For fans of great quarterback play and high-octane offense, the game film of the Jets-Colts contest on September 24, 1972 at Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium is worth watching. The protagonists were legendary QBs Joe Namath of New York and Baltimore’s Johnny Unitas, who was 39 and in his 17th NFL season. Unitas was fantastic, throwing for 376 yards and two touchdowns against no interceptions. But Namath was even better, completing 15 of 28 passes for a whopping six touchdowns and 496 yards, over 400 of them to two players: Rich Caster and Eddie Bell. Each quarterback threw a touchdown pass in the first quarter – Namath for 65 yards; Unitas for 40 – but three more TD throws by Namath in the second made it 27-20, Jets, at halftime. In the fourth quarter, following a 79-yard touchdown pass by Namath, Unitas responded with a touchdown pass of his own, cutting the lead to 37-34. But Namath wasn’t done: he put the game away with another 80-yard touchdown throw. It was Namath's 4th TD pass of 65+ yards in the game and the Jets won, 44-34. ― NFL 100
Box Score: Football Reference
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