jdanton

I just heard a comparison by a couple of sports commentators on today's Patriots and the '72 Dolphins.

I take nothing from what the Patriots have achieved this year, but these two professional sportscasters forgot something I think was pretty important.

The Dolphins went undefeated and won the Superbowl playing their back-up quarterback, as Griese was injured.

I think that's a point worth mentioning.

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Author: Memoirs of a Sleepless Mind, a book you CAN judge by its cover.

al Asaad

Only peripherally: The '72 Dolphin's record is still intact (for a 14-game season).
Interesting enough, their 17-0 season is also still intact, at least until the Pats go 17-0, 18-1 or 19-0.
Moreover, the Patriots are 16-0 in a 16 game season.

The Pats will likely go 19-0 with a Super Bowl win.
Perhaps then the moaning and wringing of hands by Miami fanbots will come to a screeching halt.
Besides, the '72 Dolphins were just 14-0 (17-0) while the Pats are 16-0 and will be 19-0.

FI: the 2007 Pats are bigger, faster and smarter than the '72 Dolphins and would whip them in a game like a mom beating a bad kid.

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Stop the lynching of Obama

W.M.DEEEZ

Trying to compare stats from different eras in any sport is flawed.


In 72, it was legal to hit the QB. Not sure when they moved the goalposts back, but if you missed a field goal, the other team got the ball at your line of scrimmage.


The Dolphins had a pretty damn good backup QB. Can't take it away from the Pats, though. They are a quality team. They have no running game, vs the Fish, who were all about the run.


Say nothing of the "No Name Defense"


We tend to cling to the old records. For some reason, we root for the newcomers to fail, but eventually embrace them, once our negative energies were wasted.

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Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got til it's gone

jdanton

It's not my intent to cling to an old record. Or to take anything from the patriots.

I just point out that the '72 Dolphins went with their back up quarterback for a large chunk of that record.

It was a different type team. It was not so quarterback dependent. they had one back who would go straight ahead and dare you to stop him in less than three or four yards. At the same time they had another back who'd run outside extremely well and quickly.

Who do you defend?

They had very good receivers who rarely dropped anything.

I'm not sure if you take Manning out of the Colts' line up or Brady out of the Patriot's lineup the teams would fare so well.

Anyone here think the Patriot's will win the superbowl without Brady?

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Author: Memoirs of a Sleepless Mind, a book you CAN judge by its cover.

poetrychic

does it count that brady was the pats back-up quarterback and lead the team to winning the superbowl when he had to step in at 24 years of age?

how old was miami's backup qb when he stepped in to lead them to the superbowl?

you worry over the strangest things

gonzo

Nice, real nice. Is the name calling necessary?

jdanton

Morrel was one of those "journeymen" elder quarterbacks.

My point is, for what it's worth, which in turn is totally subjective, that the super offenses today are much more quarterback dependent than was the dolphins that year.


Brady definitely ranks among the best quarterbacks ever to play the game, as does Manning with the Colts.

Neither Griese or Morrel could make that claim.

We don't know what kind of record the Dolphins then would have gone on to, cause the WFL gutted the team.

True Story:

Back in that era there was a play off game between the Dolphins and the Raiders. Stabler was quarterbacking the Raiders. I'm working and listening to the game.

There's about two minutes left, and the Dolphins had the ball on the 32 (ish) yard line of the Raiders, trailing by 2 points. I said to my co-worker that if the Raiders want to win this game, they better let Miami get a quick touchdown, and need a touchdown with 2 minutes left, rather than need a field goal with no time.

Next play, Morris runs untouched into the end zone. Raiders get the ball back and march methodically down the field and score. During one of the time outs, Stabler walked over to the sideline where Madden was pacing like crazy, and Stabler simply asked him, 'What do you want to do after the game."

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Author: Memoirs of a Sleepless Mind, a book you CAN judge by its cover.