Super Bowl V was the fifth Super Bowl, the championship of American football. The game was played on January 17, 1971 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. The teams vying for glory were the Baltimore Colts playing against the Dallas Cowboys. Super Bowl V was the first Super Bowl played in a merged National Football League, as well as the first played on an artificial turf surface, namely "Tartan Turf". The Baltimore Colts were moved into the American Football Conference from the National Football League prior to this season. This is why the Baltimore Colts represented the National Football League (NFL) in Super Bowl III, but not the NFC for Super Bowl V. The sting of defeat in Super Bowl III was still with the Baltimore Colts when they arrived in Miami in January, 1971, to begin preparations for Super Bowl V. Linebacker Mike Curtis also felt the old wounds from the ignominious upset by the New York Jets in 1969 which remained raw and painful. "No one knows the despair, the abject humiliation we felt that day," said the player known as The Animal.

"The 1968 Baltimore Colts, a perfect football machine that crushed every opponent except one in a tough schedule. The Baltimore Colts became the first National Football League (NFL) team to lose a Super Bowl. "I felt great anger inside me that day. Those damn New York Jets, for one thing, were holding as if they were never going to hold again." Earl Morrall the Baltimore Colts quarterback conceded that he had "tried to shrug off the defeat, but I couldn't. I keep thinking about it and I still get flashbacks, remembering all the bad things and the turning points. I've replayed in my mind that whole game over and over again. The interceptions, the flea-flicker, the whole mess." Tight end John Mackey remembered "sitting around in the clubhouse at halftime two years ago, and how bad it was. How unprepared we were. And, funny thing, I remember that the night before the game was the only time my wife stayed with me before a game. No, I'm not blaming the loss on her, it's just something I remember, that's all." These two teams followed completely different paths to the Super Bowl during the 1970 season. The Baltimore Colts seemed destined to win, squeeking out victory after victory while the Cowboys were often defeated, sometimes by a wide margin. At one point during the season, Dallas was sporting a very modest 5-4 record.

There journeys to the Super Bowl were; In the AFC Divisional Playoffs, the Oakland Raiders defeated the Miami Dolphins, 21-14 and the Baltimore Colts defeated the Cincinnati Bengals, 17-0. In the AFC Championship, the Colts defeated the Raiders, 27-17. In the NFC Divisional Playoffs, the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Detroit Lions, 5-0 and the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Minnesota Vikings, 17-14. In the NFC Championship, the Cowboys defeated the 49ers, 17-10. This was the first close Super Bowl, but is not regarded as a classic; in fact, it is sometimes called the "Blooper Bowl". It was filled with poor play, turnovers and officiating miscues. Dallas led 13-6 at the half but interceptions by Rick Volk and Mike Curtis set up a Baltimore touchdown and O'Brien's decisive kick in the fourth period. Earl Morrall relieved an injured Johnny Unitas late in the first half, although Unitas completed the Baltimore Colts' only scoring pass.

In the fourth quarter, with Dallas ahead 13-7, another strange play took place. The Colts tried to catch the Cowboys by surprise with a flea flicker, but Morrall was picked off again, this time by Eddie Hinton. Hinton seemed to be on his way to the end zone when Baltimore safety Cornell Green stripped the ball from behind and with everyone trying to fall on the ball, it rolled through the end zone for a touchback. It caromed off receiver Eddie Hinton's fingertips, off Dallas Cowboys defensive back Mel Renfro, and finally settled into the grasp of John Mackey, who went 45 yards to score on a 75-yard play. Dallas' Chuck Howley, who picked off two passes, became the first defensive player and the first player from a losing team to be named Most Valuable Player (MVP). A 32-yard field goal by rookie kicker Jim O'Brien brought the Baltimore Colts a victory over the Dallas Cowboys in the final five seconds of Super Bowl V. The game was decided by a pair of Baltimore interceptions late in the game. The first one set up a touchdown that tied the game, and the second set up a game-winning 32-yard field goal. The Colts were the champs, 16-13.