Editing Indianapolis Colts (section)

=== Carroll Rosenbloom era (1953–1971) ===
[[Image:Memorial Stadium (Baltimore).jpg|thumb|left|alt=A large stadium, with flags flying off of it|upright=1.1|[[Baltimore Memorial Stadium|Memorial Stadium]], home to the Baltimore Colts until 1983.]]
{{See also|Dayton Triangles}}
In 1953, a new [[Baltimore]]-based group, heavily supported by the city's municipal government and with a large subscription-base of fan-purchased season tickets, led by local owner [[Carroll Rosenbloom]] won the rights to a new Baltimore NFL franchise.<ref>{{cite web|title=Colts Franchise Recap|url=https://www.colts.com/team/history/franchise-recap|publisher=NFL Enterprises, LLC|website=Colts.com|date=February 27, 2020|access-date=March 30, 2020|archive-date=September 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923111240/https://www.colts.com/team/history/franchise-recap|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Baltimore Colts History">{{cite web|title=Baltimore Colts: Historical Moments|url=http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nfl/balticolts/baltcolts.html|publisher=Sports Encyclopedia|access-date=July 5, 2012|archive-date=February 10, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070210173055/http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nfl/balticolts/baltcolts.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Rosenbloom was awarded the remains of the former [[Dallas Texans (NFL)|Dallas Texans]] team, who themselves had a long and winding history, with a small part of the franchise starting as the [[Boston Yanks]] in 1944, merging later with the [[Brooklyn Tigers]], a franchise that had a far more deep and rich history, being previously known as the Dayton Triangles, one of the original old NFL teams established even before the League itself, in 1913. That team later became the [[New York Yanks]] in 1950, and many of the players from the [[New York Yankees (AAFC)|New York Yankees]] of the former competing [[All-America Football Conference]] (1946–49) were added to the team to begin playing in the newly merged League for the 1950 season. The Yanks then moved to [[Dallas]] in [[Texas]] after the 1951 season having competed for two seasons, but played their final two "home" games of the 1952 season as a so-called "road team" at the [[Rubber Bowl]] football stadium in [[Akron, Ohio]].

The NFL considers the Texans and Colts to be separate teams, although many of the earlier teams shared the same colors of blue and white. Thus, the Indianapolis Colts are legally considered to be a 1953 [[expansion team]].

[[File:JohnnyUnitasSignAutograph1964.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Unitas bending down to above an autograph to a child|upright|[[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] inductee [[Johnny Unitas]] (1933–2002), was the Baltimore Colts' starting quarterback and famed "Number 19", from 1956 to 1972.]]

==== Weeb Ewbank years (1954–1962) ====
The current version of the Colts football team played their first season in Baltimore in [[1953 Baltimore Colts season|1953]], where the team compiled a 3–9 record under first-year head coach [[Keith Molesworth]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=1953 Baltimore Colts Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/clt/1953.htm |access-date=2024-08-18 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref> The franchise struggled during the first few years in Baltimore, with the team not achieving their first winning record until the [[1957 Baltimore Colts season|1957 season]].<ref name="Baltimore Colts History" />

===== NFL champions (1958–1959) =====
However, under head coach [[Weeb Ewbank]] and the leadership of quarterback [[Johnny Unitas]], the Colts went on to a 9–3 record during the [[1958 Baltimore Colts season|1958 season]] and reached the [[NFL Championship Game]] for the first time by winning the [[Eastern and Western Conferences (NFL) 1933–69|NFL Western Conference]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Hall of Famers: Weeb Ewbank|url=http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/member.aspx?PLAYER_ID=65|publisher=Pro Football Hall of Fame|access-date=July 5, 2012|archive-date=August 19, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120819030128/http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/member.aspx?player_id=65|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Epstein|first=Eddie|title=Greatest Teams: 1958 Baltimore Colts|url=http://a.espncdn.com/nfl/s/epstein/colts.html|publisher=[[ESPN]]|access-date=July 5, 2012|archive-date=March 23, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130323224602/http://a.espncdn.com/nfl/s/epstein/colts.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The Colts faced the [[New&nbsp;York Giants]] in the [[1958 NFL Championship Game]], which is considered to be among the greatest contests in professional football history.<ref>{{cite web|last=Miller|first=Jeff|title=Shaky Myhra made the kick that mattered most|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=3742033|publisher=[[ESPN]]|date=December 8, 2008|access-date=July 4, 2012|archive-date=July 29, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130729024404/http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3742033|url-status=live}}</ref> The Colts defeated the Giants 23–17 in the first game to utilize the overtime rule, a game seen by 45&nbsp;million persons.<ref>{{cite web|last=MacCambridge|first=Michael|title=Legacy of 'the greatest game' can be found in what followed|url=http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d80d94a0d&template=with-video-with-comments&confirm=true|work=NFL.com|access-date=July 5, 2012|archive-date=July 27, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090727060935/http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d80d94a0d&template=with-video-with-comments&confirm=true|url-status=live}}</ref>

Following the Colts first NFL championship, the team posted a 9–3 record during the [[1959 Baltimore Colts season|1959 season]] and once again defeated the Giants in the [[1959 NFL Championship Game|NFL Championship Game]] to claim their second title.<ref name="Baltimore Colts History" />

==== Don Shula years (1963–1969) ====
Following the two championships in 1958 and 1959, the Colts did not return to the NFL Championship for four seasons and replaced the head coach Ewbank with the young [[Don Shula]] in [[1963 Baltimore Colts season|1963]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Cole|first=Jason|title=Ewbank overlooked figure of AFL glory|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=jc-weebewbank120309|work=Yahoo! Sports|date=December 30, 2009|access-date=July 5, 2012|archive-date=November 29, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129035402/http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=jc-weebewbank120309|url-status=live}}</ref> In Shula's second season the Colts compiled a 12–2 record, but lost to the [[Cleveland Browns]] in the [[1964 NFL Championship Game|NFL Championship]] 27–0.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Championship - Baltimore Colts at Cleveland Browns - December 27th, 1964 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/196412270cle.htm |access-date=2024-08-18 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref>

===== NFL champions (1968) =====
In [[1968 Baltimore Colts season|1968]] the Colts returned with the continued leadership of Unitas and Shula and went on to win the Colts' third NFL Championship and made an appearance in [[Super Bowl&nbsp;III]].

[[File:1986 Jeno's Pizza - 32 - Earl Morrall.jpg|thumb|alt=The Colts running back the ball from the line of scrimmage|right|The Colts against Dallas in their first Super Bowl championship (V).]]
Leading up to the Super Bowl and following the 34–0 trouncing of the Cleveland Browns in the [[1968 NFL Championship Game|NFL Championship]], many were calling the 1968 Colts team one of the "greatest pro football teams of all time"<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/1102/nfl-top-15-teams-to-not-win-super-bowl/content.4.html|title=Top 15 Team Not to Win the Super Bowl:1968 Baltimore Colts (13–1)|access-date=July 4, 2012|magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]]|archive-date=February 4, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110204051010/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/1102/nfl-top-15-teams-to-not-win-super-bowl/content.4.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> and were favored by 18&nbsp;points against their counterparts from the [[American Football League]], the [[New&nbsp;York Jets]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/dan_shaughnessy/01/18/colts.jets/index.html|title=There's plenty of history between AFC finalists Jets and Colts|access-date=July 5, 2012|last=Shaughnessy|first=Dan|date=January 19, 2010|magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]]|archive-date=January 21, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100121134732/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/dan_shaughnessy/01/18/colts.jets/index.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Colts, however, were stunned by the Jets, who won the game 16–7 in the first Super Bowl victory for the young AFL. The result of the game surprised many in the sports media<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sports/nfl/longterm/superbowl/stories/sb3.htm|title=Jets Shock Colts in Super Bowl, 16–7|access-date=July 4, 2012|last=Brady|first=Dave|date=January 13, 1969|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|archive-date=January 14, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150114063223/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sports/nfl/longterm/superbowl/stories/sb3.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> as [[Joe Namath]] and [[Matt Snell]] led the Jets to the Super Bowl victory under head coach Weeb Ewbank, who had previously won two NFL Championships with the Colts.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Weeb Ewbank Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/coaches/EwbaWe0.htm |access-date=2024-08-18 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref>

==== Don McCafferty years (1970–1972) ====
Rosenbloom of the Colts, [[Art Modell]] of the Browns, and [[Art Rooney]] of the [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] agreed to have their teams join the ten AFL teams in the [[American Football Conference]] as part of the [[AFL–NFL merger]] in 1970.<ref name="Baltimore Colts History" />

===== Super Bowl V champions (1970) =====
The Colts immediately went on a rampage in the new league, as new head coach [[Don McCafferty]] led the [[1970 Baltimore Colts season|1970]] team to an 11–2–1 regular-season record, winning the [[AFC East]] title. In the first round of the NFL Playoffs, the Colts beat the [[Cincinnati Bengals]] 17–0; one week later in the first-ever [[AFC Championship Game]], they beat the [[Oakland Raiders]] 27–17. Baltimore went on to win the first post-merger Super Bowl ([[Super Bowl&nbsp;V]]), defeating the [[National Football Conference]]'s [[Dallas Cowboys]] 16–13 on a Jim O'Brien field goal with five seconds left to play.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/sports/remembering-super-bowl-v-baltimore-colts-jim-obrie/nL2gn/|title=Remembering Super Bowl V: Baltimore Colts' Jim O'Brien got a win and a future wife|access-date=July 5, 2012|last=Milian|first=Jorge|date=February 1, 2010|newspaper=The Palm Beach Post|archive-date=March 23, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130323180524/http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/sports/remembering-super-bowl-v-baltimore-colts-jim-obrie/nL2gn/|url-status=live}}</ref> The victory gave the Colts their fourth NFL championship and first Super Bowl victory. Following the championship, the Colts returned to the playoffs in [[1971 Baltimore Colts season|1971]] and defeated the Cleveland Browns in the first round, but lost to the [[Miami Dolphins]] in the AFC Championship.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1971 Baltimore Colts Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/clt/1971.htm |access-date=2024-08-18 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref>