This is the second of our two part fantasy look at the best of Baltimore as far as fantasy football goes. Our first segment looked at the best single season fantasy performances of the Ravens and how they compared to the best in 2005. There were a few surprises, the biggest being Vinny Testaverde’s 1996 season bested Carson Palmer’s 2005 season. Palmer was the highest scoring fantasy quarterback last year.
This segment probably does not have many surprises to old Colts fans, the names you would expect are there.
Comparing the Colts to the best of 2005 is a little more difficult than comparing the Ravens. The Ravens have always played 16 game schedules. The Colts always did not play 16 games a year. From 1950 to 1960 the NFL played twelve games a year. From 1961 to 1977 they played 14. The NFL went to their present format of 16 games in 1978. So when comparing a twelve game season John Unitas played, to be fair we averaged his points per game and calculated what he would have scored in a 16 game season.
Although in John’s case he almost did not need it.
We will start with quarterback, or should we say, THE quarterback.
1959 John Unitas
John Unitas threw for 32 touchdowns, 2,899 yards, he threw 14 interceptions and ran for 2 touchdowns and picked up 145 yards rushing in 1959. He scored 169 fantasy points in twelve games. This was his best statistical year, and he did not win the MVP award. He won it in 1957, 1964, and 1967. This exemplifies how dominate Unitas was in the late 50’s and 60’s. He led the Colts to their second championship beating the Giants 31-16 in the title game that year. He not only threw for a touchdown in every game that year, but multiple touchdowns in every game. He was in the middle of his record 47 game touchdown streak. We all know the legend of Unitas, but when you look at his statistics, even his legend does not do the football player justice.
Comparison to 2005 leading fantasy quarterbacks.
Consider this – Carson Palmer led all fantasy quarterbacks with 174 points in 16 games. Unitas had 169 in twelve games. Take Unitas’ average of 14 fantasy points a game and project that over 16 games and he would have scored 225 points. Unitas scored 51 points more than Palmer when comparing apples to apples. The passing rules were much more difficult for Unitas since defenses were given much more freedom to be physical with receivers. That changed in 1978 and has continued to change in recent years in favor of the offense.
And while this certainly has bearing on the statistics, it is difficult to clearly place a point value on it for comparative purposes. But what is clear, is there is no comparison to number 19.
Running Back: Lenny Moore, 1964
Moore played both running back and flanker for the Colts in his Hall of Fame career that spanned 1956-1967. His best year was 1964 when he played primarily running back for the 12-2 Colts. The Colts won the Western Conference but lost to the Browns in the championship. In 1963 Moore had an appendectomy and missed a good part of the season. Head coach Don Shula thought Moore’s best days were behind him and almost traded him before the 1964 season. Shula was glad he didn’t. Moore scored 16 rushing touchdowns, ran for 584 yards, caught three touchdown passes and gained 472 yards on receptions. He averaged 22.5 yards a catch. He also scored one touchdown on a fumble recovery in the end zone He set an NFL record by scoring a touchdown in eighteen consecutive games. In 1964 he was named NFL comeback player of the year. Moore scored 161 fantasy points in 14 games.
Comparison to 2005 leading fantasy running backs.
Moore scored 161 points in 14 games which projects to 184 points in 16 games which outpaces even Jamal Lewis’s 175 points during in his incredible 2003 season. Moore’s 184 points would have ranked him 4th in 2005, behind Shaun Alexander, Larry Johnson, and LaDainian Tomlinson.
Wide Receiver: Raymond Berry, 1959
It is not surprising that Berry’s best statistical year was also Unitas’ best. Berry caught 14 touchdowns for 959 yards on 66 receptions for the NFL champions. Berry was double covered every play but his great hands and precise route running could not be stopped. He also landed in Canton with Unitas and Moore. Berry caught touchdowns in 10 of the twelve games that year and scored 94 fantasy points.
Comparison to 2005 leading fantasy wide receivers.
You have to take into consideration Berry played when a defensive back could hit or literally mug a receiver until the ball was thrown. There was no 5 yard illegal contact rule. In a 16 game season Berry would have scored 125 fantasy points. Berry would have finished second to Steve Smith’s 142 points but would have beaten present day Colt Marvin Harrison who had 117 fantasy points last year.
Tight End: John Mackey, 1966
Mackey, joined the Colts in 1963, the first year Don Shula was head coach. He changed the position of TE. He helped to revolutionize the position. Never again would the position of tight end be regarded as just an extra blocker. Twice in his career Mackey averaged over 20 yards a catch unheard even today for a TE. In Todd Heap’s best year, 2005, he averaged 11.4 yards a catch. Mackey’s best year was 1966 when the Colts finished at 9-5, in second place behind Lombardi’s Packers. Mackey caught 50 passes for 829 yards and 9 touchdowns while averaging 16.6 yards a reception. He scored 87 fantasy points in 1966. His 331 career receptions and devastating blocking also landed Mackey in the Hall of Fame.
Comparison to 2005 leading fantasy TE’s
Again Mackey had to play when the passing rules favored the defense. He scored 87 points in 14 games which projects to 99 fantasy points over a 16 game season. Mackey would have finished second in 2005 behind Antonio Gates’ 110 points but well ahead of the next two Jeremy Shockey with 77 points and Heap with 76.
Place Kicker: Toni Linhart, 1976
Linhart scored 109 points on 49 extra points and 20 field goals. The Colts won the AFC East with an 11-3 record behind NFL player of the year Bert Jones. Linhart made the Pro Bowl in what was his best season. While Linhart scored 109 fantasy points in 14 games, Raul Allegre had 112 points for the 1983 Colts, playing in 16 games. Allegre was voted team MVP that year and he has the distinction of being the last MVP of the Baltimore Colts. Linhart win this battle though, if Linhart had played 16 games his season projects to 124 points scored.
Comparison to 2005 leading fantasy place kickers
Linhart’s 124 points would have ranked him 5th in 2005. Jay Feely, Neil Rackers, Shayne Graham, and Lawrence Tynes who had 125 points would have outpaced Linhart who would have edged Indianapolis’ Mike Vanderjagt by three points.
Stay tuned…….. much more to come in the weeks ahead.
