Dec 24, 2007 - 05:33:39 CST
I remember the 1972 Miami Dolphins.I remember watching that team put together a 14-0 regular season, and then put the finishing touches on a 17-0 campaign with three postseason victories.
That team was the first to go through an entire season without losing a single game. It's still the only one to have accomplished that feat. But the way things are looking now, it won't be alone come February. The 2007 New England Patriots improved to 15-0 on Sunday, defeating a much, much weaker Dolphins edition. A victory over the New York Giants this Sunday would cap off the first unbeaten regular season since 1972. I'm not into "guarantees" like some are, but I don't see the Giants getting in the way of history. The Giants have a winning record, but they're also a team that has been plagued by inconsistency, has injury problems galore, and quarterback Eli Manning ain't no Peyton Manning. Not even close.
The Patriots, on the other hand, have been the model of consistency, have no significant injuries, and Tom Brady is the best quarterback in the NFL.
Can the Patriots keep it going in the playoffs? Time will tell. I hate to use a cliche, but anything can happen in the postseason.
Yet if any team can close it out, it's the Patriots. If they can, it would mean that NFL fans like me will have the privilege of watching the only two undefeated teams in the near 80-year history of the league. That's something special.
If you ask me which team I like most, it's the 1972 Dolphins. No, it isn't because of SpyGate, or New England coach Bill Belichick's arrogance, or the fact that the Patriots have run up the score on teams from time to time. It's because the Dolphins of yesteryear got it done the old-fashioned way.
That Miami team may have been one of the greatest teams in NFL history, but it was also one of the most boring teams. Boring, perhaps, to those who enjoy the pass-happy era of today. Unlike New England, which has thrown the football 60 percent of the time, the 1972 Dolphins relied heavily on their running game. They ran the football an astounding 70 percent of the time. They totaled 613 rushes and 2,960 yards in 14 games. That's 44 rushes and 211 yards per outing. The current Patriots average 24 rushes and 96 yards.
The Dolphins were the first team to produce a pair of 1,000-yard rushers in the same season - a bull moose named Larry Csonka (1,117 yards) and speedy scatback Mercury Morris (1,000). Jim Kick added 521.
Now let's discuss the Dolphins' passing game. Bob Griese, who missed part of the season because of an injury, and veteran Earl Morrell shared the snaps and didn't go to the air all that often. They combined for 259 attempts and 144 completions - 18 and 10 per game, respectively. They also averaged 148 yards per game. Geez, that's about a half's worth for most of today's quarterbacks.
And get this. The leading receiver for the Dolphins that season was Paul Warfield, who grabbed 29 passes. Randy Moss needs about three games to get that many.
Miami's smashmouth offense had a smashmouth defense that allowed only 171 points - 12.2 per game.
A solid running game and a shutdown defense. Now that's football. I'll take physical over finesse any day.
The 1972 Dolphins were by no means a dominant 17-0. They had close calls with Minnesota (16-14) in Week 3, Buffalo (24-23) in Week 6, and the New York Jets (28-24) in Week 10. They also squeaked by Cleveland 20-14, Pittsburgh 21-17 and Washington 14-7 (Super Bowl) in the postseason.
New England started out a dominant 8-0 (winning by an average of 26 points), but has had some close calls the last seven weeks. But like the 1972 Dolphins, the Patriots are finding ways to get it done. They appear to have the knack, which is why chances look good for a 19-0 season.
Time will tell, though. Anything can happen in the postseason.
(Michael Weber is a Tribune sportswriter)
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