The Miami Dolphins reached three consecutive Tremendous Bowls from 1971 to 1973, shedding Tremendous Bowl VI earlier than successful the subsequent two. Their 1972 crew accomplished the NFL’s solely excellent season at 17-0, led by Don Shula, Bob Griese, a dominant dashing assault and the No-Title Defence.
Miami went 44-6-1 throughout the three seasons, received three AFC championships and secured back-to-back Tremendous Bowl titles. The 1973 championship confirmed the Dolphins’ success prolonged past perfection, as they defended their title regardless of shedding two regular-season video games.
The Miami Dolphins reached three consecutive Tremendous Bowls from the 1971 to 1973 seasons, received the ultimate two and positioned the one excellent season in NFL historical past on the centre of one of many league’s defining championship runs.
Their 17-0 file in 1972 stays the achievement that separates Don Shula’s crew from each different NFL champion. But perfection alone doesn’t clarify why these Dolphins need to be remembered as a dynasty.
Miami first needed to lose.
They reached Tremendous Bowl VI after the 1971 season and suffered a 24-3 defeat towards the Dallas Cowboys. Twelve months later, they accomplished a flawless marketing campaign by beating Washington 14-7 in Tremendous Bowl VII. They then returned in 1973 and efficiently defended their championship with a 24-7 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.
Throughout these three seasons, Miami went 44-6-1 when regular-season and postseason video games are mixed. They received three AFC championships, two Tremendous Bowls and 4 successive AFC East titles when the 1970 and 1974 seasons are included.
World in Sport has already examined the 17-0 marketing campaign intimately in its Miami Dolphins perfect-season characteristic. The broader 1971–73 interval reveals how that unbeaten season developed from a Tremendous Bowl defeat after which turned a part of one thing extra sturdy.
| Season | Common-season file | Postseason end result | Tremendous Bowl |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 10-3-1 | 2-1 | Misplaced Tremendous Bowl VI 24-3 to Dallas |
| 1972 | 14-0 | 3-0 | Gained Tremendous Bowl VII 14-7 over Washington |
| 1973 | 12-2 | 3-0 | Gained Tremendous Bowl VIII 24-7 over Minnesota |
The 1971 defeat gave Miami a benchmark
Miami’s transformation had already began earlier than their first Tremendous Bowl look.
Shula took cost in 1970 and instantly guided a crew that had by no means beforehand produced a successful season to a 10-4 file and a playoff place.
The subsequent step got here in 1971.
Miami completed 10-3-1, received the AFC East and entered the postseason with an more and more clear identification. Bob Griese directed the offence. Larry Csonka, Jim Kiick and Mercury Morris gave Miami a number of choices on the bottom, whereas Paul Warfield supplied an elite receiving menace.
Their defence had additionally change into one of many league’s strongest items. Miami conceded 174 factors throughout the 14-game common season, the third-lowest whole within the NFL.
Their first playoff recreation turned a big a part of league historical past.
Miami travelled to Kansas Metropolis on Christmas Day and beat the Chiefs 27-24 in double extra time. Garo Yepremian’s 37-yard area objective lastly ended the competition after 82 minutes and 40 seconds of taking part in time, making it the longest recreation in NFL historical past.
The Dolphins then shut out the Baltimore Colts 21-0 within the AFC Championship Sport.
That despatched Miami to their first Tremendous Bowl.
Dallas uncovered how a lot work remained.
The Cowboys managed Tremendous Bowl VI in New Orleans and held Miami with no landing in a 24-3 victory. The Dolphins managed solely 185 yards of offence and turned the ball over 3 times.
For Shula’s growing aspect, the consequence established a transparent dividing line. Miami had change into ok to win the AFC. That they had not but change into ok to regulate the largest recreation.
That modified instantly.
Perfection adopted in 1972
Miami didn’t lose once more for greater than a yr.
The Dolphins received all 14 regular-season video games in 1972, scoring 385 factors and permitting 171. They ranked first within the NFL in each scoring offence and scoring defence.
Their dominance went deeper than the scoreboard.
Miami completed first in whole offence, whole defence, scoring offence and scoring defence. The Dolphins stay the one NFL crew to have led the league in all 4 classes throughout the identical season.
The method fitted Shula’s personnel.
Csonka rushed for 1,117 yards. Morris added precisely 1,000. They turned the primary pair of teammates in NFL historical past to hurry for not less than 1,000 yards in the identical season.
Jim Langer and Larry Little offered Corridor of Fame high quality on the offensive line. Warfield’s means as a receiver prevented opponents from merely concentrating each defender round Miami’s working recreation.
Griese didn’t even play all through the unbeaten run.
He suffered a severe leg and ankle harm towards the San Diego Chargers throughout the fifth recreation of the season and missed eight video games. Veteran Earl Morrall stepped in and saved Miami successful till Griese returned throughout the postseason.
For a crew chasing perfection, shedding their beginning quarterback might have ended the pursuit.
As an alternative, it demonstrated their depth.
Readers much less accustomed to why Miami’s management of possession was so efficient can discover the basics in World in Sport’s NFL guidelines information overlaying downs, scoring and possession.
The No-Title defence carried its share
Miami’s working recreation typically receives the primary point out when the 1972 Dolphins are mentioned.
The defence was simply as necessary.
Defensive coordinator Invoice Arnsparger constructed the unit round gamers together with center linebacker Nick Buoniconti, defensive lineman Manny Fernandez, defensive finish Invoice Stanfill and safeties Jake Scott and Dick Anderson.
They turned generally known as the No-Title defence, a label which finally regarded more and more unsuitable as particular person reputations grew.
Buoniconti turned the unit’s chief. Anderson and Scott offered high quality within the secondary, whereas Fernandez equipped disruption across the line of scrimmage.
Miami didn’t merely depend on stopping factors. Arnsparger gave his defence sufficient flexibility to vary fronts and assignments in response to opponents and conditions.
That steadiness turned important when the postseason margins tightened.
The Dolphins beat the Cleveland Browns 20-14 within the Divisional Spherical earlier than travelling to Pittsburgh for the AFC Championship Sport.
Pittsburgh led 10-7 earlier than Griese returned to motion. Miami finally received 21-17 at Three Rivers Stadium and moved to 16-0.
One recreation remained.
Tremendous Bowl VII made 17-0 everlasting
Washington stood between Miami and perfection on 14 January 1973 on the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
The Dolphins didn’t require an explosive offensive efficiency.
They wanted management.
Miami established a 14-0 first-half lead and guarded it by means of a defence which repeatedly annoyed Washington quarterback Billy Kilmer.
Scott intercepted two passes and acquired the Tremendous Bowl MVP award. Fernandez produced an influential efficiency on the line of defense.
Washington’s solely landing got here after one of many strangest sequences in Tremendous Bowl historical past. Yepremian’s blocked field-goal try ended with Mike Bass returning the unfastened ball for a rating.
It modified the margin, not the end result.
Miami received 14-7 and completed 17-0. The Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame’s Dolphins historical past continues to recognise the 1972 crew as the one NFL aspect to finish an ideal season.
That distinction means an undefeated common season shouldn’t be sufficient to equal them. The championship should additionally comply with with no defeat or tie.
The 1973 crew eliminated any one-season argument
Perfection ended early in 1973.
Miami opened the season by beating San Francisco 21-13, extending their successful streak to 18 video games throughout the 2 campaigns.
One week later, the Oakland Raiders beat them 12-7.
The proper streak had completed. The championship commonplace had not.
Miami misplaced solely as soon as extra throughout the common season, a 16-3 defeat away to Baltimore in December. They completed 12-2 and received one other AFC East title.
The defence turned even more durable to attain towards.
Miami allowed solely 150 regular-season factors, the fewest within the NFL that yr. Anderson led the league with eight interceptions and acquired the NFL Defensive Participant of the 12 months award.
Their postseason left little doubt about whether or not the champions might cope with out the stress and momentum of an undefeated file.
Miami beat the Cincinnati Bengals 34-16 within the Divisional Spherical.
The Raiders, who had ended the successful streak in September, returned to the Orange Bowl for the AFC Championship Sport. Miami received the rematch 27-10.
That consequence secured a 3rd successive Tremendous Bowl look.
The Minnesota Vikings awaited in Houston.
World in Sport’s historical past of the Minnesota Vikings’ Purple Folks Eaters period offers the opposite aspect of a Tremendous Bowl VIII assembly between two of the excellent groups of the interval.
Csonka powered Miami to a second championship
Tremendous Bowl VIII turned maybe the purest expression of Miami’s soccer philosophy.
The Dolphins ran.
Minnesota knew they might run.
Miami nonetheless ran.
Csonka carried 33 instances for 145 yards and two touchdowns. His dashing whole set a Tremendous Bowl file on the time and earned him the sport’s MVP award.
Griese tried solely seven passes. He accomplished six.
Miami as an alternative used its offensive line and backfield to regulate the sport from the opening quarter. They led 14-0 after two touchdowns on their first two possessions and by no means allowed Minnesota to get better.
The Vikings scored solely as soon as.
Miami received 24-7 at Rice Stadium on 13 January 1974.
The rating accomplished a two-year spell through which the Dolphins went 32-2 throughout regular-season and postseason video games.
One yr earlier, they’d received as a result of no person might beat them.
Now they’d proven they may lose video games and nonetheless be champions.
Why the Dolphins have been greater than the right crew
The 1972 file stays the centre of Miami’s legacy as a result of perfection creates an uncomplicated historic marker.
Seventeen video games. Seventeen victories.
The encompassing seasons give that quantity higher weight.
From 1971 by means of 1973, Miami received the AFC yearly. They reached three consecutive Tremendous Bowls and received two. Their mixed file, together with the postseason, was 44-6-1.
The roster additionally contained excellence throughout nearly each a part of the crew.
Griese offered management at quarterback. Csonka equipped energy. Morris introduced pace. Warfield stretched defences. Langer and Little helped make the offensive line one in all Miami’s nice strengths.
On defence, Buoniconti directed a bunch whose low profile by no means mirrored its significance.
The 1972 roster finally produced six Corridor of Fame gamers in Buoniconti, Csonka, Griese, Langer, Little and Warfield. Shula additionally entered Canton, as did personnel govt Bobby Beathard.
Shula tied these items collectively.
His Dolphins didn’t rely on one fastened methodology of successful. When Griese was unavailable, Morrall might handle the offence. When passing alternatives have been restricted, Miami might lean on the bottom recreation. When the offence scored solely 14 factors in Tremendous Bowl VII, the defence protected the lead.
That adaptability helps clarify why they survived three postseason campaigns reasonably than merely producing one extraordinary yr.
The proper season stays the image of the dynasty
Later NFL groups have produced longer common seasons, extra prolific passing assaults and championship runs constructed underneath very totally different guidelines.
None have eliminated Miami’s 17-0 entry from the file ebook.
That issues, nevertheless it shouldn’t obscure what occurred round it.
The 1971 Dolphins skilled the frustration of reaching a Tremendous Bowl and being comprehensively overwhelmed.
The 1972 crew answered with perfection.
The 1973 Dolphins then confronted a special problem. They might now not chase an unbeaten season, in order that they defended their championship as an alternative.
Successful Tremendous Bowl VIII accomplished the development.
Miami had moved from contender to overwhelmed finalist, from overwhelmed finalist to excellent champion and from excellent champion to back-to-back champion in three seasons.
For extra historic options and present protection, readers can comply with World in Sport’s NFL part.
The 17-0 season will all the time command the headline.
The three consecutive AFC championships clarify why the story is greater than one excellent yr.
