1976 Baltimore Colts season

1976 Baltimore Colts season
1976 Baltimore Colts season
Owner	Robert Irsay
General manager	Joe Thomas
Head coach	Ted Marchibroda
Home field	Memorial Stadium
Results
Record	11–3
Division place	T-1st AFC East
Playoff finish	Lost Divisional Playoffs; (vs. Steelers) 14–40
Pro Bowlers	T George Kunz; QB Bert Jones; WR Roger Carr; RB Lydell Mitchell; DE John Dutton; K Toni Linhart
	← 1975; Colts seasons; 1977 →;

The 1976 Baltimore Colts season was the 24th season for the team in the National Football League. Led by second-year head coach Ted Marchibroda, the Colts finished with a record of 11 wins and 3 losses, tied for first in the AFC East division with the New England Patriots.^[1] Baltimore won the AFC East title based on a better division record (7–1 to Patriots' 6–2).

Marchibroda, the reigning NFL coach of the year, resigned a week before the regular season opener, due to a power struggle with general manager Joe Thomas and owner Robert Irsay.^[2] Baltimore had won its first two preseason games, then dropped the final four.^[2] Several Colts assistant coaches threatened to leave the team, and quarterback Bert Jones publicly came to his coach's defense.^[3] Thomas and Irsay quickly made amends with the coach before the season started.^[4]^[5]^[6]^[7] (Thomas would be fired by the team shortly after the season.)

The Colts’ offense was dominant in 1976: they led the league in scoring with 417 points (29.7 per game). Jones was named league MVP after passing for a league-best 3,104 yards, 9.27 yards-per-attempt, and a passer rating of 102.5, second best in the NFL. Running back Lydell Mitchell also had a spectacular year, rushing for 1,200 yards,^[8] and catching 60 passes. Wide receiver Roger Carr proved to be a valuable deep threat in the passing game, leading the league with 1,112 receiving yards and 25.9 yards per reception.^[9] All three offensive players made the Pro Bowl team.

Offseason

1976 Expansion Draft

Baltimore Colts selected during the Expansion Draft
Name	Position	Expansion Team
Mike Curtis	Linebacker	Seattle Seahawks
Bill Olds	Fullback	Seattle Seahawks
Dave Pear	Defensive tackle	Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	College	Notes
1976 Baltimore Colts draft
1	20	Ken Novak	Defensive tackle	Purdue
3	81	Ed Simonini	Linebacker	Texas A&M
3	90	Ron Lee	Running back	West Virginia
5	134	Sanders Shiver	Linebacker	Carson–Newman
5	143	Mike Kirkland	Quarterback	Arkansas	Played for Colts in 1978
8	228	Ricky Thompson	Wide receiver	Baylor
9	258	Stu Levenick	Tackle	Illinois
10	283	Tim Baylor	Defensive back	Morgan State
11	310	Rick Gibney	Defensive tackle	Georgia Tech
12	340	Frank Stavroff	Placekicker	Indiana
14	394	Jeremiah Cummings	Defensive end	Albany State
15	424	Gary Alexander	Tackle	Clemson
16	449	Mike Fuhrman	Tight end	Memphis State
16	451	Steve Ludwig	Center	Miami (FL)
Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

^[10]

Personnel

Staff/Coaches

1976 Baltimore Colts staff

Front office

President and treasurer – Robert Irsay
General manager – Joe Thomas
Assistant general manager – Ernie Accorsi

Coaching staff

Head coach – Ted Marchibroda

Offensive coaches

Receivers – Pete McCulley
Offensive line – Whitey Dovell

Defensive coaches

Defensive coordinator/linebackers – Maxie Baughan
Defensive line – Jerry Smith
Defensive backfield – Frank Lauterbur

Special teams coaches

Special teams – George Boutselis

Final roster

**1976 Baltimore Colts roster**
Quarterbacks (QB) 7 Bert Jones 12 Bill Troup Running backs (RB) 48 Roosevelt Leaks FB 34 Ron Lee 23 Don McCauley 26 Lydell Mitchell 27 Howard Stevens Wide receivers (WR) 81 Roger Carr 35 Glenn Doughty 80 Marshall Johnson 86 Freddie Scott 88 Ricky Thompson Tight ends (TE) 87 Raymond Chester 85 Jimmie Kennedy		Offensive linemen (OL) 50 Forrest Blue C 66 Elmer Collett G 62 Ken Huff G 75 George Kunz T 57 Ken Mendenhall C 61 Robert Pratt G 64 David Taylor T 67 Bob Van Duyne G Defensive linemen (DL) 63 Mike Barnes DT 72 Fred Cook DE 78 John Dutton DE 76 Joe Ehrmann DT 73 Ron Fernandes DE 74 Ken Novak DT		Linebackers (LB) 59 Jim Cheyunski 55 Dan Dickel MLB 58 Derrel Luce OLB 54 Sanders Shiver OLB 56 Ed Simonini MLB 53 Stan White OLB Defensive backs (DB) 47 Tim Baylor FS 33 Randy Hall CB 40 Bruce Laird 42 Lloyd Mumphord CB 31 Nelson Munsey CB 25 Ray Oldham SS 20 Jackie Wallace SS Special teams 2 Toni Linhart K 49 David Lee P		Reserve 29 Marshall Johnson WR (IR) 52 Tom MacLeod OLB (IR) Rookies in italics

Preseason

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Venue	Attendance
1	July 31	at Cleveland Browns	W 21–0	Lincoln, Nebraska	20,304
2	August 6	Washington Redskins	W 20–3	Memorial Stadium	35,575
3	August 14	at Chicago Bears	L 14–25	Soldier Field	54,338
4	August 20	New Orleans Saints	L 20–26 (OT)	Memorial Stadium	38,879
5	August 28	at Atlanta Falcons	L 7–21	Atlanta Stadium	24,986
6	September 2	at Detroit Lions	L 9–24	Pontiac Metropolitan Stadium	54,217

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance	Recap
1	September 12	at New England Patriots	W 27–13	1–0	Schaefer Stadium	43,512	Link
2	September 19	Cincinnati Bengals	W 28–27	2–0	Memorial Stadium	50,374	Link
3	September 26	at Dallas Cowboys	L 27–30	2–1	Texas Stadium	64,237	Link
4	October 3	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	W 42–17	3–1	Memorial Stadium	40,053	Link
5	October 10	Miami Dolphins	W 28–14	4–1	Memorial Stadium	58,832	Link
6	October 17	at Buffalo Bills	W 31–13	5–1	Rich Stadium	71,009	Link
7	October 24	at New York Jets	W 20–0	6–1	Shea Stadium	59,576	Link
8	November 1	Houston Oilers	W 38–14	7–1	Memorial Stadium	60,020	Link
9	November 7	at San Diego Chargers	W 37–21	8–1	San Diego Stadium	42,827	Link
10	November 14	New England Patriots	L 14–21	8–2	Memorial Stadium	58,226	Link
11	November 22	at Miami Dolphins	W 17–16	9–2	Miami Orange Bowl	62,104	Link
12	November 28	New York Jets	W 33–16	10–2	Memorial Stadium	44,023	Link
13	December 4	at St. Louis Cardinals	L 17–24	10–3	Busch Memorial Stadium	48,282	Link
14	December 12	Buffalo Bills	W 58–20	11–3	Memorial Stadium	50,451	Link
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Standings

AFC East
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Baltimore Colts⁽²⁾	11	3	0	.786	7–1	11–1	417	246	W1
New England Patriots⁽⁴⁾	11	3	0	.786	6–2	10–2	376	236	W6
Miami Dolphins	6	8	0	.429	5–3	6–6	263	264	L1
New York Jets	3	11	0	.214	2–6	3–9	169	383	L4
Buffalo Bills	2	12	0	.143	0–8	2–10	245	363	L10

Postseason

The team returned to the playoffs as a No. 2 seed and hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers in the divisional round. The Colts fell behind 26–7 at the half, and lost 40–14.^[11] This game is better remembered for the post-game crash of a private plane into an unoccupied section of Memorial Stadium.^[12]^[13]^[14]^[15]

Round	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance	Recap
Divisional	December 19	Pittsburgh Steelers (3)	L 14–40	0–1	Memorial Stadium	60,020	Link

References

^ "A romp in Baltimore sets up playoff scene". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. December 13, 1976. p. 18.
^ ^a ^b "Marchibroda quits Colts". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. September 6, 1976. p. 1, part 2.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
^ "Colts claim front office ruined team". Milwaukee Sentinel. UPI. September 7, 1976. p. 1, part 2.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
^ "Marchibroda back; Colts' standoff over". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. September 8, 1976. p. 23.
^ "Marchibroda is back with Colts". Milwaukee Sentinel. UPI. September 8, 1976. p. 1, part 2.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
^ Lea, Bud (September 8, 1976). "Irsay bows to pressure". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 1, part 2.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
^ Neft, David S.; Cohen, Richard M.; and Korch, Rich The Sports Encyclopedia: Pro Football, 12th Edition, p.306, Martin’s Press, August 1994, ISBN 0-312-11073-1
^ fourth-best in the NFL, second-best in the NFC behind O. J. Simpson
^ Pro-Football-Reference.com: 1976 NFL Leaders and Leaderboards
^ "1976 Baltimore Colts Draftees". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
^ "Pittsburgh's easy victory averts tragedy". Milwaukee Journal. press dispatches. December 20, 1976. p. 13, part 2.
^ "A year in sports". Sports Illustrated. (photo). February 17, 1977. p. 47.
^ "Rout was a blessing when plane crashed". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). UPI. December 20, 1976. p. 1B.
^ "Touch Down". Milwaukee Journal. (Washington Star Service). December 20, 1976. p. 13, part 2.
^ "Small plane crashes into stand minutes after 60,000 leave". Toledo Blade. (Ohio). Associated Press. December 20, 1976. p. 1.

[arinb-1] "A romp in Baltimore sets up playoff scene". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. December 13, 1976. p. 18.

[mqco-2] "Marchibroda quits Colts". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. September 6, 1976. p. 1, part 2.^{[permanent dead link‍]}

[ccfort-3] "Colts claim front office ruined team". Milwaukee Sentinel. UPI. September 7, 1976. p. 1, part 2.^{[permanent dead link‍]}

[cstofv-4] "Marchibroda back; Colts' standoff over". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. September 8, 1976. p. 23.

[mbwc-5] "Marchibroda is back with Colts". Milwaukee Sentinel. UPI. September 8, 1976. p. 1, part 2.^{[permanent dead link‍]}

[irbtop-6] Lea, Bud (September 8, 1976). "Irsay bows to pressure". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 1, part 2.^{[permanent dead link‍]}

[7] Neft, David S.; Cohen, Richard M.; and Korch, Rich The Sports Encyclopedia: Pro Football, 12th Edition, p.306, Martin’s Press, August 1994, ISBN 0-312-11073-1

[8] urth-best in the NFL, second-best in the NFC behind O. J. Simpson

[9] Pro-Football-Reference.com: 1976 NFL Leaders and Leaderboards

[10] "1976 Baltimore Colts Draftees". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved January 17, 2022.

[pevat-11] "Pittsburgh's easy victory averts tragedy". Milwaukee Journal. press dispatches. December 20, 1976. p. 13, part 2.

[sivph-12] "A year in sports". Sports Illustrated. (photo). February 17, 1977. p. 47.

[ergplcr-13] "Rout was a blessing when plane crashed". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). UPI. December 20, 1976. p. 1B.

[mjtdn-14] "Touch Down". Milwaukee Journal. (Washington Star Service). December 20, 1976. p. 13, part 2.

[smplc-15] "Small plane crashes into stand minutes after 60,000 leave". Toledo Blade. (Ohio). Associated Press. December 20, 1976. p. 1.

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v t e Indianapolis Colts
Founded in 1953 Played in Baltimore (1953–1983) Based and headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana
Franchise	History in Baltimore relocation to Indianapolis All-time roster Quarterbacks Coaches Seasons Draft First-round draft picks Ring of Honor
Stadiums	Memorial Stadium RCA Dome Lucas Oil Stadium
Culture	Carroll Rosenbloom Robert Irsay Jim Irsay 12th Man AAFC Colts Baltimore Colts Marching Band Blue Cheerleaders Elway to Marino Parks and Recreation
Lore	Dayton Triangles The Greatest Game Ever Played 1970 AFC Championship Game Ghost to the Post Move to Indianapolis Immaculate Deflection Immaculate Redemption/The Tackle Deflategate Colts Catastrophe Snowvertime Minneapolis Miracle II
Rivalries	Houston Texans Jacksonville Jaguars New England Patriots Brady–Manning rivalry Tennessee Titans
Division championships (16)	1968 1970 1975 1976 1977 1987 1999 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2009 2010 2013 2014
Conference championships (7)	1958 1959 1964 1968 1970 2006 2009
League championships (5)	1958 1959 1968 1970 (V) 2006 (XLI)
Retired numbers	18 19 22 24 70 77 82 89
Media	Broadcasters WFNI-AM Bob Lamey Jim Sorgi
Current league affiliations	League: National Football League Conference: American Football Conference Division: South Division
Category

v t e Indianapolis Colts seasons
Played in Baltimore (1953–1983)
1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Bold indicates NFL Championship (1920–65) or Super Bowl (1966–present) victory Italics indicates NFL Championship (1920–65) or Super Bowl (1966–present) appearance