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Sneak Preview - A Look Back at The Storied History: Colts v. Bears

Teams meet for first time in post season history on Sunday
Posted On: 1/30/07
Written By:  
Kurt Backert
A Look Back at The Storied History: Colts v. Bears A Look Back at The Storied History: Colts v. Bears
Perhaps in namesake only, Super Bowl XLI pits two franchises against one another, both with storied histories.  Their paths crossed often beginning when Baltimore returned to the NFL back in 1953.  The Colts were curiously placed in the Western Conference where the Bears welcomed their new conference rival.
 
The teams played each other twice annually right up through 1966. In 1967 the NFL went to 4 divisions.  The Colts were moved to Coastal Division while the Bears were moved to the Central. They played once a year from 1967 to 1969. In 1970 the Colts moved to the newly formed AFC where they played the Bears in 1970, 1975, and 1983 before their midnight exodus in Mayflower Vans.
 
Through the years, the match ups between the two produced some memorable results and the clubs share some interesting common threads:
  • The Baltimore Colts of the old All America Football Conference had a place kicker named Rex Grossman in 1948 and 1949. He connected on all 62 of his PAT’s and hit on 16 of 29 field goals.  The Baltimore Colts’ Grossman is the grandfather of the Bears’ quarterback Rex Grossman.
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  • The Baltimore Colts returned to the NFL for the 1953 season. On opening day, September 27, 1953 they played the Bears before 23,715 fans in Baltimore. Bear quarterback and future Hall of Famer George Blanda threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown by the Colts Bert Rechichar to score the first Colt touchdown in modern team history. The Colts went on to win to record their first franchise victory 13-9. Rechichar made a bigger name for himself in the game, on the last play of the first half. Attempting the first field goal of his career he connected from 56 yards to set the NFL record for the longest field goal that stood until Tom Dempsey broke it in 1970 with a 63 yarder.
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  • Opening day 1955, in Baltimore, Heisman trophy winner and Colt rookie running back Alan Ameche scores on a 79 yard run on his first professional carry. The Colts go on to beat the Bears that day 23-17.
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  • A legend begins, week 4, 1956. Starting quarterback George Shaw goes down with an injury. Rookie John Unitas enters the game as Colt quarterback for the first time in Wrigley Field against the Bears. His first pass is intercepted and returned for a touchdown by the Bears’ JC Caroline. Unitas would later throw his first professional touchdown pass to Jim Mutscheller, a case of too little to late as the Colts trailed 58-20. The Bears went on to win by the final score of 58-27 and they would go on to claim their first division title since 1946.
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  • 1957-1960, the Colts win 7 of the eight games played against the Bears during this period as they capture 2 NFL championships. One of the most notable is in 1958, the Colts beat the Bears 51-38 as halfback Lenny Moore sets a team record by scoring 4 touchdowns in the victory.
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  • 1961-1962, the Bears win all four games during this period with a bruising defense led by Hall of Famers Doug Atkins and Bill George. The Bears hand the Colts their worst defeat in team history in 1962 in Baltimore, as the Bears clobber the Colts 57-0.
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  • 1963, the Bears using a new pass defense named the zone masterminded by their defensive coordinator George Allen hold Unitas and the Colts to ten total points in the Bears 2 wins over Baltimore. The Bears win the NFL championship that year, their last with George Halas as head coach and arguably the best defense in NFL history.
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  • 1964, Unitas finally solves the Bears defense, beating them twice, 52-0 in Baltimore and 40-24 in Chicago. The Colts win the Western Conference championship and Unitas earns his second MVP.
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  • 1965, The Bears and rookie linebacker Dick Butkus knock John Unitas out of the game and for the season with a knee injury in a game where Chicago pitches a  shutout against the Colts in Baltimore. It forces head coach Don Shula to eventually have to use halfback Tom Matte at quarterback in the playoffs where the Colts fall short.
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  • 1968, Bear Hall of Fame running back Gale Sayers scores the first touchdown of the game in Baltimore on a memorable 59 yard run. Colt back up quarterback Earl Morrall playing for the injured Unitas steals the show though by throwing 4 touchdown passes in a 28-7 Colt win. Morrall wins the MVP award and the Colts win the 1968 NFL championship.
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  • 1970, with the Colts now moved to the AFC, Unitas and the Bears face each other for the last time. He throws 5 interceptions and the Bears build a 17-0 lead in Baltimore. Unitas brings the Colts back, throwing a long touchdown pass to Hall of Fame TE John Mackey in the closing minutes in what is one of Unitas’ last comeback wins 21-20, the Colts go on to win Super Bowl V that year.
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  • Unitas wins 14 of his twenty four meetings with the Bears. He throws for thirty three touchdowns and thirty interceptions against them.
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  • 1975, opening day at Chicago’s Soldier Field, the Colts trounce the Bears 35-7. Bert Jones throws 2 touchdown passes in Ted Marchibroda’s first game as Colt head coach. The Colts go on to win the AFC East.  Another first takes place during this ’75 showdown.  It marks the first professional game of Bears’ first round draft pick and eventual Hall of  Famer, rookie Walter Payton.  Payton on the day is held to 0 yards on eight carries by Baltimore. His first game would be his worst statistical game of his career.
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  • 1983, Bears’ head coach Mike Ditka breaks his hand after a punching a locker in Baltimore after the Colts beat the Bears 22-19. Colts kicker Raul Allegre wins the game in overtime with a field goal.  This was the Baltimore Colts 7th consecutive win over the Bears.
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  • The Baltimore Colts finish with a 21-13 record against the Bears.
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  • 1985, playing the eventual Super Bowl champions and the vaunted 46 defense in Chicago the Colts keep the game close against the Bears and lose 17-10. Colts’ quarterback Mike Pagel keeps them in the game by throwing a late touchdown pass on a flea flicker.
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  • 1988-2000, the Colts and Bears play three non memorable games all won by the Bears by a combined score of 75-54.
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  • 2004, running back Edgerrin James runs for over 200 yards and scores a touchdown while quarterback Peyton Manning throws 4 touchdown passes in a 41-10 Colts win in head coach Lovie Smith’s first year in Chicago. The victory is the first for the Colts against the Bears since moving.
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  • The Colts lead the all time series 22-17, this will be the first time they have faced each other in the post season.

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Posted On: 1/30/07
Written By:  
Kurt Backert

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