Super Bowl III was the third AFL-NFL Championship Game in professional American football….the first to officially bear the name “Super Bowl”….as the game was played on January 12, 1969 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida…..and is regarded as one of the greatest upsets in American sports history. The heavy underdog American Football League (AFL) champion New York Jets defeated the National Football League (NFL) champion Baltimore Colts by a score of 16–7. This was the first Super Bowl victory for the AFL.
Entering Super Bowl III most sports writers and fans believed that AFL teams were less talented than NFL clubs….fully expecting the Colts to defeat the Jets by a wide margin….as Baltimore posted a 13–1 record during the 1968 NFL season….before defeating the Cleveland Browns in the 1968 NFL Championship Game. The Jets finished the 1968 AFL season at 11–3, and defeated the Oakland Raiders in the 1968 AFL Championship Game.
Jets quarterback Joe Namath made an appearance three days before the Super Bowl at the Miami Touchdown Club….and brashly guaranteed a victory. His team backed up his words by controlling most of the game….building a 16–0 lead through the fourth quarter….off of a touchdown run by Matt Snell and three field goals by Jim Turner. Colts quarterback Earl Morrall threw three interceptions before being replaced by Johnny Unitas….who then led Baltimore to its only touchdown during the last few minutes of the game. Namath, who completed 17 out of 28 passes for 206 yards was named the Super Bowl’s Most Valuable Player….despite not throwing a touchdown pass in the game or any passes at all in the fourth quarter. Not counting the field goals….the Jets are the only Super Bowl team to score only one touchdown (either offensive, defensive, or special teams) and still win. Since then, the least number of touchdowns a Super Bowl winning team has scored is two. This was the first Super Bowl to feature famous celebrities during its ceremonies instead of just college bands; comedian Bob Hope led a pregame ceremony honoring the Apollo astronauts.
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Super Bowl IV was the fourth AFL-NFL World Championship Game in professional American football. It was played on January 11, 1970 at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana….as the American Football League (AFL) champion Kansas City Chiefs defeated the National Football League (NFL) champion Minnesota Vikings by the score of 23–7. This victory by the AFL squared the Super Bowl series with the NFL at two games apiece. This was also the final AFL-NFL World Championship Game before the two leagues merged into one after the season.
Despite the AFL’s New York Jets winning the previous season’s Super Bowl….many sports writers and fans thought it was a fluke and continued to believe that the NFL was still superior to the AFL….fully expecting the Vikings to defeat the Chiefs….as the Vikings entered the Super Bowl as 12.5 to 13-point favorites. Minnesota posted a 12–2 record during the 1969 NFL season before defeating the Cleveland Browns, 27–7, in the 1969 NFL Championship Game. The Chiefs had previously appeared in the first Super Bowl….finished the 1969 AFL season at 11–3….defeating the Oakland Raiders, 17–7, in the 1969 AFL Championship Game.
Under wet conditions, the Chiefs defense dominated Super Bowl IV by limiting the Minnesota offense to only 67 rushing yards….forcing three interceptions and recovering two fumbles. Kansas City’s Len Dawson became the fourth consecutive winning quarterback to be named Super Bowl MVP….as he completed 12 of 17 passes for 142 yards and one touchdown with one interception.
