The 1972 Miami Dolphins are considered by some to be the greatest team in NFL history. Still, they were the underdogs for Super Bowl VII at many sportsbooks. That means that before a 14-7 win over Washington that capped an undefeated season, the 1972 Dolphins weren’t even considered that season’s best team by many oddsmakers. They played – and beat – a soft schedule. Over time, the enduring 17-0 performance built that team’s legacy to mythic proportions.
As this NFL season progresses, we’re getting closer to the possibility of the Chiefs going 16-1 or 15-2 in the regular season and winning a third straight Super Bowl. They have a two-game lead for the AFC’s No. 1 seed, and with only two home games between them and the Super Bowl, it will be tough to stop them. And we consider such a Chiefs team to be one of the best ever. But remember what you think about the Chiefs right now.
Kansas City has won an impressive 15 straight games by one score. They won because a tight end’s toe was out of bounds in the end zone, a defensive pass interference on a fourth-and-16, a missed pass interference call in the end zone, Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles didn’t go for 2 and the win , a blocked field goal, a last-minute drive after trailing a 3-10 Panthers team, a botched play by the 2-11 Raiders when they were within field goal range to win and then a Sunday night field goal. The Chiefs’ +56 point differential is not only the worst of any team at 12-1 or better in NFL history, it’s the worst by 33 points, according to Brett Kollmann of “The Film Room.” They rank eighth in DVOA, behind the 6-7 49ers.
We probably won’t remember any of that in a decade or two if the 2024 Chiefs win a Super Bowl. We will only tell stories about how dominant they were.
Here are the NFL power rankings after Week 14 of the NFL season:
