There was nationwide interest, sure, in Miami’s quest for the first unbeaten season in NFL history, just as there is today for the rampaging Patriots. But the Dolphins never had the respect that New England has today.
If you don’t believe that, check out this little nugget: Despite entering the Super Bowl with a 16-0 record, the ’72 Dolphins were the UNDERDOGS against the 13-3 Washington Redskins.
Here’s a comparison of the ’72 Dolphins and the ’07 Pats. If they wind up side by side in the record book as the league’s only undefeated teams, their differences will be much greater than the mere fact the New England will have played two more games.
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It’s a contrast in styles – to say the least. The Dolphins became the first team in NFL history with two 1,000-yard rushers – bruising fullback Larry Csonka and elusive halfback Mercury Morris. Both averaged more than five yards a carry. Versatile Jim Kiick added more than 500 yards to the league’s top rushing offense. But thanks to an injury to quarterback Bob Griese in Week 5 – he was ably replaced by veteran Earl Morrall – the Dolphins didn’t feature much passing.
Receivers Paul Warfield and Howard Twilley were dangerous, but compared to the Patriots’ fleet of pass-catchers, the Dolphins’ duo hardly measure up. There’s Randy Moss, a touchdown machine who is No. 4 in the league in receptions. There’s Wes Welker, a possession receiver personified, who is second in receptions – in the entire league. Then there’s Donte Stallworth, explosive on short or long patterns, and Jabar Gaffney, who makes you pay if you forget he’s around.
Oh and did we mention New England’s quarterback? Guy by the name of Tom Brady? You may have seen him play, between Peyton Manning commercials. Brady is on pace to break Manning’s single-season record for touchdowns and completes nearly 70 percent of his passes behind a fiercely protective offensive line. No wonder the Pats lead the league by scoring 37.4 ppg and their margin of victory is off the charts.
Edge: Patriots"; spt_Pats_vs_72_Dolphins[i++] = new Array("","Defense","","","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_Pats_vs_72_Dolphins[i-1].body = "Defense
There was an awful lot of attention paid to that Dolphins’ unit.
It led the league by allowing only 12.2 points per game and shut out the Redskins in the Super Bowl until Garo Yepremian’s comical antics with the football after a botched late-game field goal allowed Washington to score a fluke touchdown. Ironic, considering the unit was nicknamed the “No-Name Defense.”
Some of them became household names that season, especially middle linebacker Nick Buoniconti, defensive linemen Manny Fernandez and Bill Stanfill and safeties Jake Scott and Tim Foley.
These Patriots are no slouches on defense, though it’s a lot easier to take chances when you know your offense can score at any time from any where on the field.
Still, take no credit away from Bill Belichick’s masterful schemes, which work even when studs like Richard Seymour, Adalius Thomas and Rodney Harrison are out with injuries. Veteran linebackers Mike Vrabel and Tedy Bruschi are the heart and soul of the league’s fourth-stingiest defense, one that allows only 16.6 points per game.
Edge: Dolphins"; spt_Pats_vs_72_Dolphins[i++] = new Array("","Playmakers","Randy Moss","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "227", "198", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_Pats_vs_72_Dolphins[i-1].body = "Playmakers
Thanks to the impeccable Mr. Brady, everyone involved in the Patriots’ passing offense can be labeled playmakers because Tom the Bomb has given them all opportunities to make big plays.
A highlight DVD of the catches, runs and touchdowns of receivers Moss, Welker, Stallworth, Gaffney and even tight end Ben Coates would have to be a two-disc set. Running back Laurence Maroney is dangerous, too, because you can’t concentrate on him. Several hard-hitters on defense can turn around a game and kick returner Ellis Hobbs is one of the league’s best.
The Dolphins’ drives generally took too long for them to rack up the points the Patriots do, but Paul Warfield was a definite deep threat at receiver and Mercury Morris didn’t get his nickname because he was shaped like a thermometer. He could fly. Defensively, the Dolphins’ linebackers and secondary were disruptive playmakers for a group that led the league in recovered fumbles.
Edge: Patriots"; spt_Pats_vs_72_Dolphins[i++] = new Array("","Special teams","","","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "Gail Burton", "AP", "227", "198", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_Pats_vs_72_Dolphins[i-1].body = "Special teams
Miami’s Cypriot tie-maker of a place kicker, Garo Yepremian, wrote himself into Super Bowl lore forever.
He lined up for a late-game field goal that would have given the Dolphins a commanding 17-0 lead. But the kick was blocked, bounced back to Yepremian, who tried a laughable pass while on the run that slipped out of his arms into those of Washington defensive back Mike Bass who returned it 49 yards for a touchdown that made it 14-7, a final score as deceiving as any in the history of the Super Bowl.
Comedy aside, Yepremian’s accuracy couldn’t compare with the Patriots’ Stephen Gostowski -- no Adam Vinatieri – who has been solid throughout the season. Both punters, Miami’s Larry Seiple and New England’s Chris Hanson are dependable though not very busy. Ellis Hobbs gives the Patriots yet another dimension of fear on kickoff returns.
Edge: Patriots";
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This is the one place where the teams are closest in style.
Miami’s legendary Don Shula was a tough, no-nonsense disciplinarian who loved defense (until he coached Dan Marino in his later years). The NFL’s all-time winningest coach was only in his third season in Miami but his work ethic and emphasis on fundamentals was already well documented.
He was hardly a reporter’s dream, but was far less confrontational and more forthcoming than Bill Belichick, who is a master of evasion and brevity in his daily sessions with the media.
Belichick is another guru of defense and master of schemes who cut his NFL career by breaking down more film than Ebert ever has with either partner. Belichick, even if he doesn’t win Super Bowl No. 4 this season, will join Shula in Canton when he hangs up his gray sweatshirt for good.
Edge: Even"; spt_Pats_vs_72_Dolphins[i++] = new Array("","Schedule","","","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_Pats_vs_72_Dolphins[i-1].body = "Schedule
An NFL-style BCS would not reward the Dolphins based on strength of schedule. The AFC East was the AFC Least that season: Behind the Dolphins (14-0 in the regular season) came the Jets (7-7), Baltimore Colts (5-9), Bills (4-9-1) and Patriots (3-11). That’s eight easy wins right there (although Buffalo, 24-23, and New York, 28-24, provided tough tests). Only the Chiefs and Giants (both 8-6) had winning records among the Dolphins’ regular-season opponents.
The playoffs were a different story. Miami had to tough it out in victories of the Steelers, 13-7, and Browns, 20-14. The Redskins were 11-3 and could not move on offense at all in the Super Bowl.
And while the 2007 AFC East includes the Dolphins and the Jets, only showing life lately, the Pats have beaten legitimate big-time teams like the NFC Cowboys and AFC Chargers, Colts and Steelers. A playoff run that might include one of the latter three plus a potential Super Bowl date against Dallas or Green Bay would further legitimize the Patriots’ greatness.
Edge: Patriots"; spt_Pats_vs_72_Dolphins[i++] = new Array("","Then, now","","","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_Pats_vs_72_Dolphins[i-1].body = "Then, now
Is the NFL better now or then? Given that it’s always difficult to compare eras, we don’t pretend this is an easy question.
The game is more wide open today and favors a passing offense with its limitations on the contact allowed to wide receivers and quarterbacks. The Dolphins flourished with grinding ground game and a gritty defense. The Patriots thrive on a wide-open pass-happy offense and a tough, smart defense.
Both methods are laudable. Players are bigger, stronger and faster today but that’s not to say the Dolphins of ’72 couldn’t compete in today’s NFL. The ’72 Dolphins wouldn’t be winning games in ’07 by a margin of 30 points very often, but it’s fair to assume the Patriots might not score as many points against those tough teams of the early ‘70s. The bad teams of today might be worse than the bad teams of ’72 and, proportionately, there may be just as many.
But today’s AFC is deeper and stronger than the AFC of ’72 and the NFC dynamic duo of Dallas and Green Bay is superior to the best of the NFC in ’72. One thing you can be sure of: No matter who the Patriots face in the Super Bowl (presuming they get there), they will be the favored team.
Edge: Patriots"; spt_Pats_vs_72_Dolphins[i++] = new Array("http://msnbc.msn.com/id/22288526","Game results","","","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); spt_Pats_vs_72_Dolphins[i++] = new Array("spt_1211_72dolphins_pats","Vote","","","","", "lv", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); // END editorial data