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A16 sports
Wednesday 19 OctOber 2022
50 years later, '72 Dolphins remain unmatched in perfection

By ALANIS THAMES teams out, and there were
AP Sports Writer a couple close calls. One
MIAMI (AP) — Fifty years of their biggest tests came
ago, members of the 1972 in the playoffs against
Dolphins team lifted fiery the Cleveland Browns on
coach Don Shula onto their Christmas Eve.
shoulders for a victory lap The Browns held a 14-13
out of Los Angeles Memo- lead with about eight min-
rial Coliseum, celebrating utes left in the fourth quar-
not just a Super Bowl vic- ter. Miami hadn't trailed that
tory over Washington, but late in a game since Week
an emphatic exclamation 3. Behind backup quarter-
point on the NFL's only per- back Earl Morrall, in for the
fect season. Not that the injured Griese, the Dolphins
Dolphins ever spoke of per- used a 35-yard catch by
fection. Mere mention of Paul Warfield to set up an
the word felt taboo. "I can't 8-yard touchdown run by
imagine somebody whis- Kiik to move to 15-0. "The
pering to somebody and ball has to bounce your
Coach Shula happening way in just about every
to overhear the fact that, game," said Larry Seiple, a
'Hey, guess what! We're punter. "There were games
11-0,'" said starting offen- that we had chances to
sive tackle Doug Crusan. Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula, center, is carried off the field after his team won the NFL lose, as well as win." Seiple
football Super Bowl game over the Washington Redskins in Los Angeles, Jan. 14, 1973.
"Oh my goodness, couldn't Associated Press said he doesn't believe that
do that." They did the un- another perfect season will
speakable anyway, going son, and one nearly did. "The confidence built as rigan, a pro football histo- happen, at least not in his
17-0 for a mark that could Miami starting quarterback each week went by," Cru- rian and former executive lifetime.
stand another 50 years or Bob Griese broke his right san said. "We got stron- director of the Pro Football Free agency and trades
more given the parity and leg and dislocated his an- ger and stronger. And of Hall of Fame. "He said, 'You have expedited the ability
length of the modern NFL kle in Week 5. Fortunately course, you go into the remember that bad taste to move players around,
season. The 2007 New Eng- for the Dolphins, they had a playoffs and you never in your mouth? Keep it.' creating more parity. And
land Patriots came close, powerful running game be- know what's going to That was his philosophy." with 17-game regular sea-
going 18-0 before a Super hind Larry Csonka, Mercury happen with those three Training was intense. They'd sons, Horrigan believes go-
Bowl loss. This year, the 6-0 Morris and Jim Kiik. games. We just got better sometimes practice three ing undefeated isn't as big
Philadelphia Eagles are They were also motivated and better and better as or four times a day. a priority as getting to the
the last remaining threat — — not by perfection, but the season went on." "I was worn out mentally as postseason.
with a long way to go. atonement. They'd lost to To achieve perfection, they well as physically," said de- "You hear the cliché 'One
Those '72 Dolphins shined in the Dallas Cowboys in the strove to be as close to pol- fensive back Charlie Babb, game at a time,'" Horrigan
an era before trades and Super Bowl the season be- ished as possible. And Shu- a rookie that year. "Just the said. "No one's thinking,
ongoing player movement fore and sought redemp- la, known for his inflamma- long season and the type 'Let's win 10 in a row.' I don't
between teams leveled tion, proof that the previous tory temper, pushed them of practices and the type think anybody would be
the playing field. Roster re- season, despite many opin- there, reminding them of- of pressure that Shula and shooting for it."
strictions could have just ions, wasn't a fluke. ten of that Super Bowl loss. the coaching staff put on Horrigan added that it's es-
as easily worked against They didn't know at the time "Losing was a great motiva- you to be perfect." pecially hard to go unde-
them, though. they were becoming one tor for Don Shula. He hated As perfect as they tried to feated with the advances
One bad injury might have of the NFL's highest symbols it, and he wanted his play- be, they also needed to in technology, especially
derailed that magical sea- of accomplishment. ers to hate it," said Joe Hor- be lucky. They didn't blow replay. q

Broncos QB Wilson adds hamstring to

list of injuries

A week after getting treat- ning around and throw- muscle near his throwing
ment for an injury near ing it and everything else, shoulder after the Oct. 6
his throwing shoulder, the especially early on, and overtime loss to the India-
Denver quarterback said then that happened, so napolis Colts. The platelet-
he tweaked his hamstring that was a little unfortu- rich plasma injection was
during the fourth quarter nate. But, you know, trying used to treat a strained
of Monday night’s 19-16 to find a way to win the latissimus dorsi on his right
overtime loss to the Los An- game.” side. It is the large, flat
geles Chargers. Wilson was 15 of 28 for muscle on the back that
“I kind of scrambled and 188 yards and a touch- stretches to the sides and
Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Drue Tranquill (49) sacks moved around on one, down for the Broncos (2- behind the arms. Wilson
Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson (3) during the
second half of an NFL football game, Monday, Oct. 17, 2022, had to throw it away. It 4), who dropped a game sustained the injury during
in Inglewood, Calif. got me pretty good in the in overtime for the second an Oct. 2 loss at Las Vegas
Associated Press fourth quarter. Just tried straight week. and then played through it
to play through it and all Wilson, a nine-time Pro on a short week.q
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — hamstring to his list of inju- that,” Wilson said. “I felt Bowl selection, received
Russell Wilson has added ries. good moving around, run- an injection for a strained