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((short description|National Football League playoff game))
((Use mdy dates|date=August 2023))
((more citations needed|date=October 2021))
((Infobox NFL single game
| name = 1970 AFC Championship Game
| visitor = [[1970 Oakland Raiders season|Oakland Raiders]]
| visitor_abbr = OAK
| visitor_coach = [[John Madden]]
| visitor_record = 8–4–2
| home = [[1970 Baltimore Colts season|Baltimore Colts]]
| home_abbr = BAL
| home_coach = [[Don McCafferty]]
| home_record = 11–2–1
| visitor_qtr1 = 0
| visitor_qtr2 = 3
| visitor_qtr3 = 7
| visitor_qtr4 = 7
| visitor_total = 17
| home_qtr1 = 3
| home_qtr2 = 7
| home_qtr3 = 10
| home_qtr4 = 7
| home_total = 27
| date = January 3, 1971
| stadium = [[Memorial Stadium (Baltimore)|Memorial Stadium]]
| city = [[Baltimore]], [[Maryland]]
| referee = [[Ben Dreith]]
| attendance = 54,799
| network = [[NFL on NBC|NBC]]
| announcers = [[Curt Gowdy]] and [[Kyle Rote]]
))
The '''1970 AFC Championship Game''' was the inaugural title game((efn|In this series of articles, ''title game'' refers to pre-[[AFL-NFL merger|merger]] [[American Football League Championship Game|AFL]] and [[NFL Championship Game]]s up to and including the [[1969 American Football League season|1969]] [[1969 NFL season|season]] as well as post-merger [[AFC Championship Game|AFC]] and [[NFC Championship Game]]s from the [[1970 NFL season|1970 season]] onward.)) of the [[American Football Conference]] (AFC). Played on January 3, 1971, the game was hosted by the [[AFC East]] champion [[Baltimore Colts]] who played the [[AFC West]] champion [[Oakland Raiders]] at [[Memorial Stadium (Baltimore)|Memorial Stadium]] in [[Baltimore]], [[Maryland]].<ref name="SHN">((Cite web |date=2020-06-15 |title=First AFC Championship Game |url=https://sportshistorynetwork.com/football/first-afc-championship-game/ |access-date=2021-10-26 |website=Sports History Network |language=en-US))</ref> Along with the [[1970 NFC Championship Game]] played on the same day, [[AFC Championship Game|this game]] constituted the penultimate round of the [[1970–71 NFL playoffs]] which had followed the [[1970 NFL season|1970 regular season]] of the [[National Football League]].

Baltimore defeated Oakland 27-17<ref>((Cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197101030clt.htm|title=Pro Football Reference))</ref> to earn the right to represent the AFC in [[Super Bowl V]].

==Background==
===1970 AFL-NFL merger===

Following [[Super Bowl IV]], the NFL and rival [[American Football League]] completed [[AFL-NFL merger|their planned merger]] into a single league, which retained the NFL's established name and logo. As per the terms of the merger, three "old guard" NFL teams (the Colts, [[Cleveland Browns]] and [[Pittsburgh Steelers]]) agreed to join the ten AFL teams to form the [[American Football Conference]]. The other thirteen teams that contested the [[1969 NFL season]] formed the [[National Football Conference]].

The merger meant that the [[Super Bowl]], originally established an interleague ''World Championship Game'' between the champions of the AFL and NFL, became the championship game of the NFL. From a mathematical perspective, the AFC Championship Game became the successor contest to the [[American Football League Championship Game|AFL Championship Game]] which had determined the AFL's champions during its ten-year run from 1960 to 1969, as well as its representative in the first four [[Super Bowl]]s.

Both conferences were aligned into three divisions each and a new playoff format was established for both new conferences. Under the new format, the division champions qualified in addition to the ''Best Second Placed Team'' (which was quickly shortened, first informally and then officially, to ''[[wild card (sports)|wild card]]'') to form a four team bracket in each conference. The home teams were determined at this time by an annual rotation between the three divisions, with the provision that wild card teams would neither host a playoff game, nor face their own division champion prior to the title game. The winners of the ''Divisional Round'' would contest the conference championship games, with the winner of the divisional-round game involving two division champions hosting the title game.

===The teams===
((further|1970 Oakland Raiders season|1970 Baltimore Colts season))
In addition to being the inaugural AFC title game, this was the first-ever game (regular season or playoffs) between the Colts and Raiders. Prior to this season, the teams had played in different leagues, and they did not meet in the 1970 regular season.

The Colts had appeared in four NFL title games prior to the merger. They won three of those games, with [[1968 NFL Championship Game|their final such victory]] being the only previous title game appearance in the [[Super Bowl era]]. Baltimore won the AFC East with an 11–2–1 regular season record and shut out the [[AFC Central]] champion [[Cincinnati Bengals]] 17–0 at Memorial Stadium in the divisional round to advance to the AFC Championship game.

This was the Raiders' fourth consecutive title game appearance, and also their fourth title game overall. Oakland had won the [[1967 American Football League Championship Game|1967 AFL Championship Game]] but lost the AFL title games in [[1968 American Football League Championship Game|1968]] and [[1969 American Football League Championship Game|1969]]. The Raiders won the AFC West with an 8–4–2 regular season record. Oakland defeated the AFC East runner-up [[1970 Miami Dolphins season|Miami Dolphins]] 21–14 at [[Oakland Coliseum]] in the divisional round to reach the AFC title game.

==Game summary==
Colts quarterback [[Johnny Unitas]]'s 68-yard touchdown pass to [[Ray Perkins (American football)|Ray Perkins]] in the fourth quarter gave the Colts a two score lead that the Raiders could not overcome, sending his team to their second Super Bowl in the last three years.

Baltimore dominated the first quarter, holding the Raiders to six plays and one completion, while Unitas led them to the 4-yard line where [[Jim O'Brien (American football)|Jim O'Brien]]'s 16-yard field goal gave them a 3–0 lead.

In the second quarter, a massive hit by Colts lineman [[Bubba Smith]] knocked Oakland QB [[Daryle Lamonica]] out of the game, and he was replaced by [[George Blanda]].  Later on, Raiders defensive back [[Willie Brown (American football)|Willie Brown]] narrowly dropped an interception on a deep pass from Unitas.  At the time this did not seem to matter much, as the incomplete pass was on third down and the Colts had to punt.  But returner [[George Atkinson (safety)|George Atkinson]] fumbled [[David Lee (punter)|David Lee]]'s kick and the Colts running back Sam Havrilak recovered with excellent field position.  Unitas then completed a 43-yard pass to [[Eddie Hinton (American football)|Eddie Hinton]] at the 2-yard line, and [[Norm Bulaich]] scored a touchdown run on the next play, increasing the lead to 10–0.  Blanda then led the Raiders back, and with the aid of a roughing the punter penalty, he got them close enough for a 48-yard field goal, which he kicked himself to cut the score 10–3 at the end of the half.

Oakland tied the score early in the third quarter with Blanda's 38-yard touchdown pass to [[Fred Biletnikoff]].  Unitas responded with two key long completions to Hinton that set up O'Brien's 23-yard field goal to retake the lead at 13–10.  Later in the quarter, Buliach scored on an 11-yard touchdown run, giving the Colts a 20–10 lead going into the fourth quarter.

Now down by two scores with just one quarter left, Blanda got the Raiders rolling on a long touchdown drive.  First running back [[Charlie Smith (running back)|Charlie Smith]] picked up 20 yards on a draw play (the longest run of the game for either team).  Then Blanda fooled the Colts defense with a fake handoff before firing a pass to [[Warren Wells]] for a 37-yard gain to the Colts 11.  Blanda eventually finished the drive with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Wells on third down, making the score 20–17.  The momentum seemed to be swinging back in their favor when they forced the Colts into a 3rd and 11 situation on their own 32-yard line on the next drive.  On the next play, Unitas threw a deep pass to a wide open [[Ray Perkins (American football)|Ray Perkins]], who raced down the left sideline for a 68-yard touchdown completion that gave the Colts a 27–17 lead.<ref name=SHN/> This would prove to be the last score of the game as the Raiders were shut out in the final 12 minutes, with Blanda throwing two interceptions deep in Baltimore territory.

Blanda finished the game completing 17 of 32 passes for 271 yards with 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. At 43 years old, he was the oldest quarterback ever to play in a championship game.  His top target was Wells, who caught 5 passes for 108 yards and a touchdown.  Unitas completed 11 of 30 passes for 245 yards and a touchdown.  The Colts leading receiver was Hinton, who caught 8 passes for 115 yards.  Colts linemen Bubba Smith and [[Ray Hilton]] each had two sacks, along with Raiders lineman [[Ben Davidson]].

==Scoring==
*'''First quarter'''
**BAL – field goal O'Brien 16, BAL 3–0
*'''Second quarter'''
**BAL – Bulaich 2 run (O'Brien kick), BAL 10–0
**OAK – field goal Blanda 48, BAL 10–3
*'''Third quarter'''
**OAK – Biletnikoff 38 pass from Blanda (Blanda kick), Tied 10–10
**BAL – field goal O'Brien 23, BAL 13–10
**BAL – Bulaich 11 run (O'Brien kick), BAL 20–10
*'''Fourth quarter'''
**OAK – Wells 15 pass from Blanda (Blanda kick), BAL 20–17
**BAL – Perkins 68 pass from Unitas (O'Brien kick), BAL 27–17

==Aftermath==

The AFC champion Colts made their second [[Super Bowl]] appearance. Baltimore defeated the [[1970 Dallas Cowboys season|Dallas Cowboys]] of the [[National Football Conference]] 16–13 in [[Super Bowl V]] to win their first Super Bowl and fourth NFL title overall. ((efn|Baltimore won three NFL Championships prior to the merger, in [[1958 NFL Championship Game|1958]]-[[1959 NFL Championship Game|1959]] and in [[1968 NFL Championship Game|1968]] (when the Colts were beaten in [[Super Bowl III]] by the [[1968 AFL Championship Game|AFL Champions]], the [[1968 New York Jets season|New York Jets]]).))

The Colts would return to the AFC title game [[1971 AFC Championship Game|the following season]], but were shut out 21–0 by the [[Miami Dolphins]]. This would turn out to be the final home playoff win for the Colts in Baltimore before [[Baltimore Colts relocation to Indianapolis|they moved]] to [[Indianapolis]] in 1984. It was the only AFC Championship Game to have been played in Baltimore until 2023. By the time the Colts hosted their [[2006-07 NFL playoffs|first AFC Championship Game]] in Indianapolis (which they won en route to [[Super Bowl XLI|their first Super Bowl win]] as an Indianapolis team), Baltimore had already won [[2000 AFC Championship Game|an AFC title]] [[Super Bowl XXXV|and a Super Bowl]] with their current franchise, the [[Baltimore Ravens|Ravens]].

While the Ravens appeared in four AFC Championship Games between 2000 and 2012 - winning both the AFC title and Super Bowl twice - all of their Conference Championship Games have been on the road. They would host their first AFC Championship game in the 2023 season.

The Raiders would return to the AFC Championship Game in 1973, which would turn out to be the first of another streak of five consecutive title game appearances, although they would have to wait until the fourth of these games before finally capturing their first AFC (and Super Bowl) championships.

==Notes==
((notelist))

==References==
((reflist))

==See also==
* [[1970 NFC Championship Game]]
* [[AFC Championship Game]]
* [[1970-71 NFL playoffs]]
* [[1970 NFL season]]
* [[American Football Conference]]
* [[National Football League]]

((AFC Championship Game))
((Super Bowl V))
((Indianapolis Colts))
((Las Vegas Raiders))
((1970 NFL season by team))
((NFL on NBC))

[[Category:Baltimore Colts postseason]]
[[Category:Oakland Raiders postseason]]
[[Category:1970 National Football League season|AFC Championship Game]]
[[Category:AFC Championship Games]]
[[Category:National Football League playoff games]]
[[Category:1971 in American football|AFC Championship Game]]
[[Category:1971 in sports in Maryland|AFC Championship Game]]
[[Category:American football in Baltimore]]
[[Category:Sports competitions in Baltimore]]
[[Category:January 1971 sports events in the United States|AFC Championship Game]]
[[Category:1970s in Baltimore]]
[[Category:American football competitions in Maryland]]

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