| 1972 Season |
PERFECT SEASON The Anatomy of a Perfect Season ... that's the theme of the Pro Football Hall of Fame display that commemorates the magnificent record of the 1972 Miami Dolphins, when they became the first team in National Football League history to go through an entire season undefeated and untied. The Dolphins' 17-0-0 season culminated with a 14-7 victory over the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII. It is a unique feat that has stood the test of time. Will there ever be another perfect season? Every year that passes makes the remarkable record seem less and less likely to be matched. The latest serious challenger was the 1991 Redskins team that won its first 11 games in a seemingly invincible fashion before losing to the Dallas Cowboys 24-20 in Week 12. The 1972 season was legendary coach Don Shula's third with the Dolphins. Under his strict no-nonsense approach, the young Dolphins team gelled into a cohesive unit. Though the team featured players, like Larry Csonka, Larry Little, Bob Griese, Jim Langer and Paul Warfield - all Hall of Famers - it was often contributions from the lesser-knowns that made the difference. In fact, the team featured a defense that, although very good, lacked "star-power." Capitalizing on their anonymity, they accepted the nickname the "No-Name Defense." Eventually, even the "No-Names" of middle linebacker Nick Buoniconti and defensive linemen Manny Fernandez and Bill Stanfill became familiar names. In week five a name from the past surfaced when 38-year-old veteran quarterback Earl Morrall came off the bench to replace a severely injured Bob Griese. Morral kept the unbeaten streak going through the remainder of the regular season and a 20-14 playoff victory over the Cleveland Browns. In Week 16, it was a healthy Bob Griese who came from the bench to direct his team to victory with a hard-fought 21-17 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Two weeks later, Griese started and finished Miami's 14-7 victory over the Redskins in Super Bowl VII. 1-0 On Christmas Day 1971, the two teams had struggled for 82 minutes and 40 seconds before reaching a decision - a 27-24 victory for the Dolphins. In the rematch, fullback Larry Csonka rushed for 118 yards, his seventh 100-yard plus game of his career, and scored a touchdown to lead Miami in the 1972 season opener. Marlin Briscoe, who had been acquired from Buffalo, scored the game's first touchdown on a 15-yard pass from Bob Griese. The game also introduced the famous "53" defense, which featured Bob Matheson, who wore No. 53. Garo Yepremian kicked field goals of 47 and 15 yards. 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL MIAMI 7 10 3 0 20 KANSAS CITY 0 0 3 7 10 SCORING SUMMARY MIA - TD, Briscoe 14 pass from Griese (Yepremian kick) MIA - FG, Yepremian 47 MIA - TD, Csonka 1 run (Yepremian kick) MIA - FG, Yepremian 15 KC - FG, Stenerud 40 KC - TD, Frazier 14 pass from Dawson (Stenerud kick) 2-0 The second game proved that Don Shula's use of a three-man alternating backfield could work. It also had Houston Oilers coach Bill Peterson scratching his head. "I don't think it's fair for a team to use 12 guys on offense," Peterson said. Larry Csonka, Mercury Morris and Jim Kiick combined for 228 of the team's 247 rushing yards and three touchdowns in the Dolphins' home opener. The trio's performance helped set a team record of 17 rushing first downs. Bob Griese added a rushing touchdown of 2 yards and a 6-yard scoring pass to Kiick to complete the scoring. 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL HOUSTON 0 0 13 0 13 MIAMI 13 7 7 7 34 SCORING SUMMARY MIA - TD, Kiick 1 run (Yepremian kick) MIA - TD, Morris 2 run (kick failed) MIA - TD, Csonka 4 run (Yepremian kick) MIA - TD, Griese 2 run (Yepremian kick) HOU - TD, Joiner 82 pass from Pastorini (kick failed) HOU - TD, Rodgers 1 run (Butler kick) MIA - TD, Kiick 6 pass from Griese (Yepremian kick) 3-0 The Dolphins' defense stood tall in this victory that left them as the only unbeaten team in the NFL. The defense sacked Vikings quarterback Fran Tarkenton five times, intercepted three passes and limited Minnesota's offense to 109 yards passing. Trailing 14-6 in the fourth quarter, the Dolphins rallied. First Garo Yepremian kicked a 51-yard field goal, the longest of his career at the time. Tight end Jim Mandich completed the comeback with a 3-yard touchdown reception from Bob Griese with 1:28 left. "We're the No-Name Defense, and we're proud of it," Nick Buoniconti said. "We love it that way. We don't want a nickname. I hope we never get one." 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL MIAMI 0 0 6 10 16 MINNESOTA 7 0 0 7 14 SCORING SUMMARY MIN - TD, Gilliam 56 pass from Tarkenton (Cox kick) MIA - FG, Yepremian 38 MIA - FG, Yepremian 42 MIN - TD, Brown 1 run (Cox kick) MIA - FG, Yepremian 51 MIA - TD, Mandich 3 pass from Griese (Yepremian kick) 4-0 The victory was a complete effort on both sides of the ball. Larry Csonka rushed for 102 yards on 18 carries, Bob Griese completed 15 of 27 passes for 220 yards, the defense had a goal-line stand and Garo Yepremian kicked two field goals. Howard Twilley stepped in for injured Otto Stowe, catching four passes for 62 yards and a touchdown. The Dolphins scored 17 straight points after trailing 7-0 in the first quarter. The turning point came with the Jets at the Dolphins' 1-yard line, first-and-goal. The defense stopped the Jets to force a field goal. "Any time you've got first down and six inches to go and have to settle for a field goal, you've got a problem," Joe Namath said. "It takes something out of you." 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL MIAMI 0 14 3 10 27 NY JETS 7 0 3 7 17 SCORING SUMMARY NYJ - TD, Rasmussen recovered fumble in end zone(Howfield kick) MIA - TD, Twilley 16 pass from Griese (Yepremian kick) MIA - TD, Kiick 6 run (Yepremian kick) MIA - FG, Yepremian 27 NYJ - FG, Howfield 18 MIA - TD, Kiick 3 run (Yepremian kick) NYJ - TD, Boozer 1 run (Howfield kick) MIA - FG, Yepremian 43 5-0 It was precisely 1:30 p.m. of Game 5, the 14th play of the first quarter and in a matter of a split second the entire season was to change for the Dolphins, Bob Griese and Earl Morrall. Griese broke a bone in his right ankle and also dislocated it. In stepped Morrall, a 38-year-old veteran who had been picked up on waivers from Baltimore. Morrall completed 8 of 10 passes for 86 yards and two touchdowns - 18 yards to Howard Twilley and 19 yards to Paul Warfield. Dick Anderson scored the go-ahead touchdown, returning a Mike Garrett fumble 35 yards. 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL SAN DIEGO 3 0 0 7 10 MIAMI 3 14 7 0 24 SCORING SUMMARY MIA - FG, Yepremian 37 SD - FG, Partee 12 MIA - TD, Anderson 35 fumble return (Yepremian kick) MIA - TD, Twilley 18 pass from Morrall (Yepremian kick) MIA - TD, Warfield 19 pass from Morrall (Yepremian kick) SD - TD, Edwards 3 pass from Hadl (McClard kick) 6-0 Fumbles, penalties and bizarre plays highlighted the Dolphins' sixth victory. Perhaps the most bizarre play turned the game around for the Dolphins. Defensive tackle Manny Fernandez, who had been in the hospital two days before the game with pneumonia, stole a handoff in the Buffalo backfield from quarterback Dennis Shaw on the second play of the second half. With the ball at the Buffalo 10-yard line, the Dolphins scored the go-ahead touchdown on a run by Larry Csonka. Miami added to the lead on a Garo Yepremian field goal. Leading 17-16, Earl Morrall engineered an 80-yard drive, capped by Mercury Morris' 15-yard touchdown run 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL BUFFALO 0 13 0 10 23 MIAMI 7 0 10 7 24 SCORING SUMMARY MIA - TD, Morris 5 run (Yepremian kick) BUF - FG, Leypoldt 35 BUF - TD, Lee 16 interception return (Leypoldt kick) BUF - FG, Leypoldt 34 MIA - TD, Csonka 10 run (Yepremian kick) MIA - FG, Yepremian 54 BUF - FG, Leypoldt 45 MIA - TD, Morris 15 run (Yepremian kick) BUF - TD, Baxton 6 pass from Taliaferro (Leypoldt kick) 7-0 Special teams, led by Curtis Johnson and Lloyd Mumphord, and another strong performance from Larry Csonka keyed the Dolphins' seventh win of the season. Miami scored on its opening possession, driving 80 yards with Csonka scoring from the 1. Ten additional points resulted from special teams. Johnson blocked a punt that was recovered by Larry Ball at the Colts' 25. Csonka, who finished with 93 yards, scored a touchdown from the 1. Mumphord slapped down a 54-yard field-goal attempt from Boris Shlapak. It resulted in a Yepremian 24-yard field goal and a 16-0 halftime lead. Morris scored on a 7-yard run in the third quarter to finish the scoring. 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL MIAMI 7 9 7 0 23 BALTIMORE 0 0 0 0 0 SCORING SUMMARY MIA - TD, Csonka 2 run (Yepremian kick) MIA - TD, Csonka 1 run (kick failed) MIA - FG, Yepremian 25 MIA - TD, Morris 7 run (Yepremian kick) 8-0 This time it was Mercury Morris' day to shine. The running back rushed for his second career 100-yard plus game, gaining 106 yards on 11 carries and scoring two touchdowns. He also added a reception for 26 yards. Adding to the scoring was Marv Fleming, on a 7-yard pass from Earl Morrall, and field goals of 33, 17 and 16 yards by Yepremian. The victory was the Dolphins' ninth straight over two seasons, breaking a club record. "It's going to be tough for them to get beat," Buffalo running back O.J. Simpson said. "I think they're the best team in football." 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH MIAMI 10 6 7 7 30 BUFFALO 6 7 3 0 16 SCORING SUMMARY MIA - FG, Yepremian 33 BUF - TD, Jackson 14 pass from Shaw (kick failed) MIA - TD, Morris 22 run (Yepremian kick) MIA - FG, Yepremian 17 MIA - FG, Yepremian 16 BUF - TD, Green 39 interception return (Leypoldt kick) MIA - TD, Fleming 7 pass from Morrall (Yepremian kick) BUF - FG, Leypoldt 28 MIA - TD, Morris 5 run (Yepremian kick) 9-0 Don Shula became the first coach in pro football to win 100 games in his first 10 seasons. The team also set club records with 52 points, 482 yards in total offense, 92 yards allowed rushing and a second shutout in the same season. The list of heroes in this game was long. There was Mercury Morris with 90 yards rushing and three touchdowns, Marlin Briscoe with touchdown receptions of 16 yards from Earl Morrall and 51 yards from reserve quarterback Jim Del Gaizo. Del Gaizo completed 4 of 6 passes for two touchdowns. Dick Anderson, Jake Scott and Charley Babb intercepted passes. 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH FINAL NEW ENGLAND 0 0 0 0 0 MIAMI 17 14 7 14 52 SCORING SUMMARY MIA - TD, Morris 4 run (Yepremian kick) MIA - TD, Morris 4 run (Yepremian kick) MIA - FG, Yepremian 16 MIA - TD, Csonka 3 run (Yepremian kick) MIA - TD, Morris 6 run (Yepremian kick) MIA - TD, Briscoe 16 pass from Morrall (Yepremian kick) MIA - TD, Briscoe 51 pass from Del Gaizo (Yepremian kick) MIA - TD, Mandich 39 pass from Del Gaizo (Yepremian kick) 10-0 The victory clinched the AFC East title. Several outstanding performances were needed in this one as the Dolphins trailed 17-7 in the second quarter. Earl Morrall passed for one touchdown and ran 31 yards for another. Dick Anderson had an interception and recovered a fumble that led to a pair of touchdowns and Mercury Morris, who scored two touchdowns, scored the game-winner on a 14-yard run with 11:11 remaining. Morris finished with 107 yards on 23 carries. "I think Miami is the best team in the league," Jets coach Weeb Ewbank said. "I think they will go undefeated. Who can beat them?" 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL NY JETS 7 10 7 0 24 MIAMI 7 7 7 7 28 SCORING SUMMARY MIA - TD, Twilley 9 pass from Morrall (Yepremian kick) NYJ - TD, Riggins 1 run (Howfield kick) NYJ - TD, Caster 29 pass from Namath (Howfield kick) NYJ - FG, Howfield 33 MIA - TD, Morris 1 run (Yepremian kick) MIA - TD, Morrall 31 run (Yepremian kick) NYJ - TD, Stewart 4 pass from Namath (Howfield kick) MIA - TD, Morris 14 run (Yepremian kick) 11-0 The victory, before a national television audience on Monday night, represented a milestone for the Dolphins, bringing the team to the .500 mark in its six-year history with a 46-46-3 record. It took the Minnesota Vikings 10 years and 10 games Vern Den Herder recorded two sacks to improve his season total to nine. Earl Morrall passed for 210 yards, including touchdown passes of 37 and 27 yards to Otto Stowe. Larry Csonka rushed for 114 yards on 16 carries, Jim Kiick added a touchdown and Garo Yepremian kicked two field goals. 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL ST. LOUIS 0 3 0 7 10 MIAMI 7 3 14 7 31 SCORING SUMMARY MIA - TD, Kiick 2 run (Yepremian kick) STL - FG, Bakken 49 MIA - FG, Yepremian 25 MIA - TD, Stowe 37 pass from Morrall (Yepremian kick) MIA - TD, Mumphord 28 interception return (Yepremian kick) STL - TD, Burns 2 run (Bakken kick) MIA - TD, Stowe 27 pass from Morrall (Yepremian kick) 12-0 It was another convincing offensive showing for the Dolphins. Mercury Morris rushed for 113 yards and Larry Csonka added another 91 as the team gained 501 yards. Csonka's total pushed him over 1,000 for the second consecutive season. Earl Morrall threw touchdown passes to Jim Mandich of 3 yards and 14 yards to Marlin Briscoe. The Dolphins led 13-7 at the half and outscored the Patriots 17-0 in the third quarter. 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL MIAMI 3 10 17 7 37 NEW ENGLAN 0 7 0 14 21 SCORING SUMMARY MIA - FG, Yepremian 36 MIA - FG, Yepremian 10 MIA - TD, Kiick 1 run (Yepremian kick) NE - TD, T. Reynolds 36 pass from Plunkett (S. Walker kick) MIA - TD, Mandich 3 pass from Morrall (Yepremian kick) MIA - FG, Yepremian 18 MIA - TD, Briscoe 14 pass from Morrall (Yepremian kick) MIA - TD, Ginn 8 run (Yepremian kick) MIA - TD, Morris 6 run (Yepremian kick) NE - TD, Tarver 8 pass from Dowling (S. Walker kick) NE - TD, Dowling 1 run (S. Walker kick) 13-0 Paul Warfield caught four passes for 132 yards, including a 66-yard touchdown reception to lead the Dolphins at Yankee Stadium. But it was far from a one-man performance. Jim Kiick gained 61 yards on 10 carries and 28 yards on four receptions. Mercury Morris gained 98 yards and scored on a 12-yard run. Garo Yepremian added field goals of 37, 31 and 16 yards. The defense was outstanding, forcing the Giants to give up the ball six times on the muddy field. "They're the best coached team we faced this year," Giants cornerback Willie Williams said. "If you make a mistake they stick it to you. And that's what they did." 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL MIAMI 10 7 0 6 23 NEW YORK GIANTS 6 7 0 0 13 SCORING SUMMARY NYG - TD, Johnson 1 run (kick failed) MIA - TD, Morris 12 run (Yepremian kick) MIA - FG, Yepremian 37 MIA - TD, Warfield 34 pass from Morrall (Yepremian kick) NYG - TD, Johnson 1 run (Oogolak kick) MIA - FG, Yepremian 31 MIA - FG, Yepremian 16 14-0 Led by center Jim Langer, guards Larry Little and Bob Kuechenberg, tackles Norm Evans, Doug Crusan and Wayne Moore and tight ends Marv Fleming and Jim Mandich, the Dolphins became the first team in NFL history with two 1,000-yard ground gainers in the same season. Larry Csonka finished with 1,117 and Mercury Morris with 1,000. Miami also broke the 1936 Detroit Lions' record for most rushing yards in a season with 2,960. The points came from Garo Yepremian field goals of 40, 50 and 35 yards and a Earl Morrall touchdown pass to Paul Warfield 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL BALTIMORE 0 0 0 0 0 MIAMI 3 7 3 3 16 SCORING SUMMARY MIA - FG, Yepremian 40 MIA - TD, Warfield 14 pass from Morrall (Yepremian kick) MIA - FG, Yepremian 50 MIA - FG, Yepremian 35 15-0 The Dolphins trailed in the fourth quarter for the first time since Game 3. Cleveland's Mike Phipps hit Fair Hooker with a 27-yard touchdown pass to give the Browns a 14-13 lead with 8:11 remaining. Miami drove 80 yards on six plays with Jim Kiick carrying the ball the final 8 yards for the winning touchdown. "We had to score to win and our team got the ball with 80 yards to go and got the touchdown," coach Don Shula said. "It's an example of the way our football team has responded all season." Doug Swift ended a Browns comeback bid with an interception with 1:15 to play, deep in Dolphins territory. 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL CLEVELAND 0 0 7 7 14 MIAMI 10 0 0 10 20 SCORING SUMMARY MIA - TD, Babb 7 blocked punt return (Yepremian kick) MIA - FG, Yepremian 40 CLE - TD, Phipps 5 run (Cockroft kick) MIA - FG, Yepremian 46 CLE - TD, Hooker 27 pass from Phipps (Cockroft kick) MIA - TD, Kiick 8 run (Yepremian kick) 16-0 At halftime of the AFC Championship Game, coach Don Shula turned to Bob Griese and asked if he was ready to play. Griese responded, "Yeah, I'm ready." Trailing 10-7 with 10:50 to play in the third quarter, Griese directed the offense on an 80-yard drive for the go-ahead touchdown. Jim Kiick scored from 2 yards out. After a blocked field goal by Maulty Moore, the Dolphins' next possession began at the Steelers' 49. kiick scored again from 3 yards for the clincher. The Steelers added a late touchdown on Terry Bradshaw's 12-yard pass to Al Young. 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL MIAMI 0 7 7 7 21 PITTSBURGH 7 0 3 7 17 SCORING SUMMARY PIT - TD, Mullins fumble recovery in end zone (Gerela kick) MIA - TD, Csonka 9 pass from Morrall (Yepremian kick) PIT - FG, Gerela 14 MIA - TD, Kiick 2 run (Yepremian kick) MIA - TD, Kiick 3 run (Yepremian kick) PIT - TD, Young 12 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick) 17-0! The heroes were many - Bob Griese went 6 for 6 in the first half, including a 28-yard touchdown pass to Howard Twilley; Nick Buoniconti intercepted a pass that led to the Dolphins' second score, a 1-yard run by Jim Kiick; Manny Fernandez made 11 unassisted tackles and assisted on six others; and Larry Csonka rushed for 112 yards. But it was Jake Scott who was named Most Valuable Player after intercepting two passes. With the Dolphins leading 14-0, Garo Yepremian's 42-yard field-goal attempt was blocked by Bill Brundige. Yepremian picked up the ball and tried to pass, but it fell to the ground. Mike Bass returned it 49 yards for a touchdown. The Dolphins' defense stiffened and the perfect season was intact at 17-0. "We had all our eggs in one basket," coach Don Shula said. "If we had lost, everything we worked for would have been destroyed. Sixteen and one - you have critics. Seventeen and zero - there's no doubt." 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL MIAMI 7 7 0 0 14 WASHINGTON 0 0 0 7 7 SCORING SUMMARY MIA - TD, Twilley 28 pass from Griese (Yepremian kick) MIA - TD, Kiick 1 run (Yepremian kick) WAS - TD, Bass 49 interception return (Knight kick) 1972 Individual Season Statistics Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD Csonka 213 1117 5.2 45 6 Morris 190 1000 5.3 33 12 Kiick 137 521 3.8 26 5 Ginn 27 142 5.3 22 1 Leigh 21 79 3.8 10 0 Morrall 17 67 4.0 31 1 Warfield 4 23 5.8 21 0 Griese 3 11 3.7 5 1 Del Gaizo 1 0 0 0 0 Team 613 2960 4.8 45 26 Receiving No Yards Avg Long TD Warfield 29 606 20.9 47 3 Kiick 21 147 7.0 15 1 Twilley 20 364 18.2 44 3 Briscoe 16 279 17.4 51 4 Morris 15 168 11.2 34 0 Stowe 13 276 21.2 49 2 Fleming 13 156 12.0 31 1 Mandich 11 168 15.3 39 3 Csonka 5 48 9.6 14 0 Den Herder 1 24 24.0 24 0 Ginn 1 23 23.0 23 0 Team 145 2259 15.6 51 17 Passing Att Comp Pct Yards TD Long Int Rating Morrall 150 83 55.3 1360 11 49 7 90.97 Griese 97 53 54.6 638 4 39 4 71.59 Del Gaizo 9 5 55.6 165 2 51 1 100.46 Briscoe 3 3 100.0 72 0 26 0 118.75 Team 259 144 55.6 2235 17 51 12 86.94 Interceptions No Yards Long TD Scott 5 73 31 0 Mumphord 4 50 28 1 Anderson 3 34 22 0 Foley 3 25 15 0 Johnson 3 20 13 0 Swift 3 5 4 0 Buoniconti 2 17 10 0 Babb 1 24 24 0 Team 24 248 31 1 Scoring TD TD TD TD XP XPA FG FGA Points R PRB Yepremian 0 0 0 0 43 45 24 37 115 Morris 12 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 72 Csonka 6 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 36 Kiick 6 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 36 Briscoe 4 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 24 Mandich 3 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 18 Twilley 3 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 18 Warfield 3 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 18 Stowe 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 12 Anderson 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 6 Fleming 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 6 Ginn 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 Griese 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 Morrall 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 Mumphord 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 6 Team 45 26 16 1 43 45 24 37 Roster # Name Position 1 Yepremian, Garo K 7 Lothridge, Billy P 11 Del Gaizo, Jim QB 12 Greise, Bob QB 13 Scott, Jake S 15 Morrall, Earl QB 20 Seiple, Larry P/TE 21 Kiick, Jim RB 22 Morris, Mercury RB 23 Leigh, Charles RB 25 Foley, Tim CB 26 Mumphord, Lloyd CB 28 Jenkins, Ed RB 32 Ginn, Hubert RB 39 Csonka, Larry RB 40 Anderson, Dick S 42 Warfield, Paul WR 43 Howell, Mike S 45 Johnson, Curtis CB 48 Stuckey, Henry CB 49 Babb, Charles S 51 Ball, Larry LB 53 Matheson, Bob LB 54 Kindig, Howard C-T 56 Powell, Jesse LB 57 Kolen, Mike LB 59 Swift, Doug LB 60 Jenkins, Al G-T 62 Langer, Jim C 65 Moore, Maulty DT 66 Little, Larry G 67 Kuechenberg, Bob G 68 Kadish, Mike DT 70 Riley, Jim DE 72 Heinz, Bob DE 73 Evans, Norm T 75 Fernandez, Manny DT 77 Cruzan, Doug T 78 Dunaway, Jim DT 79 Moore, Wayne T 80 Fleming, Marv TE 81 Twilley, Howard WR 82 Stowe, Otto WR 83 Den Herder, Vern DE 84 Stanfill, Bill DE 85 Buonticonti, Nick LB 86 Briscoe, Marlin WR 88 Mandich, Jim TE 89 Noonan, Karl WR |
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