The Indianapolis Colts are 2-6, fresh off a 42-7 beatdown in Jacksonville, and five days away from the NFL trade deadline.

So, instead of thinking about the fire currently burning through this franchise, let's take our minds somewhere else for a minute.

The Dallas Cowboys are coming to Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday, and these two franchises have a history that stretches all the way back to 1960. It has included blowouts, Hall of Famers, overtime chaos, and somehow, one of the strangest Super Bowls ever played.

Dallas leads the all-time series 11-7, including an 11-6 advantage in the regular season. But the Colts own the only postseason meeting, and that one happens to be the biggest game these teams have ever played.

The One That Mattered Most

Super Bowl V was an absolute disaster. The Baltimore Colts and Cowboys combined for 11 turnovers; Baltimore committed seven of them, and Dallas was penalized 10 times for 133 yards.

Johnny Unitas left with an injury, Earl Morrall finished the game and Cowboys linebacker Chuck Howley became the only player from a losing team to win Super Bowl MVP.

Still, the Colts somehow survived.

Rookie kicker Jim O'Brien drilled a 32-yard field goal with five seconds remaining to give Baltimore a 16-13 win and the franchise its first Super Bowl championship.

That game probably sums this series up better than anything: weird, messy and unpredictable.

A Series of Extremes

The first meeting was not nearly as dramatic.

Baltimore destroyed the expansion Cowboys 45-7 in 1960, setting the tone for what has become a series filled with lopsided results. Dallas eventually flipped the matchup, including a six-game winning streak over the Colts from 1972 through 1993.

Indianapolis finally snapped that run in 1996, when Jim Harbaugh led a second-half comeback in Dallas and the Colts escaped with a 25-24 win.

Since then, the absurdity has continued.

Peyton Manning threw four interceptions in a 38-35 overtime loss in 2010. Eight years later, Marlon Mack ran for 139 yards and two touchdowns as Indianapolis shut out Dallas 23-0, snapping the Cowboys' five-game winning streak.

Then came 2022.

Indianapolis trailed just 21-19 after three quarters before Dallas scored a franchise-record 33 points in the fourth, turning a competitive game into a 54-19 embarrassment. Former Colt Malik Hooker even added an interception and a fumble-return touchdown against his old team.

What Does That Mean for Sunday?

Probably nothing predictive. History from 1960 is not going to help Shane Steichen win a football game in 2026.

But one thing is certain: these matchups have rarely gone according to plan.

The Colts' last two meetings with Dallas ended 23-0 and 54-19. Before that came an overtime thriller, and buried deeper was a Super Bowl remembered as the "Blunder Bowl."

Now a 2-6 Colts team welcomes a 3-5 Cowboys team to Indianapolis with both seasons already hanging in the balance.

If history has taught us anything, it's that when these two teams meet, just about anything can happen.