The1972 Miami Dolphins season wasthe franchise's seventh season and third in theNational Football League (NFL). The team was led by third-year head coachDon Shula and achieved the onlyperfect season in NFL history (and only the second perfect season in professional football history after the1948 Cleveland Browns). It also led the league in both points scored and fewest points allowed.

Starting quarterbackBob Griese broke his ankle in week 5, leaving backupEarl Morrall to start the remainder of the regular season, though Griese relieved Morrall in the second half of the AFC Championship Game and startedSuper Bowl VII. Morrall, a 38-year-old who spent much of his career backing up stars including Griese,Johnny Unitas, andBobby Layne, was namedMVP in 1968 under Shula when the pair led theBaltimore Colts to the NFL championship. The Dolphins clinched the AFC East title in week 10 with Morrall at quarterback.^[1] None of their regular season opponents advanced to the eight-teampostseason; three had made theprevious postseason (Kansas City,Minnesota,Baltimore).

Running backsLarry Csonka andMercury Morris became the firstteammates to each rush for 1,000 yards in a season.Paul Warfield led the team in receptions and receiving yards, andMarlin Briscoe led the team in receiving touchdowns. The offensive line included future Hall of FamersJim Langer andLarry Little.^[2]

The Dolphins' early-1970s defensive unit was termed the "No-Name Defense" byDallas Cowboys head coachTom Landry, given its lack of high-profile players (the unit's only Hall of Famer, linebackerNick Buoniconti, achieved much of his success with theBoston Patriots in the 1960s and was not inducted until 2001). The defense was led by Buoniconti, endBill Stanfill, tackleManny Fernandez, and safetiesDick Anderson andJake Scott. In all, nine Dolphins—Csonka, Morris, Warfield, Little,Norm Evans, Buoniconti, Stanfill, Anderson, and Scott—were selected to the Pro Bowl, and Little, Morrall, Stanfill, and Anderson were namedfirst-team All-Pro.^[3]

The Dolphins went 14–0 in the regular season and won all three postseason games to finish 17–0, the only undefeated and untied season in NFL history. Three other teams, theChicago Bears in1934 and1942 and the New England Patriots in2007, reached the NFL's title game undefeated and untied, but all three lost the championship. Four other teams, theAkron Pros in1920, theCanton Bulldogs in1922 and1923, and theGreen Bay Packers in1929, won the NFL championship with an undefeated record, but all recorded at least one tie. The1985 Chicago Bears' bid for an undefeated season was snapped by the Dolphins in their game 13Monday Night Football meeting.^[4][5] Miami led the league in total offense, total defense, scoring offense, and scoring defense, the only team ever to do so. On August 20, 2013, four decades after the perfect season, PresidentBarack Obama hosted the surviving members of the 1972 Dolphins, noting they "never got theirWhite House visit."^[6][7] Fifty years later, on October 23, 2022, the 1972 Dolphins were honored at halftime during aSunday Night Football game featuring theMiami Dolphins andPittsburgh Steelers, the same matchup that occurred for the 1972AFC Championship Game. For the 50th anniversary celebration, the Dolphins wore throwback uniforms as well as patches bearing a classic Dolphins logo, the number 50, and the years 1972 and 2022.^[8]

The 1972 Dolphins ranked number 1 on the 100 greatest teams of all time by the NFL on its 100th anniversary.^[9][10]

The Miami Dolphins franchise was founded in 1966 under head coachGeorge Wilson. Wilson led the Dolphins to just fifteen wins in four seasons before being fired and replaced byBaltimore Colts head coachDon Shula. Despite his poor record, many of Wilson's acquisitions contributed to the Dolphins' success in the early 1970s. The team drafted quarterbackBob Griese in1967, fullbackLarry Csonka in1968, and defensive endBill Stanfill and running backMercury Morris in1969.^[11][12] Wilson also signedManny Fernandez and traded forNick Buoniconti,Larry Little, andPaul Warfield.^[13] Wilson was initially resentful of the Dolphins' success, believing his firing was premature and Shula had inherited a "ready-made team".^[14] However, tension between Wilson and Shula lessened after the team wonSuper Bowl VII, and Wilson congratulated Shula and invited him to play at his golf course.^[15]

After accepting the job in Miami, Shula hiredHoward Schnellenberger as offensive coordinator,Bill Arnsparger (who had served as defensive line coach under Shula in Baltimore) as defensive coordinator,Carl Taseff as offensive backs coach,Monte Clark as offensive line coach, andMike Scarry as defensive line coach, and retained defensive backs coachTom Keane from Wilson's staff;^[13] each of these coaches remained with the team through 1972. In the1970 draft and ensuing free agency period, Shula added cornerbackTim Foley, safetyJake Scott, guardBob Kuechenberg, and futureHall of Fame centerJim Langer. In Shula'sfirst season, the Dolphins went 10–4 and reached the playoffs for the first time. Miami returned to the playoffs in1971 and defeated theKansas City Chiefs in the longest game in NFL history to secure the franchise's first playoff victory. The Dolphins shut out theBaltimore Colts, Shula's former team, to reachSuper Bowl VI, where they lost 24–3 toDallas.

^[20]

The Dolphins opened the season against the Chiefs in the first regular season game atArrowhead Stadium. In theDivisional Round the year prior, Miami defeated Kansas City atKansas City Municipal Stadium in double overtime, the longest game in NFL history.

On the Chiefs' first drive, Miami safetyDick Anderson recovered anEd Podolak fumble, leading to a seven-play, 57-yard drive capped by a 14-yard touchdown fromBob Griese toMarlin Briscoe.Lloyd Mumphord blocked aJan Stenerud field goal attempt on Kansas City's ensuing drive.^[21] Late in the second quarter, the Dolphins scored twice in quick succession – a 47-yardGaro Yepremian field goal and a two-yardLarry Csonka run following an interception byJake Scott. The Chiefs did not score until a 40-yard field goal by Stenerud late in the third quarter, and a touchdown fromLen Dawson toWillie Frazier was the only score of the fourth quarter as Miami won 20–10.^[22]

TheOrange Bowl's newPoly-Turf field and intermittent rains led to slippery conditions for Miami's week 2 meeting with Houston. Less than two minutes in,Bill Stanfill returned aHoyle Granger fumble to Houston's one-yard line to set up aJim Kiick touchdown. Minutes later, Houston quarterbackDan Pastorini muffed the ball in punt formation; the Dolphins recovered again andMercury Morris scored four plays later. Garo Yepremian's subsequent extra point attempt was blocked, his first miss after seventy-five consecutive successful attempts. Miami engineered another four-play scoring drive on its following possession, using a 30-yardPaul Warfield reception to set up a short Larry Csonka touchdown and give the Dolphins a 20–0 halftime lead. Pastorini completed three of ten passes for minus-ten yards in the first half.^[23]

A nine-play, 76-yard drive to open the second half pushed Miami further ahead.^[23] A longCharlie Joiner touchdown got Houston on the board and a second score after a Morris fumble cut Miami's lead to 27–13. However, Kiick's second touchdown following a fourteen-play drive in the fourth quarter put the game out of reach, and aTim Foley interception sealed a 34–13 Dolphins victory.^[24]

The first-ever meeting between the Dolphins and Vikings began with a long first-quarter touchdown fromFran Tarkenton toJohn Gilliam; Minnesota held this 7–0 lead into halftime.^[25] Tim Foley intercepted Tarkenton early in the third quarter, setting up a 51-yard Garo Yepremian field goal. A second Yepremian field goal cut Minnesota's lead to one point, but the Vikings responded with thirteen-play drive which ended in a touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter.^[26]

Minnesota quickly regained possession by intercepting Bob Griese, but two sacks of Tarkenton kept Minnesota out of field goal range and the game at 14–6. On Miami's ensuing drive, a 22-yard pass from wide receiver Marlin Briscoe toJim Mandich set up another 51-yard Yepremian field goal.^[26] A short Vikings punt was followed by a six-play Miami drive and a three-yard touchdown pass from Griese to Mandich to give the Dolphins a 16–14 win. The Dolphins sacked Tarkenton five times and intercepted him three times.^[27][28]

The Jets received the opening kickoff and quickly marched 65 yards downfield, taking a 7–0 lead when aCliff McClain fumble was recovered by guardRandy Rasmussen in the end zone.^[29] New York maintained this advantage until early in the second quarter when a 16-yard touchdown pass from Bob Griese toHoward Twilley tied the game. A six-yard Jim Kiick touchdown run gave Miami a 14–7 lead just before halftime.^[30]

A field goal early in the third quarter increased Miami's lead to ten points. On New York's subsequent drive,Joe Namath foundJerome Barkum for a 52-yard gain which gave the Jets first-and-goal at the one-yard line. However, two penalties and three failed attempts forced New York to settle for an 18-yardBobby Howfield field goal, cutting the lead to 17–10. Early in the fourth quarter, Miami capitalized on a long pass interference penalty againstSteve Tannen with a second Jim Kiick touchdown run. Miami fumbled a punt deep in its own territory in the fourth quarter and allowed New York cut the lead to 24–17, but a late field goal put the game out of reach as the Dolphins won 27–17.^[30]

The Dolphins and Chargers traded first-quarter field goals before Dick Anderson returned a fumble 35 yards for a touchdown to give Miami a 10–3 lead. The Dolphins scored a second touchdown on an 18-yard pass fromEarl Morrall to Howard Twilley to take a 17–3 lead into halftime.^[31] In the third quarter, Morrall's second touchdown pass increased the lead to 24–3. A late San Diego touchdown made the final score 24–10 as the Dolphins moved to 5–0.^[31]

Dolphins quarterback Bob Griese broke his ankle early in the first quarter on a sack byRon East andDeacon Jones.^[32] He did not play again until late in the last game of the regular season; Griese was replaced by the 38-year-old Morrall until returning in the AFC Championship Game.^[33]

The Dolphins remained at home during week 6 for a game against the interdivisional rivalBuffalo Bills.^[34] Miami scored a touchdown on the opening drive, capped off by a five-yard run by Mercury Morris. After regaining possession later in the first quarter, the Dolphins managed to reach the Bills seven-yard line. However, four failed attempts at reaching the end zone gave the Bills possession again. Then, in the second quarter, Dolphins running back Jim Kiick fumbled the ball, recovered byAlvin Wyatt of the Bills. This ultimately set up a 35-yard field goal by Buffalo'sJohn Leypoldt. Shortly after, Bills linebackerKen Lee intercepted a pass from Earl Morrall and returned it for a touchdown. Late in the second quarter, Morrall attempted to throw a lateral pass, but fumbled and Buffalo defensive tackleDon Croft secured the ball. Leypoldt then kicked a 34-yard field goal, allowing the Bills to lead 13–7 at halftime.^[35]

Dolphins tackleManny Fernandez strip-sacked Bills quarterbackDennis Shaw at the Buffalo 10-yard line on the first play of the third quarter. Miami fullback Larry Csonka then ran 10 yards into the end zone, allowing the Dolphins to take a 14–13 lead. A few minutes after this transpired, Dolphins cornerbackCurtis Johnson blocked a punt bySpike Jones of the Bills. After the Dolphins were penalized four times on that drive (a loss of 33 yards), Garo Yepremian kicked a 54-yard field goal,^[35] the longest in franchise history untilPete Stoyanovich's 59-yard field goal in1989.^[36] The fourth quarter began with a 45-yard field goal by Leypoldt, cutting Miami's lead to 17–16. With 9:18 remaining in the final period, the Dolphins scored again with a 15-yard run by Morris, amassing 106 rushing yards in the game.^[27] Later, the Bills capped off a touchdown-scoring drive with a six-yard pass from quarterbackMike Taliaferro to fullbackJim Braxton. However, with only about one minute remaining by then, the Dolphins won the game by a score of 24–23.^[35]

The Dolphins then traveled toMemorial Stadium in Baltimore for a match against the Colts on October 29.^[37] Miami scored in the first quarter on an 80-yard drive that included a 20-yard pass from quarterback Earl Morrall to wide receiver Howard Twilley, a 32-yard rush by running back Larry Csonka, a 19-yard rush by running back Mercury Morris, and finally a one-yard rush by Csonka for a touchdown. Garo Yepremian's extra point allowed the Dolphins to take a 7–0 lead. Dolphins cornerbackCurtis Johnson blocked a punt byDavid Lee of the Colts and recovered the football at Baltimore's 22-yard line. A few plays later, at 3rd and 15 on Baltimore's 27-yard line, Morrall threw the ball to wide receiver Marlin Briscoe, who then threw a pass to wide receiver Paul Warfield at the one-yard line. Csonka then ran one-yard for a touchdown, but defensive tackleJim Bailey blocked Yepremian's extra point attempt.^[38]

Later in the second quarter, Dolphins defensive back Lloyd Mumphord blockedBoris Shlapak's field goal attempt. The second quarter then ended after Yepremian kicked a 24-yard field goal. The Dolphins led 16–0 after the first half. The game's final score occurred in the third quarter.Bruce Laird of the Colts was returning a punt but fumbled the ball, which was recovered byHubert Ginn of the Dolphins at Baltimore's 20 yard line. After a few more plays, Morris scored a seven-yard rushing touchdown, followed by a Yepremian extra point. Miami won the game with a score of 23–0 and improved to 7–0 at the halfway point of the regular season.^[38]

For week 8, the Dolphins traveled toWar Memorial Stadium in Buffalo to take on the Bills on November 5. A Garo Yepremian 33-yard field goal allowed Miami to take an early 3–0 lead.^[39] The Bills then overtook the Dolphins on a drive capped off by quarterbackDennis Shaw throwing a 13-yard pass to running backRandy Jackson, althoughJohn Leypoldt's extra point attempt would be blocked. Buffalo now led Miami by a score of 6–3. However, the Dolphins reclaimed the lead on a possession culminating in a 22-yard run by running back Mercury Morris, followed by an extra point by Yepremian. Miami increased their lead further early in the second quarter with a pair of Yepremian field goals from 17 yards and 16 yards. Shortly thereafter, Dolphins quarterback Earl Morrall was intercepted by Bills safetyTony Greene and returned for a touchdown, narrowing Miami's lead to 16–13. This would be the final score of the first half, as Miami halted another scoring attempt by Buffalo when cornerbackTim Foley intercepted Shaw at Miami's 20-yard line.^[40]

Miami increased their lead again in the third quarter with a seven-yard pass from Morrall to tight endMarv Fleming. The antecedent drive included several long runs and anunsportsmanlike conduct penalty against the Bills. Later in the third quarter, Leypoldt kicked a 28-yard field goal, cutting their deficit to 23–16 at the end of the period. However, in the fourth quarter, the Dolphins put together another scoring drive that included a 26-yard pass from Morrall to Morris and then four-yard rush by Morris for the touchdown. With neither team able to accumulate more points after that drive, the game ended as a 30–16 win for the Dolphins. Of note, Morris surpassed 100 rushing yards in a game for only the second time in his professional football career.^[40]

Following their win against the Buffalo Bills, the Dolphins hosted the New England Patriots at the Orange Bowl for week 9. Miami annihilated New England both offensively and defensively.^[41] On the third play of the game, Dolphins safety Dick Anderson intercepted Patriots quarterback Jim Plunkett at New England's 26-yard line. Anderson returned the ball to the New England four-yard line before fumbling. Although it appeared that the Patriots may have recovered the fumble, the officiating crew ruled that they did not. Dolphins running back Mercury Morris then scored a touchdown on a four-yard rush. On just the fifth offensive play for the Dolphins, Morris again scored a 4-yard rushing touchdown. Miami scored on every possession they had during the first half, leading the Patriots 31–0 at intermission.^[42]

In the third quarter, Morrall threw a 16-yard pass to Marlin Briscoe, increasing the Dolphins lead to 38–0. By the beginning of the fourth quarter, with little doubt about which team would win, Dolphins quarterback Jim Del Gazio replaced Morrall. Del Gazio threw two touchdown passes in the final quarter – a 51-yard pass to Briscoe and a 39-yard pass to Jim Mandich. The Dolphins did not allow the Patriots to score throughout the game.^[41]

The final score of 52–0 in favor of Miami remains the most lopsided win for either team in the history of theDolphins–Patriots rivalry.^[43] Miami totaled 482 yards, far higher than New England's 169 yards. Morrall passed for 162 yards, while Del Gazio passed for 145. The Dolphins defense limited the Patriots to just 77 net passing yards and 92 rushing yards, including four sacks against Plunkett for a loss of 40 yards. Morris, the leading rusher of the game, accumulated 90 rushing yards and 35 receiving yards; he scored 3 rushing touchdowns. With the victory, the Dolphins improved to 9–0.^[41] Don Shula became the 9th head coach in NFL history to win at least 100 regular season games, but the first to do so in only 10 seasons.^[42]

The Dolphins then returned home in week 10 for their second matchup against the Jets.^[44] Near the beginning of the first quarter, Dolphins safety Dick Anderson intercepted Jets quarterback Joe Namath's first pass of that game. After seven more plays, Miami scored on a nine-yard pass from quarterback Earl Morrall to wide receiver Howard Twilley. New York responded with an 80-yard drive that included several short passes from Namath, before eventually ending with a one-yard rushing touchdown by fullbackJohn Riggins. In the game's second quarter, Morrall fumbled on a lateral pass, with the ball being recovered by cornerbackEarlie Thomas of the Jets at the Dolphins 38-yard line. Within a few plays, the Jets scored another touchdown via a 28-yard pass from Namath to wide receiverRich Caster. New York increased their lead on Miami to 17–7 after Bobby Howfield kicked a 33-yard field goal. However, the Dolphins cut the Jets lead to 17–14 just before halftime on a drive that ended with a one-yard run by running back Mercury Morris.^[45]

Early in the third quarter, Morrall rushed for 31 yards for a touchdown. Miami then led New York by 21–17. The Jets reclaimed the lead later in the third quarter on a drive that ended with a four-yard pass from Namath to tight endWayne Stewart. However, in the game's final quarter, Anderson landed on the ball after Jets running back Cliff McClain fumbled it at New York's 27-yard line. On the fourth play after the fumble, Morris managed to run 14 yards to the end zone. Miami would ultimately win the game by a score of 28–24 and improve to 10–0. With the victory, the Dolphins also clinched the AFC East title.^[45]

The Dolphins remained at home at the Orange Bowl in week 11 for aMonday Night Football game against theSt. Louis Cardinals.^[46] Dolphins safety Dick Anderson intercepted St. Louis quarterbackGary Cuozzo's first pass of the game at the Cardinals' 29-yard line. On the sixth play following the interception, Dolphins running back Jim Kiick reached the end zone on a two-yard run. Miami led St. Louis 7–0 following the first quarter. Both teams scored a field goal in the second quarter, from 49 yards and 25 yards byJim Bakken of the Cardinals and Garo Yepremian of the Dolphins, respectively. At half time, Miami led St. Louis by a score of 10–3.^[47]

The Dolphins would widen their lead by two touchdowns in the third quarter. First, Miami scored on a 37-yard pass from quarterback Earl Morrall to wide receiverOtto Stowe. Later in the quarter, Dolphins cornerback Lloyd Mumphord intercepted Cardinals quarterbackJim Hart and returned the ball for a touchdown. Miami now led by 24–3 after the third quarter. St. Louis finally responded again in the fourth quarter via a two-yard rush by running backLeon Burns. However, the Dolphins then scored another touchdown on a drive capped off by a 27-yard pass from Morrall to Stowe. Miami won the game by a score of 31–10.^[47]

In week 12, the Dolphins traveled toSchaefer Stadium for their second matchup of the season against the Patriots. The only score in the first quarter was 36-yard field goal by Miami's Garo Yepremian.^[48] The Dolphins increased their lead further in the second quarter, with a 10-yard field goal by Yepremian and a one-yard rush by running back Jim Kiick on a drive that spanned 89 yards. New England responded late in the second quarter via a 36-yard pass from quarterbackJim Plunkett to wide receiverTom Reynolds. The Dolphins led by a score of 13–7 at halftime.^[49]

Early in the third quarter, Miami defensiveVern Den Herder intercepted a pass by Plunkett and reached New England's 11-yard line before the play ended. The Dolphins soon scored another touchdown when quarterback Earl Morrall threw a three-yard pass to tight end Jim Mandich. Later in the third quarter, Yepremian kicked a 18-yard field goal. Dolphins linebackerDoug Swift intercepted Plunkett on New England's next possession. On the fifth play following the interception, Miami scored on a 14-yard pass from Morrall to wide receiver Marlin Briscoe. Miami added another touchdown early in the fourth quarter via an eight-yard rush by running backHubert Ginn. At this point, the Dolphins led by 37–7. The Patriots scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, the first being an eight-yard pass from quarterbackBrian Dowling to running backJohn Tarver and the second being a one-yard rush by Dowling. The game ended with a 37–21 victory for the Dolphins.^[49]

With the win, the Dolphins became only the third team in NFL history to win at least 12 consecutive games, after the1934 Chicago Bears and1969 Minnesota Vikings. Also of note, running back Larry Csonka surpassed 1,000 rushing yards on the season during this game.^[49]

The Dolphins traveled toYankee Stadium in New York to face theNew York Giants in week 13.^[50] AfterJoe Orduna of the Giants returned the opening kickoff for 38 yards, New York began a five play, 50-yard drive. New York running backRon Johnson rushed one-yard for a touchdown, which was preceded by a 34-yard pass from quarterbackNorm Snead to wide receiverDon Herrmann. However, the Dolphins blockedPete Gogolak's extra point attempt. Miami quickly responded with a 10 play, 82-yard drive capped off by a 12-yard rush by Mercury Morris for a touchdown and a successful extra point attempt by Garo Yepremian. Later in the first quarter, New York'sRocky Thompson fumbled during a kickoff return, with the ball recovered by Miami running backCharles Leigh. The Giants defense forced the Dolphins to kick a 37-yard field goal, increasing their lead to 10–6.^[51]

Miami extended their lead further in the second quarter, when wide receiver Paul Warfield caught a 34-yard pass from quarterback Earl Morrall. New York responded with another touchdown, the result of an 81-yard, 12 play drive which again ended with a one-yard run by Johnson. By the end of the first half, the Dolphins led by a score of 17–13. Neither team scored in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, Dolphins cornerbackCurtis Johnson intercepted a pass from Snead, which eventually led to Yepremian kicking a 31-yard field goal. A turnover by New York'sJohn Mendenhall during a punt return later in the fourth quarter led to another field goal by Yepremian, this time by a distance of 16 yards. The Giants were unable to score after the second quarter, and thus, the game ended with a 23–13 victory for the Dolphins.^[51]

In the final week of the regular season, the Dolphins returned home for their second matchup against the Colts. The Dolphins scored first, with a 40-yard field goal by Garo Yepremian in the first quarter. Miami extended their lead further in the second quarter, with a 14-yard pass from quarterback Earl Morrall to wide receiver Paul Warfield. After Colts quarterbackMarty Domres sprained his ankle, Baltimore briefly insertedJohnny Unitas at quarterback late in the second quarter for what would be his final game as a Colt. In the second half, the Dolphins added six more points with a pair of third and fourth quarter field goals by Yepremian from 50 yards and 35 yards, respectively. Miami Dolphins quarterback Bob Griese entered the game in the fourth quarter, his first time on the field since his injury against the Chargers in week 5. With Baltimore unable to score throughout the game, Miami won 16–0.^[52]

With the Dolphins defeating the Baltimore Colts, they finished the regular season with a perfect win–loss record of 14–0. The 1972 Dolphins became the third team in the history of the NFL to complete a regular season undefeated and untied, after the1934 and1942Chicago Bears, while the1948 Cleveland Browns achieved a 14–0 record as a member of theAll-America Football Conference. Later, the2007 New England Patriots also earned an undefeated and untied regular season record.^[53]

For the first round of the playoffs, the Dolphins remained in Miami to take on the wild card Browns on December 24. The Dolphins scored first, after rookie safetyCharlie Babb blocked Browns placekickerDon Cockroft's punt at the Cleveland 17-yard line and returned the ball for a touchdown. Miami added to their lead with a 40-yard field goal by Garo Yepremian near the end of the first quarter, although their offense, ranked the best in the league for the 1972 season, otherwise remained mostly stagnant in the first half. However, Cleveland failed to score in the first half, leaving Miami with a 10–0 at the intermission.^[54]

Near the beginning of the third quarter, Browns safetyThom Darden had a significant punt return of 38 yards, which ultimately set up the drive in which Browns quarterbackMike Phipps scored a rushing touchdown. Yepremian then kicked a 46-yard field goal in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter. The Browns orchestrated another touchdown drive in the fourth quarter, ending with a 27-yard pass from Phipps toFair Hooker. Consequently, the Browns took a 14–13 lead over the Dolphins. However, in the final minutes of the game, Miami executed a six play, 80-yard drive capped by an eight-yard rush by running back Jim Kiick. Throughout the contest, Browns quarterback Phipps was intercepted five times by the Dolphins defense. Miami won by a score of 20–14.^[54]

Because home teams in the playoffs were decided based on a yearly rotation prior to the 1975 postseason, the Dolphins traveled to Pittsburgh for theAFC Championship Game on December 31 despite being undefeated.^[55] The Steelers, who defeated the Raiders in the previous round via theImmaculate Reception,^[56] jumped to an early 7–0 lead when Steelers guardGerry Mullins recoveredTerry Bradshaw's fumble in the end zone.^[57] In the second quarter, the Steelers defense put the Dolphins in a 4th-and-5 situation at the Pittsburgh 49-yard line. However, Miami instead executed a fake punt in whichLarry Seiple ran for 37 yards. Miami then tied the game after Morrall threw a nine-yard pass to Csonka.^[56]

The Steelers retook the lead, 10–7, early in the third quarter whenRoy Gerela kicked a 14-yard field goal. Shortly thereafter, Don Shula replaced Morrall with Griese at quarterback. Miami then went on an 80-yard touchdown drive, which featured a 52-yard pass to Paul Warfield and ended with a two-yard rush by Kiick. AfterMaulty Moore blocked another Gerela field goal attempt, the Dolphins increased their lead to 21–10 following a 49-yard drive capped by another rush by Kiick, this time by 3 yards. The Steelers responded with a touchdown drive of their own, ending with a 12-yard pass from Bradshaw toAl Young.^[56] Although this narrowed the Dolphins lead to 21–17, the Steelers did not score again as the Dolphins intercepted Bradshaw twice in the final minutes of the game.^[57] Consequently, Miami remained undefeated and advanced toSuper Bowl VII.^[56]

The Dolphins advanced to their second consecutive Super Bowl appearance, this time against theWashington Redskins at theLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum on January 14, 1973. Washington was favored by 1 point, despite Miami entering the game undefeated and the Redskins having three regular season losses.^[58]

Super Bowl VII quickly became a defensive battle between both teams, with the Dolphins and Redskins each starting with two drives that ended with punts. However, in the waning minutes of the first quarter, Miami engineered a scoring drive capped by a 28-yard touchdown pass from Griese to Twilley. On Washington's subsequent drive,Jake Scott interceptedBilly Kilmer's pass. But the Dolphins failed to capitalize and both teams exchanged punts, while Kilmer threw another interception toNick Buoniconti, who then returned the ball for 32 yards, with two minutes remaining in the half. Miami took advantage this time and scored on a one-yard rush by Kiick. The Dolphins held a 14–0 lead at halftime.^[58]

On the opening drive of the third quarter, the Redskins advanced as far as the Dolphins 17-yard line, beforeManny Fernandez sacked Kilmer on third down for a loss of eight yards.Curt Knight's subsequent field goal attempt of 32 yards missed. The game then continued to be a defensive battle between the two teams. Both teams then exchanged punts again, while Griese was intercepted byBrig Owens late in the third quarter. Just over halfway through the fourth quarter, the Redskins again drove far into Dolphins territory. However, Scott intercepted another pass from Kilmer. Subsequently, Miami's next drive stalled at Washington's 34-yard line. Redskins defensive linemanBill Brundige blocked Yepremian's 42-yard field goal attempt. Yepremian then tried to throw a pass, but the ball was instead caught by Washington cornerbackMike Bass, who ran the other way to cut the Dolphins lead to 14–7. This play is sometimes referred to as "Garo's Gaffe". Both teams each had one more drive, but neither of them resulted in a score. Thus, Dolphins won Super Bowl VII by a score of 14–7.^[58]

• Coach of the Year –Don Shula
• Comeback Player of the Year –Earl Morrall
• Super Bowl Most Valuable Player –Jake Scott

There is an urban legend that every season, whenever the last remaining undefeated NFL team loses its first game, all the surviving members of the 1972 Miami Dolphins open bottles of champagne in celebration. Coach Don Shula tried to play down the myth by saying that two players,Dick Anderson andNick Buoniconti, who live near each other, sometimes have a toast together.^[59][60] However, they occasionally hadDiet Cokes together, such as in 2005 when Bob Griese and Shula watched theChargers win over theColts, the last undefeated teamthat season.^[61]

The NFL capitalized on the legend during a commercial that aired duringSuper Bowl LIII commemorating the 100th year of the NFL. The commercial featured "44 of the greatest NFL athletes" at a formal dinner event with the attendees dressed inblack tie. Cacophony breaks out, and three members of the 1972 Dolphins, Larry Little, Paul Warfield, Larry Csonka, are shown casually sitting at a table together uniquely dressed in aqua-colored formal coats, and all three are drinking champagne, laughing at the chaos happening around them.^[62]

The 1972 Miami Dolphins were the first team to execute a perfect regular season in the post-merger NFL. They are the only team in NFL history to go undefeated and untied in the regular season and postseason.

After their loss tothe Dallas Cowboys inSuper Bowl VI (Miami's only loss during calendar year 1972), Don Shula had vowed to not only reach the Super Bowl again but to win it. He forced the team to watch film of the loss twice while at training camp. Shula would later go on to say:

I think that's when we all came together for what was going happen for the next two years. What I stressed in the locker room was that we wanted to make sure this wouldn't happen again. Our goal was not to go to the Super Bowl but to win it.^[63]

An enduring controversy is based on the argument that the 1972 Dolphins played a soft schedule not possible under the current scheduling formula.^[64] Prior to the implementation of position scheduling in 1978, opponents were set by the NFL on a rotating basis.^[65] The Dolphins' 1972 regular-season opponents posted an aggregate winning percentage of .397, and only two had winning records for that season (both theKansas City Chiefs andNew York Giants finished 8–6). However, this does not constitute any record;the 1975 Minnesota Vikings, who began 10–0 and finished 12–2, played 14 opponents with an average winning percentage of .332, and nine of their games were against teams 4–10 or worse.^[66]

The Dolphins were beneficiaries of a weak AFC East that saw theColts lapse from a perennial contender into a three-year stretch in which they would win only 11 games; aBills team yet to find its legs withO. J. Simpson and the return of coachLou Saban; a dysfunctionalPatriots organization that had little to no talent to surround former No. 1 overall draft choiceJim Plunkett; and aJets squad with a porous defense, offsetting the benefits ofJoe Namath remaining healthy throughout the season and an emergingJohn Riggins in the running game. Miami also caught a scheduling break by facing anOilers team that was in the midst of back-to-back 1–13 seasons,a Chargers team beginning a run of four consecutive seasons in the AFC West cellar, and aCardinals team that appeared to lack direction by rotating its starting quarterbacks instead of giving the job full-time toJim Hart. The Dolphins also caught theVikings in the midst of a massive transformation following the return ofFran Tarkenton, missing the playoffs for the only time between 1968 and 1978, finishing 7–7.

The NFL's rules at the time forced the undefeated Dolphins (14–0) to play the Steelers (11–3) in Pittsburgh for the AFC Championship Game. Subsequent rule changes have since changed the playoff structure so that this would never happen again. Since the 1975 season, teams that have won their division and have had a superior record than their opponent (as was the case with the 1972 Dolphins when they faced the Steelers) would play their postseason games at home.

The 1972 Dolphins consisted mostly of the same core of players that it possessed from 1970 through 1974 and was the most dominant NFL team during that stretch. In those five seasons, the Dolphins reached the playoffs all five years, won three AFC Championships, two Super Bowls and went undefeated and untied while winning the Super Bowl in 1972. They posted a record of 65–15–1, and were also the fastest franchise to win a Super Bowl after franchise inception and joining the NFL (seven years after starting in the AFL, three years after becoming a member of the NFL).

Fans in the Miami area could not view the team's home games on television, as 1972 was the final year in which all NFL home games were blacked out on local television even if the stadium had sold out. To view the team's home games, Dolphins fans in the Miami-Dade area would have to attend home games in person or travel to outside markets such as Orlando, Tampa and Jacksonville to watch the games on television.

Super Bowl VII was the first game to be televised in the market of origin under new rules that would come into effect the following season requiring games to be sold out within 72 hours of kickoff time to be aired in the market of origin (these blackout rules were lifted in 2015). As all Super Bowls (exceptSuper Bowl I) have sold out, none have been blacked out since.

PresidentRichard Nixon, many of hisWhite House staff, and members ofCongress were angered by the blackout rules, as they could not watch the home games of the Dolphins' eventual Super Bowl opponent, theRedskins, even though all games atRFK Stadium had been sold out since1966.

Four decades later, on August 20, 2013, the team was invited by President Barack Obama to visit the White House. Obama noted that the team "never got their White House visit."^[67] Asked why the team had not been invited by PresidentRichard Nixon in 1973, Larry Csonka stated that he did not feel neglected as it had not been a regular occurrence at the time.^[68] However, MSNBC reported that this was a deliberate snub by Nixon, who was a Redskins fan, even though Nixon owned a vacation home in nearbyKey Biscayne, Florida and telephoned Shula only hours after the Dolphins defeated the Colts in the 1971 AFC Championship game to suggest a play for Miami to use in Super Bowl VI (a down-and-out pass to Warfield that was broken up by Cowboys safetyCornell Green).^[69] Obama had previously invited the1985 Bears to the White House, as their original visit had been canceled because of theSpace Shuttle Challenger disaster. Obama, a Chicago resident and Bears fan,^[70] had called the 1985 Bears the greatest team ever, but during the Dolphins' visit, he called his own words into question, also noting that the 1985 Bears' only defeat came at the hands of the1985 Dolphins.^[71]Bob Kuechenberg,Jim Langer, andManny Fernandez all refused to attend because of their political differences with the Obama administration.^[72]

• 1972 Miami Dolphins Season at Pro-Football Reference
• Perfect Season Podcast – a 50th anniversary podcast with an episode for each game of the 1972 season, starring several members of the team

• 1972 NFL season by team
• Miami Dolphins seasons
• AFC East championship seasons
• American Football Conference championship seasons
• Super Bowl champion seasons
• 1972 in sports in Florida
• 1970s in Miami
• American football records and statistics

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