This according to NFL.com, as they did a 'Top Ten Biggest Upsets of All-Time' story. The Baltimore Colts were 19 point favorites over the New York Jets in Super Bowl III in 1970. The Colts went through the 1969 NFL regular season 13-1 and were on the verge of being thought of as one of the better teams of all-time. The first two Super Bowls were blowouts by the Green Bay Packers over the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders, respectively, and the Colts were expected to win even more convincingly.
What made this game even more of a Cinderella Story was that their flashy, big mouth QB, Joe Namath, had the audacity to "guarantee" victory. Broadway Joe came through on his promise as the Jets shocked the football world and won convincingly 16-7. The Colts moved the ball all over the field but kept on making huge mistakes in key situations. Meanwhile, Namath managed the game, controlling the clock and earning the game's MVP.
Many players on both sides see that game as the one that legitimized the AFL teams and paved the way for the two leagues to merge intoo the NFL, with two conference, the NFC and AFC. Three NFL teams moved from the NFC to the AFC, the Baltimore Colts, Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Gee, wonder why the AFC North is always considered the most physical of the AFC conferences? Perhaps the Ravens and Steelers still have that old, physical NFL philosophy.