'72 Dolphins; Marino & the Bears!
Some quick notes on all of the above:
My guess is that most of you did not see the 1972 Dolphins and your opinions are what you read. I heard Jimmy Johnson call them "1 Year wonders" and noone addressed the comment above that the Dolphins were great for 1 year.
So, I will do my best.
The 1972 Dolphins were not just great for 1 year. They were in the middle of 3 straight Super Bowl appearances and they won 2 of them.
They went 32-2 in their back to back title years (1972 and 1973).
Basically, they lost 1 meaningful game over that 2 year period.The second game which they lost in 1973 came in week 13 when they pulled their big guns; the Dolphins had clinched everything by week 10. In meaningless games (for Miami because of the playoff rotation and that Miami had clinched the division), they beat the Cowboys and Steelers (playoff teams) in weeks 11 and 12.
Then, as noted, they rested Griese, Csonka, Warfield and other starters in a week 13 game against a non-contender (the Colts) and lost.
The '85 Bears were not better. The '72 Dolphins led the NFL in offense with a dominant running team. And, for most of the year, they had to rely on their back up quarterback, 38 year old Earl Morrall.
The '72 Dolphins also led the NFL in defense and had 3 shut outs. They would have shutout the Redskins in the Super Bowl, except for Garo Yepremian's special teams blunder. They had to win the AFC Championship on the road because the playoff games were rotated in those days.
In contrast, the '85 Bears were weak at the corners and covered that up with their blitzing. And, they did something the Dolphins did not do-- they lost a game. There is a big difference between undefeated and 1 loss.
I see the same attitude in this year's New England team I saw in the '72 Dolphins. I saw it in their demeanor when they played Miami here. I saw it in the way they came back against the Colts (reminiscent on Miami 16, Minnesota 14, in 1972). If they go undefeated, like Miami, they will have to win games after they clinch everything. This looks like an historic team and I am admiring them.
On another point, Marino, was not a "whiner." His receivers loved him.