1969 Niners at Colts GOTW week 6

this is baltimore's memorial stadium it was not too many days ago that this city's baseball team played here against an underdog team from new york in the world series and it was not too far in the past that their football team lost to an underdog in the super bowl to events the people of this city want never to reoccur today 60 000 baltimore colt fans again filled their fortress to capacity for the 50th straight time to help their team make sure another underdog the san francisco 49ers would not humiliate their cults the 49ers are an enigma to the highly patterned game of pro football they have great talent on paper but have never been consistent today coach dick nolan would try to break a long losing streak by starting steve spurrier at quarterback in place of his eight hundred thousand dollar sore armed leader number 12 john brody spurrier number 11 looked good in pre-season but has remained a puzzle since he won the heisman trophy at the university of florida four years ago spurrier will lead a team that hasn't won a game this year and is already all but eliminated in the coastal division race consequently the 49ers should be a loose and relaxed team for this game with everything to gain and nothing to lose and they appeared to be so before game time john unites and the baltimore colts however are under great pressure the colts must win to remain in their coastal division race with the rams having already fallen two games behind at the same time coach don shula knows that his team has not shown either the quality or results of last year's super bowl participants so as the teams prepared for the opening kickoff a classic confrontation awaited the underdog with nothing to lose versus the heavy favorite with everything to lose by the game's end baltimore may never want to be heavily favored again in any sport i'm andy musser and this is the nfl game of the week [Music] the early part of the game would prove to be a standoff with the colt showing offensive punch but lacking the ability to score united took the colts deep into 49er territory on his first series and he did it on his own accurate arm and the receiving of number 28 jimmy orr two passes to the veteran from georgia move baltimore to the 49er 30-yard line but here the drive stall went on third down or couldn't hold united's pass at the 10. [Music] lou michaels then also missed a 37-yard field goal attempt and the 49ers took over [Music] the cult defense was put to its first test of the game and they responded well in particular right end roy hilton number 85 one of two new defensive regulars this year stopped the 49er setbacks on successive plays then steve spurrier improvised on his first passing situation after a beautiful 29-yard scramble he lost the ball to billy ray smith at midfield the 49er defense would then hold the colt scoreless again although poor execution by baltimore was the primary reason [Music] on this drive which netted only 10 yards willie richardson dropped two passes tom maddy missed the block on a screen to jerry hill and lou michaels again missed a field goal attempt in fact the colts would fail to score at all in the first quarter [Music] as is reflected on the face of lineman bob vogel it would be a long day for the baltimore offense [Music] late in the quarter the 49ers began a drive that would culminate in the game's first score [Music] ken willard number 40 the hard running back from north carolina carried two spurrier passes to the call 37. [Music] then spurrier just missed his first touchdown of the year as dick witcher number 88 couldn't reach his pass the quarter changed but the 49ers kept driving behind number 66 elmer colette doug cunningham rolled around left end down to the nine and into the seats where he watched for a while [Music] but here the colt stiffened bubba smith blocked one pass and on third down rick bulk number 21 saved a touchdown intended for tight end bob windsor [Music] windsor was shaken up on the play and joined his teammate bill tucker who had earlier suffered an eye injury tommy davis salvaged the drive with an 18-yard field goal it was three-nothing [Music] it would be a game of almost for the colts preston pearson almost broke loose on the ensuing kickoff earl morrow watched united try to bring his team back the 49er defense led by veteran tackles roland lakes number 60 and charlie krueger number 70 would of course try to deny united this chance they would not be able to do so unite us or and tom maddy would take the cult 65 yards to a touchdown maddie personally led the colts into 49er territory and then johnny you completed one of his now common fluttering ducks to jimmy orr maddie added six more on the halfback draw to the 11th [Music] then united's past war seemed to be good for six points but a motion penalty nullified it so john came right back to maddie behind perfect protection on a flare pass and again the colts had a touchdown this one counted and baltimore led 10-7. lou michaels is seen from the end zone camera on the kickoff as he charged downfield after returner johnny fuller fuller was caught after a 25-yard return spurrier then led a time-consuming drive that would regain him the lead utilizing four different receivers spurrier showed a poise under pressure that might just be the antidote for the 49ers dismal showing so far this season after connecting with cunningham and windsor he hit dick witcher number 88 over the middle [Music] bill tucker took a swing pass for 12 more down to the colts 13. then again let around left end by the blocking of colette cunningham went to the fine from here spurrier again exploited the vulnerable right side of the colt line and willard went in to score the 49ers were ahead 10-7 and they looked like a different team than the one that had lost 11 straight games dating back to pre-season play [Music] with two minutes left baltimore had plenty of time for the master of the two-minute drill to tie or regain the lead coach shula and billy ray smith watched intently to see if the master could do it pearson's 31-yard return set united up at the 40. [Music] [Applause] [Music] on first down he went to john mackey for 14 yards then jimmy or caught his fourth pass of the day down to the 49er 27. was eating up cornerback johnny white number 48 and his next catch took the ball to the eighth with 52 seconds left unites tried for mackey in the end zone he picked the wrong man alvin randolph made a great steal and ended another cold threat as the half came to an end the colts dejectedly left the field at halftime down by only three but outplayed and outhustled by the last place 49ers they had blown three scoring chances so far and in pro football a team that must too many scoring opportunities is like a ship with a punctured hall sooner or later it's got to go down [Music] [Applause] after suffering through the first half battle hardened baltimore fans watched a witch cavort on the 30-yard line and then saw their beloved mascot dismantled before their very eyes [Music] it would not be the last indignity the cult faithful would witness today [Music] the second half saw the 49ers come back flying doug cunningham three-year veteran from mississippi personally took care of a first down on two successive plays ken willard always a fine runner is lighter this year as this 18-yard draw play shows and quite a bit faster [Music] the visitors moved to a third down situation on the 18th here spurrier showed his maturity by cooley dumping a pass to big bob windsor who broke four tackles to go in for the score [Music] san francisco had increased its lead to 10 points eight-year veteran kermit alexander was injured his replacement johnny white was picked as a pigeon by united instead white picked off a united pass and using his blockers like the old flying wedge rambled 65 yards to score the 49er lead swelled to 17 points [Music] [Applause] unites finally calmed his team down and methodically moved them the length of the field on nice catches by willie richardson and tom maddie to move into san francisco territory unite us was zinging the ball with his old authority [Music] then maddie rammed his way around left end and almost lost the ball on a jolting head tackle [Music] then in a picture-perfect play united stepped into his pocket and drilled door who took the ball high before being belted down then the quarterback roofed the ball over white to ore for the score the colts were within 10 points as the third quarter ended early in the final quarter united with all day to throw found tom mitchell by himself past midfield the tight end stumbled but refused to go down until he had gained 42 yards the second year receiver was getting more work than normal because of a leg brew sustained by john mackey then richardson pulled one down and got past white before being shoved out of bounds the colts were moving at will united tried richardson again this time on the right and jim johnson drew an interference penalty to put the ball on the one [Applause] [Music] [Applause] then matty displaying the desire for which he is known fought in for the score the colts were only three points behind the offense working together beautifully had done its job coach shula knew it was up to the defense to hold the 49ers the pass rush must do the job the front four poured in but spurrier somehow got off a pass for a game but the colt defense which was so magnificent in 1968 overcame the momentary setback [Music] unsurprisingly they were led by number 78 295 pound bubba smith billy ray smith and fred miller remain on the front four roy hilton is a new member bubba got the spurrier first and smith finished him off a third down play also missed and baltimore had their trophy the ball [Music] the colts had five minutes to score and it looked like they would do it explosively united starched to pass into orr's hands at the left sideline for 27 yards [Music] then matty darted through a huge hole but couldn't quite get past al randolph [Music] the ball was on the 49er 20. then it happened united with perfect protection winged the ball toward richardson but jimmy johnson played the ball and came up with a superb catch that abruptly ended the threat san francisco not baltimore came up with the big play the game breaker reserved for winners the 49ers were three minutes away from a startling upset and their first victory the dejected colts knew they couldn't afford to fall any further behind the rams the division leaders [Music] again it was up to the defense to get the ball and they had to do it quickly spurrier was under tremendous pressure and through hurriedly and inaccurately the 49ers had to do something they desperately didn't want to do give up the ball the punt never came off tommy davis was swarmed under by half the baltimore defense this time it was the colts who made the big play under pressure they had the ball on the san francisco 11 yard line and they had two minutes to take it in united gave the ball to his most reliable clutch player and incredibly tom maddy lost it [Music] a deliriously happy 49er defense had again turned it around and again the cold offense left the field in frustration [Music] this key play deserves another look it can be seen this ball was popped from maddie's grasp by number 72 bill belk [Music] for number 57 frank nunley a season was reborn a great competitor like tom maddy could only grit his teeth and wait for another chance it quickly came the cult defense again drove san francisco backwards and their punt gave them the ball in good position less than 50 seconds to go john united's first attempt was just missed by tom mitchell 42 seconds remaining unitas came right back to mitchell over the middle for 17 yards in the first down the clock was running in their two-minute offense united's lined up without a huddle with maddie in the slot united's got him the ball but he couldn't escape the 49er linebackers at the 10. [Music] with the clock still running unite us lined up and heaved the ball out of bounds to stop the clock there were two seconds left time for one more play as united went to the sidelines to discuss strategy with don shula the question was would baltimore go for a tie with a kick or the win with a pass dick nolan could only nervously wait to see united returned to the field the colts already two games behind the rams were going for the victory two seconds an eternity for the 49ers a lifetime for the colts united dropped back and fired for ore but his favorite receiver was covered by two men and the pass dropped to the turf san francisco had won dick nolan had his first win of the season and he had it against one of the league's best it was the 49ers first victory in 15 meetings with the colts since 1962 for john united and the colts it was a devastating defeat they fell three games behind the streaking rams an almost impossible margin to make up

Channel: Comrade Dobler

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Rating: 4.9148936 out of 5

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Id: EtBe5OLvk48

Length: 22min 51sec (1371 seconds)

Published: Sun Aug 09 2020