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40 Years and Counting

Originally posted on Dolphins Talk | By Bob Gonzalez | Last updated Jan 28, 2025 11:11 PM ET

It is not nearly as publicized as the 1985 Chicago Bears or the 2007 New England Patriots, but there are four other NFL teams that have had the one singular loss that sets them apart from our 1972 Miami Dolphins. Some of these may surprise you as much as they did me.

In order, these are the 1962 Green Bay Packers, 1976 Oakland Raiders, 1982 Washington Redskins, 1984 San Francisco Forty Niners, 1985 Chicago Bears, and the aforementioned 2007 New England Patriots.

Most of us know the Dolphins derailed the 1985 Bears’ hopes of perfection, but the year before, in 1984, the Dolphins, led by Dan Marino, played the 1984 Forty Niners in Super Bowl XIX. For those of us counting, it was forty years ago. Dan’s second season. The Dolphins were 16-2 and the Forty Niners 17-1 entering the game, the best combined records for the two teams competing in the Super Bowl. The Pittsburgh Steelers, one of the twenty-six teams not to draft the homegrown Marino, were the only team to defeat the Forty-Niners that year.

Chris Carter recently stirred up the debate on whether the Dolphins effectively utilized Marino’s talents. One thing that can not be debated is that Marino’s Dolphins season gave us moments as memorable as any other. Who can forget those thrilling downfield passes to the Marx Brothers?!

NFL Hall of Fame WR Cris Carter says Dan Marino was Underrated as a Player, and Don Shula and the Dolphins mismanaged Dan pic.twitter.com/Jh3HVPPxLe

— DolphinsTalk.com (@DolphinsTalk) January 25, 2025

The spike to beat the Jets and, quite possibly, aside from the two Super Bowl wins, the most important game of all when he, more than anyone else, was responsible for keeping the franchise’s enduring legacy intact when the Dolphins defeated the Chicago Bears, handing them their only loss in 1985. I was at that game, and I could still see the pass deflected into Mark Clayton’s hands as if it were happening now.

Leaving a lasting memory as vivid as any Super Bowl. You see, greatness can be measured in many different ways.

It’s been forty years, but the Dolphins can and will rise again. New frontiers are to be explored in Europe and Latin America, and spurred on by these new challenges, the Dolphins will be eager to make their mark on the future.

This article first appeared on Dolphins Talk and was syndicated with permission.

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