# Super Bowl VII
**Super Bowl VII** was an [American football](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-football) game played on January 14, 1973, in which the [American Football Conference](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-football-conference) champion [Miami Dolphins](https://www.edgepedia.org/miami-dolphins) defeated the National Football Conference champion Washington Redskins, 14-7, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to complete the first, and still unmatched, perfect season in National Football League history at 17-0.[1](https://www.profootballhof.com/football-history/football-history/1960-1979/1973) • [2](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/january-14/nfl-unbeaten-season-miami-dolphins-1972)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date and site | January 14, 1973, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, before 90,182 fans[2](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/january-14/nfl-unbeaten-season-miami-dolphins-1972) |
| Score | Miami Dolphins 14, Washington Redskins 7, completing a 17-0 season[1](https://www.profootballhof.com/football-history/football-history/1960-1979/1973) |
| Betting position | Miami, 16-0 entering the game, was posted as an underdog against Washington (13-3 at that point)[3](https://www.nfl.com/_amp/1972-miami-dolphins-the-inside-story-of-the-only-perfect-season-in-nfl-history) |
| Most valuable player | Safety Jake Scott, with two interceptions totaling 63 return yards[4](https://as.com/us/us/2020/11/20/nfl/1605838598_949092.html) |
| Defining play | Kicker Garo Yepremian's blocked 42-yard field goal attempt turned into a fumble returned 49 yards for a Washington touchdown by Mike Bass[2](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/january-14/nfl-unbeaten-season-miami-dolphins-1972) |
| Television | The NBC telecast was viewed by approximately 75 million people[1](https://www.profootballhof.com/football-history/football-history/1960-1979/1973) |
| Franchise context | The Dolphins' first Super Bowl title, won in the franchise's seventh season of existence[5](https://static.www.nfl.com/league/apps/league-site/media-guides/2022/MIA.pdf) |
## The 1972 Dolphins' road to the game
Miami entered the season as defending AFC champions after a 10-3-1 campaign in 1971 that ended in a 24-3 loss to the [Dallas Cowboys](https://www.edgepedia.org/dallas-cowboys) in [Super Bowl VI](https://www.edgepedia.org/super-bowl-vi).[2](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/january-14/nfl-unbeaten-season-miami-dolphins-1972) The team opened the year with a 20-10 victory against the [Kansas City Chiefs](https://www.edgepedia.org/kansas-city-chiefs) at Arrowhead Stadium, survived close calls against the Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills, and lost starting quarterback Bob Griese to injury in Week 5.[6](https://www.miamidolphins.com/news/the-greatest-football-team-1972-dolphins-perfect-season-honored) • [2](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/january-14/nfl-unbeaten-season-miami-dolphins-1972)
**Backup quarterback, same result.** Veteran Earl Morrall led the offense through the rest of the regular season, including a 52-0 victory over the [New England Patriots](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-england-patriots) that was head coach [Don Shula](https://www.edgepedia.org/don-shula)'s 100th NFL win.[2](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/january-14/nfl-unbeaten-season-miami-dolphins-1972) The running game carried the team: [Larry Csonka](https://www.edgepedia.org/larry-csonka) rushed for 1,117 yards and Eugene "Mercury" Morris for 1,000, making the Dolphins the first teammates to rush for 1,000 yards each in a season and the first to do so in a 14-game season.[2](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/january-14/nfl-unbeaten-season-miami-dolphins-1972) • [7](https://www.miamidolphins.com/news/1972-miami-dolphins-the-perfect-season-50th-anniversary) Shula reinserted Griese midway through the AFC Championship Game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, which Miami won 21-17 in Pittsburgh.[2](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/january-14/nfl-unbeaten-season-miami-dolphins-1972)
Washington, coached by George Allen, had gone 11-3 in the regular season and routed the defending [Super Bowl](https://www.edgepedia.org/super-bowl) champion Cowboys, 26-3, in the NFC championship game.[8](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/01/13/miami-dolphins-perfect-season-1972/) Despite Miami's perfect record, the Dolphins were posted as underdogs against Washington.[3](https://www.nfl.com/_amp/1972-miami-dolphins-the-inside-story-of-the-only-perfect-season-in-nfl-history)
## The game
Neither quarterback played well. Griese passed for only 88 yards, and Washington's Billy Kilmer set a Super Bowl record by throwing three interceptions.[2](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/january-14/nfl-unbeaten-season-miami-dolphins-1972) The story of the game was Miami's defense, the unit known as the "No-Name Defense," which shut down the Redskins' offense.[9](https://www.nfl.com/news/1972-miami-dolphins-the-inside-story-of-the-only-perfect-season-in-nfl-history) • [10](https://media.miamidolphins.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Weekly-Release-7-N.Y.-Jets.pdf) Defensive tackle Manny Fernandez registered 17 tackles in the game and made a strong case for the most valuable player trophy himself.[11](https://as.com/us/us/2020/05/04/nfl/1588628919_697807.html) • [9](https://www.nfl.com/news/1972-miami-dolphins-the-inside-story-of-the-only-perfect-season-in-nfl-history)
**Jake Scott's interceptions.** Miami intercepted Kilmer three times, and safety Jake Scott was responsible for two of them, returning the ball 63 yards in total.[4](https://as.com/us/us/2020/11/20/nfl/1605838598_949092.html) His second interception came in the fourth quarter, with Washington at Miami's 10-yard line: Kilmer attempted a pass to Charley Taylor, and Scott returned it 55 yards with a little more than five minutes remaining in the 14-7 game. Scott was named the game's MVP.[4](https://as.com/us/us/2020/11/20/nfl/1605838598_949092.html) • [2](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/january-14/nfl-unbeaten-season-miami-dolphins-1972)
## The Yepremian gaffe
With just over two minutes left, Shula chose to attempt a 42-yard field goal on fourth-and-4 in Washington territory rather than go for the first down, a decision he later admitted was based on his desire to cap a 17-0 season with a 17-0 win. The kick was blocked, and Yepremian's attempt to salvage the play produced a fumble that cornerback Mike Bass returned 49 yards for a Washington touchdown, cutting the lead to 14-7.[2](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/january-14/nfl-unbeaten-season-miami-dolphins-1972) "I shoulda just fallen on the ball," Yepremian told reporters. "I shoulda ate it, but I made a mistake."[2](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/january-14/nfl-unbeaten-season-miami-dolphins-1972) The Dolphins held on, and the gaffe became one of the most remembered plays in Super Bowl history.[2](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/january-14/nfl-unbeaten-season-miami-dolphins-1972)
## Significance and legacy
The victory gave the Dolphins an unblemished 17-0-0 record, the first perfect regular-season and postseason mark in NFL history, and the franchise's first Super Bowl title in its seventh season of existence.[1](https://www.profootballhof.com/football-history/football-history/1960-1979/1973) • [5](https://static.www.nfl.com/league/apps/league-site/media-guides/2022/MIA.pdf) Miami repeated as champion the next season, defeating Minnesota 24-7 in [Super Bowl VIII](https://www.edgepedia.org/super-bowl-viii), and its combined 1972-73 record of 32-2 is also an all-time mark.[12](https://www.profootballhof.com/teams/miami-dolphins/team-history)
No NFL team has matched the feat. The 1972 Dolphins remain the only team in league history to finish an entire season undefeated and untied, and the team earned the No. 1 spot on the NFL 100's list of the greatest teams of all time.[13](https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/through-100-seasons-1972-dolphins-remain-nfls-only-perfect-team) • [6](https://www.miamidolphins.com/news/the-greatest-football-team-1972-dolphins-perfect-season-honored) The Dolphins were the first team to reach the Super Bowl with a perfect record; the second, the 2007 New England Patriots, rode an 18-game winning streak into [Super Bowl XLII](https://www.edgepedia.org/super-bowl-xlii) but lost 17-14 to the [New York Giants](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-york-giants).[2](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/january-14/nfl-unbeaten-season-miami-dolphins-1972) The championship ring carries one large diamond for the Super Bowl VII victory surrounded by 16 smaller diamonds, one for each win before it.[14](https://operations.nfl.com/media/2700/nfl-2017-kickoff-guide.pdf)
## References
1. [1973, Pro Football Hall of Fame](https://www.profootballhof.com/football-history/football-history/1960-1979/1973)
2. [Miami Dolphins win Super Bowl VII to cap NFL's only perfect season, HISTORY](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/january-14/nfl-unbeaten-season-miami-dolphins-1972)
3. [1972 Miami Dolphins: The inside story of the only perfect season in NFL history, NFL.com](https://www.nfl.com/_amp/1972-miami-dolphins-the-inside-story-of-the-only-perfect-season-in-nfl-history)
4. [Jake Scott, MVP del Super Bowl VII, muere a sus 75 años, AS](https://as.com/us/us/2020/11/20/nfl/1605838598_949092.html)
5. [50th Anniversary of the Perfect Season, NFL Media Guide (2022)](https://static.www.nfl.com/league/apps/league-site/media-guides/2022/MIA.pdf)
6. [The Greatest Football Team, Miami Dolphins](https://www.miamidolphins.com/news/the-greatest-football-team-1972-dolphins-perfect-season-honored)
7. [1972 Miami Dolphins – The Perfect Season 50th Anniversary, Miami Dolphins](https://www.miamidolphins.com/news/1972-miami-dolphins-the-perfect-season-50th-anniversary)
8. [The 1972 Miami Dolphins still have the NFL's only perfect season, The Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/01/13/miami-dolphins-perfect-season-1972/)
9. [1972 Miami Dolphins: The inside story of the only perfect season in NFL history, NFL.com](https://www.nfl.com/news/1972-miami-dolphins-the-inside-story-of-the-only-perfect-season-in-nfl-history)
10. [Miami Dolphins Weekly Release, Miami Dolphins](https://media.miamidolphins.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Weekly-Release-7-N.Y.-Jets.pdf)
11. [La imperfecta campaña perfecta de los Dolphins de Don Shula, AS](https://as.com/us/us/2020/05/04/nfl/1588628919_697807.html)
12. [Miami Dolphins Team History, Pro Football Hall of Fame](https://www.profootballhof.com/teams/miami-dolphins/team-history)
13. [Through 100 seasons, 1972 Dolphins remain NFL's only perfect team, NBC Sports](https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/through-100-seasons-1972-dolphins-remain-nfls-only-perfect-team)
14. [NFL 2017 Kickoff Guide](https://operations.nfl.com/media/2700/nfl-2017-kickoff-guide.pdf)
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*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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