Bill Olds carries, all of Old's went for first downs. The drive stalled, and George Hunt's 19 yard field goal put the Colts up 3-0
The big break of the game happened when Charlie Leigh fumbled on his kickoff return after bringing the ball out to the 35. The Colts stayed conservative, and it paid off when Olds scored from two yards out on an eight play drive. Hunt's extra point made it 10-0. That's how the first half ended.
The Dolphins went three and out on their first possession of the second half. Rick Volk fair caught a short Larry Seiple punt at the Dolphins' 47 yard line. Two plays net nine yards. Lydell Mitchell hammers at the line on third down, but doesn't make it. Try a long FG? You're 2-10, why not take a chance. Lydell gains 3 on fourth and one.
On third and ten a pass to Tom Mitchell nets nine yards. Now the Colts are at the Miami 26? Field goal time? On comes George Hunt. But wait, holder Jack Mildren is running a fake to the right. Mildren gains three and another first down.
Now Lydell Mitchell runs three times for nine yards. Try the FG again? No, try Lydell again. First down at the Miami 10.
Two Lydell carries and a Miami offsides penalty get the Colts down to the one. Lydell again, but he loses a yard - on third down. Go for it? Of course. Marty Domres hits Tom Mitchell in the end zone for a 2 yard TD. The extra point is missed, so it's 16-0 Colts. The drive? 16 plays, 47 yards. Four for four on third down conversions - with a lead!
The Colts played conservative after that and gained only one first down on three drives. The Dolphins finally got on the board with a Yepremian FG, but two other drives ended on downs in Colts' territory, and the 16-3 lead held.
But what about that drive? Four for four on fourth down on a single drive? What's the record?
I can't tell you what the record for most fourth down conversions on a drive is. Pro Football Reference has records going back to 1991 for fourth down conversions. The record they have for a GAME is six, held by the Chargers in a 2021 OT loss to the Raiders. 58 teams have recorded 4 or more fourth down conversions in a game. Unsurprisingly maybe, only 10 of those teams wound up winning their games. So the 1973 Colts doing it in a win was most unusual. I did look for the available play by plays, and found only one other game where there were four fourth down conversions in the same drive.
The one game I found was a 2016 game between the Steelers and the Browns. The redoubtable Josh McCown, on in relief, starts the 0-10 Browns off at their own 35 with 3:30 left in the game, down 24-9. Four times he converts on fourth down, from 1, 5, 8, and 10 yards. He got the Browns down to the Steelers' 14 yard line. There was even a chance for a fifth? But the clock ran out! So not as dramatic or as helpful as the 1973 Colts drive!
Another similar game happened in 2001. The 6-3 Packers are leading the 0-9 Lions comfortably on Thanksgiving day, 29-13 half way through the fourth quarter. Mike McMahon has relieved Charlie Batch as Lions' QB. The Packers' defense can't get off the field. Holding on Mike McKenzie gives the Lions a first down on a third down sack. McMahon converts two straight fourth downs. Another sack on a fourth down play, but wait, Vonnie Holliday penalized for a facemask, another conversion! McMahon runs for a first and goal on third down, but it's the two minute warning at least. Lamont Warren scores a TD, but not much time left. Crap, McMahon runs for a two point conversion! One score game! Chris Akins fumbles the pooch kick! The Lions get the ball! The Packers hold here, 4th and 8 at the Green Bay 29, but McMahon hits Scotty Anderson for 29 yards and a TD! The fourth conversion! A two point conversion ties it! But McMahon and Cory Schlesinger can't connect and the Packers hold! Only 10 seconds left, the onside kick fails, and it's over.
I suppose it makes sense that fourth down conversion honors belong to such terrible teams, since they get a lot of practice at the situation! Both the Browns and Lions teams did manage to win games later in the season to stave off winless records. But 1973 Colts get honors for pulling off such a dramatic drive while already in the lead!
