Miami Dolphins - Franchise identity undefined
The Miami Dolphins were founded in 1965, part of the AFL, by Joe Robbie. The sports team had little luck in its first few years, but the acquisition of Bob Griese at quarterback in 1967 and Don Shula as head coach in 1970 put the Miami Dolphins on track to be a force in the NFL. Bob Griese was an effective passing quarterback, Larry Csonka was the club’s first 1,000-yard rusher, place-kicker Garo Yepremian led the NFL with 117 points in 1971, and the trade with Cleveland to acquire linebacker Bob Matheson became a key to the success of the Miami Dolphins 53 Defense. In an era of bruising football, Don Shula put together a team that could be bruising when necessary and still play a finesse game where needed. The Miami Dolphins were balanced in their attack and their “No-Name Defense” was effective if not showy.
The fabled Perfect Season of 1972 was not a cakewalk for the team. Thirty-eight year old back-up quarterback Earl Morrall replaced the injured Bob Griese in the fifth game of the season; a 24-10 victory over the San Diego, Chargers. In the AFC Championship, the tables were turned and Bob Griese came off the bench, after a 10-game absence, in a 7-7 battle in the third quarter and rallied the Miami Dolphins to a 21-17 victory at Pittsburgh against the Steelers. The Miami Dolphins capped a perfect season in Super Bowl VII at Los Angeles by defeating the Washington Redskins 14-7 for the NFL’s first unbeaten, untied record. The 1973 season found the team continuing its on-field dominance, compiling the top two-year record (26-2) in NFL history (when the NFL still played a 14 game schedule). They went on to win Super Bowl VIII with a 24-7 win over the Minnesota Vikings.
Although they still had moments of glory, the Miami Dolphins lost their dominant edge from 1974 to 1983 to player losses, a strike, and other teams moving to the fore. In 1983, Don Shula put together a team that made it back to the Super Bowl for the first time in nine years. The drafting of quarterback Dan Marino was to define the Miami Dolphins for more than a decade. From 1984 to 1995, the offense was built around Dan Marino. The offensive line was one of the most effective pass-blocking lines in the NFL, but the running game simply never took off in the Marino years. Though the team’s only title game appearance was a 38-16 loss, to the San Francisco 49ers in Superbowl XIX, the Miami Dolphins were competitive for many years. Dan Marino’s consistently record-breaking performances always offered the chance to thrill the fans and make the news. The team’s defense lacked depth, and never quite jelled; so explosive offense winning high scoring shoot-outs became the signature Miami Dolphins game.
Dan Marino stayed with the team after Don Shula’s retirement in 1996, but Shula’s replacement - Jimmy Johnson - was determined to build a balanced attack that mimicked his Championship Dallas Cowboys teams. He stripped Marino of his weapons and opportunities in trying to establish a balanced offense and powerful running game, a strategy that never succeeded. Johnson did wake up the defense, but with the offense neutralized, the Miami Dolphins remained locked in the middle of the pack. Despite player and coaching changes, they have not found the marquee players or style of play to re-establish a team identity. One need only look to the team’s path to success in the past to hold out hope that “The Fish” will rise again!