Miami Dolphins: The Path to Perfection
Path to Perfection by Michael Morrison In 1972, the Miami Dolphins completed what no other NFL team had — a perfect season. The Dolphins won all 14 of their regular season games, then disposed of playoff opponents Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and finally Washington (in Super Bowl VII) to finish with a 17-0 record.
On December 6, the defending-champion Broncos ran their record to 13-0 for this season, joining the '72 Dolphins and the 1934 Chicago Bears as the only teams to open the year with 13 consecutive wins. It wasn't easy, though: the team that had trailed in only three games this season —never by more than six points— found itself losing to the Kansas City Chiefs by 14 early on, and then 31-21 in the fourth quarter. But Broncos QB John Elway kept their hopes for perfection alive. "Captain Comeback" threw for 400 yards that day, and a touchdown pass to tight end Shannon Sharpe with 3:34 remaining lifted Denver to a 35-31 victory. That was the Broncos' 18th consecutive win (including playoff games) since their 34-17 loss to San Francisco on December 15, 1997. It tied a record for consecutive wins shared by the 1989-90 49ers, the '72 Dolphins, and the '33-34 and '41-42 Bears. With a win this week over the 5-8 New York Giants, Denver could set a new mark. Ironically, it was the Giants that ended the Bears' 1934 streak. |
