Ever since the 1972 Miami Dolphins made history by going a perfect 17-0 to win the franchise’s first Super Bowl, no other team has accomplished this nearly impossible feat. So, every time a team comes close and fails, alumni from that ’72 team pop bottles of champagne, relishing in the fact that they’re truly one of the most special teams in league history.
The Kansas City Chiefs were on pace to potentially challenge the ’72 Dolphins, heading into Week 11 against the Buffalo Bills with a 9-0 record.
However, after a 30-21 win led by Bills quarterback Josh Allen, Larry Csonka was quick to pop his bottle of champagne, celebrating another year as the only team to win the Super Bowl following an undefeated regular season.
While Mahomes and the Chiefs have collected many accolades together, dethroning the 1972 Dolphins as the only team to have such a perfect season isn’t one of them— yet.
Remembering the perfect 1972 Miami Dolphins
With many current NFL fans too young to have ever watched a game from the 1972 Dolphins’ season, they missed out on one of the most dominant football teams in NFL history.
The most recent team to have gotten close to replicating the ’72 Dolphins was— believe it or not— the Carolina Panthers.
Now, these were the Cam Newton Panthers, so it’s not like the Carolina team many are used to in the present day.
Newton led the Panthers to one of the most dominant seasons in recent NFL history. The Panthers sat at 15-0 heading into Week 16 against the Atlanta Falcons, and following a 20-13 loss, Carolina had to add a tally to their loss column for the first time that season.
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Before Carolina almost joined Miami, Green Bay got to nearly the same spot in 2011, losing their Week 15 matchup 19-14 in route to a possible undefeated season.
Lastly, the closest a team has ever gotten to joining Csonka’s Dolphins was the 2007 New England Patriots, one of the best teams in NFL history. Had Eli Manning and the New York Giants not defeated Tom Brady and the Patriots, it’s possible the 1972 Dolphins aren’t still popping bottles to this day.
However, while many teams have gotten close to matching the 1972 Dolphins, no team has been able to recreate the perfect season. And the remaining alumni who are still around make sure to celebrate as hard as they did on Jan. 14, 1973— the day the Dolphins put a cap on their perfect season.
Larry Csonka and the boys can thank the Bills for keeping their record untouched for another season.