On This Day in Sports: January 14, 1973
On January 14, 1973, the Miami Dolphins defeated Washington 14–7 in Super Bowl VII and completed the only perfect regular season and postseason in modern NFL history. Miami entered the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum with sixteen straight victories: fourteen in the regular season and two in the playoffs. Coach Don Shula’s team had reached the previous Super Bowl and lost to Dallas, so perfection did not erase the pressure to finish. Washington, coached by George Allen, arrived with a veteran defense and had allowed the fewest points in the NFC. The championship became a controlled defensive contest rather than the showcase of Miami’s record-setting rushing attack that many expected.
Miami scored first when quarterback Bob Griese found receiver Howard Twilley for a 28-yard touchdown in the opening quarter. Jim Kiick added a one-yard touchdown run late in the second, giving the Dolphins a 14–0 halftime lead. Their “No-Name Defense” protected that margin by denying Washington an offensive touchdown. Safety Jake Scott intercepted two passes, including one in the end zone, while Manny Fernandez repeatedly disrupted plays from the defensive line. Washington moved the ball unevenly and failed on several opportunities, leaving Miami’s offense free to play conservatively behind Larry Csonka, Mercury Morris and Kiick.
The game’s lone Washington touchdown came from Miami’s most famous mistake. With a chance to make the score 17–0 in the fourth quarter, kicker Garo Yepremian had his field-goal attempt blocked. He picked up the loose ball, tried an improvised pass, and watched it slip into the hands of Washington defender Mike Bass, who returned it 49 yards. The play reduced the lead to seven and became known as “Garo’s Gaffe.” Miami still closed the game. Its defense forced a punt and stopped Washington’s final possession, while Scott earned Super Bowl MVP honors for his two interceptions. The Dolphins had finished 17–0.
Perfection made the 1972 Dolphins a permanent measuring stick. Other teams have completed unbeaten regular seasons, most notably New England in 2007, but none has paired that record with a postseason championship. Miami’s achievement depended on depth as well as stars: backup quarterback Earl Morrall started much of the year after Griese broke his leg, then Griese returned during the playoffs. Shula’s team followed the perfect season with another Super Bowl victory, confirming that the run was part of a sustained peak rather than an isolated streak. Each time the NFL’s last unbeaten club finally loses, surviving members of the Dolphins remain connected to the standard set on January 14.
Miami defeated Washington 14–7 in Super Bowl VII to finish the 1972 season with a 17–0 record.
The Dolphins remain the only NFL team to complete an entire regular season and postseason without a loss or tie.
Larry Csonka rushed for 112 yards and earned MVP honors behind Miami’s powerful offensive line.
The No-Name Defense held Washington scoreless until a late special-teams mistake created its only touchdown.
Garo Yepremian’s blocked pass attempt became a famous comic moment, but it did not undo Miami’s control of the game.
The perfect season remains one of American sports’ most enduring standards because every later unbeaten contender has fallen short.
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