Our NFL Thursday miniseries this week heads from the Rocky Mountains to the Midwest plains, as the Indianapolis Colts are now front and center! In 70 total seasons dating back to 1953 when the second incarnation of the Baltimore Colts was founded, this franchise has made 29 playoff appearances while posting a .526 winning percentage, overall. The team moved to Indianapolis in 1984, very sneakily.

Overall, the team has won five NFL championships (1958, 1959, 1968, 1970, 2006)—the last two being Super Bowl victories. With 21 divisional titles, too, the Colts have been a strong franchise for most of their existence, with some down years. Oddly enough, no team after the AFL/NFL merger made this list, so it’s very much focused in the deep past—much to the chagrin of the eras of recent success which didn’t rate.

No. 5: 1965 Baltimore Colts

With a 10-3-1 record, these Colts tied the eventual NFL champion Green Bay Packers for first place in the NFL’s West Division—never mind how a team literally located on the East Coast gets put in the West Division, right? Regardless, the two teams met in a playoff to determine which squad would advance to the title game, and Baltimore blew a 10-0 halftime lead on the way to losing, 13-10, in overtime on the road.

Cornerback Bobby Boyd (17 Approximate Value), quarterback Johnny Unitas (14), defensive end/kicker Lou Michaels (13), and guard Jim Parker (13) were the top value guys on this team. But the Packers really did dominate the playoff matchup: the Colts managed just 175 total yards and scored their only touchdown on a fumble return. Green Bay committed 4 turnovers but rallied behind backup Zeke Bratkowski to win.

No. 4: 1967 Baltimore Colts

In one of the weirdest quirks ever, the Colts posted the best record in the NFL—and didn’t get to compete in the playoffs. Yes, that is correct, as Baltimore’s 11-1-2 record tied with the Los Angeles Rams for the Coastal Division title, but the Colts lost the tiebreaker (point differential in head-to-head games). Even more random? Baltimore was 11-0-2 before losing its season finale against the Rams to miss the playoffs entirely.

Unitas (18 AV) was voted the league MVP, while DE Ordell Braase (16) and halfback Tom Matte (14) were the next-valuable players on the roster. On October 15 in Baltimore, the Colts and the Rams tied, so the rematch in the finale meant everything with that stupid tiebreaker: L.A. cruised, 34-10, at home on December 17 when Rams QB Roman Gabriel completed 18-of-22 passes for 3 TDs and no interceptions. Just brutal.

No. 3: 1958 Baltimore Colts

In just their sixth season of existence, the Colts won their first NFL title in the famous overtime game against the New York Giants, 23-17. The team went 9-3 to win the West Division, thanks to the No. 1 offense and the No. 2 defense. That left Baltimore with the No. 1 overall SRS ranking. The Colts were up 14-3 at halftime in the championship before having to rally late to tie the game and force the overtime session.

Unitas posted 19 TDs and just 7 INTs on the season, for a 90.0 QB rating—best in the league. HB Lenny Moore posted 1,536 total scrimmage yards while scoring 14 TDs, too. But it was fullback Alan Ameche who scored the game-winning TD in overtime that everyone remembers. However, the Baltimore defense forced 4 fumbles in the game, which proved to be quite the difference maker in the end. Either way, it was legend.

No. 2: 1964 Baltimore Colts

With a 12-2 record, these Colts won the West Division by 3.5 games over the Packers, thanks to the 1-1-1 combo of the top offense, the top defense, and the top SRS ranking. Alas, it didn’t matter in the NFL Championship Game, as Baltimore was shutout by Cleveland, 27-0. On the road, the Colts offense fizzled, committing 4 turnovers and passing for just 89 net yards. Unitas had a terrible day, which was frustrating.

He had been voted the MVP this season, too, with a 96.4 QB rating and 17 AV. The other top players on Baltimore’s roster included Boyd (18), DE Gino Marchetti (15), and Parker (15). So what happened in the title game? Well, it was a 0-0 game at halftime, and then the Browns just erupted in the second half—led by QB Frank Ryan (206 yards, 3 TDs) and FB Jim Brown (114 yards). You may have heard of the second guy?

No. 1: 1968 Baltimore Colts

The best team in franchise history is also one of the more infamous groups in NFL archival lore. The Colts posted a 13-1 record, riding the No. 2 offense and the No. 1 defense to the No. 1 overall SRS ranking. Winners of the Coastal Division, Baltimore beat Minnesota, 24-14, to open the playoffs before going on the road next, against Cleveland. No problems there in a 34-0 whitewashing. But Super Bowl III? Yeah, that one.

QB Earl Morrall (17 AV) was the voted MVP, but the roster also featured Boyd (21), linebacker Mike Curtis (19), defensive tackle Billy Ray Smith (16), and DE Bubba Smith (16). The defense was that good. The Vikings scored 14 points in the fourth quarter after falling behind 21-0, for example. But the New York Jets capitalized on the Baltimore offensive mistakes (5 TOs) in the Super Bowl to grind out the biggest upset ever.