Editing Johnny Unitas (section)

====Beginning of the 1960s====
As the 1960s began, the Colts' fortunes (and win totals) declined. Injuries to key players such as [[Alan Ameche]], [[Raymond Berry]], and [[Lenny Moore]] were a contributing factor.<ref name="sportsecyclopedia.com">{{Cite news|url=https://sportsecyclopedia.com/nfl/balticolts/baltcolts.html|title=Baltimore Colts – Sports Ecyclopedia|newspaper=Sports Ecyclopedia|access-date=February 24, 2021|archive-date=May 24, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240524040455/https://www.sportingpost.com/team-history/nfl/baltimore-colts/|url-status=live}}</ref> Unitas's streak of 47 straight games with at least one touchdown pass ended against the [[Los Angeles Rams]] in week 11 of the 1960 season.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/20-03-754.pdf|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101005231147/http://profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/20-03-754.pdf|url-status=dead|title=profootballresearchers.org|archivedate=October 5, 2010}}</ref> In spite of this, he topped the 3,000-yard passing mark for the first time and led the league in touchdown passes for the fourth consecutive season.

After three middle-of-the-pack seasons, Colts owner [[Carroll Rosenbloom]] fired Weeb Ewbank and replaced him with [[Don Shula]], who at the time was the youngest head coach in NFL history (33 years of age when he was hired).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Klingaman |first=Mike |date=December 27, 2022 |title=In 1962, the Colts suffered one of the most lopsided losses in NFL history. But there was a silver lining. |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/2022/12/27/in-1962-the-colts-suffered-one-of-the-most-lopsided-losses-in-nfl-history-but-there-was-a-silver-lining/ |access-date=November 7, 2024 |website=Baltimore Sun}}</ref> The Colts finished 8–6 in Shula's first season at the helm, good enough for only third place in the NFL's Western Conference, but they did end the season on a strong note by winning their final three games.<ref name="sportsecyclopedia.com"/> The season was very successful for Unitas personally, as he led the NFL in passing yards with a career-best total of 3,481 and also led in completions with 237.