Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

SBIII gets all the Historic attention, but some here have said that this very game was more of a Colts-disappointment.

Such a juggernaut they seemed to be, Yet a stout-enough but seemingly not-too-special Browns team won 27-0!

What do you all think is the 'explanation' for this? Browns winning at all? Yes, still a big upset considering, but by that actual score??

The game, actually, reminds me of the '78 NFC Championship Game; '0-0' at the half but...

Was it, simply, a case of this being Shula's first ever high-stakes game and he not, really, getting 'the hang of' such an event until later on ('72/'73)?


PS - Colts at St Louis is always an interesting hypo to think of as well.

SB III was more of a disappointment for Balt, who had more chances to score ...

First off, Unitas struggled against the wind in that 1964 game. The Browns took advantage of the wind where Boyd got burned by Collins, who also got away with some slight pushing off.

The Colts, who struggled with Matt Snell in SB III, also had a tough game against Jim Brown, who had that big 46 yrd run, that made them load the box, to open things for Collins. Its surprising that they didnt isolate Warfield against Boyd but he drew double coverage away from Collins on the other side.

Like the Jets, the Browns played excellent defense. Gino Marchetti, felt Ryan ran up the score and went after him, hurting him in the subsequent pro bowl game.