1972 Miami Dolphins

Categories: Sports | Football | Social Science
  • The only team in National Football League history to finish a season undefeated and untied were the 1972 Miami Dolphins. They went 14-0 during the regular season. Then they defeated the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers in the playoffs, and completed the season by defeating the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII.
  • Pursuit of Perfection

    Legend has it that after losing to the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl VI, head coach Don Shula talked throughout the off-season with his players about the desire to, "not lose another game again." Despite the loss of Griese to a fractured leg for most of the season, the Dolphins were able to win games through two significant areas of strength. One was their ability to run the football effectively. The backfield tandem of Larry Csonka and Mercury Morris became the first in league history to rush for 1,000 yards each in the same season. The other was their suffocating defense, nicknamed the 'no name defense', which used great athleticism and zone schemes to stifle opponents.
  • Standing Alone in History

    Twice before 1972, the Chicago Bears had finished the regular season unbeaten, both in 1934 and 1942. But both times they lost NFL Championship game. Since 1972, four teams have won 12 or more games to start the season and flirted with equaling the Dolphins mark. All four times, the team in question came up short:

    1. 1985: The Bears went 12-0 before losing to the Dolphins
    2. 1998: The Broncos went 13-0 before losing to the Giants
    3. 2005: The Colts went 12-0 before losing to the Chargers
    4. 2007: The Patriots went 16-0 and won 2 playoff games before losing to the Giants in Super Bowl XLII

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