Bert Jones - Colts - 1977 - Week 14 - TV (1 of 4)

Part 1 of 4: The greatest comeback in Colts history. It was do or die for the Colts whose season was hanging in the balance in this, the final game of the 1977 season.

Setup: The Colts actually benefitted from a loss to the Lions a week earlier. The loss prevented a three-way tie at the top of the standings which would have given the Patriots the division title. The Dolphins won on Saturday,eliminating the Patriots before the Sunday evening contest. The Patriots did not hold the tie-breaker in a two way tie with the Dolphins. The Colts on the other hand did hold the two-way tie breaker with the Dolphins and needed a victory against the Patriots to win the division title.

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I added this explination of the tie-breaking rules onto one of the comments:

In a 3-way tie of 10-4 records, the Patriots would have the edge over the Colts and Dolphins based upon games against each other (Pats 3-1, Dolphins 2-2, Colts 1-3). The Colts loss to the Lions prevented a 3-way tie from occuring.

The Colts had a better conference record than Miami (9-3 to 8-4) giving the Colts the division title in 2-way tie with Miami.

The Dolphins won on the last week of the season (a Saturday game against the Bills). The win guaranteed them a better division record than the best the Patriots could do if they had beaten the Colts on the final weekend (6-2 to 5-3). Hence the 2-way tie breaker between the Dolphins and Patriots would go to the Dolphins.
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This clip features some scoring that lead to the Patriots 18 point lead by early in the 3rd quarter. It also features the scoring by the Colts that began the greatest (most clutch, important) comeback in their rich history, including a beautiful 78 yard bomb from Bert Jones to Raymond Chester. Two excellent views are shown of this amazing reception.

This game was the Game of the Week for the last week of the 1977 season, thus a condensed highlight film does exist. However, this is from the actual broadcast and a complete joy to watch again. For now, this is all that exists of the broadcast footage (these four parts). Hopefully someday a Colts (or Patriots fan) will find a complete copy on some old beta tape cassettes that are in storage somewhere. Every Colts fan should see and enjoy this classic victory (a week before another classic, the playoff game against the Raiders).

The league is beginning to sell old great games in team collections (mostly playoff games etc), but I fear they may never tap into the games played by the Colts in their former home (little may exist, but I fear little effort would be made to find games from this era).




Note: Retired players, please contact your representatives about making available for purchase the original broadcasts of games from this era. Or a reasonably priced boxed set of yearly highlights (example, a 1970's Colts highlight film box-set featuring every yearly highlight film from 1970 to 1979 for about $20).

The same can be said for the Game of the Week films (box-set) or the weekly highlight films. For example, the complete15 episodes of the 1972 season of This Week in Pro Football in one box-set collection for about $20.

These films are wasting away in vaults when they should be in every Colt fans video library.

The revenue from the sales of the games from your era could be used for your pensions and medical issues.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Bert
• Jones
• Colts
• 1977
• Patriots
• Raymond
• Chester
• Toni
• Linhart
• Glenn
• Doughty

[a7b7c78]

Was it true that the Lion win over the Colts the week before knocked the Pats out of the playoffs?

[joneseracolts]

In a 3-way tie of 10-4 records, the Patriots would have edge over Colts and Dolphins based upon games against each other (Pats 3-1, Dolphins 2-2, Colts 1-3). The Colts loss to the Lions prevented a 3-way tie from occuring.

Colts had better conference record than Miami (9-3 to 8-4) giving Colts title in 2-way tie.

The Dolphins win on the last week of the season guaranteed them a better division record than the best the Patriots could do (6-2 to 5-3) and hence the 2-way tie breaker.

[douker]

@Mpoconnor7 Agreed. A lot of people think Bert was the most physically gifted QB to date. Imagine someone with Bert Jones' talent with the offensive weapons like Brady has today. Also, all of the rules that are now in place to protect quarterbacks and receivers. Would be a sight to see. but alas.

[orionstarman]

I was at this game. Whoever won this game went to the playoffs. There was a Patriots fan sitting in front of me waving this Patriots flag, really pissing me off. I just had to snatch it out of his hand and break it up.

[jsteptoe36]

Not that the loss to Detroit helped, but it did not hurt, and think that was being said.

[rsimonse]

in your comments you say the Colts benefited from a loss to the Lions??? that makes no sense. if the Colts wouldn't have lost to the Lions they would have ended the season at 11-3 and would have won the division outright w/o any tiebreakers.

[sptrfn]

@fromthefarside: If you ever find that broadcast, let me know. I would love to find another NFL on NBC game from 77 and before.

[giles422]

fumble

[wizeman5974]

1977: The last season the Baltimore Colts were a genuine Super Bowl contender.

[ebel1122]

bert jones was best quartback in time but he no defense god bless bert

[fromthefarside]

From 1975-79 the Colts were 36-12 w/Jones & 5-21 w/out him.

[Mpoconnor7]

Injuries derailed Bert Jones career, as he was a definite HOFer in his prime, and would have been one of the greatest QB's ever. From 1975-77 he was the best QB in the NFL, and there were a lot of great QB's in the NFL at that time like Bradshaw, Staubach, Tarkenton, Stabler, Anderson, Griese and others. At his best, Bert Jones was one of the 4-5 best QB's I have ever seen.