NFL Films: Americas Game- 1973 Miami Dolphins: Super Bowl 8 Highlights

Source:NFL Films– Dolphins FB Larry Czonka taking the ball into the end zone, against the Minnesota Vikings.

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“In Super Bowl VIII, the Dolphins sought to become the 2nd team to ever win two straight Super Bowls, the first team to do so since Vince Lombardi’s Packers took the first two AFL-NFL Championships, but the Dolphins were facing a highly-regarded Vikings team that was picked by SI to win the game.”

From the NFL

If you think about it, the 1970s Don Shula Dolphins philosophy and game plan was simple to explain, that you could not only do it in simple English, but if you are a real football fan, you would never forget it, not because it was so simple, but because of how successful it was.

The 1970s Don Shula Dolphins philosophy and game plan was as simple as this: you run the ball down the other team’s throats. When that doesn’t work, you run the ball outside with sweeps and traps, or you do that before the defense takes away your inside running game, just to give the defense something else to think about. Now the defense is thinking about both the inside and outside running games of the Dolphins, so QB Bob Griese goes play-action down the field to WR Paul Warfield, who is arguably the best big play and perhaps big game receiver ever.

On defense, Don Shula’s Dolphins wanted to take away your running game on 1st down, by either stuffing your run on 1st or forcing you to throw the ball on 1st, because they know they had the pass rushers and secondary to stop your passing game.

If you think about it, Don Shula’s 1970s Dolphins were essentially the AFC’s version of the Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers. They beat by executing, but outworking their opponents, taking away what you wanted to do and do what they wanted to do, which was to run the ball, stuff your run, throw the ball downfield, and attack your QB. Had the Dolphins not had lost several of their key players to the World Football League in the mid 1970s, maybe we’re talking about the Dolphins as the team of the 1970s and not the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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