Perfection is more or less impossible, even in the world of sports. Except for a select few instances, all streaks come to an end and all records fall. But in professional football, one accomplishment has stood the test of time, as the Miami Dolphins are the only team in the history of the NFL to have a completely undefeated season. On this day in 1973, the Dolphins beat the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII to win the championship and finish their season with 17 wins and no losses.
The Dolphins' unbeaten run was lead by coach Don Shula, quarterbacks Bob Griese and Earl Morrall (Griese hurt his ankle a third of the way through the season) and running backs Larry Csonka and Jim Kiick. None of those headliners were truly spectacular players, but their workmanlike approach under Shula's offensive system made them a formidable force on the field. They truly dominated on defense, as they recorded three shutout victories over the course of the season. Save for a 52-0 rout of the New England Patriots (more on them later), many of their wins were close affairs, and their run through the playoffs was even tighter. After finishing the season 14-0, the Dolphins toppled a strong Cleveland Browns team (lead by Hall of Fame running back Leroy Kelly), then slipped past a strong Pittsburgh Steelers squad (one of the few times the combination of Terry Bradshaw and Franco Harris didn't win the Super Bowl in the 1970s). When the final game rolled around, the Washington Redskins put up a good fight but couldn't get their offense working (quarterback Billy Kilmer threw an interception in the end zone in the fourth quarter, essentially sealing the team's fate).
Every year, members of the 1972 Dolphins squad have a champagne toast when the final undefeated team is beaten over the course of any season. A few squads have flirted with the record over the last three decades (both the Indianapolis Colts and the Tennessee Titans brushed up against perfection in the past decade), but the closest anybody came was the 2007 Patriots team, which went undefeated during the regular season but lost Super Bowl XLII to the New York Giants. In honor of the Dolphins and their perfect record, let DJ Khaled shout "We the best!" at you for a few minutes.


Man, can I get a minute to land?