View source for Super Bowl III

{{Short description|Third AFL–NFL Championship Game}}
{{redirect|1969 Super Bowl|the Super Bowl that was played at the completion of the 1969 season|Super Bowl IV}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox Super Bowl
| type = sb
| name = III
| image = Super Bowl III logo.svg
| image_size = 200px
| alt = Super Bowl III logo
| visitor = [[1968 New York Jets season|New York Jets]]
| home = [[1968 Baltimore Colts season|Baltimore Colts]]
| visitor_abbr = NYJ
| home_abbr = BAL
| visitor_conf = [[American Football League|AFL]]
| home_conf = [[National Football League|NFL]]
| visitor_coach = [[Weeb Ewbank]]
| visitor_record = 11–3
| home_coach = [[Don Shula]]
| home_record = 13–1
| visitor_qtr1 = 0
| visitor_qtr2 = 7
| visitor_qtr3 = 6
| visitor_qtr4 = 3
| home_qtr1 = 0
| home_qtr2 = 0
| home_qtr3 = 0
| home_qtr4 = 7
| date = January 12, 1969
| time = 3:05 p.m. [[Eastern Time Zone|EST]] (20:05&nbsp;[[Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]])
| stadium = [[Miami Orange Bowl]]
| city = [[Miami]], [[Florida]]
| attendance = 75,389
| odds = Colts by 19.5<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.vegasinsider.com/nfl/superbowl/history/ | title=Super Bowl History | publisher=Vegas Insider | access-date=February 2, 2025}}</ref>
| MVP = [[Joe Namath]], [[quarterback]]
| anthem = Lloyd Geisler of the [[National Symphony Orchestra|Washington National Symphony Orchestra]]<ref name=PaleyCenter>{{cite web|title=NBC Broadcast of Super Bowl III|url=http://www.paleycenter.org/collection/item/?q=super+bowl+iii&p=1&item=T85:0029|publisher=[[Paley Center for Media]]|access-date=January 3, 2013|archive-date=September 24, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924081303/http://www.paleycenter.org/collection/item/?q=super+bowl+iii&p=1&item=T85:0029|url-status=live}}</ref>
| referee = [[Tommy Bell (American football official)|Tom Bell]]
| HOFers = '''Jets:''' [[Weeb Ewbank]] (head coach), [[Winston Hill]], [[Don Maynard]], [[Joe Namath]] <br />'''Colts:''' [[Don Shula]] (head coach), [[John Mackey (American football)|John Mackey]], [[Johnny Unitas]]
| halftime = "America Thanks" with [[Marching 100|Florida A&M University band]]
| network = [[NFL on NBC|NBC]]
| announcers = [[Curt Gowdy]], [[Al DeRogatis]],<br>and [[Kyle Rote]]
| rating =36.0 <br /><small>(est. 41.66 million viewers)</small>
| share = 71
| commercial = [[United States dollar|$]]55,000
| radio = [[NFL on NBC Radio|NBC Radio]]
| radioannouncers = [[Charlie Jones (sportscaster)|Charlie Jones]], [[George Ratterman]] and [[Pat Summerall]]
| last = II
| next = IV
}}
'''Super Bowl III''' was an [[American football]] championship game played on January 12, 1969, at the [[Miami Orange Bowl|Orange Bowl]] in [[Miami|Miami, Florida]]. It&nbsp;was the third AFL–NFL Championship Game in professional American football, and the first to officially bear the [[trademark]] name "[[Super Bowl]]".<ref name="SB name">{{cite news |last=Eskenazi |first=Gerald |title=Lamar Hunt, a Force in Football, Dies at 74 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/15/sports/football/15hunt.html |url-status=live |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=December 15, 2006 |access-date=April 8, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200202233301/https://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/15/sports/football/15hunt.html |archive-date=February 2, 2020}}</ref> Super Bowl III is regarded as one of the greatest [[Upset (competition)#Sports|upsets]] in both American football history and in the history of professional sports.<ref>{{cite web |title=Top Ten Biggest Upsets: Super Bowl III |url=http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-top-ten/09000d5d8111bbc7/Top-10-biggest-upsets-Super-Bowl-III |url-status=live |website=NFL.com |access-date=November 27, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141206030329/http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-top-ten/09000d5d8111bbc7/Top-10-biggest-upsets-Super-Bowl-III |archive-date=December 6, 2014}}</ref> The 18.5-point underdog [[American Football League]] (AFL) champion [[1968 New York Jets season|New York Jets]] defeated the [[National Football League]] (NFL) champion [[1968 Baltimore Colts season|Baltimore Colts]] by a score of 16–7.<ref name=sivasisj>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.si.com/vault/1969/01/20/542591/say-its-so-joe |magazine=Sports Illustrated |last=Maule |first=Tex |author-link=Tex Maule |title=Say it's so, Joe |date=January 20, 1969 |page=10 |access-date=October 31, 2019 |archive-date=August 14, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190814234253/https://www.si.com/vault/1969/01/20/542591/say-its-so-joe |url-status=live}}</ref>

The game was the first of two Super Bowl victories for the AFL over the NFL. Before the game many sports writers and fans believed that AFL teams were less talented than NFL clubs, and expected the Colts to defeat the Jets by a wide margin.<ref name=sivagpvs>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.si.com/vault/1969/01/13/620027/a-go-pattern-vs-a-stop-team |magazine=Sports Illustrated |last=Maule |first=Tex |title=A Go pattern vs. a Stop team |date=January 13, 1969 |page=36 |access-date=October 31, 2019 |archive-date=October 31, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191031073433/https://www.si.com/vault/1969/01/13/620027/a-go-pattern-vs-a-stop-team |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=ncblni>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=fbkrAAAAIBAJ&sjid=CPwFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6825%2C3381170 |work=Sunday Telegraph |location=Nashua, New Hampshire |agency=Associated Press |last=Italie |first=Hillel |title=Namath guaranteed it, the NFL couldn't believe it |date=January 15, 1989 |page=C8}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://linemakers.sportingnews.com/nfl/2015-01-25/super-bowl-betting-history-patriots-vs-seahawks-point-spread-line-vegas-odds|title=Super Bowl Betting History – Underdogs on Recent Roll|first=Marcus|last=DiNitto|magazine=[[Sporting News]]|date=January 25, 2015|access-date=February 4, 2015|archive-date=February 4, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150204100054/http://linemakers.sportingnews.com/nfl/2015-01-25/super-bowl-betting-history-patriots-vs-seahawks-point-spread-line-vegas-odds|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vegasinsider.com/nfl/superbowl/history/|title=Super Bowl History|publisher=Vegas Insider|access-date=February 4, 2015 |archive-date=February 4, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150204101556/http://www.vegasinsider.com/nfl/superbowl/history/|url-status=live}}</ref> Baltimore posted a 13–1 record in the [[1968 NFL season|regular season]] and defeated the [[1968 Minnesota Vikings season|Minnesota Vikings]] 24–14 in the Western Conference championship game, then shut out the [[1968 Cleveland Browns season|Cleveland Browns]], the only team to beat the Colts in the regular season, 34–0 in the [[1968 NFL Championship Game|NFL Championship Game]]. The Jets were 11–3 in the [[1968 AFL season|regular season]], and defeated the [[1968 Oakland Raiders season|Oakland Raiders]] 27–23 in the [[1968 American Football League Championship Game|AFL Championship Game]].

Jets quarterback [[Joe Namath]] famously made an appearance three days before the Super Bowl at the Miami Touchdown Club in which he personally guaranteed his team's victory. His team backed up his words by controlling the majority of the game, building a 16–0 lead by the fourth quarter off of a touchdown run by [[Matt Snell]] and three field goals by [[Jim Turner (placekicker)|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. With the victory, the Jets were the only winning team to score only one touchdown (either offensive, defensive, or special teams) until the [[2018 New England Patriots season|New England Patriots]] in [[Super Bowl LIII]]. Namath, who completed 17 out of 28 passes for 206 yards, was named as the Super Bowl's [[Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award|most valuable player]], making him the first player in Super Bowl history to be declared MVP without personally scoring or throwing for a touchdown.

This is the only Super Bowl whose matchup cannot (barring a future realignment and/or change to the playoff format) occur in the Super Bowl again, as both the Jets and Colts play in the [[American Football Conference]] (AFC).

==Background==
===Host selection process===
The NFL awarded Super Bowl III to Miami on May 14, 1968, at the owners meetings held in [[Atlanta]]. It marked the second of eleven Super Bowls in [[Miami metropolitan area|the Miami area]] (as of [[2022 NFL season|2022]]). It was also the second consecutive Super Bowl to be awarded to Miami ([[Super Bowl II|II]] and III), the only time that the Super Bowl has been hosted by the same stadium in back-to-back seasons. Two cities were considered for the game, [[New Orleans]] ([[Tulane Stadium]]) being the other.<ref name="TMH05-15-1968pg27a">{{cite news|title=How Miami Won The Super Bowl (Part 1)|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/117871629/|newspaper=The Miami Herald|first1=Tommy|last1=Fitzgerald|page=27|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=May 15, 1968|accessdate=February 3, 2023}}{{Open access}}</ref><ref name="TMH05-15-1968pg28a">{{cite news|title=How Miami Won The Super Bowl (Part 2)|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/117871744/|newspaper=The Miami Herald|first1=Tommy|last1=Fitzgerald|page=28|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=May 15, 1968|accessdate=February 3, 2023}}{{Open access}}</ref><ref name="TMH05-15-1968pg27b">{{cite news|title=How New Orleans Lost The Super Bowl (Part 1)|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/117871798/|newspaper=The Miami Herald|first1=John|last1=Crittenden|page=27|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=May 15, 1968|accessdate=February 3, 2023}}{{Open access}}</ref><ref name="TMH05-15-1968pg28b">{{cite news|title=How New Orleans Lost The Super Bowl (Part 2)|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/117871873/|newspaper=The Miami Herald|first1=John|last1=Crittenden|page=28|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=May 15, 1968|accessdate=February 3, 2023}}{{Open access}}</ref>

Going into the meeting, several observers believed that New Orleans was the favorite. It had been reported that New Orleans was being promised the game by [[National Football League Commissioner|commissioner]] [[Pete Rozelle]] as a payback to [[Louisiana]] congressman [[Hale Boggs]] and senator [[Russell B. Long]] for being instrumental in passing crucial [[United States antitrust law|antitrust]] exemption legislation, which allowed for the [[AFL–NFL merger]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Act of Congress paved way for Saints, Super Bowl|publisher=The Sporting News|date= January 29, 2010|url=http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/article/2010-01-29/act-congress-paved-way-for-saints-super-bowl|access-date=February 18, 2010|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120913084403/http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/article/2010-01-29/act-congress-paved-way-for-saints-super-bowl|archive-date=September 13, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> In selecting Miami, owners rejected any potential [[quid pro quo]]. Miami's hosting of sold-out [[Super Bowl II]] just four months earlier was seen by all accounts as a huge success, and owners elected to stick with a known commodity. The expansion [[New Orleans Saints|Saints]] had lost money in their first season, and were publicly going through front office shakeups. Furthermore, during the presentation, a mix-up in the [[Tulane Stadium]] rental fee helped dissuade the league. Rozelle made it clear, however, that Miami was not positioned to become the permanent home for the Super Bowl.<ref name="TMH05-15-1968pg27a"/><ref name="TMH05-15-1968pg28a"/><ref name="TMH05-15-1968pg27b"/><ref name="TMH05-15-1968pg28b"/>

===Professional football===
The [[National Football League]] (NFL) had dominated professional football from its origins after [[World War I]]. Rival leagues had crumbled or merged with it, and when the [[American Football League]] (AFL) began to play in 1960, it was the fourth to hold that similar name to challenge the older NFL. Unlike its earlier namesakes, however, this AFL was able to command sufficient financial resources to survive; one factor in this was becoming the first league to sign a television contract—previously, individual franchises had signed agreements with networks to televise games. The junior league proved successful enough, in fact, to make attractive offers to players. After the [[1964 American Football League season|1964 season]], there had been a well-publicized bidding war which culminated with the signing, by the AFL's New York Jets (formerly Titans of New York), of [[1964 Alabama Crimson Tide football team|Alabama]] quarterback [[Joe Namath]] for an unprecedented contract.<ref>Davis, p. 267.</ref> Fearing that bidding wars over players would become the norm, greatly increasing labor costs, NFL owners, ostensibly<ref>{{cite magazine | last=Maule | first=Tex | author-link=Tex Maule | title=Ridiculous! The NFL By 50 Points | date=December 16, 1963 | url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1963/12/16/ridiculous-the-nfl-by-50-points | magazine=Sports Illustrated | access-date=November 4, 2021 | archive-date=April 21, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140421050446/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1075495/index.htm | url-status=live}}</ref> led by league Commissioner [[Pete Rozelle]], obtained a [[AFL–NFL merger|merger agreement]] with the AFL in June 1966, which provided for a [[common draft]], interleague play in the pre-season, a [[Super Bowl|world championship]] game to follow each season, and the integration of the two leagues into one in a way to be agreed at a future date.<ref>Davis, pp. 277–279.</ref> As the two leagues had an unequal number of teams (under the new merger agreement, the NFL expanded to sixteen in {{nfly|1967}}, and the AFL to ten in [[1968 American Football League season|1968]]),<ref>Davis, pp. 277–281.</ref> realignment was advocated by some owners, but was opposed. Eventually, three NFL teams ([[1970 Cleveland Browns season|Cleveland Browns]], [[1970 Pittsburgh Steelers season|Pittsburgh Steelers]], and the [[1970 Baltimore Colts season|Baltimore Colts]]) agreed to move over to join the ten AFL franchises in the [[American Football Conference]].<ref>Davis, pp. 281–286.</ref>

Despite the ongoing merger, it was a commonly held view that the NFL was a far superior league.<ref name=sivagpvs/> This was seemingly confirmed by the results of the first two interleague championship games, in [[Super Bowl I|January 1967]] and [[Super Bowl II|1968]], in which the NFL champion [[1966 Green Bay Packers season|Green Bay Packers]], coached by the legendary [[Vince Lombardi]], easily defeated the AFL's [[1966 Kansas City Chiefs season|Kansas City Chiefs]] and [[1967 Oakland Raiders season|Oakland Raiders]]. Although publicized as the inter-league championship games, it was not until later that the moniker for this championship contest between the now two conferences ([[National Football Conference|National]] and [[American Football Conference|American]]) began having the nickname of "[[Super Bowl]]" applied to it by the media and later began being counted by using [[Roman numerals]], the creation of the term being credited to the founder of the AFL, [[Lamar Hunt]].<ref>Davis, pp. 296, 311.</ref>

===Baltimore Colts===
{{Further|1968 Baltimore Colts season}}

The Baltimore Colts had won the [[1958 NFL Championship Game|1958]] and [[1959 NFL Championship Game|1959]] NFL championships under Coach [[Weeb Ewbank]]. In the following years, however, the Colts failed to make the playoffs, and the Colts dismissed Ewbank after a 7–7 record in [[1962 Baltimore Colts season|1962]]. He was soon hired by New York's new AFL franchise, which had just changed its name from the [[1962 New York Titans season|Titans]] to the [[1963 New York Jets season|Jets]]. In Ewbank's place, Baltimore hired an untested young head coach, [[Don Shula]], who would also go on to become one of the game's greatest coaches.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1968/12/30/archives/molder-of-champions-wilbur-charles-ewbank.html|title=Molder of champions: Wilbur Charles Ewbank|date=December 30, 1968|work=The New York Times|access-date=September 24, 2011|archive-date=July 14, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180714112323/https://www.nytimes.com/1968/12/30/archives/molder-of-champions-wilbur-charles-ewbank.html|url-status=live}}. Fee for article</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=eWEhAAAAIBAJ&dq=weeb%20ewbank&pg=5290%2C991379|title=Baltimore fires Weeb Ewbank|date=January 9, 1963|work=AP via Tri-City Herald|page=10|access-date=September 24, 2011}}{{Dead link|date=March 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The Colts did well under Shula, despite losing to the [[1964 Cleveland Browns season|Cleveland Browns]] in the [[1964 NFL Championship Game]]<ref>Davis, p. 263.</ref> and, in [[1965 Baltimore Colts season|1965]], losing in overtime to the [[1965 Green Bay Packers season|Green Bay Packers]] in a [[1965 NFL playoffs|tie-breaker game]] to decide the NFL Western Conference title.<ref>Davis, pp. 269–271.</ref> The Colts finished a distant second in the West to the Packers in [[1966 Baltimore Colts season|1966]], and in [[1967 Baltimore Colts season|1967]], with the NFL realigned into [[1967 NFL season#Final standings|four divisions]] of four teams each, went undefeated with two ties through their first 13 games, but lost the game and the Coastal Division championship to the [[1967 Los Angeles Rams season|Los Angeles Rams]] on the final Sunday of the season—under newly instituted tiebreakers procedures, L.A. won the division championship as it had better net points in the two games the teams played (the Rams win and an earlier tie). The Colts finished 11–1–2, tied for the best record in the league, but were excluded from the [[1967 NFL playoffs|playoffs]].<ref name=uwrcsid>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=G8ktAAAAIBAJ&pg=4370%2C2020890 |work=Reading Eagle |location=Pennsylvania |agency=Associated Press |title=Unitas watches Roman carnival from turf |date=December 18, 1967 |page=26 |access-date=December 4, 2020 |archive-date=May 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503022550/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=G8ktAAAAIBAJ&pg=4370%2C2020890 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=rswco>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GGwjAAAAIBAJ&pg=6986%2C4463626 |work=Milwaukee Journal |agency=press dispatches |title=Rams swamp Colts, gain play-off, 34–10 |date=December 18, 1967 |page=17, part 2 }}{{Dead link|date=February 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref name=yofthrm>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.si.com/vault/1967/12/25/610187/the-year-of-the-ram |magazine=Sports Illustrated |last=Maule |first=Tex |author-link=Tex Maule |title=The year of the Ram |date=December 25, 1967 |page=12 |access-date=October 31, 2019 |archive-date=October 29, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191029215747/https://www.si.com/vault/1967/12/25/610187/the-year-of-the-ram |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="cfl">{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=wMQtAAAAIBAJ&pg=7188%2C4130764|title=Rams trample Colts, 34–10, to capture Coastal crown|date=December 18, 1967|work=Canadian Press via The Montreal Gazette|page=42|access-date=September 17, 2011|archive-date=May 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503022606/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=wMQtAAAAIBAJ&pg=7188%2C4130764|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1968, Shula and the Colts were considered a favorite to win the NFL championship again, which carried with it an automatic berth what was now becoming popularly known as the "Super Bowl" against the champion of the younger AFL. The NFL champion, in both cases the [[Green Bay Packers]], had easily won the first two Super Bowls (1967 and 1968) over the AFL winner, establishing for a while then the superiority of the older NFL circuit.

Baltimore's quest for a championship seemed doomed from the start when long-time starting quarterback [[Johnny Unitas]] suffered a pre-season injury to his throwing arm and was replaced by [[Earl Morrall]], a veteran who had started inconsistently over the course of his 12 seasons with four teams. But Morrall would go on to have the best year of his career, leading the league in [[passer rating]] (93.2) during the regular season. His performance was so impressive that Colts coach [[Don Shula]] decided to keep Morrall in the starting lineup after Unitas was healthy enough to play. The Colts had won ten games in a row, including four shutouts, and finished the season with an NFL-best 13–1 record. In those ten games, they had allowed only seven touchdowns. Then, the Colts avenged their sole regular-season loss against the Cleveland Browns by crushing them 34–0 in the [[1968 NFL Championship Game|NFL Championship Game]].<ref>Rappoport, p. 183.</ref><!-- only this sentence is reffed -->

The Colts offense ranked second in the NFL in points scored (402; only behind the Cowboys 431 points scored). Wide receivers [[Jimmy Orr]] (29 receptions, 743 yards, 6 touchdowns) and [[Willie Richardson]] (37 receptions, 698 yards, 8 touchdowns) provided Baltimore with two deep threats, with Orr averaging 25.6 yards per catch, and Richardson averaging 18.9. Tight end [[John Mackey (American football)|John Mackey]] also recorded 45 receptions for 644 yards and 5 touchdowns. [[Pro Bowl]] running back [[Tom Matte]] was the team's top rusher with 662 yards and 9 touchdowns. He also caught 25 passes for 275 yards and another touchdown. Running backs [[Terry Cole (American football)|Terry Cole]] and [[Jerry Hill (American football)|Jerry Hill]] combined for 778 rushing yards and 236 receiving yards.

The Colts defense led the NFL in fewest points allowed (144, tying the [[1963 Chicago Bears season|1963 Bears]] for the then all-time league record), and ranked third in total rushing yards allowed (1,339), while also recording 29 interceptions (2nd in the league) and holding their opponents to an NFL-low 9 touchdown passes. [[Bubba Smith]], a 6′7″ 295-pound defensive end considered the NFL's best pass rusher, anchored the line. Linebacker [[Mike Curtis (American football)|Mike Curtis]], who intercepted two passes and recovered three fumbles, was considered one of the top linebackers in the NFL. Baltimore's secondary consisted of defensive backs [[Bobby Boyd]] (8 interceptions), [[Rick Volk]] (6 interceptions), [[Lenny Lyles]] (5 interceptions), and [[Jerry Logan]] (3 interceptions). The Colts were the only NFL team to routinely play a zone defense. That gave them an advantage in the NFL because the other NFL teams were inexperienced against a zone defense. (This would not give them an advantage over the upstart [[New York Jets]], however, because zone defenses were common in the AFL and the Jets knew how to attack them.)<ref name=Snell>Matt Snell, "Super Bowl III", ''Super Bowl: The Game of Their Lives'', Danny Peary, editor. Macmillan, 1997. {{ISBN|0-02-860841-0}}</ref>

===New York Jets===
{{Further|1968 New York Jets season}}

The New York Jets, led by head coach [[Weeb Ewbank]] (who was the head coach of the Colts when they won the famous 1958 NFL Championship game and later the '59 title also), finished the season with an 11–3 regular season record (one of the losses was to the [[1968 Oakland Raiders season|Oakland Raiders]] in the infamous "[[Heidi Game]]") and had to rally to defeat those same Raiders, 27–23, in a thrilling AFL Championship Game.

Jets quarterback [[Joe Namath]] threw for 3,147 yards during the regular season and completed 49.2 percent of his passes, but threw more interceptions (17) than touchdowns (15). Still, he led the offense effectively enough for them to finish the regular season with more total points scored (419) than Baltimore, and finished fourth in completion percentage, fifth in touchdown passes, and third in passing yards as one of only three quarterbacks to pass for over 3,000 yards in the AFL that season. Fundamentally, Namath usually found ways to win. For example, late in the fourth quarter of the AFL championship game, Namath threw an interception that allowed the Raiders to take the lead. But he then made up for his mistake by completing 3 consecutive passes on the ensuing drive, advancing the ball 68 yards in just 55 seconds to score a touchdown to regain the lead for New York. Future [[Pro Football Hall of Fame|Hall of Fame]] wide receiver [[Don Maynard]] caught the game-winning pass in the end zone but strained his hamstring on the play.<ref name="Joe Namath leads NY Jets to arguably biggest upset in history over Baltimore Colts">{{cite news | title=Super Bowl III: Joe Namath leads NY Jets to arguably biggest upset in history over Baltimore Colts | first=Joe | last=Belock | date=December 20, 2013 | work=[[New York Daily News]] | location=New York City | url=https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/super-bowl-iii-namath-jets-shock-baltimore-colts-16-7-article-1.1553628 | access-date=January 5, 2015 | archive-date=January 1, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150101132042/http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/super-bowl-iii-namath-jets-shock-baltimore-colts-16-7-article-1.1553628 | url-status=live}}</ref>

The Jets had a number of offensive weapons that Namath used. Maynard had the best season of his career, catching 57 passes for 1,297 yards (an average of 22.8 yards per catch) and 10 touchdowns. Wide receiver [[George Sauer Jr.|George Sauer]] recorded 66 receptions for 1,141 yards and 3 touchdowns. Tight end [[Pete Lammons]] added 32 receptions for 400 yards and three touchdowns. The Jets rushing attack was also effective. Fullback [[Matt Snell]], a power runner, was the top rusher on the team with 747 yards and 6 touchdowns, while elusive halfback [[Emerson Boozer]] contributed 441 yards and 5 touchdowns. Meanwhile, kicker [[Jim Turner (placekicker)|Jim Turner]] made 34 field goals and 43 extra points for a combined total of 145 points.

The Jets defense led the AFL in total rushing yards allowed (1,195). [[Gerry Philbin]], [[Paul Rochester]], [[John Elliott (defensive lineman)|John Elliott]], and [[Verlon Biggs]] anchored the defensive line. The Jets linebacking core was led by middle linebacker [[Al Atkinson]]. The secondary was led by defensive backs [[Johnny Sample]] (a former Colt who played on their 1958 NFL Championship team) who recorded 7 interceptions, and [[Jim Hudson]], who recorded 5.

Several of the Jets' players had been cut by NFL teams. Maynard had been cut by the [[1959 New York Giants season|New York Giants]] after they lost the [[1958 NFL Championship Game]] to the Colts and had to spend one year playing [[Canadian football]] before the Jets (then called the Titans) enabled him to return to his home country. "I kept a little bitterness in me," he says.<ref name=Strother>Shelby Strother, "It came with a Guarantee," ''The Super Bowl: Celebrating a Quarter-Century of America's Greatest Game''. Simon and Schuster, 1990 {{ISBN|0-671-72798-2}}</ref> Sample had been cut by the Colts. "I was almost in a frenzy by the time the game arrived," he says. "I held a private grudge against the Colts. I was really ready for that game. All of us were."<ref name=Strother/> Offensive tackle [[Winston Hill]] had been cut five years earlier by the Colts as a rookie in training camp. "[[Ordell Braase]] kept making me look bad in practice," he says.<ref name=Strother/> Hill would be blocking Braase in Super Bowl III.

At an all-night party to celebrate the Jets' victory over the Raiders at Namath's nightclub, [[Joe Namath#Bachelors III|Bachelors III]], Namath poured champagne over [[Johnny Carson]] as the comedian commented, "First time I ever knew you to waste the stuff."<ref>Davis, p. 334.</ref>

===Postseason===
{{Further|1968 NFL playoffs}}
{{Further|1968 American Football League playoffs}}

The Colts advanced to the Super Bowl with two dominating wins. First, they jumped to a 21–0 fourth quarter lead against the [[1968 Minnesota Vikings season|Minnesota Vikings]] and easily held off their meager comeback attempt in the final period for a 24–14 win.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Divisional Round - Minnesota Vikings at Baltimore Colts - December 22nd, 1968 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/196812220clt.htm |access-date=2024-07-08 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref>

Then they faced the [[1968 Cleveland Browns season|Cleveland Browns]], who had defeated them in week 5 of the regular season. But in this game, they proved to be no challenge as Baltimore held them to just 173 total yards and only allowed them to cross midfield twice in the entire game. Matte scored three of the Colts' four rushing touchdowns as the team won easily, 34–0.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Championship - Baltimore Colts at Cleveland Browns - December 29th, 1968 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/196812290cle.htm |access-date=2024-07-08 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref>

Meanwhile, New York in the AFL championship game faced a red hot [[1968 Oakland Raiders season|Oakland Raiders]] team who had just defeated the [[1968 Kansas City Chiefs season|Kansas City Chiefs]] 41–6 one week earlier, with quarterback [[Daryle Lamonica]] throwing five touchdown passes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Divisional Round - Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders - December 22nd, 1968 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/196812220rai.htm |access-date=2024-07-08 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref> The championship game was close and hard-fought the whole way through, with both teams trading scores at a relatively even pace. The momentum seemed to swing in the Raiders' favor when [[George Atkinson (safety)|George Atkinson]] picked off a pass from Namath and returned it 32 yards to the Jets 5-yard line, setting up a touchdown that gave Oakland their first lead of the game at 23–20 with 8:18 left in regulation. But Namath quickly led the team back, completing a 10-yard pass to Sauer and a 52-yard pass to Maynard on the Raiders' six-yard line. On the next play, his six-yard touchdown pass to Maynard gave them a 27–23 lead they would never relinquish. Oakland's final three possessions of the game would result in a turnover on downs, a lost fumble, and time expiring in the game.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Championship - Oakland Raiders at New York Jets - December 29th, 1968 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/196812290nyj.htm |access-date=2024-07-08 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref>

===Super Bowl pregame news and notes===
After the Jets' AFL championship victory, Namath stated to ''[[The New York Times]]'' sportswriter [[Dave Anderson (sportswriter)|Dave Anderson]], "There are five quarterbacks in the AFL who are better than [[Earl Morrall|Morrall]]." The five were himself, his backup [[Babe Parilli]], Lamonica, [[John Hadl]] of the [[1968 San Diego Chargers season|San Diego Chargers]], and [[Bob Griese]] of the [[1968 Miami Dolphins season|Miami Dolphins]]. Namath added, "You put Babe Parilli with Baltimore instead of Morrall and Baltimore might be better. Babe throws better than Morrall."<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.detroitnews.com/story/opinion/columnists/jerry-green/2016/02/04/green-morrall-remembered-loss-super-bowl-iii/79846098/ | last=Green | first=Jerry | title=Green: Morrall remembered for loss in Super Bowl III | work=The Detroit News | date=February 4, 2016 | access-date=November 4, 2021 | archive-date=October 18, 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161018212459/http://www.detroitnews.com/story/opinion/columnists/jerry-green/2016/02/04/green-morrall-remembered-loss-super-bowl-iii/79846098/ | url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qKKK1joc7PcC&dq=joe+namath+babe+parilli+There+are+five+quarterbacks+in+the+AFL+who+are+better+than+Morrall&pg=PA217 | last=Gruver | first=Ed | title=The American Football League: A Year-by-Year History, 1960–1969 | location=Jefferson, North Carolina | publisher=McFarland & Company, Inc. | year=1997| isbn=9780786486601 }}</ref>

Tickets for the game were priced at $12, $8, and $6.<ref name=nowbs>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Q9oxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_eQFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5824%2C2814960 |work=Reading Eagle |location=Pennsylvania |agency=Associated Press |last=Thomas |first=Ben |title=New Orleans will be site of three Super Bowl games |date=January 5, 1970 |page=20}}</ref>

====Namath's guarantee====
Despite the Jets' accomplishments, AFL teams were generally not regarded as having the same caliber of talent as NFL teams.<ref name=sivagpvs/> However, three days before the game, an intoxicated Namath appeared at the Miami Touchdown Club and boldly predicted to the audience, "We're gonna win the game. I guarantee it".<ref name=zinser>{{cite news|last=Zinser|first=Lynn|title=Pregame Talk Is Cheap, but This Vow Resonates|date=May 25, 2012|newspaper=The New York Times|page=B10|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/25/sports/hockey/mark-messiers-vow-set-the-bar-for-sports-guarantees.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220622020207/https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/25/sports/hockey/mark-messiers-vow-set-the-bar-for-sports-guarantees.html?_r=1|archive-date=June 22, 2022|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=hof/> Coach Ewbank later joked that he "could have shot" Namath for the statement. Namath made his famous "guarantee" in response to a rowdy Colts supporter at the club, who boasted the Colts would easily defeat the Jets. Namath said he never intended to make such a public prediction, and would not have done so if he had not been confronted by the fan.<ref name=hof>{{cite web|url=http://www.profootballhof.com/history/release.jsp?release_id=822|title=Football History - Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site|website=www.profootballhof.com|access-date=March 29, 2006|archive-date=May 5, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060505105152/http://www.profootballhof.com/history/release.jsp?release_id=822|url-status=live}}</ref> Sportswriter [[Dave Anderson (sportswriter)|Dave Anderson]] did not think that the remark was notable because, he recalled, Namath had said similar things during the week ("I know we're gonna win" for example), but an article by Luther Evans of the ''[[Miami Herald]]'' made the statement famous.<ref name="nfl20150310">{{Cite video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riMTb36G84A |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/riMTb36G84A| archive-date=December 11, 2021 |url-status=live|title=Joe Namath: A Football Life - The Guarantee |date=March 10, 2015 |type=YouTube |publisher=NFL Network}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Namath's comments and subsequent performance in the game itself are one of the more famous instances in NFL lore.

The Colts, linebacker Curtis recalled, "sort of laughed at" Namath's guarantee. The team did not adjust the defense it had used during the season against the Jets because "that should be good enough," Curtis said.{{r|nfl20150310}} The AFL champions shared the confident feelings of their quarterback. According to Matt Snell, all of the Jets, not just Namath, were insulted and angry that they were 19.5-point underdogs.<ref name=Snell/> Most of the Jets considered the Raiders, whom they barely beat (27–23) in the [[1968 American Football League Championship Game|AFL title game]], a better team than the Colts. Indeed, watching films of the Colts and in preparation for the game, Jets coaching staff and offensive players noted that their offense was particularly suited against the Colts defense. The Colts defensive schemes relied on frequent blitzing, which covered up weak points in pass coverage. The Jets had an automatic contingency for such blitzes by short passing to uncovered tight ends or backs.<ref>NFL Films. ''America's Game'', "1968 New York Jets".</ref> After a film session the Wednesday prior to the game, Jets tight end [[Pete Lammons]], a [[Texas]] native, was heard to drawl, "Damn, y'all, we gotta stop watching these films. We gonna get overconfident".<ref name="ReferenceA">''Namath, A Biography'', Mark Kriegel</ref>

==Broadcasting==
[[File:Super Bowl media guide.jpg|thumb|Super Bowl III media guide]]
The game was broadcast in the [[United States]] by [[NFL on NBC|NBC]]. [[Curt Gowdy]] handled the [[play-by-play]] duties and was joined by [[color commentator]]s [[Al DeRogatis]] and [[Kyle Rote]] in the broadcast booth. Also helping with NBC's coverage were [[Jim Simpson (sportscaster)|Jim Simpson]] (reporting from the sidelines) and [[Pat Summerall]], on loan from [[CBS Sports|CBS]] (helping conduct player interviews for the pregame show, along with Rote). In an interview later done with [[NFL Films]], Gowdy called it the most memorable game he ever called because of its historical significance.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sandomir |first1=Richard |title=TV SPORTS; Two Generations of Reminiscences by Gowdys |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/01/24/sports/tv-sports-two-generations-of-reminiscences-by-gowdys.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=January 9, 2020 |date=January 24, 1995 |archive-date=February 5, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200205105354/https://www.nytimes.com/1995/01/24/sports/tv-sports-two-generations-of-reminiscences-by-gowdys.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

While the Orange Bowl was sold out for the game, the live telecast was not shown [[WSVN|in Miami]] due to both leagues' unconditional [[blackout (broadcasting)|blackout]] rules at the time.

41.66 million people in the US watched the game on television, resulting in a rating of 36 and a market share of 70.<ref>{{cite web|title=Historical Super Bowl Nielsen TV Ratings, 1967–2009 – Ratings|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2009/01/18/historical-super-bowl-tv-ratings/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222115433/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2009/01/18/historical-super-bowl-tv-ratings/|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 22, 2015|publisher=[[TV by the Numbers]]|date=January 18, 2009|access-date=January 9, 2021}}</ref> The original NBC broadcast was later aired as part of the [[NFL Network]] ''Super Bowl Classics'' series.

==Ceremonies and entertainment==
"Mr. Football" was the title of the pregame show, which featured marching bands playing "[[Mr. Touchdown, U.S.A.]]" as people in walking footballs representing all NFL and AFL teams except the Jets and Colts were paraded, after which performers representing a Jets player and a Colts player appeared on top of a large, multi-layered, smoke topped cake. Astronauts of the [[Apollo 8]] mission ([[Frank Borman]], [[Jim Lovell]], and [[William Anders]]), the first crewed flight around the Moon, which had returned to Earth just 18 days prior to the game, then led the Pledge of Allegiance. Lloyd Geisler, first trumpeter of the [[National Symphony Orchestra|Washington National Symphony Orchestra]], performed the national anthem.<ref name=PaleyCenter/> The [[Florida A&M University]] [[Marching 100|band]] was featured during the "America Thanks" halftime show.<ref name="NFL.com - Super Bowl Entertainment">{{cite web|url=http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/history/entertainment|title=Super Bowl - Entertainment|website=www.nfl.com|access-date=February 22, 2012|archive-date=February 8, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120208145624/http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/history/entertainment|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Game summary==
[[File:1986 Jeno's Pizza - 37 - Joe Namath.jpg|250px|thumb|Namath (''center-left'') running a play for the Jets in Super Bowl III]]
New York entered the game with their primary deep threat, wide receiver [[Don Maynard]], playing with a pulled hamstring. But his 112-yard, two touchdown performance against the [[Oakland Raiders]] in the AFL championship game made the Colts defense pay special attention to him, not realizing he was injured. Using Maynard as a decoy—he had no receptions in the game—Joe Namath was able to take advantage of single coverage on wide receiver [[George Sauer Jr.]] (After studying the Colts' zone defense, Ewbank had told his receivers, "Find the dead spots in the zone, hook up, and Joe will hit you.")<ref name=Snell/> The Jets had a conservative game plan, emphasizing the run as well as short high-percentage passes to minimize interceptions. Meanwhile, with the help of many fortunate plays, the Jets defense kept the Colts offense from scoring for most of the game. Also, Baltimore had a distinctly older group of players with 10+ years experience (Braase, Shinnick, Lyles, Boyd) on their defense's right side versus New York's younger, bigger left offensive side (Hill, Talamini, Schmitt, Sauer)--and back Snell when running left behind left tackle Hill, who thoroughly defeated defensive end Braase.

===First quarter===
Namath recalled that he did not become "dead serious" until, on the sideline before the game, he saw Unitas.{{r|nfl20150310}} The Jets, led by captains Namath and [[Johnny Sample]], and Colts, led by captains [[Preston Pearson]], Unitas, and Lyles, met at midfield where referee [[Tommy Bell (American football official)|Tom Bell]] announced that the Jets had won the coin toss and had elected to receive the football. The coin toss had been conducted an hour prior to kickoff but this was done for the benefit of the spectators.<ref>Sahadi, p. 208</ref> Colts kicker [[Lou Michaels]] (the younger brother of Jets defensive coordinator, [[Walt Michaels]]) kicked the ball off to cornerback [[Earl Christy]], who returned the ball 25 yards to the Jets' 23-yard line. Namath handed the ball off to running back [[Matt Snell]] on first down who carried it 3 yards. On second down, Snell carried the ball for 9 yards, earning the Jets their first first down of the game.<ref>Sahadi, p. 209</ref> Colts safety [[Rick Volk]] sustained a concussion when he tackled Snell and was subsequently lost for the game.<ref>Namath, p. 208</ref> On the ensuing play, running back [[Emerson Boozer]] lost four yards when he was tackled behind the [[line of scrimmage]] by linebacker [[Don Shinnick]]. Namath threw his first pass to Snell that gained 9 yards on 2nd-and-14, but a 2-yard loss by Snell on the following play forced the Jets to punt the ball.<ref>Sahadi, pp. 209–210</ref> The Jets noticed, however, from watching film the predictability of the Colts' defense based on how the defensive players lined up. Instead of calling plays in the huddle, Namath instead mostly gave formations and snap counts to the offense in the huddle, and then called plays from the line of scrimmage, after seeing what formation the Colts were lined up in. Center [[John Schmitt (American football)|John Schmitt]] recalled that the Colts were "in shock" and "it drove them crazy ... no matter what [the Colts] did, [Snell] would run it the other way".{{r|nfl20150310}}

[[File:1986 Jeno's Pizza - 37 - Joe Namath (Bob Talamini crop).jpg|150px|thumb|left|Jets' guard [[Bob Talamini]] pictured during a play in Super Bowl III]]
The Colts began their first offensive series on their own 27-yard line. Quarterback [[Earl Morrall]] completed a 19-yard pass to tight end [[John Mackey (American football)|John Mackey]] and then running back [[Tom Matte]] ran for 10 yards to place the ball on the Jets' 44-yard line. Running back [[Jerry Hill (American football)|Jerry Hill]]'s runs of 7 and 5 yards picked up another Colts first down,<ref name="USA Today Super Bowl III Play by Play">{{cite news|title=Super Bowl III play-by-play|url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/nfl/super/superbowl-iii-plays.htm|work=USA Today|date=January 11, 2002|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110211184638/http://www.usatoday.com/sports/nfl/super/superbowl-iii-plays.htm|archive-date=February 11, 2011|access-date=August 25, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> then Morrall's pass to tight end [[Tom Mitchell (American football)|Tom Mitchell]] gained 15 yards on 3rd-and-13 and saw the ball placed at the Jets' 19-yard line.<ref name="S210">Sahadi, p. 210</ref> In scoring position, Morrall attempted to score quickly against a reeling Jets defense. Wide receiver [[Willie Richardson]] dropped Morrall's pass on first down followed by an incompletion on second down after Mitchell was overthrown.<ref name="S210"/> On third down, none of his receivers were open and Morrall was tackled at the line of scrimmage by linebacker [[Al Atkinson]]. Michaels was brought out to attempt a 27-yard field goal, but he missed it wide right, keeping the game scoreless.<ref>Sahadi, p. 211</ref> "You could almost feel the steam go out of them", said Snell.<ref name=Snell/>

The Jets did not only rely on Snell; Namath said "if they're going to blitz, then we're going to throw". Shula said that Namath "beat our blitz" with his fast release, which let him quickly dump the football off to a receiver.{{r|nfl20150310}} On the Jets' second possession, Namath threw deep to Maynard, who, despite his pulled hamstring, was open by a step. The ball was overthrown, but this one play helped change the outcome of the game. Fearing the speedy Maynard, the Colts decided to rotate their zone defense to help cover Maynard, leaving Sauer covered one-on-one by cornerback [[Lenny Lyles]], helping Sauer catch 8 passes for 133 yards, including a crucial third quarter 39-yard reception that kept a scoring drive alive. The Jets kept rushing Snell to their strong left, rushing off tackle with Boozer blocking the linebacker, and gained first down after first down as the Colts defense gave ground. The Colts defense was more concerned about Maynard, the passing game, and the deep threat of a Namath to Maynard touchdown. Although the Colts were unaware of Maynard's injury, the Jets were aware that Lyles had been weakened by tonsillitis all week, causing them great glee when they saw the one-on-one matchup with Sauer.<ref>{{cite book|last=Kriegel |first= Mark |title= [[Namath, A Biography]] |publisher= [[Penguin Books]] |year= 2004}}</ref>

With less than two minutes left in the period, Colts punter [[David Lee (punter)|David Lee]] booted a 51-yard kick that pinned the Jets back at their own 4-yard line. Three plays later, Sauer caught a 3-yard pass from Namath, but Lyles forced a fumble on Sauer, and Colts linebacker [[Ron Porter]] recovered it at New York's 12-yard line.

===Second quarter===
However, on third down (the second play of the second quarter), Morrall's pass was tipped by Atkinson, bounced crazily, high into the air off tight end [[Tom Mitchell (American football)|Tom Mitchell]], and was intercepted by Jets cornerback [[Randy Beverly]] in the end zone for a touchback. "That was the game in a nutshell," says Matte.<ref name=Strother/> Starting from their own 20-yard line, Snell rushed on the next 4 plays, advancing the ball 26 yards. The Jets would have success all day running off left tackle behind the blocking of offensive tackle [[Winston Hill]], who, according to Snell, was overpowering 36-year-old defensive end [[Ordell Braase]], the man who had tormented the rookie Hill in Colts' training camp. Said Snell, "Braase pretty much faded out."<ref name=Snell/> Namath later completed 3 consecutive passes, one of which was a 14-yard pass to Sauer, moving the ball to the Colts 23-yard line. Boozer gained just 2 yards on the next play, but Snell followed it up with a 12-yard reception at the 9-yard line and a 5-yard run to the 4-yard line, and capped the drive with a 4-yard touchdown run, once again off left tackle. The score gave the Jets a 7–0 lead, and marked the first time in history that an AFL team led in the Super Bowl.

On Baltimore's ensuing drive, a 30-yard completion from Morrall to running back [[Tom Matte]] helped the Colts advance to the Jets' 42-yard line, but they once again failed to score as Jets cornerback [[Johnny Sample]] broke up Morrall's third down pass and Michaels missed his second field goal attempt, this time from 46 yards. Two plays after the Jets took over following the missed field goal, Namath's 36-yard completion to Sauer enabled New York to eventually reach the Baltimore 32-yard line. But Namath then threw two incompletions, and was sacked on third down by Colts linebacker [[Dennis Gaubatz]] for a 2-yard loss. New York kicker [[Jim Turner (placekicker)|Jim Turner]] tried to salvage the drive with a 41-yard field goal attempt, but he missed it wide left.

On their next possession, Baltimore went from their own 20-yard line to New York's 15-yard line in three plays, aided by Matte's 58-yard run (the longest play from scrimmage in the game). However, with 2 minutes left in the half, Morrall was intercepted again, this time by Sample at the Jets' 2-yard line, deflating the Colts considerably. The Jets then were forced to punt on their ensuing drive, and the Colts advanced the ball to New York's 41-yard line. What followed is one of the most famous plays in Super Bowl history. Baltimore tried a [[flea flicker (American football)|flea flicker play]], which had a huge impact on the momentum of the game. Matte ran off right tackle after taking a handoff, then pitched the ball back to Morrall. The play completely fooled the NBC Camera Crew, and the Jets defense, leaving wide receiver [[Jimmy Orr]] wide open near the end zone. However, Morrall failed to spot him and instead threw a pass intended for running back [[Jerry Hill (American football)|Jerry Hill]] that was intercepted by Jets safety [[Jim Hudson]] as time expired, maintaining the Jets' 7–0 lead at halftime. Earlier in the season, against the [[Atlanta Falcons]], on the same play, Morrall had completed the same pass for a touchdown to Orr, the play's intended target. "I was the primary receiver," Orr said later. "Earl said he just didn't see me. I was open from here to Tampa." "I'm just a lineman, but I looked up and saw Jimmy open," added center [[Bill Curry]]. "I don't know what happened." Some speculated that Morrall couldn't see Orr because the Florida A&M marching band (in blue uniforms similar to those worn by the Colts) was gathering behind the end zone for the halftime show.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/features/superbowl/archives/3/|title=sportsillustrated.cnn.com Super Bowl III|access-date=June 30, 2007|archive-date=February 12, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130212045603/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/features/superbowl/archives/3/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Third quarter===
The third quarter belonged to the Jets, who controlled the ball for all but three minutes of the period. Baltimore ran only seven offensive plays all quarter, gaining only 11 yards. On the first play from scrimmage in the second half, Jets defensive end [[Verlon Biggs]] forced a fumble on Matte, yet another demoralizing event, which was recovered by linebacker [[Ralph Baker (linebacker)|Ralph Baker]] on the Colts' 33-yard line, leading to Turner's 32-yard field goal to increase the Jets' lead, 10–0. Then after forcing the Colts to punt again, Namath completed 4 passes for 40 yards to set up Turner's 30-yard field goal to increase the lead, 13–0. On that drive, Namath temporarily went out of the game after injuring his right thumb and was replaced by backup quarterback [[Babe Parilli]] for a few plays. Namath returned by the end of the third quarter, but the Jets would not run a pass play for the entire fourth quarter.

Matt Snell said, "By this time, the Colts were pressing. You saw the frustration and worry on all their faces."<ref name=Snell/> After Turner's second field goal, with 4 minutes left in the third quarter, Colts head coach [[Don Shula]] took Morrall out of the game and put in the sore-armed [[Johnny Unitas]] to see if he could provide a spark to Baltimore's offense. Unitas could not get the Colts offense moving on their next drive and they were forced to punt again after 3 plays.

===Fourth quarter===
Aided by a 39-yard pass from Namath to Sauer, the Jets drove all the way to the Colts 2-yard line. Baltimore's defense would not quit, and kept them out of the end zone. Turner kicked his third field goal early in the final period to make the score a three-score lead, 16–0 (the [[two-point conversion]], which would have made it a two-score game, was in use by the AFL at the time, but had not been adopted by the NFL yet and was not used for early Super Bowls).

The Colts' inability to score made Namath so confident by the fourth quarter, that he told Ewbank that he preferred to [[run out the clock]] instead of playing aggressively. Namath did not throw any passes in the quarter.{{r|nfl20150310}} On Baltimore's next possession, they managed to drive all the way to the Jets' 25-yard line. However, Beverly ended the drive by intercepting a pass intended for Orr from Unitas in the end zone, the Jets' fourth interception of the game, which was also his second interception of the game. New York then drove to the Colts 35-yard line with seven consecutive running plays, but ended up with no points after Turner missed a 42-yard field goal attempt wide left.

Unitas started out the next drive with three incomplete passes, but completed a key 17-yard pass to Orr on fourth down. Ten plays later, aided by an 11-yard reception by Mackey, a 21-yard reception by Richardson, and an 11-yard reception by Orr, Baltimore finally got on the board with a 1-yard touchdown run by Hill to cut their deficit to 16–7, but with only 3:19 left in the game. The Colts then recovered an [[onside kick]] and drove to the Jets' 19-yard line with three consecutive completions by Unitas, but his next three passes fell incomplete. Instead of kicking a field goal to cut their deficit to one score and attempting another onside kick (which would have been necessary in the end), the Colts elected to convert 4th-and-5, but Unitas' pass to Orr fell incomplete, turning the ball over on downs, and essentially putting the game away in favor of the Jets. With possession of the ball and a two-score lead, New York ran the ball for six plays, during which Snell converted a 3rd-and-4 for a first down and which the Jets forced the Colts to use up all of their timeouts and ran the clock down to 15 seconds before being forced to punt.

When Baltimore got the ball back, only 8 seconds remained in the game. The Colts then attempted two more passes before the game ended. Matt Snell said, "Leaving the field, I saw the Colts were exhausted and in a state of shock. I don't remember any Colt coming over to congratulate me".<ref name=Snell/> As he ran off the field, Namath, in a spontaneous show of defiance held up his index finger, signaling "number one"; "the only time I ever did that in my life", he said.{{r|nfl20150310}}

Namath finished the game having completed 17 of his 28 passes for 206 yards. He is the only quarterback to win Super Bowl MVP without throwing a touchdown pass. Snell rushed for 121 yards on 30 carries with a touchdown, and caught 4 passes for 40 yards. Sauer caught eight passes for 133 yards. Beverly became the first player in Super Bowl history to record two interceptions. Morrall had a terrible game—just 6 of 17 completions for 71 yards, with 3 interceptions. Through [[Super Bowl LVIII|58]] games, he had the third worst passer rating in Super Bowl history, with a 9.3, one of only 3 ratings below 10.<ref name="Worse Super Bowl than Peyton Manning in XLVIII">{{Cite web |last=Canzano |first=John |date=2014-02-03 |title=Who had a worse Super Bowl than Peyton Manning? These 10 guys for starters... |url=https://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/john_canzano/2014/02/canzano_blog_so_you_think_peyt.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160921053845/http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/john_canzano/index.ssf/2014/02/canzano_blog_so_you_think_peyt.html |archive-date=September 21, 2016 |access-date=2024-06-08 |website=OregonLive.com |language=en}}</ref> Despite not being put into the game until late in the third quarter, Unitas finished with more pass completions (11) and passing yards (110) than Morrall, but he also threw one interception. Matte was the Colts' top rusher with 116 yards on just 11 carries, an average of 10.5 yards per run, and caught 2 passes for 30 yards. The Colts were minus-4 in turnovers throwing four interceptions, all of which were deep in Jet territory.<ref name="USA Today Super Bowl III Play by Play" />

===Box score===
{{Americanfootballbox
| bg = #eee
| titlestyle = text-align:center; background-color:#000; color:#fff
| title = Super Bowl III: New York Jets 16, Baltimore Colts 7
| Road = '''Jets (AFL)'''
| R1 = 0
| R2 = 7
| R3 = 6
| R4 = 3
| Home = Colts (NFL)
| H1 = 0
| H2 = 0
| H3 = 0
| H4 = 7
| stadium = [[Miami Orange Bowl|Orange Bowl]], [[Miami|Miami, Florida]]
| date = January 12, 1969
| time = 3:05 p.m. [[Eastern Time Zone|EST]]
| weather = {{convert|73|°F|°C}}, overcast, windy, 20% chance of rain<ref name="USA Today Super Bowl III Play by Play" /><ref>{{cite web|last=Stuart|first=Chase|title=Super Bowl III Play by Play|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/blog/?p=5628|publisher=Pro Football Reference|date=January 20, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111105194545/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/blog/?p=5628|archive-date=November 5, 2011|access-date=August 25, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Super Bowl Game-Time Temperatures|url=http://www.profootballhof.com/news/super-bowl-game-time-temperatures/|publisher=[[Pro Football Hall of Fame]]|access-date=March 9, 2018|archive-date=March 7, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180307202941/http://www.profootballhof.com/news/super-bowl-game-time-temperatures/|url-status=live}}</ref>
| attendance = 75,389<ref>{{cite web|title=Super Bowl Summaries|url=https://nflcommunications.com/media/Publications/2019%20Postseason%20Media%20Guide.pdf#page=113|publisher=NFL Enterprises, LLC|work=2019 NFL Postseason Media Guide|date=January 2, 2020|access-date=May 23, 2020}}</ref>
}}
{{AmFootballScoreSummaryStart | VisitorName=NYJ | HomeName=BAL | state=expanded}}
{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry | Quarter=2 | Time=9:03 | Team=NYJ | DrivePlays=12 | DriveLength=80 | DriveTime=5:06 | Type=RushTD | Runner=[[Matt Snell]] | yards=4 | kickresult=good | Kicker=[[Jim Turner (placekicker)|Jim Turner]] | Visitor=7 | Home=0}}
{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry | Quarter=3 | Time=10:08 | Team=NYJ | DrivePlays=8 | DriveLength=8 | DriveTime=4:17 | Type=FG | yards=32 | Kicker=Turner | Visitor=10 | Home=0}}
{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry | Quarter=3 | Time=3:58 | Team=NYJ | DrivePlays=10 | DriveLength=45 | DriveTime=4:06 | Type=FG | yards=30 | Kicker=Turner | Visitor=13 | Home=0}}
{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry | Quarter=4 | Time=13:26 | Team=NYJ | DrivePlays=7 | DriveLength=61 | DriveTime=3:58 | Type=FG | yards=9 | Kicker=Turner | Visitor=16 | Home=0}}
{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry | Quarter=4 | Time=3:19 | Team=BAL | DrivePlays=14 | DriveLength=80| DriveTime=3:15 | Type=RushTD | Runner=[[Jerry Hill (American football)|Jerry Hill]] | yards=1 | kickresult=good | Kicker=[[Lou Michaels]] | Visitor=16 | Home=7}}
{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEnd|Visitor=16|Home=7}}

==Postgame reactions==
When [[Sal Marchiano]] asked Namath in the locker room if he was the "king of the hill", Namath replied "No, no, we're king of the hill. We got the team, brother".{{r|nfl20150310}} Morrall later said, "I thought we would win handily. We'd only lost twice in our last 30 games. I'm still not sure what happened that day at the Orange Bowl, however; it's still hard to account for."<ref name="Strother" /> Snell wrote, "The most distinct image I have from that whole game is of Ordell Braase and some other guys—not so much Mike Curtis—having a bewildered look".<ref name="Snell" />

In 1983 Bubba Smith contended that the game had been fixed, saying "I knew something was wrong, you know, through the whole day, because if you look back at the films, we were inside the 20 five times in the first half and came away with no points".<ref>{{cite news|title=Super Bowl Fix Hinted|newspaper=The New York Times|date=September 29, 1983|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/09/29/sports/super-bowl-fix-hinted.html}}</ref>

In an interview for the series ''[[America's Game: The Super Bowl Champions|America's Game]]'', [[Bill Curry]], [[Mike Curtis (American football)|Mike Curtis]], and [[Bubba Smith]] said they have never gotten over that loss and that they never will. Curtis said "It was one of the best teams I ever played with, and we lost to somebody that we would beat a thousand times after the Super Bowl. It was humiliation to be kind." After the game, the team went to what was supposed to be an automatic victory party at owner [[Carroll Rosenbloom]]'s house where Curry said to Rosenbloom, "We will get back here and we will win. I promise."

==Final statistics==
Sources: [http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/history/boxscore/sbiii NFL.com Super Bowl III], [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/play-index/play_finder.cgi?request=1&super_bowl=1&match=summary_all&year_min=1966&year_max=2016&team_id=nyj&opp_id=clt&quarter=1&quarter=2&quarter=3&quarter=4&quarter=5&tr_gtlt=lt&minutes=15&seconds=00&down=0&down=1&down=2&down=3&down=4&yg_gtlt=gt&is_first_down=-1&field_pos_min_field=team&field_pos_max_field=team&end_field_pos_min_field=team&end_field_pos_max_field=team&type=PASS&type=RUSH&type=PUNT&type=KOFF&type=ONSD&type=FG&type=XP&type=2PCR&type=2PCP&is_complete=-1&is_turnover=-1&turnover_type=interception&turnover_type=fumble&is_scoring=-1&score_type=touchdown&score_type=field_goal&score_type=safety&is_sack=-1&include_kneels=-1&no_play=0&order_by=yards Super Bowl III Play Finder NYJ], [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/play-index/play_finder.cgi?request=1&super_bowl=1&match=summary_all&year_min=1966&year_max=2016&team_id=clt&opp_id=nyj&quarter=1&quarter=2&quarter=3&quarter=4&quarter=5&tr_gtlt=lt&minutes=15&seconds=00&down=0&down=1&down=2&down=3&down=4&yg_gtlt=gt&is_first_down=-1&field_pos_min_field=team&field_pos_max_field=team&end_field_pos_min_field=team&end_field_pos_max_field=team&type=PASS&type=RUSH&type=PUNT&type=KOFF&type=ONSD&type=FG&type=XP&type=2PCR&type=2PCP&is_complete=-1&is_turnover=-1&turnover_type=interception&turnover_type=fumble&is_scoring=-1&score_type=touchdown&score_type=field_goal&score_type=safety&is_sack=-1&include_kneels=-1&no_play=0&order_by=yards Super Bowl III Play Finder Bal]

===Statistical comparison===
{| class="wikitable"
!
!'''New York Jets'''
!'''Baltimore Colts'''
|-
|First downs||21||18
|-
|First downs rushing||10||7
|-
|First downs passing||10||9
|-
|First downs penalty||1||2
|-
|Third down efficiency||8/18||4/12
|-
|Fourth down efficiency||0/0||1/2
|-
|Net yards rushing||142||143
|-
|Rushing attempts||43||23
|-
|Yards per rush||3.3||6.2
|-
|Passing – Completions/attempts||17/29||17/41
|-
|Times sacked-total yards||2–11||0–0
|-
|Interceptions thrown||0||4
|-
|Net yards passing||195||181
|-
|Total net yards||337||324
|-
|Punt returns-total yards||1–0||4–34
|-
|Kickoff returns-total yards||1–25||4–105
|-
|Interceptions-total return yards||4–9||0–0
|-
|Punts-average yardage||4–38.8||3–44.3
|-
|Fumbles-lost||1–1||1–1
|-
|Penalties-total yards||5–28||3–23
|-
|Time of possession||36:10||23:50
|-
|Turnovers||1||5
|-
|}

===Individual statistics===
{{col-float|width=48%}}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="6" style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|New York Jets|year=1968|border=2}};"|Jets passing
|-
!
!C/ATT<sup>1</sup>
!Yds
!TD
!INT
!Rating
|-
| [[Joe Namath]]
| 17/28
| 206
| 0
| 0
| 83.3
|-
| [[Babe Parilli]]
| 0/1
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 39.6
|-
! colspan="6" style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|New York Jets|year=1968|border=2}};"|Jets rushing
|-
!
!Car<sup>2</sup>
!Yds
!TD
!LG<sup>3</sup>
!Yds/Car
|-
| [[Matt Snell]]
| 30
| 121
| 1
| 12
| 4.03
|-
| [[Emerson Boozer]]
| 10
| 19
| 0
| 8
| 1.90
|-
| [[Bill Mathis]]
| 3
| 2
| 0
| 1
| 0.67
|-
! colspan="6" style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|New York Jets|year=1968|border=2}};"|Jets receiving
|-
!
!Rec<sup>4</sup>
!Yds
!TD
!LG<sup>3</sup>
!Target<sup>5</sup>
|-
| [[George Sauer Jr.]]
| 8
| 133
| 0
| 39
| 12
|-
| Matt Snell
| 4
| 40
| 0
| 14
| 5
|-
| Bill Mathis
| 3
| 20
| 0
| 13
| 3
|-
| [[Pete Lammons]]
| 2
| 13
| 0
| 11
| 3
|-
| [[Don Maynard]]
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 5
|-
| [[Bake Turner]]
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 1
|}
{{col-float-break|width=48%}}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="6" style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Baltimore Colts|year=1968|border=2}};"|Colts passing
|-
!
!C/ATT<sup>1</sup>
!Yds
!TD
!INT
!Rating
|-
| [[Johnny Unitas]]
| 11/24
| 110
| 0
| 1
| 42.0
|-
| [[Earl Morrall]]
| 6/17
| 71
| 0
| 3
| 9.3
|-
! colspan="6" style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Baltimore Colts|year=1968|border=2}};"|Colts rushing
|-
!
!Car<sup>2</sup>
!Yds
!TD
!LG<sup>3</sup>
!Yds/Car
|-
| [[Tom Matte]]
| 11
| 116
| 0
| 58
| 10.55
|-
| [[Jerry Hill (American football)|Jerry Hill]]
| 9
| 29
| 1
| 12
| 3.22
|-
| Johnny Unitas
| 1
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0.00
|-
| Earl Morrall
| 2
| –2
| 0
| 0
| –1.00
|-
! colspan="6" style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Baltimore Colts|year=1968|border=2}};"|Colts receiving
|-
!
!Rec<sup>4</sup>
!Yds
!TD
!LG<sup>3</sup>
!Target<sup>5</sup>
|-
| [[Willie Richardson]]
| 6
| 58
| 0
| 21
| 15
|-
| [[Jimmy Orr]]
| 3
| 42
| 0
| 17
| 8
|-
| [[John Mackey (American football)|John Mackey]]
| 3
| 35
| 0
| 19
| 8
|-
| Tom Matte
| 2
| 30
| 0
| 30
| 3
|-
| Jerry Hill
| 2
| 1
| 0
| 1
| 4
|-
| [[Tom Mitchell (American football)|Tom Mitchell]]
| 1
| 15
| 0
| 15
| 3
|}
{{col-float-end}}
<sup>1</sup>Completions/Attempts
<sup>2</sup>Carries
<sup>3</sup>Long gain
<sup>4</sup>Receptions
<sup>5</sup>Times targeted

<small>''Statistics provided by NFL.com''<ref name="Stats & Starters">{{cite web|title=Super Bowl III|url=http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/history/boxscore/sbiii|publisher=National Football League|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110829011439/http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/history/boxscore/sbiii|archive-date=August 29, 2011|access-date=August 27, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref></small>

===Records set===
The following records were set or tied in Super Bowl III, according to the official NFL.com boxscore<ref name="Boxscore">{{cite web|title=Super Bowl III box score|url=http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/history/boxscore/sbiii|publisher=NFL Enterprises, LLC|website=SuperBowl.com|access-date=November 10, 2016|archive-date=August 29, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110829011439/http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/history/boxscore/sbiii|url-status=live}}</ref> and the Pro-Football-Reference.com game summary.<ref name="Stats" /> Some records have to meet NFL minimum number of attempts to be recognized.<ref name="Factbook">{{cite web|title=Super Bowl Records|url=http://www.nfl.com/static/content/public/photo/2018/08/09/0ap3000000946101.pdf#page=655|publisher=NFL Enterprises, LLC|work=2018 Official National Football League Record and Fact Book|date=August 9, 2018|access-date=January 28, 2020|archive-date=November 6, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191106200439/http://www.nfl.com/static/content/public/photo/2018/08/09/0ap3000000946101.pdf#page=655|url-status=live}}</ref> The minimums are shown (in parentheses).

{| class="wikitable"
!colspan=3|Player records set in Super Bowl III<ref name="Stats">{{cite web |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/196901120clt.htm |title=Super Bowl III statistics |publisher=Pro Football reference.com |access-date=November 6, 2016 |archive-date=July 2, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190702123759/https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/196901120clt.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
!colspan=3|Passing records
|- style="border-bottom: 2px solid gray"
|Most attempts, without <br />interception, game || 28 || [[Joe Namath]]<br />(New York)
|-
|Most interceptions thrown, game || 3 || rowspan=2|[[Earl Morrall]]<br />(Baltimore)
|- style="border-bottom: 2px solid gray"
|Most interceptions thrown, career || 3
|-
!colspan=3|Rushing records
|-
|Most yards, game || 121 || rowspan=5| [[Matt Snell]]<br />(New York)
|-style="border-bottom: 2px solid gray"
|Most yards, career || 121
|-
|Most attempts, game || 30
|- style="border-bottom: 2px solid gray"
|Most attempts, career || 30
|- style="border-bottom: 2px solid gray"
|Highest average gain,<br /> career (20 attempts)|| 4.0 yards (121–30)
|- style="border-bottom: 2px solid gray"
|Highest average gain,<br /> game (10 attempts)|| 10.5 yards (116–11) || [[Tom Matte]]<br />(Baltimore)
|-
!colspan=3|Receiving records
|-
|Most receptions, game ||8 || [[George Sauer Jr.]]<br />(New York)
|-
!colspan=3|Combined yardage records <sup>†</sup>
|-
|Most attempts, game || 34 || rowspan=2|Matt Snell
|- style="border-bottom: 2px solid gray"
|Most attempts, career|| 34
|-
|Most yards gained, game ||146 yds|| Tom Matte
|-
!colspan=3|Defense
|-
|Most interceptions, game || 2 || rowspan=2|[[Randy Beverly]]<br />(New York)
|- style="border-bottom: 2px solid gray"
|Most interceptions, career || 2
|-
!colspan=3|Special teams
|-
|Most punt return yards gained, career || 34 yards || rowspan=3|[[Timothy Brown (actor)|Timmy Brown]]<br />(Baltimore)
|-
|Highest average, punt return <br />yardage, game (3 returns) || 8.5 yards (4–34)
|- style="border-bottom: 2px solid gray"
|Highest average, punt return <br />yardage, career (4 returns)|| 8.5 yards (4–34)
|-
|Most field goals attempted, game || 5 || rowspan=2|[[Jim Turner (placekicker)|Jim Turner]] <br />(New York)
|-
|Most field goals attempted, career || 5
|-
!colspan=3|Records tied
|-
|Most completions, game || 17 || Joe Namath
|-style="border-bottom: 2px solid gray"
|Most receptions, career || 8 || George Sauer Jr.
|-
|Most fumbles, game || 1 || rowspan=2|Tom Matte <br />George Sauer Jr.
|-style="border-bottom: 2px solid gray"
|Most fumbles, career || 1
|-
|Most fumbles recovered, game || 1 || rowspan=2| [[Ron Porter]]<br />(Baltimore)<br />[[Ralph Baker (linebacker)|Ralph Baker]]<br />(New York)
|-
|Most fumbles recovered, career || 1
|}
* † This category includes rushing, receiving, interception returns, punt returns, kickoff returns, and fumble returns<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/records/superbowls/player/combined |title=Super Bowl definitions |website=[[NFL.com]] |access-date=November 10, 2016 |archive-date=May 4, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180504102907/http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/records/superbowls/player/combined |url-status=live }}</ref>
* ‡ Sacks an official statistic since Super Bowl XVII by the NFL. Sacks are listed as "tackled attempting to pass" in the official NFL box score for Super Bowl III.<ref name="Boxscore" /><ref name="Historys">{{cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/super-bowl/|title=Super Bowl History|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=[[Pro Football Reference]]|access-date=December 6, 2012|archive-date=December 20, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121220023426/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/super-bowl/|url-status=live}}</ref>

{{col-float|width=50%}}
{| class="wikitable"
!colspan=3|Team records set<ref name="Stats" />
|-
!colspan=3|Points
|-
|Fewest points, game || 7 || rowspan=2|Colts
|- style="border-bottom: 2px solid gray"
|Fewest points, first half || 0
|-
|Smallest margin of victory || 9 || Jets
|-
!colspan=3|Touchdowns, field goals
|-
|Fewest touchdowns, winning team || 1 ||rowspan=2|Jets
|-
|Most field goals attempted || 5
|-
!colspan=3|Rushing
|-
|Most rushing attempts || 43 || Jets
|- style="border-bottom: 2px solid gray"
|-
|Highest average gain<br /> per rush attempt || 6.2 yards || Colts<br />(143–23)
|-
|Lowest average gain<br /> per rush attempt || 3.3 yards || Jets <br />(142–43)
|-
!colspan=3|Passing
|-
|Most passing attempts|| 41 || Colts
|-
|Lowest completion percentage<br />(20 attempts) || 41.4% || Colts<br />(17–41)
|-
|Lowest average yards gained <br />per pass attempt || 4.4 yards || Colts<br />(181–41)
|-
|Most times intercepted|| 4 || Colts
|-
|Fewest times sacked || 0 || Colts
|-
|Fewest passing touchdowns || 0 || Colts <br /> Jets
|-
!colspan=3|First downs
|-
|Most first downs, penalty|| 2 || Colts
|-
!colspan=3|Defense
|-
|Most interceptions by|| 4 || Jets
|-
|Fewest sacks, game || 0 || Jets
|-
|Most yards allowed in a win || 337 || Jets
|-
!colspan=3|Turnovers
|-
|Most turnovers, game|| 5 ||Colts
|-
!colspan=3|Kickoff returns
|-
|Fewest kickoff returns, game || 1 || Jets
|-
|Fewest yards gained, game || 25 || Jets
|-
|Highest average gain,<br /> game (3 returns)|| 26.3 yards || Colts<br /> (105–4)
|-
!colspan=3|Punting
|-
|Fewest punts, game || 3 || Colts
|-
|Lowest average, game (4 punts) || 38.8 yards || Jets
|-
!colspan=3|Punt returns
|-
|Fewest punt returns, game || 1 || Jets
|-
|Fewest yards gained, game || 0 || Jets
|-
|Highest average return yardage,<br /> game (3 returns)|| 8.5 yards || Colts <br />(34–4)
|-
!colspan=3|Penalties
|-
|Most penalties, game || 5 || Jets
|-
!colspan=3|Records tied
|-
|Most Super Bowl losses || 1 || rowspan=2|Colts
|- style="border-bottom: 2px solid gray"
|Most points, fourth quarter || 7
|-
|Fewest touchdowns, game || 1 || rowspan=2|Colts <br />Jets
|- style="border-bottom: 2px solid gray"
|Most passes completed || 17
|-
|Fewest times intercepted || 0 || rowspan=2 style="border-bottom: 2px solid gray"|Jets
|- style="border-bottom: 2px solid gray"
|Most first downs|| 21
|}
Turnovers are defined as the number of times losing the ball on interceptions and fumbles.

{{col-float-break|width=50%}}

{| class="wikitable"
!colspan=4|Records set, both team totals<ref name="Stats" />
|-
! !!Total !!Jets!!Colts
|-
!colspan=4|Points, both teams
|-align=center
|align=left| Fewest points|| 23 || 16 || 7
|-align=center
|align=left|Fewest points scored, first half || 7 || 7 || 0
|-align=center
|align=left|Fewest points scored, second half || 16 || 9 || 7
|-
!colspan=4|Touchdowns, [[Point after touchdown|PAT]]s, field goals, both teams
|-align=center
|align=left| Fewest touchdowns || 2 || 1 || 1
|-align=center
|align=left| Fewest (one point) PATs || 2 || (1–1) || (1–1)
|-align=center
|align=left| Most field goals attempted || 7 || 5 || 2
|-
!colspan=4|Net yards, both teams
|-align=center
|align=left|Most net yards,<br /> rushing and passing || 661 || 337 || 324
|-
!colspan=4|Rushing, both teams
|-align=center
|align=left| Most rushing attempts || 66 || 43 || 23
|-align=center
|align=left| Most rushing yards (net) || 285 ||142 || 143
|-
!colspan=4|Passing, both teams
|-align=center
|align=left| Most passing attempts||70|| 29 || 41
|-align=center
|align=left| Most passes completed ||34 ||17 || 17
|-align=center
|align=left| Most times intercepted || 4 || 0 || 4
|-align=center
|align=left| Fewest times sacked || 2 || 2 || 0
|-align=center
|align=left| Fewest passing touchdowns || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
!colspan=4|First downs, both teams
|-align=center
|align=left| Most first downs|| 39 || 21 || 18
|-align=center
|align=left| Most first downs rushing|| 17|| 10 || 7
|-align=center
|align=left| Most first downs, penalty|| 3|| 1 || 2
|-
!colspan=4|Defense, both teams
|-align=center
|align=left| Most interceptions by || 4 || 4 || 0
|-align=center
|align=left| Fewest sacks made || 2 || 0 || 2
|-
!colspan=4|Turnovers, both teams
|-align=center
|align=left|Most turnovers|| 6 ||1 || 5
|-
!colspan=4|Kickoff returns, both teams
|-align=center
|align=left|Fewest kickoff returns|| 5 || 1 || 4
|-align=center
|align=left| Fewest yards gained || 130 || 25 ||105
|-
!colspan=4|Punting, both teams
|-align=center
|align=left| Fewest punts, game|| 7 || 4 || 3
|-
!colspan=4|Punt returns, both teams
|-align=center
|align=left|Fewest punt returns, game || 5 || 1 || 4
|-align=center
|align=left|Fewest yards gained, game || 34 || 0 || 34
|-
!colspan=4|Records tied, both teams
|-align=center
|align=left| Fewest fumbles|| 2 ||1 || 1
|-align=center
|align=left| Most fumbles lost|| 2 || 1 || 1
|-align=center
|align=left|Most penalties, game|| 8 ||5 || 3
|}
{{col-float-end}}

==Starting lineups==
Source:<ref>{{cite web|title=Super Bowl III Gamebook|url=http://www.nflgsis.com/1968/Post/03/52994/Gamebook.pdf|publisher=NFL Enterprises, LLC|website=NFLGSIS.com|date=January 12, 1969|access-date=March 11, 2018|archive-date=March 11, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180311142359/http://www.nflgsis.com/1968/Post/03/52994/Gamebook.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>
<!--Please do not change the terminology used for the positions in this section. It is a matter of historical record and in many cases positions like flanker are different in substantial ways from Wide Receiver.-->

{{hilite|Hall of Fame‡|#FFCC00}}

{| class="wikitable"
! width="150px" style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|New York Jets|year=1968|border=2}};" | New York !! Position !! width="150px" style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Baltimore Colts|year=1968|border=2}};" | Baltimore
|-
| colspan="3" style="text-align:center;" | '''Offense'''
|-
| [[George Sauer Jr.]] || style="text-align:center;" | SE || [[Jimmy Orr]]
|-
| bgcolor="#FFCC00" | [[Winston Hill]]‡ || style="text-align:center;" | LT || [[Bob Vogel]]
|-
| [[Bob Talamini]] || style="text-align:center;" | LG || [[Glenn Ressler]]
|-
| [[John Schmitt (American football)|John Schmitt]] || style="text-align:center;" | C || [[Bill Curry]]
|-
| [[Randy Rasmussen (American football, born 1945)|Randy Rasmussen]] || style="text-align:center;" | RG || [[Dan Sullivan (American football)|Dan Sullivan]]
|-
| [[Dave Herman (American football)|Dave Herman]] || style="text-align:center;" | RT || [[Sam Ball]]
|-
| [[Pete Lammons]] || style="text-align:center;" | TE || bgcolor="#FFCC00" | [[John Mackey (American football)|John Mackey]]‡
|-
| bgcolor="#FFCC00" | [[Don Maynard]]‡ || style="text-align:center;" | FL || [[Willie Richardson]]
|-
| bgcolor="#FFCC00" | [[Joe Namath]]‡ || style="text-align:center;" | QB || [[Earl Morrall]]
|-
| [[Emerson Boozer]] || style="text-align:center;" | RB || [[Tom Matte]]
|-
| [[Matt Snell]] || style="text-align:center;" | RB || [[Jerry Hill (American football)|Jerry Hill]]
|-
| colspan="3" style="text-align:center;" | '''Defense'''
|-
| [[Gerry Philbin]] || style="text-align:center;" | LE || [[Bubba Smith]]
|-
| [[Paul Rochester]] || style="text-align:center;" | LT || [[Billy Ray Smith Sr.]]
|-
| [[John Elliott (defensive lineman)|John Elliott]] || style="text-align:center;" | RT || [[Fred Miller (defensive lineman)|Fred Miller]]
|-
| [[Verlon Biggs]] || style="text-align:center;" | RE || [[Ordell Braase]]
|-
| [[Ralph Baker (linebacker)|Ralph Baker]] || style="text-align:center;" | LLB || [[Mike Curtis (American football)|Mike Curtis]]
|-
| [[Al Atkinson]] || style="text-align:center;" | MLB || [[Dennis Gaubatz]]
|-
| [[Larry Grantham]] || style="text-align:center;" | RLB || [[Don Shinnick]]
|-
| [[Johnny Sample]] || style="text-align:center;" | LCB || [[Bobby Boyd]]
|-
| [[Randy Beverly]] || style="text-align:center;" | RCB || [[Lenny Lyles]]
|-
| [[Jim Hudson]] || style="text-align:center;" | LS || [[Jerry Logan]]
|-
| [[Bill Baird (American football)|Bill Baird]] || style="text-align:center;" | RS || [[Rick Volk]]
|}
<small>''Starting lineup provided by NFL.com''<ref name="Stats & Starters"/></small>

==Officials==
* '''Referee:''' [[Tommy Bell (American football official)|Tom Bell]] (NFL) #7 first Super Bowl<ref name="h693">{{cite web | last=Schultz | first=Mark | title=Remembering Tommy Bell on his 100th birthday | website=Football Zebras | date=2022-07-02 | url=https://www.footballzebras.com/2022/07/remembering-tommy-bell-on-his-100th-birthday/ | access-date=2024-09-21}}</ref>
* '''Umpire:''' Walt Parker (AFL) #25 first Super Bowl
* '''Head linesman:''' George Murphy (NFL) #30 first Super Bowl
* '''Line judge:''' [[Cal Lepore]] (AFL) #32 first Super Bowl
* '''Back judge:''' [[Jack Reader]] (AFL) #42 second Super Bowl (I)
* '''Field judge:''' [[Joe Gonzales (baseball)|Joe Gonzales]] (NFL) #54 first Super Bowl

<small>'''''Note''': A seven-official system was not instituted until [[1978 NFL season|1978]].''</small>

Unlike the first two Super Bowls, officials wore their standard uniform. The AFL switched to the NFL uniform for 1968 in anticipation of the 1970 [[AFL–NFL merger|merger]].

Jack Reader became the first official to work two Super Bowls. He was the only official to work two prior to the merger. He was promoted to referee in 1969.

==Aftermath==
{{ref improve section|date=November 2023}}
The following season, 1969, would be the last one before the [[AFL–NFL merger]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=NFL and AFL announce merger - June 8, 1966 |url=https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/nfl-and-afl-announce-merger |access-date=2024-06-15 |website=HISTORY |language=en}}</ref> As part of the merger, the Colts were one of three NFL teams that moved to the newly formed [[American Football Conference]] (AFC) with the Jets and the other AFL teams. The Jets and Colts became divisional rivals in the [[AFC East]] until the [[2002 NFL season|2002]] realignment shifted the Colts, who had [[Baltimore Colts relocation to Indianapolis|moved to Indianapolis in 1984]], to the new [[AFC South]]; the teams would however not meet in the playoffs until the 2002 season. Due to being in the same conference, a Super Bowl rematch is no longer possible unless the NFL radically changes its conference alignment and/or its playoff structure.

The Jets have not played in the Super Bowl since the merger, losing the [[AFC Championship Game]] in the 1982, 1998, 2009 and 2010 seasons.<ref name="jets">{{Cite web |title=New York Jets Playoff History |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/nyj/playoffs.htm |access-date=2024-06-15 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref> On the other hand, the Colts won [[Super Bowl V]] (1970), then after relocating to Indianapolis, won [[Super Bowl XLI]] (2006) and lost [[Super Bowl XLIV]] (2009).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Super Bowl XLI - Indianapolis Colts vs. Chicago Bears - February 4th, 2007 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200702040chi.htm |access-date=2024-06-15 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Super Bowl XLIV - New Orleans Saints vs. Indianapolis Colts - February 7th, 2010 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/201002070clt.htm |access-date=2024-06-15 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref>

However, teams representing Baltimore and New York have contested one Super Bowl since the merger: [[Super Bowl XXXV]] between the Jets' crosstown rival (the [[2000 New York Giants season|Giants]]) and Baltimore's replacement team (the [[2000 Baltimore Ravens season|Ravens]]), with the latter contest being won by Baltimore.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1969 World Series - New York Mets over Baltimore Orioles (4-1) |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1969_WS.shtml |access-date=2024-06-15 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref>

This was the first of three occasions in which a team from New York defeated one from Baltimore in postseason play during 1969, as the [[New York Knicks|Knicks]] eliminated the [[Washington Wizards|Baltimore Bullets]] in the [[1969 NBA playoffs|NBA playoffs]] before falling to the eventual NBA Champion [[Boston Celtics|Celtics]] in the Eastern Division finals.  Then in baseball the [[1969 New York Mets season|Mets]] upset the heavily favored [[1969 Baltimore Orioles season|Orioles]] in the [[1969 World Series|World Series]].  The Orioles and Mets seasons mirrored their NFL counterparts as the Orioles nabbed first place in the newly formed AL East for good on April 16th and would easily hold the lead for the rest of the season finishing 19 games ahead of the defending champion [[1969 Detroit Tigers season|Detroit Tigers]].  Meanwhile the Mets were in third place in the NL East and 10 games behind the [[1969 Chicago Cubs season|Chicago Cubs]] only to finish 8 games ahead of the Cubs while winning the division.

The Colts and Orioles would achieve redemption the following year with the Orioles winning the [[1970 World Series]] over the [[1970 Cincinnati Reds season|Cincinnati Reds]].  Four months later, the Colts defeated the [[1970 Dallas Cowboys|Dallas Cowboys]] 16-13 in [[Super Bowl V]].

This was also the last postseason victory for the Jets until they beat the [[1982 Cincinnati Bengals season|Cincinnati Bengals]] in the [[1982–83 NFL playoffs#AFC: New York Jets 44, Cincinnati Bengals 17|1982–83 playoffs]].<ref name="jets" />

In his 1983 autobiography and in subsequent media interviews, Colts lineman [[Bubba Smith]] alleged that the game had been rigged to allow the Jets to win so the NFL–AFL merger would proceed smoothly. Smith (who died in 2011) never offered evidence to support his claims, and his charges were never corroborated by anyone. His old coach Don Shula flatly rejected them, accusing Smith of making them up to sensationalize his book, stating "The way I recall that Super Bowl is that everyone missed everybody all day long, including Bubba."<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 29, 1983 |title=Super Bowl Fix Hinted |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/09/29/sports/super-bowl-fix-hinted.html |access-date=2024-06-14 |work=The New York Times}}</ref>

Baltimore defensive back [[Bobby Boyd]], who retired after the Super Bowl to join the Colts coaching staff, remained bitter about the Super Bowl loss for the rest of his life. In a 2010 interview, he said "I had nightmares about it for a long time. Many a time, I'd wake up thinking, 'Why didn't we try this or that?' Then I'd get up, angry, drink a Coke, watch TV to calm down and then try to go back to sleep." Eventually, he said, the dreams stopped, "but I'll be thinking about that game to the day I die." He died in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Klingaman |first=Mike |date=2017-09-05 |title=Bobby Boyd, All-Pro Colts cornerback in the 1960s, dies at 79 |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/2017/09/05/bobby-boyd-all-pro-colts-cornerback-in-the-1960s-dies-at-79/ |access-date=2024-06-15 |website=Baltimore Sun |language=en-US}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book|author=Clary, Jack|title=Pro Football's Great Moments|publisher=Bonanza Books|edition=Updated|location=New York, NY|year=1981|isbn=0-517-34584-6|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/profootballsgrea00rhva}}
* {{cite book|author=Davis, Jeff|title=Rozelle, Czar of the NFL|publisher=McGraw Hill|location=New York, NY|year=2008|isbn=978-0-07-147166-4|url=https://archive.org/details/rozelleczarofnfl0000davi}}
* {{cite book|author=Hanks, Stephen|title=The Game That Changed Pro Football|publisher=Carroll Publishing Group|location=New York, NY|year=1988|isbn=1-55972-012-3}}
* {{cite book|author=Namath, Joe|title=Namath|publisher=Rugged Land|location=New York, NY|year=2006|edition=First|isbn=978-1-59071-081-4}}
* {{cite book|author=Rappoport, Ken|title=The Little League that Could: A History of the American Football League|publisher=Taylor Trade Publishing|location=Lanham, MD|year=2010|isbn=978-1-58979-463-4}}
* {{cite book|author=Sahadi, Lou|title=The Long Pass: The Inside Story of the New York Jets from the Terrible Titans to Broadway Joe Namath and the Championship of 1968|publisher=The World Publishing Company|location=New York, NY|year=1969|isbn=978-1-58567-933-1|url=https://archive.org/details/fourthofjulyfoun00debo}}

==External links==
* {{YouTube|id=RW5GnZCxqIw|title=Super Bowl III: NFL Full Game}}
* [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/196901120clt.htm Super Bowl III Box Score] at [[Pro Football Reference]]
* [http://www.thegamebeforethemoney.com/dm3/ Don Maynard on Super Bowl 3]

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{{1968 AFL season by team|state=collapsed}}
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{{NFL on NBC}}
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[[Category:1968 American Football League season]]
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