1977 Baltimore Colts season | |
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Owner | Robert Irsay |
General manager | Dick Szymanski |
Head coach | Ted Marchibroda |
Home field | Memorial Stadium |
Results | |
Record | 10–4 |
Division place | T-1st AFC East |
Playoff finish | Lost Divisional Playoffs (vs. Raiders) 31–37 (2OT) |
Pro Bowlers | TGeorge Kunz RBLydell Mitchell DTMike Barnes DEJohn Dutton KToni Linhart |
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The 1977 Baltimore Colts season was the 25th season for the team in the 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 (their next came ten years later in 1987, by which time the team moved to Indianapolis). Baltimore's next playoff team was the Ravensin2000, winners of Super Bowl XXXV.
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] The new general manager was former Colts center Dick Szymanski, who was the personnel director and a former scout.[6][7][8]
1977 Baltimore Colts draft | |||||
Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
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1 | 26 | Randy Burke | Wide receiver | Kentucky | |
2 | 53 | Mike Ozdowski | Defensive end | Virginia | |
6 | 168 | Calvin O'Neal | Linebacker | Michigan | Would play for the Colts in 1978. |
7 | 193 | Blanchard Carter | Offensive tackle | UNLV | Would play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
8 | 220 | Ken Helms | Offensive tackle | Georgia | |
9 | 247 | Glen Capriola | Running back | Boston College | |
10 | 277 | Ron Baker | Guard | Oklahoma State | |
11 | 304 | Brian Ruff | Linebacker | The Citadel | |
12 | 331 | Bill Deutsch | Running back | North Dakota | |
Made roster |
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
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Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
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Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
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Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
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Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
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Reserve lists
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Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | |
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1 | September 18 | atSeattle Seahawks | W 29–14 | 1–0 | Kingdome | 58,991 | |
2 | September 25 | atNew 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 | atKansas City Chiefs | W 17–6 | 5–0 | Arrowhead Stadium | 63,076 | |
6 | October 23 | atNew 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 | November 7 | Washington Redskins | W 10–3 | 7–1 | Memorial Stadium | 57,740 | |
9 | November 13 | atBuffalo 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 | atDenver Broncos | L 13–27 | 9–2 | Mile High Stadium | 74,939 | |
12 | December 5 | atMiami 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. |
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Week Two: Baltimore Colts (1–0) at New York Jets (0–1)
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Colts | 7 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 20 |
Jets | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 12 |
atGiants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
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AFC East | |||||||||
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W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
Baltimore Colts(2) | 10 | 4 | 0 | .714 | 6–2 | 9–3 | 295 | 221 | W1 |
Miami Dolphins | 10 | 4 | 0 | .714 | 6–2 | 8–4 | 313 | 197 | W1 |
New England Patriots | 9 | 5 | 0 | .643 | 4–4 | 7–5 | 278 | 217 | L1 |
New York Jets | 3 | 11 | 0 | .214 | 2–6 | 2–10 | 191 | 300 | L2 |
Buffalo Bills | 3 | 11 | 0 | .214 | 2–6 | 2–10 | 160 | 313 | L1 |
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] After the first overtime went scoreless, Casper caught a 10-yard touchdown pass 43 seconds into the period to win the game for the Raiders.[14][15]
Round | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
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Divisional | December 24 | Oakland Raiders (4) | L 31–372OT | 0–1 | Memorial Stadium | 60,763 |
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Division championships (16) |
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Conference championships (7) |
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League championships (5) |
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Played in Baltimore (1953–1983) | |
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Bold indicates NFL Championship (1920–65) or Super Bowl (1966–present) victory |