# have the colts and patriots ever played each other in a super bowl? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [November 21, 2010, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-the-colts-and-patriots-ever-played-each-other-in-a-super-bowl/561476 "2010-11-21T21:33:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-the-colts-and-patriots-ever-played-each-other-in-a-super-bowl/561476/1 "2010-11-21T21:33:43Z")
my friend wants to know ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_jeffrey_lebowski/32/215_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Jeffrey_Lebowski)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-the-colts-and-patriots-ever-played-each-other-in-a-super-bowl/561476/2 "2010-11-21T21:35:39Z")
They can ONLY meet in the conference championship round of the playoffs. That game’s winner advances to the SB. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-the-colts-and-patriots-ever-played-each-other-in-a-super-bowl/561476/3 "2010-11-21T21:35:39Z")
Oh come on! ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-the-colts-and-patriots-ever-played-each-other-in-a-super-bowl/561476/4 "2010-11-21T22:04:21Z")
The Colts were in the NFL even before the merger with the AFL, so it would have been possible for the first few Super Bowls. The Colts were the NFL’s representative in the Super Bowl when they lost to the AFL’s Jets with Joe Namath. I believe the Colts, Steelers, and Browns(?) were moved to the AFC in the early 70s. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-the-colts-and-patriots-ever-played-each-other-in-a-super-bowl/561476/5 "2010-11-21T22:12:46Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > my friend wants to know No, they’re both NFC, so the highest-profile game they can meet each other in is the NFC championship, which determines who goes to the Super Bowl. They have played each other in the NFC championship at least once and, I believe, several times, all in the last decade or so. ---
**Author:** ![Petey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f1d935/32.png) [@Petey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Petey)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-the-colts-and-patriots-ever-played-each-other-in-a-super-bowl/561476/6 "2010-11-21T22:18:55Z")
Actually, They’re both AFC. ---
**Author:** ![Labtrash](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/labtrash/32/528_2.png) [@Labtrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labtrash)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-the-colts-and-patriots-ever-played-each-other-in-a-super-bowl/561476/7 "2010-11-21T22:23:15Z")
A little bit on the rivalry [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colts%E2%80%93Patriots\_rivalry](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colts%E2%80%93Patriots_rivalry) ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-the-colts-and-patriots-ever-played-each-other-in-a-super-bowl/561476/8 "2010-11-22T02:21:29Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > The Colts were in the NFL even before the merger with the AFL, so it would have been possible for the first few Super Bowls. The Colts were the NFL’s representative in the Super Bowl when they lost to the AFL’s Jets with Joe Namath. I believe the Colts, Steelers, and Browns(?) were moved to the AFC in the early 70s. Yes, the Colts, Steelers, and Browns, which were NFL teams, moved into the AFC (which was otherwise comprised of teams from the AFL) when the two leagues completed their merger after the 1969 season. Before the merger, the NFL had 16 teams, while the AFL had only 10. Moving those three teams into the AFC gave each conference the same number of teams (13); the other 13 teams from the NFL became the NFC. So, yes, it could have been possible for the Colts and Patriots to have met in the first four Super Bowls, but not since then. ---
**Author:** ![brewha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@brewha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brewha)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-the-colts-and-patriots-ever-played-each-other-in-a-super-bowl/561476/9 "2010-11-22T13:52:44Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > my friend wants to know Why don’t you tell your friend to google it? There’s only been 48 Super Bowls. It’s not like there’s a ton of info to sift through. Here, I’ll even do the hard part for you. > **[List of Super Bowl champions](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Super_Bowl_champions)** > > The Super Bowl is the annual American football game that determines the champion of the National Football League (NFL). The game culminates a season that begins in the previous calendar year, and is the conclusion of the NFL playoffs. The winner receives the Vince Lombardi Trophy. The contest is held in an American city, chosen three to four years beforehand, usually at warm-weather sites or domed stadiums. Since January 1971, the winner of the American Football Conference (AFC) Championshi B... ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-the-colts-and-patriots-ever-played-each-other-in-a-super-bowl/561476/10 "2010-11-22T14:05:33Z")
> [@brewha](#): > > Why don’t you tell your friend to google it? There’s only been 48 Super Bowls. It’s not like there’s a ton of info to sift through. Here, I’ll even do the hard part for you. > > [List of Super Bowl champions - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Super_Bowl_champions) I’m starting to suspect **PSXer’s** friend is Sarah Palin. Interneting is _hard_. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-the-colts-and-patriots-ever-played-each-other-in-a-super-bowl/561476/11 "2010-11-22T15:49:06Z")
> [@brewha](#): > > Why don’t you tell your friend to google it? There’s only been 48 Super Bowls. 44 have been played, assuming you count the two games that were played before the Super Bowl name was coined. The next four games are on the list because the NFL has already decided where they will be played. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-the-colts-and-patriots-ever-played-each-other-in-a-super-bowl/561476/12 "2010-11-22T15:51:41Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > I’m starting to suspect **PSXer’s** friend is Sarah Palin. Most people seem to think his friend is **PSXer** himself. Maybe we’re both right. Hmmm… ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-the-colts-and-patriots-ever-played-each-other-in-a-super-bowl/561476/13 "2010-11-23T00:07:47Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > The next four games are on the list because the NFL has already decided where they will be played. Will the Colts and Patriots play each other in any of those? ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-the-colts-and-patriots-ever-played-each-other-in-a-super-bowl/561476/14 "2010-11-23T15:31:26Z")
> [@Number](#): > > Will the Colts and Patriots play each other in any of those? Three of them, I think, if the ratings are good. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-the-colts-and-patriots-ever-played-each-other-in-a-super-bowl/561476/15 "2010-11-23T16:04:31Z")
> [@Number](#): > > Will the Colts and Patriots play each other in any of those? Only if there’s some sort of re-alignment or new playoff format. There’s alot about the future of the NFL that undecided after this season. Right now, it’s unclear whether there will even be another Super Bowl after this coming one. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-the-colts-and-patriots-ever-played-each-other-in-a-super-bowl/561476/16 "2010-11-23T16:19:18Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#): > > Only if there’s some sort of re-alignment or new playoff format. There’s alot about the future of the NFL that undecided after this season. Right now, it’s unclear whether there will even be another Super Bowl after this coming one. Am I being whooshed, or are you seriously suggesting the NFL would reorganize the playoffs in such a way to eliminate the biggest annual money making event that’s ever existed? ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-the-colts-and-patriots-ever-played-each-other-in-a-super-bowl/561476/17 "2010-11-23T16:22:43Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > Am I being whooshed, or are you seriously suggesting the NFL would reorganize the playoffs in such a way to eliminate the biggest annual money making event that’s ever existed? No, I meant that there is a strong possibility of a strike or lockout, and there are many possibilities for the future of the NFL. But if I had to bet, I think we’ll be moving to an 18 game schedule next year, and that the Super Bowl and playoff format will remain intact. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-the-colts-and-patriots-ever-played-each-other-in-a-super-bowl/561476/18 "2010-11-23T16:46:24Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#): > > Only if there’s some sort of re-alignment or new playoff format. There’s alot about the future of the NFL that undecided after this season. Right now, it’s unclear whether there will even be another Super Bowl after this coming one. Baseball lost a World Series and Hockey lost an entire season due to labor disputes, so it’s not unfathomable that the 2012 Super Bowl is in jeopardy. But I’ll eat a goal post if there’s never another one. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-the-colts-and-patriots-ever-played-each-other-in-a-super-bowl/561476/19 "2010-11-23T16:57:44Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > Baseball lost a World Series and Hockey lost an entire season due to labor disputes, so it’s not unfathomable that the 2012 Super Bowl is in jeopardy. > > But I’ll eat a goal post if there’s never another one. Agreed. There’s just too much money at stake for the two sides to not eventually come to terms. But, regardless, it’d take a significant re-alignment of the conferences, or a significant change in the playoff structure, for there ever to be a situation that’d produce a Colts-Patriots Super Bowl. Since the 1970 merger, there’s been some minor divisional juggling, and one team (Seattle) switching conferences, but I don’t think a major change is likely. The NFL thrives on the rivalries it’s created, and I don’t foresee them making moves that would substantially change those rivalries. Having the Patriots and Colts in the same conference assures that they’ll play one another in many seasons (either in the regular season or the playoffs). Moving one of those two teams to the NFC would mean they’d likely only face one another once every 4 years or so. ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-the-colts-and-patriots-ever-played-each-other-in-a-super-bowl/561476/20 "2010-11-23T18:15:53Z")
By the way, I was joking. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-the-colts-and-patriots-ever-played-each-other-in-a-super-bowl/561476.md?page=2)