Indianapolis Colts · Franchise era 1 of 7
Unitas and the greatest game: the Indianapolis Colts story
Franchise era
1953—1962
Unitas and the greatest game
Indianapolis Colts
The story in one sentence
Unitas's timing with Berry and a dominant defense won back-to-back championships, beginning with the 1958 overtime title game that helped popularize the NFL.
The modern passing quarterback takes shape
Johnny Unitas, Raymond Berry and Gino Marchetti gave the era its recognizable core.
Its ending created the conditions for from upset to super bowl v.
Timeline
How it unfolded
The foundation
The franchise context
The Colts connect Baltimore's Unitas revolution to Indianapolis's Manning machine, with championships in both cities and Andrew Luck's brilliant, shortened bridge between eras.
1958-12-28
Conference Championship: Baltimore Colts vs New York Giants
1959-12-27
Conference Championship: New York Giants vs Baltimore Colts
After 1962
What came next
Baltimore's 1968 juggernaut suffered the league's most famous upset, then a veteran defense responded by winning Super Bowl V two years later.
The core