What NFL Team Went Undefeated and Won the Super Bowl?
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What NFL team went undefeated and won the Super Bowl? The answer may surprise you!
The 1972 Miami Dolphins
The 1972 Miami Dolphins were the first and only team in NFL history to go undefeated and win the Super Bowl. That season, they won all 14 of their regular season games and then won three playoff games, including Super Bowl VII. They are also the only team to have ever had two perfect seasons, going 14-0 in both 1972 and 1973.
The Team’s Record
The 1972 Miami Dolphins season was the team’s seventh season, and third in the National Football League (NFL). The 1972 Dolphins are the only NFL team to go undefeated and win the Super Bowl. The team is ranked as the second greatest NFL team of all time by Football Outsiders and second greatest Super Bowl champion by Professional Football Researchers Association.
The Dolphins began the season by winning their first 12 games, all by double digits. They became the first NFL team to advance to 13–0, and closed out the season by winning their 14th game against the New England Patriots, who themselves were 13–1. They then won a playoff game against the Cincinnati Bengals before defeating the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII, becoming just the second team ever (and first in 27 years) to go undefeated through an entire season including playoffs. They are one of only two NFL teams to complete a perfect regular season (the other being the New England Patriots in 2007), not including a strike-shortened year.
The Team’s Roster
The 1972 Miami Dolphins season was the team’s seventh season, and third in the National Football League (NFL). The 1972 Dolphins posted a perfect 14–0 regular season record before winning all three post-season games, including Super Bowl VII, to finish 17–0. The AFC divisional playoff game against the Cleveland Browns and Super Bowl VII remain notable for being the only NFL games ever played where neither team scored a touchdown. Don Shula was named Coach of the Year, and seven players were selected for either the AFC or NFC Pro Bowl squads.
Offensive starters included quarterback Bob Griese, wide receivers Paul Warfield and Marlin Briscoe, running backs Larry Csonka and Mercury Morris, tight end Jim Mandich, guard Larry Little, tackle Norm Evans, and center Jim Langer. Defensive starters included defensive end Bill Stanfill, defensive tackle Manny Fernandez, middle linebacker Nick Buoniconti (the team captain), outside linebackers A.J. Duhe and Doug Swift, cornerbacks Gerry Mullins and Curtis Johnson, and safety Dick Anderson. Kevin Coyle served as the defensive backs coach; fill-in players included wide receiver Howard Twilley and running back Clifton McNeil.
The 1972 Dolphins were led by sixth-year head coach Don Shula in his eighth year with the team. Despite having one of the best records in franchise history at 10–4 in 1971 (tied for 5th best at that time), Shula felt he needed to make changes to his coaching staff. He replacedRunning Backs Coach Hank Bullough with job-hopping Lou Saban (who had been most recently an AFL Head Coach with the Denver Broncos) as Defensive Coordinator; promoted longtime Linebackers Coach Bill Arnsparger to Defensive Coordinator; replaced Offensive Line Coach Vince Lombardi Jr., grandson of famed Packers coach Vince Lombardi with Tom Fears;and hired University of Houston secondary coach Kevin Coyle as Defensive Backs coach. Arnsparger would continue to call many of the defensive plays however as Shula gave Saban free rein over much of the defense while concentrating on coaching the offense himself as he had done early in his career.(Shula would eventually relinquish play calling duties altogether for several years starting in 1974).
The 2007 New England Patriots
The 2007 New England Patriots were the first and only team to go undefeated in the regular season and win the Super Bowl. They finished the regular season with a record of 16-0 and won all three playoff games, including the Super Bowl. The Patriots were a dominant team all season, outscoring their opponents by an average of nearly 20 points per game.
The Team’s Record
The 2007 New England Patriots became the first team in NFL history to go undefeated in the regular season and win the Super Bowl. The team’s 16-0 record was unparalleled, and their performance throughout the season was nothing short of incredible. Led by quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick, the Patriots were a force to be reckoned with, and their perfect season is still considered one of the greatest accomplishments in NFL history.
The Team’s Roster
The Patriots finished the regular season with a perfect 16–0 record, becoming the first team in NFL history to do so. The team set an NFL record for most consecutive wins with 21. The Patriots were also the first team since the 1972 Miami Dolphins to win every game by double figures, something no other team has done in NFL history.
The Patriots offense was ranked first in the NFL in scoring (589 points), while the defense was ranked second (274 points). Tom Brady set an NFL record for touchdown passes (50) and Quarterback Rating (117.2). Randy Moss caught a then-record 23 touchdown passes, and Wes Welker had a league-leading 112 receptions.
The 2007 Patriots became just the fourth team in NFL history to win three Super Bowls in four years, joining the 1971–73 Miami Dolphins, the 1974–76 Oakland Raiders, and the 1992–95 Dallas Cowboys. They became only the second franchise after the Cowboys to achieve this feat; Pittsburgh had been within one play of winning three Super Bowls in four years on two separate occasions but lost both times on last-second field goals (in 1995 and 2006).
The 2015 Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers went undefeated in the 2015 NFL season. They finished the regular season with a record of 15-1 and won the Super Bowl with a score of 24-10. This was an amazing accomplishment for the Panthers and their fans.
The Team’s Record
The Carolina Panthers had a spectacular season in 2015. They went undefeated, winning all 16 of their regular season games. They then won their first playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks before losing to the eventual Super Bowl champions, the Denver Broncos, in the divisional round.
The Team’s Roster
The Carolina Panthers finally have an NFL Championship to their name. Here is a look at the team’s make up that made history in 2015.
Offense:
Quarterback – Cam Newton
Running Back – Jonathan Stewart
Wide Receiver – Ted Ginn Jr.
Tight End – Greg Olsen
Offensive Tackle – Michael Oher
Offensive Guard – Trai Turner
Center – Ryan Kalil
Defense:
Defensive End – Kony Ealy
Defensive Tackle – Star Lotulelei
Outside Linebacker – Thomas Davis
Middle Linebacker – Luke Kuechly
weakside Linebacker – Shaq Thompson cornerback- Josh Norman safety- Kurt Coleman safety- Roman Harper
