Super Bowl III
Four seasons after signing with the Jets, Joe Namath was in Miami sitting
at the poolside deck of the Jets' Super Bowl hotel when he told reporters,
"We are going to win the Super Bowl." He guaranteed it, and his statement
made headlines around the country. To many, the statement seemed ridiculous,
the Baltimore Colts were 17-point favorites for Super Bowl III. The two
previous AFL Champions Kansas City and Oakland had been beaten soundly by
the Green Bay Packers in the first two Super Bowls.
The Jets could manage only two first downs in the first quarter. In the second quarter, Namath moved the Jets 80 yards for a touchdown. In the second half, Jim Turner added three field goals and the Jets' defense held the Colts to a single touchdown. The final score: Jets 16, Baltimore 7.
Joe had completed 17 of 28 passes for 206 yards. He was named the game's Most Valuable Player in one of sports' greatest upsets.
The Jets' victory put the AFL on an equal level with the NFL. One year later, the two leagues merged into a 26-team league.
Scoring Summary
Super Bowl III -- New York Jets 16, Baltimore Colts 7
(at the Orange Bowl, Miami)
---------------------------------------------
1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH FINAL
--- --- --- --- -----
NY JETS 0 7 6 3 16
BALTIMORE 0 0 0 7 7
2ND QTR: NYJ - TD, Matt Snell 4-Yard Run
(Jim Turner, Kick)
3RD QTR: NYJ - FG, Jim Turner, 32 Yard
3RD QTR: NYJ - FG, Jim Turner, 30 Yard
4TH QTR: NYJ - FG, Jim Turner, 9 Yard
4TH QTR: BAL - TD, Jerry Hill, 1-Yard Run
(Lou Michaels, Kick)
Attendance: 75,389
Game Statistics
NYJ BAL First Downs 21 18 Rushes/Yards 45/142 23/143 Passing Yards 195 181 Passes Attempted 29 41 Passes Completed 17 17 Intercepted By 4 0 Fumbles/Lost 1/1 1/1 Penalties/Yards 5/28 3/23
Back to top.