Don Shula’s passing brings back memories of the ’72 Dolphins.
How good were those Dolphins? To answer, let’s compare their performance to other teams.
Let’s start by comparing the ’72 Dolphins to the ’75 Vikings. Some analysts feel that the ’75 Vikings are the best-ever. After ten games, Minnesota’s record was 10-0, and it looked like the team would end up undefeated just like the ’72 Dolphins.
Courtesy: The great Don Shula
Let’s look at the numbers. The Vikings’ first ten opponents had a dismal, combined record of 38-102. Their last five opponents (including one playoff game) had a combined 37-33 record, but the Vikings lost three of those final five games, including a first-round playoff game. The Dolphins, on the other hand, won all five of their last games against teams with a combined record (including playoffs) of 48-25.
Now let’s turn to the ’75 LA Rams. The Rams finished the season with a 13-3 record (including post-season), but they faced only five teams with winning records. The Rams feasted on weak opponents by going 11-1 against teams with a combined 43-111 record. But they were only 3-2 against teams with winning records, including a humiliating 37-7 loss to the Cowboys in the NFC Championship.
There’s something else about that 72 Miami team that doesn’t get mentioned much. The team clinched the division title with a Week Ten win against the NY Jets. Let’s face it: the Dolphins could have coasted the rest of the way. They didn’t. They kept playing hard, outscoring the last four opponents, 107-44. And, oh, by the way, what was their reward for finishing the regular season 14-0? They had to play the AFC Championship game on the road!
Some analysts still say that the ’72 Dolphins are overrated. Well, one thing can’t be disputed: in the century-long existence of the NFL, the 1972 Miami Dolphins are the only team to have a perfect season.
