23rd season in franchise history; final playoff appearance in Baltimore
The 1977 Baltimore Colts season National Football League (NFL). Led by third-year head coach Ted Marchibroda , the Colts finished with 10 wins and 4 losses, tied for first in the AFC East division with the Miami Dolphins . The Colts had the tiebreaker over Miami based on better conference record (9–3 to 8–4), and the Dolphins missed the playoffs .[ 1] [ 2]
This was the final playoff appearance for the Colts as a Baltimore-based franchise. They would not make the playoffs again, or have a winning season, until ten years later in 1987 , by which time the team moved to Indianapolis . As well, it would be the franchise's last playoff appearance in a non-strike year until 1995 , and the team's last 10-win season until 1999 , Peyton Manning 's 2nd season. A Baltimore-based NFL team would not make the playoffs until the Ravens in 2000 , winners of Super Bowl XXXV .
Offseason
Colts' owner Robert Irsay fired general manager Joe Thomas in January 1977, due to a power struggle he was having with head coach Ted Marchibroda .[ 3] [ 4] [ 5] Dick Szymanski , who was the personnel director and a former scout.[ 6] [ 7] [ 8]
NFL draft
Personnel
Staff
1977 Baltimore Colts staff
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Special Teams – George Boutselis
Roster
Source: [ 9]
Regular season
Schedule
Week
Date
Opponent
Result
Record
Venue
Attendance
1
September 18
at Seattle Seahawks
W 29–14
1–0
Kingdome
58,991
2
September 25
at New York Jets
W 20–12
2–0
Giants Stadium
43,439
3
October 2
Buffalo Bills W 17–14
3–0
Memorial Stadium
49,247
4
October 9
Miami Dolphins W 45–28
4–0
Memorial Stadium
57,829
5
October 16
at Kansas City Chiefs
W 17–6
5–0
Arrowhead Stadium
63,076
6
October 23
at New England Patriots
L 3–17
5–1
Schaefer Stadium
60,958
7
October 30
Pittsburgh Steelers
W 31–21
6–1
Memorial Stadium
60,225
8
Washington Redskins
W 10–3
7–1
Memorial Stadium
57,740
9
November 13
at Buffalo Bills
W 31–13
8–1
Rich Stadium
39,444
10
November 20
New York Jets
W 33–12
9–1
Memorial Stadium
50,957
11
November 27
at Denver Broncos
L 13–27
9–2
Mile High Stadium
74,939
12
at Miami Dolphins
L 6–17
9–3
Miami Orange Bowl
68,977
13
December 11
Detroit Lions
L 10–13
9–4
Memorial Stadium
45,124
14
December 18
New England Patriots W 30–24
10–4
Memorial Stadium
42,250
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Week 1
1
2 3 4 Total
• Colts
7
7 5 10
29
Seahawks
0
7 0 7
14
Date: September 18Location: Kingdome , Seattle Game start: 4:00 p.m. Game weather: Indoors (dome)
[ 10]
Week 2 at Jets
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
BAL – Don McCauley 2-yard run (Toni Linhart kick). Colts 14–0. Drive:
NYJ – Pat Leahy 25-yard field goal. Colts 14–3. Drive: Third quarter
BAL – Don McCauley 1-yard run (Toni Linhart kick). Colts 21–3. Drive: Fourth quarter
NYJ – Safety, David Lee ran out of end zone. Colts 21–5.
NYJ – Charlie White 1-yard run (Pat Leahy kick). Colts 21–12. Drive:
Top passers Top rushers BAL – Lydell Mitchell – 26 rushes, 68 yards
NYJ – Charlie White – 12 rushes, 36 yards, TD Top receivers
Week 3
1
2 3 4 Total
Bills
0
7 0 7
14
• Colts
0
10 0 7
17
Date: October 2Location: Memorial StadiumGame weather: 72 °F or 22.2 °C, relative humidity 73%, wind 14 miles per hour (23 km/h; 12 kn)
Week 4
1
2 3 4 Total
Dolphins
14
14 0 0
28
• Colts
10
14 14 7
45
Date: October 9Location: Memorial StadiumGame weather: 63 °F or 17.2 °C, relative humidity 82%, wind 13 miles per hour (21 km/h; 11 kn)Referee: Don Wedge
Week 5
1
2 3 4 Total
• Colts
14
0 3 0
17
Chiefs
0
6 0 0
6
Date: October 16Location: Arrowhead Stadium Game weather: 46 °F or 7.8 °C, relative humidity 72%, wind 8 miles per hour (13 km/h; 7.0 kn)
Week 6
1
2 3 4 Total
Colts
0
0 3 0
3
• Patriots
7
0 10 0
17
Date: October 23Location: Sullivan Stadium Game weather: 51 °F or 10.6 °C, relative humidity 45%, wind 15 miles per hour (24 km/h; 13 kn)
Week 7
1
2 3 4 Total
Steelers
0
0 7 14
21
• Colts
3
14 7 7
31
Date: October 30Location: Memorial StadiumGame weather: 53 °F or 11.7 °C, relative humidity 54%, wind 8 miles per hour (13 km/h; 7.0 kn)Referee: Red Cashion
Week 8
1
2 3 4 Total
Redskins
0
3 0 0
3
• Colts
3
0 0 7
10
Date: Location: Memorial StadiumGame weather: 61 °F or 16.1 °C, relative humidity 93%, wind 16 miles per hour (26 km/h; 14 kn)Television network: ABC
Week 9
1
2 3 4 Total
• Colts
10
14 7 0
31
Bills
7
3 3 0
13
Date: November 13Location: Rich Stadium Game weather: 29 °F or −1.7 °C, relative humidity 82%, wind 13 miles per hour (21 km/h; 11 kn), wind chill 18 °F or −7.8 °CReferee: Gordon McCarter
Week 10
1
2 3 4 Total
Jets
3
0 3 6
12
• Colts
6
13 7 7
33
Date: November 20Location: Memorial StadiumGame start: 1:00 p.m. EST Game weather: 43 °F or 6.1 °C • Wind 6 mph (10 km/h; 5 kn)
[ 12]
Week 11
1
2 3 4 Total
Colts
0
3 10 0
13
• Broncos
7
7 0 13
27
Date: November 27Location: Mile High Stadium Game weather: 40 °F or 4.4 °C, relative humidity 48%, wind 15 miles per hour (24 km/h; 13 kn)Referee: Jim Tunney
Week 12
1
2 3 4 Total
Colts
6
0 0 0
6
• Dolphins
3
7 0 7
17
Date: December 5Location: Orange Bowl Game weather: 79 °F or 26.1 °C, relative humidity 78%, wind 10 miles per hour (16 km/h; 8.7 kn)Television network: ABC
Week 13
1
2 3 4 Total
• Lions
0
3 0 10
13
Colts
0
0 3 7
10
Date: December 11Location: Memorial StadiumGame weather: 22 °F or −5.6 °C, relative humidity 45%, wind 11 miles per hour (18 km/h; 9.6 kn), wind chill 11 °F or −11.7 °CReferee: Pat Haggerty TV announcers (CBS ): Tim Ryan , Johnny Unitas
Week 14
1
2 3 4 Total
Patriots
0
14 10 0
24
• Colts
0
3 13 14
30
Date: December 18Location: Memorial StadiumGame weather: 41 °F or 5 °C, relative humidity 81%, wind 15 miles per hour (24 km/h; 13 kn)Referee: Fred Silva
Standings
Playoffs
Baltimore made it to the AFC playoffs as a No. 2 seed and hosted the defending Super Bowl champion Oakland Raiders in the divisional round. The Colts held a 31–28 lead with time running out, when the famous “Ghost to the Post ” play to tight end Dave Casper advanced the Raiders to the Baltimore 14-yard line, where Errol Mann kicked the tying field goal to send the contest into overtime.[ 13] [ 14] [ 15]
Divisional
1
2 3 4 OT Total
• Raiders
7
0 14 10 6
37
Colts
0
10 7 14 0
31
Date: Location: Memorial Stadium Game weather: 41 °F or 5 °C, relative humidity 56%, wind 9 miles per hour (14 km/h; 7.8 kn)Referee: Dick Jorgensen
See also
References
^ "Colts win a berth in playoffs" . Eugene Register-Guard . (Oregon). Associated Press. December 19, 1977. p. 1B.^ "Dolphins irate over blown call" . Eugene Register-Guard . (Oregon). UPI. December 19, 1977. p. 2B.^ "Colt GM Thomas fired" . Pittsburgh Press . UPI. January 21, 1977. p. C1.^ "Internal problems get Thomas fired" . Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . January 22, 1977. p. 7.^ "Colts dumping Joe Thomas" . Spokesman-Review . (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. January 22, 1977. p. 13.^ "Colts realign front office" . Pittsburgh Press . UPI. January 24, 1977. p. C6.^ "Shakeup underway in Baltimore" . Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . January 25, 1977. p. 12.^ "Baltimore shakeup continues" . Lewiston Morning Tribune . (Idaho). Associated Press. January 25, 1977. p. 2B.^ "1977 Baltimore Colts starters and roster" . Pro-Football-Reference.com . Retrieved November 20, 2014 .^ "Baltimore Colts at Seattle Seahawks — September 18th, 1977" . Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 24, 2014 .^ "Baltimore Colts at New York Jets — September 25th, 1977" . Pro-Football-Reference.com.^ "New York Jets at Baltimore Colts — November 20th, 1977" . Pro-Football-Reference.com.^ Reid, Ron (January 2, 1978). "The Ghost to the Post" . Sports Illustrated . p. 12. ^ Livingston, Pat (December 25, 1977). "Oakland stops Baltimore, 37-31" . Pittsburgh Press . p. D1. ^ "Suddenly, the Raiders win a 37-31 decision" . Eugene Register-Guard . (Oregon). wire service reports. December 25, 1977. p. 3C.
External links
Franchise Stadiums Culture Lore Rivalries Division championships (16) Conference championships (7) League championships (5) Retired numbers Media Current league affiliations
