1972 Dolphins

Shipley
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1972 Dolphins

Post by Shipley »

Now that this season's last undefeated team has lost its first game, the inevitable talk about the 1972 Dolphins' undefeated season has surfaced today, and it was already in the discussion this year because of the 50th anniversary. I'd be interested in hearing the group's thoughts about where that team ranks in history.
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Bryan
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Re: 1972 Dolphins

Post by Bryan »

First
Jay Z
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Re: 1972 Dolphins

Post by Jay Z »

1972 Dolphins were first in the NFL in points scored, points allowed, yardage gained, and yardage allowed. As far as I know, only other team to do that was the 1942 Bears, who were also undefeated in the regular season.

1973 Dolphins are considered better by some, due to better playoff performance and a stronger schedule. 1972 Dolphins played two teams with a winning record, the 8-6 Chiefs and 8-6 Giants. 1973 Dolphins played five teams with better records, the Bills twice, Cowboys, Steelers, and Raiders (whom they lost to.)

Strange thing comparing 1972 Dolphins to 1973 Dolphins. 1972 Dolphins ran 123 more plays than their opponents. 1973 Dolphins ran 102 FEWER plays than their opponents. 1973 Dolphins ran the fewest offensive plays in the NFL. 1973 Dolphins still ran the ball great, 5.0 times a carry, better than 1972. But they ran it about 100 fewer times than 1972. In 1973 Dolphins opponents actually ran the ball more than the Dolphins did, 511 to 507 times.

I think what happened is that the 1973 Dolphins were so hard to pass against that teams basically gave up. Net of 3.5 Y/ATT easily led the league. Run defense for Dolphins was 3.9 Y/ATT, 7th, still above average but not as tough as passing. So teams went run heavy and hoped to win on turnovers or low scoring game, which is how the Raiders and Colts did it.
Brian wolf
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Re: 1972 Dolphins

Post by Brian wolf »

Being the only perfect team, along with the 1948 Browns, has its own special place in history but I still believe the 1984 49ers might have been the best team ever, for any era, though the 78 Steelers, 66 Packers, 89 49ers and 2007 Patriots may disagree ...
RRMarshall
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Re: 1972 Dolphins

Post by RRMarshall »

You have to take into account the stronger SOS Miami had in 1973, plus their point differential in the postseason blows away that of the '72 team's performance. I heavily weigh postseason point differential (or average margin of victory) for this kind of question so yes, definitely '84 SF is in the discussion along with the '62 Packers and '78 Steelers.
Shipley
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Re: 1972 Dolphins

Post by Shipley »

I agree that the 1962 Packers, 1978 Steelers and 1984 49ers should be in the discussion.
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74_75_78_79_
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Re: 1972 Dolphins

Post by 74_75_78_79_ »

Although I will likely always see the '73 Dolphins as being more dominant, I really think its high-time that I finally stop saying it and open up the doors from here-on-out to give more and more due to this Special, Historic team of the prior year. Undefeated and untied vs NFL competition, is undefeated and untied vs NFL competition! You can only play who's on your schedule. If someone proclaims these guys as #1-All-Time? Even if I disagree, I won't argue. Or at the very least I won't argue passionately. Yes, that's how I am now going to go about it from now on. It's not as if '73 was ten years later. Lump both year-apart seasons together, and you got 32-2 and TWO Lombardis! They're both, basically, the same team end of day. One World Champion dominated with a tougher schedule but lost twice while the other World Champion...won ALL their games!!

Shula's best performance year may be '84. I believe it was here someone mentioning that Walsh had a newfound respect for him in that he made a team whom he felt was really '9-7'-caliber into a 14-2 Super Bowl participant. But what about '72? Griese goes out in Week #5, insert a 38-year-old Morrall (in an era when being that very age was FAR "over-the-hill" for a QB), yet the beat went on as well as Earl being voted First Team All Pro under Shula's very leadership! Yet Shula had the guts to change things up in the AFCCG by putting in Griese as well as naming him starter for SBVII! Starting Bob again for '73, yes, but putting him in when you already had a hot-1st Team AP-hand in there the past 10 weeks...I'm not sure I would have done that! Conventional wisdom says you keep Earl in there throughout. But Shula made his decision and it still resulted in a Title yet alone completing an UNDEFEATED and UNTIED campaign! Perhaps you can compare this decision with Noll, three years later, electing to go-for-it on 4th down late vs...Captain Comeback, mind you (that's the 'last-but-not-least' example as to why I think the '75 Steelers are #1-All-Time)!

Unfortunately for those '72 Dolphins, it seems that they'll always be pegged by many in the same way that Rocky Marciano is. He's the only unbeaten heavyweight champ ever but his relatively weaker opponents during his run prevents him from being placed as the 'best-ever'. Had Larry Holmes beat Spinks twice and then, at 50-0, retires and never comes back ever, he likely experiences that stigma as well though, IMO, not as bad; yes, Ali, Frazier, Foreman, etc, now gone but his competition throughout was really not shabby at all. Significantly better than Rocky's IMO. And Holmes, to me, more-than holds his own vs any of those Greats mentioned each at their peaks.

End-of-day, who would you rather be? Undefeated and untied for LIFE vs professional competition, or 'best-ever' vs professional competition? Both ultra-outstanding things to be forever seen as! If one is better than the other, is it by much?
JohnH19
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Re: 1972 Dolphins

Post by JohnH19 »

Regarding the ‘72 Dolphins opponents; the Jets and Vikings also would have had records better than .500 if not for their losses to Miami.
JuggernautJ
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Re: 1972 Dolphins

Post by JuggernautJ »

I find it problematic ranking teams, especially across eras (who is better, the '62 Packers or the '89 4ers... etc, etc,).
But I do place them in tiers. And I think most would agree the 1972-73 Dolphins are in the very top tier of NFL teams.

To me, the question is, who else is in that very first tier?
I would agree with those listed so far: '42 Bears, '62 Packers, '72 Dolphins, '89 49ers (or '84, if that's your preference), along with (perhaps an 1/8th step down) the '48 Browns, '78 Steelers and maybe the 2007 Patriots....

Who else belongs in the First Tier, with the Perfect Porpoises?
Brian wolf
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Re: 1972 Dolphins

Post by Brian wolf »

In my view JuggernautJ ... 1966 Packers, 1967-68 Colts, 1976 Raiders, 2003-04 Patriots ...
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