Post by Lithfan on Oct 22, 2015 13:18:58 GMT -5
October 22, 1972
Week 6 of the 1972 season, the Jets would host the Baltimore Colts in their 2nd matchup of the season. The Jets travelled to Baltimore in week 2 and had come up with a classic 44-34 victory as Joe Namath and Johnny Unitas combined to throw for almost 900 yards.
The Colts were coming off a 21-0 loss to the Cowboys which dropped their record to 1-4. After the Cowboy loss, Baltimore fired head coach Don McCafferty, replacing him with John Sandusky. In one of his first moves as head coach, Sandusky installed 4 year veteran Marty Domres as the Colts starting QB, benching fan favorite and future Hall of Famer, Johnny Unitas. Unitas would never start another game for the Colts.
For most of the game, it looked like Sandusky’s decision was going to payoff. Even though the Jets jumped out to an early 14-3 lead, thanks to a 32-yard TD run by John Riggins and a 49-yard Namath TD pass to Emerson Boozer, Domres would lead the Colts back. Baltimore closed the gap to 17-10 at the half after a 1 yard TD run by Don Nottingham.
Domres, who finished the game 19-34 for 253 yards and no interceptions, led the Colts on a 4th quarter scoring drive that culminated in a 13 yard TD pass to Jim O’Brien. The Colts had a 20-17 lead with less than two minutes to play.
The Jets got the ball at their own 32 yard line, but a penalty set them back 15 yards. In the huddle, Namath supposedly told WR Eddie Bell, “Eddie, just run your tail off.” And that is what Bell did. Namath fired deep, into double coverage, with Jerry Logan and Charlie Stukes in position for the Colts. The ball was tipped by Stukes, and Bell grabbed it and raced to the end zone with an unlikely 83 yard TD reception and a 24-20 lead.
“I knew the ball was underthrown,” Bell said after the game. “I stopped running and just hoped they’d mess up the play or tip the ball to me somehow. That’s exactly what they did. I grabbed the ball and took off as fast as I could.”
Namath put up a stat line that only Joe Namath could accomplish. He was just 5 of 16 in the game, but he averaged over 40 yards per completion, finishing with 228 yards, 2 TDs and 3 interceptions. 5-16-228-2-3. Nobody but Namath could put up those numbers.
Even though the Jets had the lead, Domres and the Colts were not done. On the final play of the game from the JEts 45 yard line, Domres heaved one downfield that was caught by TE John Mosier, but he would be tackled at the Jets two-yard line as the clock read 0:00 and the Jets escaped with a win.
Week 6 of the 1972 season, the Jets would host the Baltimore Colts in their 2nd matchup of the season. The Jets travelled to Baltimore in week 2 and had come up with a classic 44-34 victory as Joe Namath and Johnny Unitas combined to throw for almost 900 yards.
The Colts were coming off a 21-0 loss to the Cowboys which dropped their record to 1-4. After the Cowboy loss, Baltimore fired head coach Don McCafferty, replacing him with John Sandusky. In one of his first moves as head coach, Sandusky installed 4 year veteran Marty Domres as the Colts starting QB, benching fan favorite and future Hall of Famer, Johnny Unitas. Unitas would never start another game for the Colts.
For most of the game, it looked like Sandusky’s decision was going to payoff. Even though the Jets jumped out to an early 14-3 lead, thanks to a 32-yard TD run by John Riggins and a 49-yard Namath TD pass to Emerson Boozer, Domres would lead the Colts back. Baltimore closed the gap to 17-10 at the half after a 1 yard TD run by Don Nottingham.
Domres, who finished the game 19-34 for 253 yards and no interceptions, led the Colts on a 4th quarter scoring drive that culminated in a 13 yard TD pass to Jim O’Brien. The Colts had a 20-17 lead with less than two minutes to play.
The Jets got the ball at their own 32 yard line, but a penalty set them back 15 yards. In the huddle, Namath supposedly told WR Eddie Bell, “Eddie, just run your tail off.” And that is what Bell did. Namath fired deep, into double coverage, with Jerry Logan and Charlie Stukes in position for the Colts. The ball was tipped by Stukes, and Bell grabbed it and raced to the end zone with an unlikely 83 yard TD reception and a 24-20 lead.
“I knew the ball was underthrown,” Bell said after the game. “I stopped running and just hoped they’d mess up the play or tip the ball to me somehow. That’s exactly what they did. I grabbed the ball and took off as fast as I could.”
Namath put up a stat line that only Joe Namath could accomplish. He was just 5 of 16 in the game, but he averaged over 40 yards per completion, finishing with 228 yards, 2 TDs and 3 interceptions. 5-16-228-2-3. Nobody but Namath could put up those numbers.
Even though the Jets had the lead, Domres and the Colts were not done. On the final play of the game from the JEts 45 yard line, Domres heaved one downfield that was caught by TE John Mosier, but he would be tackled at the Jets two-yard line as the clock read 0:00 and the Jets escaped with a win.
