That two-year run was the best ever IMO. A 32-2 record, an undefeated season, and two straight super bowl championships.
By the way, those two losses included a 12-7 setback against Oakland. A very close early season game where the Dolphins defense didn't give up a touchdown. At 12-1, Miami lost the last game of the season to Baltimore.
In the two super bowl wins, Miami gave up one offensive touchdown, late in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl VIII.
Of course, the Dolphins also had to play at Pittsburgh in the AFC Championship during its undefeated campaign.
The "Holy Grail" of football dominance happened in 1972. Not only going unbeaten, but being the only team to lead in total offense, total defense, plus being first in points scored and allowing the fewest. How do you top that?
The loss to Oakland really wasn't that close. The Dolphins were physically pushed around most of the game. It was 12-0 in the 4th quarter and should have been more lopsided than that. Lamonica was still the quarterback for the Raiders. He was over the hill and Madden didn't trust him. That's why the Raiders ran it down our throats the entire game. They essentially used the Dolphins game plan against the Dolphins, rushing 46 times with only 10 passes. They'd get to the red zone and be content for very short field goals.
I remember my family watching in our Florida room. There was apprehension prior to the game and mostly total silence during the game. It never looked good. We'd be relieved when the Raiders would play conservatively for a field goal but then the Dolphins would do nothing with the subsequent possession. Even when we scored to make it 12-7 I remember I wasn't optimistic at all. Only my mom thought the Dolphins would win.
Frankly the Dolphins were fortunate that Stabler was not the quarterback. The Raiders made that switch just a few weeks later, after Al Davis was fed up with the lack of a vertical passing game so he told Madden to pull the plug on Lamonica.
The loss to the Colts was an absolute stunner. But it was not the season finale. It was the week prior to that. The Dolphins were on a 10 game winning streak. Baltimore was terrible. The Dolphins rested many starters, including Griese. Nobody thought it would matter. Instead it turned into a dreary gray late afternoon with Morrall looking like an old man. Similar to the Oakland game, Miami was being shut out in the 4th quarter. It was 16-0 until a late Yepremian field goal.
I didn't know much about situational influence at that point. Looking back I later realized it was a letdown spot, after hosting the Steelers in the famous 30-26 intentional safety game on Monday Night. The Dolphins obviously anticipated that Pittsburgh game all year, in FAR (Fury of Anti Revenge) mode. Once they successfully smacked the Steelers in the mouth again, there wasn't leftover energy or concern 6 days later at Baltimore.
And the following week was absolute panic in the City of Miami. The sole topic all week was the status of the passing game entering the playoffs. Griese had a very poor season by his standards in 1973. He was rusty and not sharp. It was a whispered concern all year but didn't reach panic stage until that final week. Then Griese shut everybody up with 4 touchdown passes in a home rout of the Lions.
I could never remember the 2005 season or the 2015 season. But those early '70s years are still crystal clear in terms of each game on the schedule and what the themes and expectations were. The highlight of 1973 regular season was the methodical Thanksgiving Day victory at Dallas. All season Dolphin fans expected to lose that game. It was the stark visuals of the 1971 season Super Bowl and how Dallas toyed with us. Many expected a rerun, to be pushed around, like that week two Raiders game. There was always the lingering feeling that the Dolphins were fortunate to avoid Dallas in the 1972 season Super Bowl, drawing the old man Redskins instead. So when Miami won at Dallas in 1973 it was like two victories in one. It certified the 1972 title as legitimate, mores than adding another victory to the 1973 tally.
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