In one week on Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs will play in their sixth Super Bowl.
They would win their fourth NFL championship and their second in as many years if they prevailed.
During the 1960s, they were the Dallas Texans in 1962 when they won their first of three AFL titles.
This is the San Francisco 49ers’ eighth trip to the championship game. After winning their first five Super Bowls in the 1980s and 1990s, they have lost the last two.
They are on their sixth Super Bowl trip and have already tied the Cowboys and Steelers.
The Kansas City Chiefs will play in their sixth Super Bowl on Sunday of next week.
If they prevailed, it would be their fourth NFL championship and their second in as many years.
They were the Dallas Texans in 1962 when they captured their first of three AFL championships throughout the 1960s.
The San Francisco 49ers are making their ninth consecutive trip to the title game. They have lost the last two Super Bowls after winning their first five in the 1980s and 1990s.
On January 17, 1971, the NFL and AFL combined to form a one league, and the inaugural Super Bowl was contested at The Orange Bowl.
Along with Pittsburgh and Cleveland, the Baltimore Colts (13-2-1) were among the three NFL teams that joined the 10 AFL teams in the AFC at the start of the season.
Two years prior, the Colts had virtually certain that the merger would occur. The AFL gained respectability with their shocking Super Bowl III loss to the Jets.
Baltimore now represented the AFC by teaming up with those they were unable to defeat. They were 2.5-point favorites going into the match.
The Cowboys (12-4) appeared to have forgotten the annoyances of the previous decade.
The team’s two NFL Championship Game defeats to the Packers in 1966 and 1967 were history.
What transpired in the sunny afternoon of 59 degrees in South Florida was anything but lovely. The Colts committed seven turnovers during the game, for a total of 11 by both teams.
Baltimore only committed four penalties for 31 yards, while the Cowboys responded with ten penalties for 133 yards.
Dallas was given the ball first, but after two consecutive three-and-outs in their opening two possessions, they were forced to punt.
Little changed for the Colts. On their first drive, they also punted following a three-and-out.
Chuck Howley intercepted Johnny Unitas’ second pass attempt of the game on the opening play of their second possession.
Dallas punted after failing to advance the ball once again; however, Cliff Harris recovered at the Colts’ nine after Ron Gardin fumbled.
The Cowboys settled for a 14-yard field goal by Mike Clark to take a 3-0 lead because they were unable to punch in the gift. Back then, the goal posts were placed exactly on the goal lines, as opposed to nowadays, when they were behind the endzone.
Just seconds into the second quarter, the Cowboys took a 6-0 lead with a 30-yard field goal by Clark following another three-and-out by Baltimore.
They had already tied the Cowboys and Steelers on their sixth Super Bowl journey.
For a total of three plays and thirty-three seconds, Dallas led. Unitas struck John Mackey with a 75-yard throw on third and 10.
However, Jim O’Brien, the Colts’ kicker, missed the extra point, keeping the score knotted at six.
For their next two drives, the Cowboys would have to punt the ball away once more. Baltimore would punt again, but on their subsequent possession, Unitas would fumble.
At the Colts’ 28, Jethro Pugh picked up the loose ball.
Craig Morton hit Dan Reeves for 17 yards after Duane Thomas ran for four yards. With 8:16 remaining in the half, Morton then found Thomas for a seven-yard throw, giving the team a 13–6 lead.
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