On This Date in Sports December 15, 1973: 12-2 (50 Years of Following Up Perfection Week 14)
The Miami Dolphins finished the regular season with a record of 12-2 by beating the Detroit Lions 34-7 at the Orange Bowl. Coming off a stunning loss to the Colts, the Dolphins make a statement in the final game of the season despite a banged-up secondary. Paul Warfield leads the way for Miami, who has four touchdown receptions while gaining 103 yards on six catches. Bob Griese, who missed Week 13 passes for 141 yards. Larry Csonka rushes for 51 yards and finishes with 1,000 yards for the third straight season.
Coming off a loss in Week 13, the Dolphins wanted to finish the regular season strong. They had a division championship, were the top seed in the AFC, and had an inside track to return to the Super Bowl, but at times, they had looked shaky, especially in the season's final weeks. The Lions held a record of 6-6-1 entering the game under coach Don McCafferty. Detroit rested several players with the playoffs out of reach.
The Dolphins quickly got their offense going, scoring two touchdowns in the first quarter. Each Paul Warfield featured making a catch on a pass by Bob Griese. The first went for 21 yards and the second from seven yards. In the second quarter, Garo Yepremian nailed a 27-yard field goal. Miami would continue their first-half domination as Warfield added two more touchdown catches, with the Dolphins outscoring the Lions 31-0 in the first 30 minutes.
As the game was out of reach, Miami began resting their starters after halftime. The Lions, pinned down all game, did not cross the 50 on offense until the middle of the third quarter, as Yepremian hit a 28-yard field goal to extend the lead to 34-0. The Lions scored in the game's closing minutes on a five-yard run by Steve Owens, as the Dolphins finished the season at 12-2, the best record in the NFL.
At 12-2, the Dolphins knew the heavy lifting was still to come as they prepared for the playoffs, hoping to win a second straight Lombardi Trophy. It was Miami's third straight AFC East title, with the Cincinnati Bengals winning the Central and the Oakland Raiders taking the West. The Pittsburgh Steelers were the AFC's Wild Card and had a game against the Raiders in the Divisional Round, while the Dolphins were set to take on the Bengals.
Sadly, it would be the final game for Lions coach Don McCafferty. McCafferty had replaced Don Shula in Baltimore and led the Colts to a victory in Super Bowl V. However, the Colts would soon crumble, and McCafferty was dismissed in 1972. He landed a new three-year deal with the Lions in 1973 and posted a 6-7-1 record in his first season. Just before the 1974 season, Don McCafferty died suddenly of a heart attack while mowing his lawn. He was 53 years old.