The consensus choice for the single biggest upset in Super Bowl history is Super Bowl III, where the heavy underdog American Football Conference champions, the New York Jets led by charismatic quarterback Joe Namath, defeated the heavily favored Baltimore Colts from the NFL by a score of 16-7. Prior to the game, the Colts were favored by roughly 18 points, and AFL teams were widely dismissed by media and fans as inferior to established NFL franchises. Namath's famous bold guarantee of victory before the game, followed by the Jets' stunning defensive and offensive execution, validated the AFL and fundamentally altered the competitive landscape and historical trajectory of professional football forever.