Dolphins' 1972 Path to Victory The Dolphins were led by legendary head coach Don Shula. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Monday, June 29, 4:48PM. While it's true that they could only play who was scheduled, it's also true that with an opponents' winning percentage of .396, the Dolphins' schedule was one of the easiest since 1950. Some of you may be thinking, "How can any team but the '72 Dolphins be the best team ever? With Bob Griese at quarterback and Larry Csonka at fullback, the Dolphins opened the season with high expectations, although the path to victory was not always smooth and the games were often not decided until the fourth quarter. The Dolphins led the league in this most important category, averaging 8.63 yards per pass attempt. All rights reserved. Actually, those are very good points in favor of the 1972 Dolphins. Join our linker program. They certainly weren't a flashy offensive team (in the Super Bowl they attempted 13 passes while running the ball 37 times) and their defense was more efficient than intimidating. Do you have a sports website? We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Even though the TV networks still haven't figured this out, average yards per pass attempt is the most important passing statistic. The league average was 6.82. Copyright © 2000-2020 Sports Reference LLC. I also think this team suffers from a bit of an image problem. Some of you may know that the '72 Dolphins were the first team to have two players with at least 1,000 yards rushing -- Larry Csonka (1,117) and Eugene "Mercury" Morris (1,000). Kiick's total would have led three NFL teams in rushing that year including NFC West champ San Francisco. While it is true that the Dolphins did not throw the ball that much, it is true that their passing game was productive. Basically, 99 percent of the teams since 1950 had a more difficult season schedule than the 1972 Dolphins. Schedules prior to the 1994-95 season may be missing games vs. non-Division I opponents. Editor's note: Our series on the greatest NFL teams of all time continues with its fifth installment and a look at the 1972 Dolphins. He is the co-author, along with ESPN.com's Rob Neyer, of "Baseball Dynasties: The Greatest Teams of All Time." Sat, Dec 9, 1972: REG @ Duquesne: Ind: L: 73: 82: 2: 1: L 1: Mellon Arena: 4: Sat, Dec 16, 1972: REG @ Saint Peter's: Ind: W: 96: 89: 3: 1: W 1: 5: Tue, Dec 19, 1972: REG: N: Oral Roberts (16) Ind: W: 92: 89: 4: 1: W 2: 6: Wed, Dec 20, 1972: REG: N: Cal State Long Beach (6) PCAA: L: 70: 97: 4: 2: L 1: 7: Sat, Dec 23, 1972: REG: Furman: Southern: W: 86: 66: 5: 2: W 1: Jacksonville Memorial Coliseum: 8: Tue, Dec 26, … I also think this team suffers from a bit of an image problem. The greatest team ever will be revealed on Tuesday, May 15. That is a very easy schedule. Lost Mideast First Round (77-75) versus Austin Peay.