The 1972 Miami Dolphins season was the franchise's seventh season and third in the National Football League (NFL). The team was led by third-year head coach Don Shula and achieved the only perfect season in NFL history (and only the second perfect season in professional football history after the 1948 Cleveland Browns). It also led the league in both points scored and fewest points allowed.
Starting quarterback Bob Griese broke his ankle in week 5, leaving backup Earl Morrall to start the remainder of the regular season, though Griese relieved Morrall in the second half of the AFC Championship Game and started Super Bowl VII. Morrall, a 38-year-old who spent much of his career backing up stars including Johnny Unitas, was named MVP in 1968 under Shula when the pair led the Baltimore Colts to the NFL championship. The Dolphins clinched the AFC East title in week 10 with Morrall at quarterback.100 Things Dolphins Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die, Armando Salguero, Triumph Books, Chicago, 2020, ISBN 978-1-62937-722-3, p. 4 None of their regular season opponents advanced to the eight-team postseason; three had made the previous postseason (Kansas City, Minnesota, Baltimore).
Running backs Larry Csonka and Mercury Morris became the first teammates to each rush for 1,000 yards in a season. Paul Warfield led the team in receptions and receiving yards, and Marlin Briscoe led the team in receiving touchdowns. The offensive line included future Hall of Famers Jim Langer and Larry Little.100 Things Dolphins Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die, Armando Salguero, Triumph Books, Chicago, 2020, ISBN 978-1-62937-722-3, p. 70
The Dolphins' early-1970s defensive unit was termed the "No-Name Defense" by Dallas Cowboys head coach Tom Landry, given its lack of high-profile players (the unit's only Hall of Famer, linebacker Nick Buoniconti, achieved much of his success with the Boston Patriots in the 1960s and was not inducted until 2001). The defense was led by Buoniconti, end Bill Stanfill, tackle Manny Fernandez, and safeties Dick Anderson and Jake 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 named first-team All-Pro.
The Dolphins went 14–0 in the regular season, the best record in the league by three games, and won all three postseason games to finish 17–0. Three other teams, the Chicago Bears in 1934 and 1942 and the New England Patriots in 2007, reached the NFL's title game undefeated and untied, but all three lost the championship. Four other teams, the Akron Pros in 1920, the Canton Bulldogs in 1922 and 1923, and the Green Bay Packers in 1929, won the NFL championship with an undefeated record, but all recorded at least one tie. The 1985 Chicago Bears' bid for an undefeated season was snapped by the Dolphins in their game 13 Monday Night Football meeting. 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, President Barack Obama hosted the surviving members of the 1972 Dolphins, noting they "never got their White House visit." Fifty years later, on October 23, 2022, the 1972 Dolphins were honored at halftime during a Sunday Night Football game featuring the Miami Dolphins and Pittsburgh Steelers, the same matchup that occurred for the 1972 AFC 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.
The 1972 Dolphins ranked number 1 on the 100 greatest teams of all time by the NFL on its 100th anniversary.
Background The Miami Dolphins franchise was founded in 1966 under head coach George Wilson. Wilson led the Dolphins to just fifteen wins in four seasons before being fired and replaced by Baltimore Colts head coach Don Shula. Despite his poor record, many of Wilson's player acquisitions contributed to the Dolphins' success in the early 1970s. The team drafted quarterback Bob Griese in 1967, fullback Larry Csonka in 1968, and defensive end Bill Stanfill and running back Mercury Morris in 1969. Wilson also signed Manny Fernandez and traded for Nick Buoniconti, Larry Little, and Paul Warfield. Wilson was initially resentful of the Dolphins' success, believing his firing was premature and Shula had inherited a "ready-made team". However, tension between Wilson and Shula lessened after the team won Super Bowl VII, and Wilson congratulated Shula and invited him to play at his golf course.
After accepting the job in Miami, Shula hired Howard 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, and Mike Scarry as defensive line coach, and retained defensive backs coach Tom Keane from Wilson's staff; each of these coaches remained with the team through 1972. In the 1970 draft and ensuing free agency period, Shula added cornerback Tim Foley, safety Jake Scott, guard Bob Kuechenberg, and future Hall of Fame center Jim Langer. In Shula's first season, the Dolphins went 10–4 and reached the playoffs for the first time. Miami returned to the playoffs in 1971 and defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in the longest game in NFL history to secure the franchise's first playoff victory. The Dolphins shut out the Baltimore Colts, Shula's former team, to reach Super Bowl VI, where they lost 24–3 to Dallas.
Off-season
NFL draft
Staff
Roster
Preseason Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue 1 at Detroit Lions L 23–31 0–1 Tiger Stadium 2 Green Bay Packers L 13–14 0–2 Miami Orange Bowl 3 at Cincinnati Bengals W 35–17 1–2 Riverfront Stadium 4 Atlanta Falcons W 24–10 2–2 Miami Orange Bowl 5 at Washington Redskins L 24–27 2–3 Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium 6 September 10 Minnesota Vikings W 21–19 3–3 Miami Orange Bowl
Regular season Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap 1 September 17 at Kansas City Chiefs W 20–10 1–0 Arrowhead Stadium Recap 2 September 24 Houston Oilers W 34–13 2–0 Miami Orange Bowl Recap 3 October 1 at Minnesota Vikings W 16–14 3–0 Metropolitan Stadium Recap 4 October 8 at New York Jets W 27–17 4–0 Shea Stadium Recap 5 October 15 San Diego Chargers W 24–10 5–0 Miami Orange Bowl Recap 6 October 22 Buffalo Bills W 24–23 6–0 Miami Orange Bowl Recap 7 October 29 at Baltimore Colts W 23–0 7–0 Memorial Stadium Recap 8 November 5 at Buffalo Bills W 30–16 8–0 War Memorial Stadium Recap 9 November 12 New England Patriots W 52–0 9–0 Miami Orange Bowl Recap 10 November 19 New York Jets W 28–24 10–0 Miami Orange Bowl Recap 11 St. Louis Cardinals W 31–10 11–0 Miami Orange Bowl Recap 12 December 3 at New England Patriots W 37–21 12–0 Schaefer Stadium Recap 13 December 10 at New York Giants W 23–13 13–0 Yankee Stadium Recap 14 Baltimore Colts W 16–0 14–0 Miami Orange Bowl Recap Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries
Week 1: at Kansas City Chiefs
The Dolphins opened the season against the Chiefs in the first regular season game at Arrowhead Stadium. In the Divisional Round the year prior, Miami defeated Kansas City at Kansas City Municipal Stadium in double overtime, the longest game in NFL history.
On the Chiefs' first drive, Miami safety Dick Anderson recovered an Ed Podolak fumble, leading to a seven-play, 57-yard drive capped by a 14-yard touchdown from Bob Griese to Marlin Briscoe. Lloyd Mumphord blocked a Jan Stenerud field goal attempt on Kansas City's ensuing drive. Late in the second quarter, the Dolphins scored twice in quick succession – a 47-yard Garo Yepremian field goal and a two-yard Larry Csonka run following an interception by Jake Scott. The Chiefs did not score until a 40-yard field goal by Stenerud late in the third quarter, and a touchdown from Len Dawson to Willie Frazier was the only score of the fourth quarter as Miami won 20–10.
Week 2: vs. Houston Oilers
The Orange Bowl's new Poly-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 a Hoyle Granger fumble to Houston's one-yard line to set up a Jim Kiick touchdown. Minutes later, Houston quarterback Dan Pastorini muffed the ball in punt formation; the Dolphins recovered again and Mercury 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-yard Paul 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.
A nine-play, 76-yard drive to open the second half pushed Miami further ahead. A long Charlie 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 a Tim Foley interception sealed a 34–13 Dolphins victory.
Week 3: at Minnesota Vikings
The first-ever meeting between the Dolphins and Vikings began with a long first-quarter touchdown from Fran Tarkenton to John Gilliam; Minnesota held this 7–0 lead into halftime. 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.
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 to Jim Mandich set up another 51-yard Yepremian field goal. 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.100 Things Dolphins Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die, Armando Salguero, Triumph Books, Chicago, 2020, ISBN 978-1-62937-722-3, p. 3
Week 4: at New York Jets
The Jets received the opening kickoff and quickly marched 65 yards downfield, taking a 7–0 lead when a Cliff McClain fumble was recovered by guard Randy Rasmussen in the end zone. New York maintained this advantage until early in the second quarter when a 16-yard touchdown pass from Bob Griese to Howard Twilley tied the game. A six-yard Jim Kiick touchdown run gave Miami a 14–7 lead just before halftime.
A field goal early in the third quarter increased Miami's lead to ten points. On New York's subsequent drive, Joe Namath found Jerome 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-yard Bobby Howfield field goal, cutting the lead to 17–10. Early in the fourth quarter, Miami capitalized on a long pass interference penalty against Steve 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.
Week 5: vs. San Diego Chargers