1960s
In 1963, Shula replaced Ewbank as the team's third head coach since 1953. During 1963, QB-John Unitas led the Colts offense to eight team records and set a then-NFL seasonal mark of 237 completions.
The Colts won a then-club record 11 consecutive games in 1964, en route to clinching their third conference title. That season, WR-Raymond Berry caught his 506th career pass and RB-Lenny Moore scored 20 touchdowns, then both NFL records.
In 1965, Baltimore tied Green Bay for the conference title. With HB-Tom Matte quarterbacking the club because of injuries to Unitas and Gary Cuozzo, the Colts lost a controversial 13-10 "sudden-death" playoff contest to the Packers.
Under Shula, Baltimore made its first Super Bowl appearance in 1968. The club won the Coastal Division with a 13-1 mark, then defeated Minnesota, 24-14, in the Western Conference Championship game and blanked Cleveland, 34-0, for the NFL Championship. The team faced the American Football League Champion New York Jets in Super Bowl III, losing a 16-7 upset.
In May of 1969, the NFL merged with the AFL and Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Cleveland joined the old AFL teams to form the American Football Conference of the NFL.
