Editing Indianapolis Colts (section)

==== 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>