The Sports Historian https://www.thesportshistorian.com sports history by Jim Weathersby Tue, 29 Dec 2015 19:17:49 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.2 101468992 Undefeated No Longer https://www.thesportshistorian.com/undefeated-no-longer/ Tue, 29 Dec 2015 19:17:49 +0000 http://www.thesportshistorian.com/?p=260 Atlanta_Falcons_white_wordmark

The 1972 Miami Dolphins remain the only National Football League team to win every game in the regular season and the postseason, including the Super Bowl. Miami compiled a 14-0 regular season record and defeated the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII. Since the Super Bowl era that began in 1965 sixteen teams have been undefeated after at least 10 games, but none of those teams could accomplish the feat of the 1972 Dolphins. Rumor has it that surviving members of the 1972 team pop open a champagne bottle and give a toast to that undefeated campaign once the final NFL team takes its first loss every season. According to George Diaz in a November 22, 2005 story in The Orlando Sentinel, Don Shula, the coach of the 1972 team, stated that the rumor is nothing more than a myth.

The following is a list of teams that started a season at least 10-0 and the team that ended the chance for an undefeated season.

10-0

1975 Minnesota Vikings                     Washington Redskins

1990 San Francisco 49ers                   Los Angeles Rams

1990 New York Giants                       Philadelphia Eagles

2008 Tennessee Titans                        New York Jets

2015 New England Patriots                Denver Broncos

11-0

1969 Los Angeles Rams                     Minnesota Vikings

1984 Miami Dolphins                         San Diego Chargers

1991 Washington Redskins                Dallas Cowboys

12-0

1985 Chicago Bears                            Miami Dolphins

13-0

1998 Denver Broncos                         New York Giants

2005 Indianapolis Colts                      San Diego Chargers

2009 New Orleans Saints                   Dallas Cowboys

2011 Green Bay Packers                     Kansas City Chiefs

14-0

2009 Indianapolis Colts                      New York Jets

2015 Carolina Panthers                    Atlanta Falcons

 18-0

New England Patriots                         New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII

 

If surviving members of the 1972 Dolphins do indeed make champagne toasts, they popped the bubbly after the Falcons defeated the Panthers on Sunday. Cheers!

 

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