The 1973 Miami Dolphins season was the franchise’s eighth, and fourth in the National Football League (NFL). The team entered the 1973 season as defending Super Bowl champions, with an undefeated 14–0 regular season winning streak the previous season, and a final 17–0 record including post-season and Super Bowl VII victory.
The team won the AFC East, finishing with a regular season record of 12–2, and defeated the Minnesota Vikings in the league’s eighth Super Bowl. It was the Dolphins’ second-consecutive (and to date last)[1] Super Bowl victory. With the Dolphins combined records of 17–0 and 15–2 over the course of their 1972 and 1973 seasons, the Dolphins posted a 32–2 total record over 2 years, for a winning percentage of .941.
Season summary
Although the Dolphins were unable to match their 17–0 perfect season of 1972, many sports writers, fans, and Dolphins players themselves felt that the 1973 team was better. While the 1972 team faced no competition in the regular season that had a record of better than 8–6, the 1973 team played against a much tougher schedule that included games against the Oakland Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Dallas Cowboys (all playoff teams), plus two games against a resurgent Bills squad that featured 2,000-yard rusher O.J. Simpson. Miami finished with a 12–2 regular season, including their opening game victory over the San Francisco 49ers that tied an NFL record with eighteen consecutive wins. The Dolphins’ streak ended in week two with a 12–7 loss to the Raiders in Berkeley, California.
Just like the two previous seasons, Miami’s offense relied primarily on their rushing attack. Fullback Larry Csonka recorded his third consecutive 1,000 rushing yard season (1,003 yards), while running back Mercury Morris rushed for 954 yards and scored 10 touchdowns, while leading the league with 6.4 yards per carry. Running back Jim Kiick was also a key contributor, rushing for 257 yards, and catching 27 passes for 208 yards. Quarterback Bob Griese, the AFC's second leading passer, completed only 116 passes for 1,422 yards, but threw about twice as many touchdown passes (17) as interceptions (8), and earned an 84.3 passer rating. Wide receiver Paul Warfield remained the main deep threat on the team, catching 29 passes for 514 yards and 11 touchdowns. The offensive line remained strong led by center Jim Langer and right guard Larry Little. Griese, Csonka, Warfield, Langer, and Little would all eventually be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Miami’s “No Name Defense” continued to dominate their opponents. Future Hall of Fame linebacker Nick Buoniconti recovered three fumbles and returned one for a touchdown. Safety Dick Anderson led the team with eight interceptions, which he returned for 163 yards and two touchdowns. And safety Jake Scott, the previous season's Super Bowl MVP, had four interceptions and 71 return yards. The Dolphins were still using their “53” defense devised at the beginning of the 1972 season, where Bob Matheson (#53) would be brought in as a fourth linebacker in a 3–4 defense, with Manny Fernandez at nose tackle. Matheson could either rush the quarterback or drop back into coverage.
In 2007, ESPN.com ranked the 1973 Dolphins as the eight-greatest defense in NFL history,[2] noting that the team “held 11 opponents to 14 points or less, setting a record by allowing just 150 points in a 14-game season”. Defensive end Bill Stanfill set a Dolphins’ sack record that still stands, with 18.5. In the playoffs and Super Bowl, they allowed only 33 points against Cincinnati, Oakland and Minnesota. Stanfill, Manny Fernandez, Hall of Fame middle linebacker Nick Buoniconti, and safeties Dick Anderson (AP Defensive Player of the Year) and Jake Scott were all named to the 1973 All-Pro team. They also held record-breaking rusher O.J. Simpson to his lowest total yardage of the season, a mere 55 yards in Week Six.
Offseason
NFL Draft
[3]
Personnel
Staff
| 1973 Miami Dolphins staff |
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Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
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Defensive coaches
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Regular season
Schedule
| Week |
Date |
Opponent |
Result |
Attendance |
| 1 |
September 16, 1973 |
San Francisco 49ers |
W 21–13 |
68,275 |
| 2 |
September 23, 1973 |
at Oakland Raiders |
L 7–12 |
74,121 |
| 3 |
September 30, 1973 |
New England Patriots |
W 44–23 |
62,508 |
| 4 |
October 7, 1973 |
New York Jets |
W 31–3 |
63,850 |
| 5 |
October 15, 1973 |
at Cleveland Browns |
W 17–9 |
70,070 |
| 6 |
October 21, 1973 |
Buffalo Bills |
W 27–6 |
65,241 |
| 7 |
October 28, 1973 |
at New England Patriots |
W 30–14 |
57,617 |
| 8 |
November 4, 1973 |
at New York Jets |
W 24–14 |
57,791 |
| 9 |
November 11, 1973 |
Baltimore Colts |
W 44–0 |
60,332 |
| 10 |
November 18, 1973 |
at Buffalo Bills |
W 17–0 |
77,138 |
| 11 |
November 22, 1973 |
at Dallas Cowboys |
W 14–7 |
58,089 |
| 12 |
December 3, 1973 |
Pittsburgh Steelers |
W 30–26 |
68,901 |
| 13 |
December 9, 1973 |
at Baltimore Colts |
L 3–16 |
58,446 |
| 14 |
December 15, 1973 |
Detroit Lions |
W 34–7 |
53,375 |
Game summaries
Week 1
Week One: San Francisco 49ers (0-0) at Miami Dolphins (0-0)
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1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
| 49ers |
3 |
7 |
3 | 0 | 13 |
| Dolphins |
3 |
3 |
0 | 15 | 21 |
at Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida
| Game information |
- First Quarter
- Second Quarter
- MIA - Garo Yepremian 53-yard field goal - Dolphins 6-3
- SF - Vic Washington 3-yard run (Bruce Gossett kick) - 49ers 10-6
- Third Quarter
- SF - Bruce Gossett 30-yard field goal - 49ers 13-6
- Fourth Quarter
- MIA - Paul Warfield 10-yard pass from Bob Griese (Garo Yepremian kick) - Tie 13-13
- MIA - Garo Yepremian 45-yard field goal - Dolphins 16-13
- MIA - Safety, Tom Wittum tackled by Curtis Johnson in end zone - Dolphins 18-13
- MIA - Garo Yepremian 22-yard field goal - Dolphins 21-13
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Week 2
| Game information |
- First Quarter
- Second Quarter
- OAK - George Blanda 46-yard field goal - Raiders 6-0
- Third Quarter
- OAK - George Blanda 19-yard field goal - Raiders 9-0
- Fourth Quarter
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Week 4
Week Four: New York Jets (1-2) at Miami Dolphins (2-1)
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1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
| Jets |
0 |
0 |
0 | 3 | 3 |
| Dolphins |
14 |
10 |
7 | 0 | 31 |
at Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida
| Game information |
- First Quarter
- Second Quarter
- MIA - Garo Yepremian 19-yard field goal - Dolphins 17-0
- MIA - Paul Warfield 3-yard pass from Bob Griese (Garo Yepremian kick) - Dolphins 24-0
- Third Quarter
- MIA - Paul Warfield 40-yard pass from Bob Griese (Garo Yepremian kick) - Dolphins 31-0
- Fourth Quarter
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Week 8
| Game information |
- First Quarter
- Second Quarter
- NYJ - John Riggins 1-yard run (Bobby Howfield kick) - Tie 7-7
- NYJ - John Riggins 3-yard run (Bobby Howfield kick) - Jets 14-7
- MIA - Mercury Morris 4-yard run (Garo Yepremian kick) - Tie 14-14
- Third Quarter
- MIA - Paul Warfield 37-yard pass from Bob Griese (Garo Yepremian kick) - Dolphins 21-14
- MIA - Garo Yepremian 20-yard field goal - Dolphins 24-14
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Week 12
Week Twelve: Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3) at Miami Dolphins (10-1)
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1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers |
0 |
3 |
7 | 16 | 26 |
| Dolphins |
20 |
10 |
0 | 0 | 30 |
at Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida
- Date: December 3
- Game time: 9:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 75° F, wind 14 mph, relative humidity 56%
- Game attendance: 68,901
- Referee: Ben Dreith
- TV announcers (ABC): Frank Gifford, Howard Cosell, and Don Meredith
- Pro-Football-Reference.com
| Game information |
- First Quarter
- MIA - Dick Anderson 27-yard interception return (Garo Yepremian kick) - Dolphins 7–0
- MIA - Garo Yepremian 28-yard field goal - Dolphins 10-0
- MIA - Garo Yepremian 46-yard field goal - Dolphins 13-0
- MIA - Jim Mandich 2-yard pass from Bob Griese (Garo Yepremian kick) - Dolphins 20–0
- Second Quarter
- MIA - Dick Anderson 38-yard interception return (Garo Yepremian kick) - Dolphins 27–0
- PIT - Roy Gerela 37-yard field goal - Dolphins 27-3
- MIA - Garo Yepremian 14-yard field goal - Dolphins 30-3
- Third Quarter
- Fourth Quarter
- PIT - Franco Harris 21-yard run (Roy Gerela kick) - Dolphins 30-17
- PIT - Barry Pearson 17-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick) - Dolphins 30-24
- PIT - Safety, Dwight White tackled Bob Griese in end zone - Dolphins 30-26
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Week 14
Week Fourteen: Detroit Lions (6–6–1) at Miami Dolphins (11–2)
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1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions |
0 |
0 |
0 | 7 | 7 |
| Dolphins |
14 |
17 |
3 | 0 | 34 |
at Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida
| Game information |
- First Quarter
- Second Quarter
- MIA – Garo Yepremian 27-yard field goal – Dolphins 17–0
- MIA – Paul Warfield 16-yard pass from Bob Griese (Garo Yepremian kick) – Dolphins 24–0
- MIA – Paul Warfield 4-yard pass from Bob Griese (Garo Yepremian kick) – Dolphins 31–0
- Third Quarter
- MIA – Garo Yepremian 28-yard field goal – Dolphins 34–0
- Fourth Quarter
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- Lions
- Bill Munson
8/17, 73 Yds, INT
- Steve Owens
27 Rush, 113 Yds, TD
6 Rec, 56 Yds
- Dolphins
- Bob Griese
11/15, 141 Yds, 4 TD
- Larry Csonka
10 Rush, 51 Yds
- Paul Warfield
6 Rec, 103 Yds, 4 TD
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Standings
[4]
Postseason
AFC Divisional Playoff
| Game information |
- First Quarter
- Second Quarter
- MIA – Mercury Morris 4-yard run (Garo Yepremian kick) - Dolphins 21–3
- CIN – Neal Craig 45-yard interception return (Horst Muhlmann kick) - Dolphins 21–10
- CIN – Horst Muhlmann 46-yard field goal - Dolphins 21–13
- CIN – Horst Muhlmann 10-yard field goal - Dolphins 21–16
- Third Quarter
- MIA – Jim Mandich 7-yard pass from Bob Griese (Garo Yepremian kick) - Dolphins 28–16
- MIA – Garo Yepremian 50-yard field goal - Dolphins 31–16
- Fourth Quarter
- MIA – Garo Yepremian 46-yard field goal - Dolphins 34–16
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The Dolphins outgained Cincinnati in total yards, 400–194, and first downs, 27–11, while also scoring on three of their first four possessions and shutting out the Bengals in the second half. The Dolphins racked up 241 yards on the ground, including 106 from Mercury Morris and 71 from Larry Csonka, while receiver Paul Warfield caught 5 passes for 95 yards and a score.
AFC Championship Game
| Game information |
- First Quarter
- Second Quarter
- MIA – Larry Csonka 2-yard run (Garo Yepremian kick) - Dolphins 14–0
- Third Quarter
- OAK – George Blanda 21-yard field goal - Dolphins 14–3
- MIA – Garo Yepremian 42-yard field goal - Dolphins 17–3
- OAK – Mike Siani 25-yard pass from Ken Stabler (George Blanda kick) - Dolphins 17–10
- Fourth Quarter
- MIA – Garo Yepremian 26-yard field goal - Dolphins 20–10
- MIA – Larry Csonka 2-yard run (Garo Yepremian kick) - Dolphins 27–10
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Running back Larry Csonka led the Dolphins to a victory with 117 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns. Mercury Morris also ran for 86 yards. Bob Griese threw just 6 passes during the game, completing 3.
Super Bowl VIII
| Game information |
- First Quarter
- Second Quarter
- MIA – Garo Yepremian 28-yard field goal - Dolphins 17–0
- Third Quarter
- MIA – Larry Csonka 2-yard run (Garo Yepremian kick) - Dolphins 24–0
- Fourth Quarter
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Larry Csonka rushed for 145 yards on 33 carries, scoring 2 TDs, and was named MVP. Bob Griese threw just 7 passes all game, completing 6.
Awards and honors
Notes and references
External links
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| Division championships (13) | |
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| Seasons (50) | |
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Championship seasons in bold |