Miami Dolphins Running backs Mercury Morris Jim Kiick and Larry Csonka FANTASTIC FINS AND GARO’S GAFFE The Miami Dolphins began the 1972 National Football League NFL season in Kansas City They defeated the Chiefs 20 10 It was a good start to the season But no one predicted what was to come The Fins won their next 13 games That meant they went undefeated undefeated in the regular season It wasn’t always easy They won three games by four points or fewer Their playoff games weren’t easy either They beat the Cleveland Browns by a touchdown Then they traveled to Pittsburgh They edged out the Steelers 21 17 That win brought them to Super Bowl VII They faced the Washington Redskins Despite being undefeated Miami was 9
Miami Dolphins a slight underdog Many people felt that its schedule had been too easy Most of Miami’s opponents finished with losing seasons Miami wasn’t a stranger to the big game The previous year it had faced the Dallas Cowboys in the Super Bowl But it lost 24 3 Coach Don Shula used that humiliation as a rallying cry He had the team watch the recording of the game multiple times What I stressed in the locker room was that we wanted to make sure that this never happened again he said Our goal was not to get to the Super Bowl but to win the Super Bowl For most of Super Bowl VII it seemed like the Dolphins would reach their goal Quarterback Bob Griese threw a 28-yard touchdown pass at the end of the first quarter Running back Jim Kiick scored again with 18 seconds left in the first half The Dolphins No-Name Defense was tough It looked like the team’s 14-point lead would hold up Near the end of the game Miami lined up for a field goal Shula thought a 17 0 score would be a great ending to a 17 0 season But the snap was low Washington left Quarterbacks Bob Griese and Earl Morrall 10
Miami Dolphins Bob Griese Quarterback Dolphins seasons 1967 80 Height 6-foot-1 Weight 190 pounds GRIDIRON GREATS THINK THEN ACT Bob Griese was known as the thinking man’s quarterback He possessed strong leadership skills He stayed calm under pressure He was also the first quarterback to wear glasses during games But it wasn’t just Griese’s eyewear that set him apart from other quarterbacks of his era His all-out effort and knack for calling the right play at the right time would earn him a place in the NFL Hall of Fame As long as the Dolphins won Griese didn’t care how they did it He got as much of a thrill calling the right running play for a touchdown as he did connecting on a bomb said coach Don Shula 11
