Eagles Have the Attention of the 1972 Miami Dolphins

The last undefeated team in the NFL, 6-0 Philly is starting to be noticed by members of the one and only team to go unbeaten 50 years ago

USA Today

The 1972 Miami Dolphins aren’t sweating their undefeated season just yet, but the Eagles have their attention.

Four of the seven surviving Hall of Fame members from that Dolphins season held a virtual conference call on Tuesday as they prepare to be honored at halftime of Sunday night’s game in Miami against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

It’s been 50 years since their achievement and no team has run the table since.

Miami won all 14 regular-season games then went 3-0 in the playoffs to wrap up a 17-0 season. They beat the Browns, and Steelers in the first two rounds of the postseason then bested Washington, 14-7, in the Super Bowl.

Frankly, it’s one of those records that seems untouchable, sort of the way Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak is, or Cal Ripken’s 2,632 consecutive games played streak, or Tom Brady’s career passing yardage, which sits at 86,172 and still going.

The four Dolphins participating in the call were running back Larry Csonka, quarterback Bob Griese, receiver Paul Warfield, and guard Larry Little. Three other Hall of Famers from that team have passed away – linebacker Nick Buoniconti, center Jim Langer, and head coach Don Shula.

“We’re all starting to growl in our beards about it,” said Csonka, when asked about the Eagles, who are sitting at 6-0 and have a bye this week.

“You’re glad that there’s one or two teams that are still undefeated when you reach about the sixth or seventh game mark. But then around the 10-game mark, you start to want to see them disappearing faster because you’re very guarded about it. It’s a jealousy thing.”

Csonka acknowledges how much the game has changed since 1972, but that’s what he likes about the Eagles. They remind him a bit of their team.

“What’s funny about that is when you start out and there’s a new team like Philly that’s showing signs of doing things and you turn your attention to them, it pleased me to see how well-balanced Philly is,” he said. “Everyone is acting surprised, but when you look at what they’re doing and how they control the ball, they’re reminiscent of (us).”

Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni enjoys his team's 26-17 win over the Dallas Cowboys that pushed his team's record to 6-0 / USA Today

The Dolphins’ record can’t be broken. It can only be tied, and the New England Patriots nearly did it in 2007, going 16-0 in the regular season and then beating the Jaguars and Chargers in the playoffs before bowing to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl.

The Eagles have been the last undefeated team in the league for three weeks now, and while the schedule ahead doesn’t look overly difficult, the task to win each week gets incrementally more challenging.

“I’m not looking very hard at them right now because they still have some games to play,” said Little, “but they look like they have a very good football team from what I’ve seen so far. And you know, they’re a good football team, but it’s early in the year.”

Griese, who split time that season with Earl Morrall, admits he gets excited every time the last undefeated team in a season loses.

“It gets tougher as you go along,” he said. “It’s tougher, even the weaker teams have the chance to beat you.”

Asked if he had any idea who could knock the Eagles from the undefeated ranks, Csonka went outside the box with his answer.

“Probably the team that is the least likely looking at the schedule is the one that will do the trick,” he said. “That’s how competitive today’s game. ... If you see a team (like the Eagles) that actually shows signs of ball control, it gets us old grandpas sitting in our antiquity chairs to sit up and say, ‘Damn! They look a little reminiscent of something we might have done back then.’

“So it gets a little exciting and you’re happy about that, and you like to watch them. But then as they keep going undefeated, you’re starting to think, ‘wait a minute here. Why am I applauding? These guys are going to dance on our dance floor here shortly.”

Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglesmaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.