In just the second year of their early dominance in the NFL, the Miami Dolphins managed to achieve something that still to this day has yet to be accomplished in the NFL. The Countdown to Super Bowl 54 in Miami rolls on with 1973’s Super Bowl VII.
January 14, 1973
Super Bowl VII was played between the Miami Dolphins and Washington Redskins in January of 1973, a game which saw the Dolphins capture the Lombardi Trophy in a 14-7 victory. Played in front of over 90,000 fans, the Super Bowl returned to the Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California, once again.
The Miami Dolphins were able to capture the NFL’s first (and to this day, only) perfect season, winning every game in the regular season, playoffs and ultimately, a Super Bowl.
After losing to the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl VI, the Dolphins would return the following year to capture their first ever Super Bowl victory. MVP of the game was awarded to safety Jake Scott of the Dolphins, who was just the second defensive player in NFL history to capture the award. Super Bowl VII was quite the defensive battle, to this date still being the lowest scoring game in Super Bowl history.
When the Super Bowl began airing on television, commercial air time was quite expensive, though it’s nothing compared to what it costs today. A 30-second spot on TV in 1973 was around $88,000. However, that’s chump change compared to what brands are paying in today’s day and age, well into the millions. The halftime show for Super Bowl VII consisted of another marching band act, this time Woody Herman and the University of Michigan marching band.