Brief History of the Miami Dolphins
To understand how it all happened, we have to take it back to where it all began. 1965 was the year that the Miami Dolphins came into fruition and started playing in the American Football League (AFL) in 1966. As one of the worst teams on the roster, with a 15-39-2 record in their first four seasons, the Dolphins were not seen as a threat to any of the other teams.
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In 1970, the AFL merged with the NFL, and the Dolphins were assigned the AFC East division. It was also this year that the team got a new head coach, Don Shula, who would end up becoming just as big as the Dolphins themselves.
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Don Shula Joins the Team
In 1970, the previous head coach, George Wilson, retired, allowing for someone new to take his place. Don Shula, a well-known coach at the time who had previously been the coach of the Baltimore Colts (now known as the Indianapolis Colts) and was persuaded a substantial offer to come on board with Miami.
Shula’s time with the Colts was successful, leading the team to a 71-23-4 record across seven seasons, however, had a sour relationship with owner Carroll Rosenbloom after the disappointing loss at the 1969 Super Bowl. He was ready to redeem his coaching career, and what would be a better solution than turning around one of the worst teams in the league.
1970: Change of Fate
Once Shula joined the team, the Dolphins started seeing improvements from the get-go. With an intense training regime (training four times a day) during the training camps and a curfew in place, Shula was not messing around – and the payoff with immense.
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Within a few short months, the Dolphins had turned from one of the worst teams in the franchise to rising to fame. In their first season with Shula at the reigns, the Dolphins delivered an astounding 10-4 win-loss, and following again during the 1971-72 season, delivered a 10-3-1 record and the AFC championship – a huge accomplishment for the team. Unfortunately, they fell short at the Super Bowl to the Dallas Cowboys with a score of 23-3. However, they weren’t finished yet.
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1972: The Real Show Begins
With the learnings from the previous two seasons under their belt, the team was ready to take on their opponents and win. It was never their intention to go win to win – but their grit and determination outdid the competition more than anyone thought possible.
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At the time, the team was fully loaded with future NFL Hall of Famers, including Bob Griese, Larry Csonka, Paul Warfield, Jim Langer, Larry Little and Nick Buoniconti, who all played a big part in the success of the season – actually being named the NFL’s top-ranked offence and defence during 1972.
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During the regular season, the Dolphins took off, completely destroying the competition in their wake, taking the first four games with ease, including a heated and hard-fought battle against the Minnesota Vikings in week three. Unfortunately, during the regular season in week five against the San Diego Chargers, Griese was subject to a foot injury that took him out for the rest of the regular season.
But all was not lost – enter in veteran quarterback Earl Morrall, who had joined that year from the Baltimore Colts and who fit perfectly into Miami’s gameplay. After this, it was a straight shot to the 14-0 win record and the first ever seen in NFL history at the time.
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Fast forward to the Playoffs, the Dolphins started strong, winning against the Cleveland Browns 20-14 and the Pittsburgh Steelers 21-17. However, it wasn’t over yet, and there was still one team to beat to take home the championship and the title of “perfect season” – the Washington Redskins.
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The Washington Redskins (now known as the Washington Commanders) were fierce and, although the Dolphins had put up a very successful season so far, were actually positioned as the favourite team to win the Super Bowl. As this was the Dolphins’ second Super Bowl appearance, they were ready for redemption.
Super Bowl VII Showdown
Along with the determination that the Dolphins held from the past season, the Redskins were also ready to impress (this Super Bowl appearance would be the first of five appearances in 20 years). However, they would be disappointed.
The game resulted in a 14-7 win to the Dolphins (their first one in franchise history). Although considered significantly lower than regular Super Bowl results, it still pushed the Dolphins over the line for the perfect season.
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The Dolphins also worked well in shutting out the competition for most of the game until around two minutes to go when one of the Miami players, Garo Yepremian, made a kick that was blocked. Instead of landing on the loose ball, Yepremian picked up the ball and attempted a forward throw but batted it in the air, allowing a Redskin kicker to seize the opportunity and return it to the 49 yards for a touchdown.
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Overall, the Dolphins along with head coach Shula proved the NFL and the whole world wrong during the 1972 season. With a coaching strategy that made them untouchable and a roster full of future Hall of Famers, it’s easy to say the 1972 Miami Dolphins hold one of the best-kept records in the NFL to date.
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