Miami Dolphins · Franchise era 2 of 6
Perfection: the Miami Dolphins story
Franchise era
1970—1974
Perfection
Miami Dolphins
The story in one sentence
Shula built a disciplined, adaptable powerhouse that went 17–0 in 1972 and repeated as champion the next season.
01
Three straight Super Bowls and the only perfect season
02
Bob Griese, Larry Csonka and Paul Warfield gave the era its recognizable core.
03
Its ending created the conditions for the bridge to marino.
Timeline
How it unfolded
Before 1970
What came before
Miami's difficult opening seasons supplied several core pieces before the league's winningest coach arrived.
1972-12-31
Conference Championship: Miami Dolphins vs Pittsburgh Steelers
1973-01-14
Super Bowl: Miami Dolphins vs Washington
1974-01-13
Super Bowl: Miami Dolphins vs Minnesota Vikings
After 1974
What came next
Miami remained a regular contender and rode its defense through the strike-shortened 1982 postseason before drafting its next defining quarterback.
The core