On This Date in Sports October 21, 1973: Squeezing the Juice (50 Years of Following Up Perfection Week 6)
The Miami Dolphins take the reins in the AFC East, defeating the Buffalo Bills 27-6 at the Orange Bowl. It is a solid defensive effort for Miami, as they hold O.J. Simpson to a season-low 55 yards on 14 carries. The Dolphins won despite five turnovers, as their defense held Buffalo to 76 yards total offense. Jim Mandich led the offense with 71 yards on four catches, scoring two touchdowns as the Dolphins improved to 5-1.
First place was on the line as the Dolphins hosted the Buffalo Bills, with both teams holding a record of 4-1 through five games. The Bills, coached by Lou Saban, were led by O.J. Simpson, who rushed for 813 yards. Simpson won the rushing title in 1972 and was on pace to top Jim Brown's record of 1,863 yards in 1963.
The Bills got an early break when Bob Griese fumbled on the game's third play. Recovering the ball deep in Miami territory, the Bills had to settle for an 11-yard field goal by John Leypolt. The Dolphins would answer with a 28-yard field goal by Garo Yepremian. The Dolphins took control of the game in the second quarter, scoring 21 unanswered points. The scoring started when Bob Griese found Jim Mandich in the end zone on a two-yard pass. Mandich later caught a 21-yard pass from Griese. The Dolphins' quarterback completed 10-of-20 passes for 136 yards.
Mercury Morris added a four-yard run to give Miami a 24-3 lead at the half. Morris had 61 yards on 15 carries, while Larry Csonka rushed for 79 yards on 17 carries. The Bills meanwhile failed to get a first down in the first half, as O.J. Simpson was held to 12 yards in a frustrating afternoon in Miami. Simpson did slightly better in the second half but was shut down in the fourth quarter with a sprained ankle. The Dolphins got a 47-yard field goal by Yepremian in the third quarter, while John Leypoldt hit a field goal from the 50 to make the final 27-6 in favor of Miami.
O.J. Simpson would set an NFL record, rushing for 2,003 yards, as the Bills finished 9-5 and narrowly missed the playoffs. Simpson would win the NFL MVP and the Offensive Player of the Year, completing one of the greatest offensive seasons in NFL history. Noteworthy is that the Dolphins set a record by going 20-0 against the Bills during the 1970s.