Was any one else sick of seeing interview after interview of members of the 1972 Miami Dolphins team this past weekend? I found myself rooting for the New England Patriots on Saturday night if for no other reason to shut up former Dolphin running back Mercury Morris who has obviously been practicing his rhyming shtick for so long he could easily be confused with Jesse Jackson.

For years, members of the '72 Dolphins team have popped champagne bottles when the last unbeaten team suffered its first loss. I wonder how many cases of champagne have been sent to Minnesota Vikings former defensive lineman Bob "Benchwarmer" Lurtsema over the years. Why do I ask that question? Sit down and let me tell you youngin's a little story about a man named Bob.

You see, back on '72 the Minnesota Vikings had an opportunity to amend history and remove the Dolphins from future "greatest team" arguments. Instead, the Vikings blew an eight-point lead in the final four minutes and lost a 16-14 decision.

I was only eleven at the time. I'd be lying if I said I remembered the game, but history has shown it was Miami's toughest game of the year, one of only three games in which it trailed in the fourth quarter. Take it from former Dolphins coach Don Shula.

It was the third game of the season and it was a typical Indian summer fall day in Minneapolis, with 70-degree temperatures, clear skies, and the wind a very mild 7 miles per hour. The game was played in Bloomington at Metropolitan Stadium, site of so many cold, snowy affairs. And so many famous Vikings games.

The Vikings' legendary Purple People Eaters defense stuffed Miami on the opening possession, and Minnesota scored on its fifth offensive snap when Fran Tarkenton fired a 56-yard touchdown pass to John Gilliam for a 7-0 lead.

Dolphins running backs Larry Csonka and the aforementioned Mercury Morris were thwarted again and again by the magnificent Minnesota defense led by Alan Page, Carl Eller, Jim Marshall, and linebacker Wally Hilgenberg.

Miami's passing game didn't fare any better, as the Dolphins QB, Bob Griese, completed just 5 of 14 attempts for 24 yards before half-time. However, the Dolphins' No-Name defense was just as grudging after Gilliam's score. On Minnesota's next six possessions, it gained a total of 70 yards.

Fittingly, Miami's first points were set up by the defense, as cornerback Tim Foley picked off a Tarkenton pass on the third play of the third quarter to set up Garo Yepremian's 38-yard field goal. After a Minnesota punt, the Dolphins mounted a 42-yard drive that ended with Yepremian's 42-yard field goal, and with 9:37 gone in the quarter the Dolphins were within a point at 7-6.

The Vikings responded, however, as Bill "Boom-Boom" Brown's 1-yard plunge on fourth down capped a 13-play, 80-yard drive for a 14-6 lead 33 seconds into the fourth quarter. Given the way Minnesota's defense was playing, the eight-point deficit seemed overwhelming, especially when linebacker Roy Winston picked off a Griese pass on the ensuing series.

Later in the fourth, Griese drove the Dolphins into position for Yepremian's 51-yard field goal, which at the time was the longest of his career and in club history. The key was a fourth-and-1 gamble from the Miami 29 that Morris converted with a 3-yard run. The score was now 14-9.

Now it was up to the Miami defense to get the ball back for Griese, and it did so in three plays. Mike Eischeid's punt was fair caught by Dick Anderson at the Miami 41 with 2:11 remaining. And this is where The Benchwarmer enters the picture.

Facing a second-and-8 situation, the Dolphins benefited from a questionable 15-yard roughing-the-passer penalty on Lurtsema that resulted in a first down at the Vikings' 42. A 14-yard Morris run and two Howard Twilley receptions later, Miami was at the 3, at which point Griese found tight end Jim Mandich wide open in the end zone for the winning score with 1:28 to play.

The Dolphins' march to perfection was still on track, scarcely. And thanks to that penalty on Lurts, we have had to put up with years of the media talking to members of that Dolphins team.

I'm really going to enjoy listening to Tom Brady and Randy Moss in the years to come over Morris and Shula. Aren't you?

Miami vs. Minnesota

Oct. 1, 1972

---

NFL     FINAL             1ST  2ND  3RD  4TH     TOTAL

                          ---  ---  ---  ---     -----

        MIAMI               0    0    6   10  --  16

        MINNESOTA           7    0    0    7  --  14     FINAL



    SCORING SUMMARY



                 MIN - TD, Gilliam 56 pass from Tarkenton (Cox kick)

                 MIA - FG, Yepremian 38

                 MIA - FG, Yepremian 42

                 MIN - TD, Brown 1 run (Cox kick)

                 MIA - FG, Yepremian 51

                 MIA - TD, Mandich 3 pass from Griese (Yepremian kick)



TEAM STATISTICS



                              MIA            MIN

                         --------       --------

FIRST DOWNS                    14             12

TOTAL NET YARDS               254            240

NET YARDS RUSHING             120            131

Rushes                         26             35

Average per rush              4.6            3.7

NET YARDS PASSING             134            109

Completed-attempted         16-33          10-23

Had intercepted                 2              3

PUNTS-AVERAGE                6-44           7-46

RETURN YARDAGE                 61             48

PENALTIES-YARDS              5-55           3-45

FUMBLES-LOST                  0-0            1-1



PLAYER STATISTICS

Minnesota rushing: Reed 9-52, Osborn 14-47.



Miami rushing: Csonka 10-66, Morris 8-28.



Minnesota passing: Tarkenton 10-23 for 109 yards, 3 INT, 1 TD. 



Miami passing: Griese 16-33 for 112 yards, 2 INT, 1 TD.



Minnesota receiving: Gilliam 3-91, Beasley 3-23.



Miami receiving: Mandich 3-39, Kiick 3-25, Twilley 2-25.



A: 45,766.

                                                                        

Posted by maasx003 at January 1, 2008 01:00 AM