2. 1972 Miami Dolphins
What’s this, you say? The only undefeated Super Bowl team ever is somehow ranked only No. 2 on the list of all-time great Super Bowl-winning teams? Well, yes, it’s true, as this team hasn’t exactly translated well over the years. That’s not to say it isn’t an all-time great team, because it is certainly in the running for the best of all-time. However, based on how the game is played has evolved, these Dolphins simply wouldn’t have been undefeated. For example, Bob Griese threw for 1,360 yards that year, a number that would almost certainly see him released from most teams had he been a full-time NFL starter today. Their leading receiver was Paul Warfield with 606 yards. True, it was just a different era of football back then, but it would be a wholly predictable gameplan in today’s NFL.
Either way, these Dolphins are still the only team to accomplish what they did. They were first in the NFL in both average points per game and points allowed per game. Larry Csonka was a stalwart rushing the ball with 1,117 yards. Yet the paper stats of this Dolphins team don’t tell the whole story. In truth, they were close to losing several games that season. Even their playoff run to the Super Bowl wasn’t exactly dominant. They won each game by single-digit points and even had to fight back to top the Steelers in the AFC title game. When they reached the Super Bowl, they again found the result a close one. True, they got up by two touchdowns on Washington, but only won by seven points. We won’t deny the 1972 Dolphins are one of the greatest Super Bowl teams of all-time. But to call them the outright best is a bit short-sighted. It’s safe to say they might struggle if they played the final team on our list…
