'78-thru-'83 Colts: the last years in Baltimore

[74_75_78_79_]

(originally posted this on the 'hypo-'77 AFCC Colts@Broncos' thread; a bit off-subject to begin with, and in regards to recent comments Todd and Rupert also made on the '78-and-beyond Colts on yet another post, may as well start a whole new thread)


For what it's worth, the '78 Colts got a bit respectable for a bit following that infamous '0-80', after two games, start. Sort-of (just sort-of) were like the '89 Steelers, at least up thru Week #11. Game 3 in '89, Burnsie's Vikes were quite the fave going in yet Steelers pull the upset. Well same with the Pats being a fave going into that Joe Washington Classic Monday Nighter! Week #8, Colts would avenge last year's regular season loss to Denver by beating them, 7-6. Two weeks later, they beat a then 7-2 Redskins team; but let's face it, Wash's free-fall was already set in-motion. However Colts beat a very respectable 9-7-to-be Seahawks at the Kingdome the following week. They were now 5-6, same record those '89 Steelers were after 11 games, but unlike those Steelers, bottom totally fell out! Colts lost last 5 games - most of them convincingly.

'79, Colts start 0-5 but close losses to good teams in that stretch. Holding a lead was the problem. Week #2 they led 5-0-to-be Tampa 17-0 in the 1st Q, but would allow the Bucs to bring them into, and beat them in, OT. Next week, at Cleveland, they open an early 10-0 lead only for Browns to end up on top, 13-10. Week #4 they lead the defending-Champs, at Three Rivers, three different times throughout the contest but failed to pull it off. From weeks #6 thru #10, they muster four wins to make it (again, respectable) 4-6. But then another 5-game-losing-streak comes.

1980 they start 4-2, the two losses they giving Steelers another real close game followed by they giving the Oilers a respectable showing in the Astrodome. After Week #13 they were still in the hunt at 7-6, having beaten respectable Chiefs and Lions, each on the road; but much more notable...they swept Buffalo! Yet, from there, they mysteriously-as-heck go 2-25-1 through the '82 campaign; not beating a non-Patriots team again until Week #4 of '83 over Chicago in OT! Yes, Colts did start 4-2/6-4 respectfully that very final year in Baltimore under Kush, but yet another 5-game-skid and that was that. None of those 7 wins were against above-500 teams anyway.

A sad set of final years in Baltimore for a such a storied franchise. Thoughts?

[7DnBrnc53]

1978 and 79 showed just how important Jones was to them. In 1980, they were 7-6 until losing their final three games.

However, even with Jones, there were still other weaknesses. The defense ranked 23rd and 28th in points allowed in 1980 and 81 (they also ranked 28th & 19th in 1978 and 79). And, by 1981, the cupboard was pretty bare (they had no Pro Bowlers) because the Colts didn't make too many sound draft and trade decisions from 1975-81.

[BD Sullivan]

1978 and 79 showed just how important Jones was to them. In 1980, they were 7-6 until losing their final three games.

However, even with Jones, there were still other weaknesses. The defense ranked 23rd and 28th in points allowed in 1980 and 81 (they also ranked 28th & 19th in 1978 and 79). And, by 1981, the cupboard was pretty bare (they had no Pro Bowlers) because the Colts didn't make too many sound draft and trade decisions from 1975-81.

Compounded by their picks in the first two rounds in 82. They got the Rams top two picks for Jones, then took Art Schlichter and Rohn Stark. In the latter case, that turned out to be a good pick, getting 13 years out of him, but the 34th overall pick for a punter? Their own two picks were nothing special: Johnie Cooks and Leo Wisnewski.

The 80 Colts nearly pulled off a miracle comeback in Week 14, running off 27 unanswered points to take a 33-31 lead over the Bengals with 1:51 left. However, a sketchy pass interference call turned what might have been a challenging FG into a chip shot from the line of scrimmage at the Colt 6. Whether or not that demoralized them is debatable, but they dropped their last two at home against mediocre teams in Miami and KC.

[Mark L. Ford]

I remember in the early 80s that Baltimore's attendance for home games always stood out like a sore thumb because it was so much lower than the other teams in the NFL. In that final year, most of their games attracted less than 40,000 people to Memorial. When the Maryland State Legislature decided they would try to use eminent domain to keep the team from leaving, that's when Irsay finally decided it was time for the Mayflower to sail away to a new world.

[RRMarshall]

The crescendo of the Colts collapse was their 2-14 1981 season which culminated with the season finale in Baltimore versus the Patriots which became known as the Stupor Bowl, the loser being awarded the top draft pick in the'82 NFL draft. I interviewed several Colts who played in that game who told me their hatred of Colts owner Irsay was their main incentive for winning that game because they did not want to give him the satisfaction of getting the top pick!

They did prevail 23-21 in a game that 'lived up' to the billing, unfortunately (?) the NBC broadcast has been lost to the ages. But maybe that's a good thing!!

[rhickok1109]

I remember in the early 80s that Baltimore's attendance for home games always stood out like a sore thumb because it was so much lower than the other teams in the NFL. In that final year, most of their games attracted less than 40,000 people to Memorial. When the Maryland State Legislature decided they would try to use eminent domain to keep the team from leaving, that's when Irsay finally decided it was time for the Mayflower to sail away to a new world.

Nice turn of phrase there

[Bryan]

Compounded by their picks in the first two rounds in 82. They got the Rams top two picks for Jones, then took Art Schlichter and Rohn Stark. In the latter case, that turned out to be a good pick, getting 13 years out of him, but the 34th overall pick for a punter? Their own two picks were nothing special: Johnie Cooks and Leo Wisnewski.

The 80 Colts nearly pulled off a miracle comeback in Week 14, running off 27 unanswered points to take a 33-31 lead over the Bengals with 1:51 left. However, a sketchy pass interference call turned what might have been a challenging FG into a chip shot from the line of scrimmage at the Colt 6. Whether or not that demoralized them is debatable, but they dropped their last two at home against mediocre teams in Miami and KC.

Yeah, the 1980 Colts weren't bad and were in line to make the playoffs until their late season collapse.

The Colts drafts weren't very good either. They picked Curtis Dickey really high in 1980...he wasn't great but he wasn't a bust...yet in 1981 they use their 1st round pick on another RB, Randy McMillan, who wasn't really all that special at Pitt when he had an NFL-caliber OL. Makes no sense.

The Colts defense even in their good years of 1975-1977 wasn't really championship caliber. They lost Dutton to the Cowboys in 79, perhaps most importantly Lyle Blackwood was lost after 1980 to the Fins, Fred Cook fell off a cliff after 79. By 1981 they had overturned nearly their entire defensive roster.

[sheajets]

I remember in the early 80s that Baltimore's attendance for home games always stood out like a sore thumb because it was so much lower than the other teams in the NFL. In that final year, most of their games attracted less than 40,000 people to Memorial. When the Maryland State Legislature decided they would try to use eminent domain to keep the team from leaving, that's when Irsay finally decided it was time for the Mayflower to sail away to a new world.

I went to a few games there and to be honest I found Colts fans kinda milquetoast compared to say Philly or Redskins which were around the same vicinity. The place didn't seem very insane asylum-ish to me.

They've been better for the Ravens. Though they've also never had to deal with a prolonged down stretch

[BD Sullivan]

I remember in the early 80s that Baltimore's attendance for home games always stood out like a sore thumb because it was so much lower than the other teams in the NFL. In that final year, most of their games attracted less than 40,000 people to Memorial. When the Maryland State Legislature decided they would try to use eminent domain to keep the team from leaving, that's when Irsay finally decided it was time for the Mayflower to sail away to a new world.

I went to a few games there and to be honest I found Colts fans kinda milquetoast compared to say Philly or Redskins which were around the same vicinity. The place didn't seem very insane asylum-ish to me.

They've been better for the Ravens. Though they've also never had to deal with a prolonged down stretch

They were presumably worn down by Irsay's continued incompetence and his frequent threats to move.

[sheajets]

What's interesting is reading about the Colts possible relocation options on Wiki, it lists New York. The Jets had just left New York but they and the Giants were literally just around the corner.

Did New York really make a pitch for the Colts?