Larry Csonka would recall the Dolphins’ highly anticipated matchup with the Minnesota Vikings in Week three of the 1972 season as the fiercest game in which he ever played.
For a man who faced the Pittsburgh Steelers and Oakland Raiders at the height of their ferocity, that is quite a statement. They are the teams from the 1970s known for their punishing, physical defenses but on this lovely early fall afternoon in Bloomington, Minnesota (70 degrees at kickoff) the Dolphins and Vikings engaged in their own private war.
Csonka received what he called the hardest hit he ever took on a football field and barely made if off the field before collapsing on the sidelines-more on that later. Cornerback Tim Foley later said he heard chapel bells, literally getting his bell rung, as he staggered off the field.
The Vikings were regarded as favorites to win the Super Bowl. but Miami took their best shot. The Dolphins’ come-from-behind 16-14 victory would establish them as the team to beat in 1972.
For most of the day, the Dolphins offense was dominated by the Purple People Eaters’ defense of the Vikings. The Dolphins No-Name Defense, although not having as catchy a moniker, kept Miami in the game despite one critical mistake in the first quarter.
On their first possession, Minnesota quarterback Fran Tarkenton called a play-action pass that caused Miami’s secondary to bite and come up. Vikings wide receiver John Gilliam slipped behind everyone and enjoyed a casual stroll to the end zone for a 56-yard touchdown giving them a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter.
The Dolphins moved within field goal range on their next possession, but Garo Yepremian’s 52-yard field goal was partially blocked by Minnesota’s Alan Page.
The teams exchanged punts until the Vikings set Miami up with a golden opportunity midway through the second quarter. Dolphins safety Dick Anderson recovered a Bill Brown fumble at the Minnesota 17, but Miami gave the ball right back. On the next play, Griese threw to Paul Warfield in the end zone, but
Warfield slipped, enabling Viking safety Bobby Bryant to intercept the pass and end the Dolphins’ threat.
The teams went into their locker rooms at halftime with the Vikings still holding a 7-0 lead. Miami had only gained 80 total yards and made four first downs. Griese had completed only five of his 14 passes for a paltry 24 yards. Minnesota had gained 144 yards, the difference almost entirely coming on Gilliam’s touchdown.
The Dolphins’ defense struck again on the first possession of the second half, when Foley, pre-chapel bells, intercepted Tarkenton and returned it to the Viking 37-yard line. Minnesota’s defense held and Yepremian was successful on a 37-yard field goal.
Following a Viking punt, Miami put together their first sustained drive of the day, moving from their 23-yard line to the Minnesota 30, but was stopped when Carl Eller sacked Griese on third down. Yepremian knocked through a 42-yard field goal to draw the Dolphins within 7-6.
The Vikings answered with their only sustained drive of the day. Keyed by two long runs from running back Oscar Reed, Minnesota marched 80 yards in thirteen plays, taking nearly six minutes off the clock. The drive culminated with a one-yard (more like a foot) touchdown run by Bill Brown. Two plays into the fourth quarter, Minnesota led 14-6 and was in command of the game.
When Greise threw his second interception of the day on the ensuing series, things were looking bleak for the Dolphins. They got the ball back following a Viking punt and, relying on the arm of Griese more than their powerful running game, moved the ball near midfield. A big gain on a swing pass to Mercury Morris was nullified by a pass interference penalty on guard Larry Little. None of the reporters or radio broadcaster Rick Weaver made a big deal out of the call, but I have NEVER heard of an offensive lineman being called for pass interference.
Miami now faced third-and-25 from their own 34-yard line. They needed a big play and got it-a pass from receiver Marlin Briscoe, who took the ball on an end around and found tight end Jim Mandich for a crucial 22-yard gain. This moved the Dolphins in range for a career-long 51-yard field goal by Yepremian, making it a one-score game at 14-9. For his efforts, Garo would win the weekly “Thom McAnn Golden Toe Award.” For you younger readers, Thom McAnn was a large shoe store chain somewhat nicer than the one former high school football star Al Bundy worked at.
The No-Names then forced a three-and-out, and Miami got the ball back with 2:11 left at their own 41-yard line. Right after the two-minute warning, Minnesota lineman Bob Lurtsema was called for roughing the passer, and that seemed to finally ignite the Dolphins’ offense. A 14-yard gain on a sweep by Morris and two passes to veteran receiver Howard Twilley, one of the two original 1966 Dolphins still on the roster, moved the ball down to the Viking three-yard line.
Griese, despite putting up sub-par numbers, still had everything under control. He noticed that Minnesota had gone into its short-yardage defense, taking out a safety and adding a linebacker. This made them ripe for a play-action pass to the tight end, and it worked just as it had been drawn up. Mandich caught Griese’s pass all by himself in the end zone for the winning score.
The Vikings still had 1:28 on the clock, but Tarkenton was only able to complete passes underneath to his running backs, and finally had his one pass downfield intercepted by Miami’s Lloyd Mumphord to wrap up the game.
There was no raucous celebration in the Dolphins locker room afterward. The team acted like it was just another day’s work. As Miami Herald sports editor Edwin Pope noted, “It’s a pro attitude, and very very possibly a pro championship attitude.”
Don Shula, of course, took things in stride even while he expressed pride in the Miami defense. “We could have completely folded in the ball game because certainly we weren’t doing anything offensively. The defense kept us in there by doing an exceptional job stopping the run and then also getting to Tarkenton five times.”
Lest anyone even think about puffing their chests out, Shula added, “We still have a long way to go. We’re not ready to start bragging or sticking out our chests. We’ve got a long year ahead of us and the test of a defense is over a period of time.”
Vikings coach Bud Grant dryly gave praise to the Dolphins defense after the game, “They have an excellent defense, whatever their names are.”
Another example of the professional team-first attitude the players shared was the responses to questions about Gilliam’s long touchdown. Three different defenders pointed fingers…at themselves. Cornerback Tim Foley (after the bells stopped ringing), “It was me. Gilliam was my responsibility.” Safety Jack Scott, “It was me. I’m supposed to be helping Foley in that situation.” Safety Dick Anderson, “It was me. Gilliam came out like a blocker, running right at me as though to take me out. I should have followed up on him.” How can you not love that!
The most memorable play of this game/war came on the hit Larry Csonka received from Minnesota linebacker Roy Winston (the play starts at the :35 mark in the video linked). After the game, Csonka said, “They ought to know you can’t kill a Hunky (Hungarian) by hitting him in the back. You’ve got to hit him where his brains are, and I won’t tell you where that is.”
When asked how he felt, Csonka said, “My left leg is turning yellow. My back is turning blue. Sometimes I wish I’d studied harder in college so I could be a veterinarian or something and go around patting dogs on the head instead of this. The thing that scared me was that I started to lose feeling in my legs. But then Lundy (Dolphins trainer Lundy) took a look at my back, kissed it and put a bandage on it, and I could feel the blood start flowing in the legs again.”
Csonka returned to the field on the next series, to the amazement of Winston, “I’ve been around this game 11 years, and I can’t remember getting a better shot at a guy. He is something.”
Over 40 years later defensive tackle Manny Fernandez and Csonka talked about the play on the NFL Films’ “America’s Game” series. Fernandez said, “You could hear the crack. I thought he’d broke his back or broke some ribs.” Csonka added, “Every once in a while, when I get out of bed on cold mornings…I think about Roy. And I hope…that Roy’s getting up and I hope he’s thinkin’ about me.”
In the short term, the Dolphins would turn their thoughts toward New York and their first meeting of the season with the Jets and quarterback Joe Namath. This would be the third time in this young season that they would face a future Hall of Fame quarterback on his home field. Don Shula was all too well aware of the way Namath had shredded the Baltimore Colts vaunted defense for 496 yards passing and six touchdowns in week two. With the Colts struggling, the Jets could be Miami’s main competition for the AFC Eastern Division title.
Miami would be ready. This team always was.
Coming Next Week: Part 11- Stifling Broadway Joe
Miami travels to New York’s Shea Stadium and makes Broadway Joe Namath look like an ordinary Joe. It was beginning to look like nothing might stop this team in 1972.
