The Philadelphia Eagles won again Thursday and claimed their eighth win in as many games this season, which might remind some NFL fans that one team has previously had a flawless run while others have come close to perfection.
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The Pennsylvania team got off to the best start in their history with a 29-17 win over the Houston Texans and have every reason to believe in their chances of winning the Super Bowl, a feat they saw them in in February 2018 will be able to win all their games, regular season and playoffs combined? All remains to be seen, but the Eagles will have some interesting challenges to face before the end of the regular season, including a visit to the Dallas Cowboys and two encounters against the amazing New York Giants.
Before you find out more about the fate of the Eagles, here are some clubs that represent perfection, or nearly so, in the NFL.
– Miami Dolphins, 1972
The Florida team can boast of being the only team to have a flawless run in the season and in the playoffs. Led by Don Shula at the time, who was in his third year as a rider, she won her 14 regular season bouts before triumphing three more times. Miami defeated Washington 14-7 in Super Bowl VII.
Despite the loss of quarterback Bob Griese, who was injured in the second month of activity, the other Dolphins players have taken over. In the backfield, Mercury Morris and Larry Csonka became the first running back duo to each rush for at least 1,000 yards. As a testament to their superiority, the Shula Troopers confirmed their American Conference Eastern Division title in the 10th week of the season.
– New England Patriots, 2007
In addition to the 1972 Dolphins, three other teams were perfect in one season. However, at the ultimate rendezvous, they stumbled. Few remember the Chicago Bears of 1934 and 1942, but then again, many football fans still remember the Patriots of 2007. Led by center Tom Brady, NFL MVP that year, and head coach Bill Belichick, they had 16 wins, the first perfect club in the regular season since Miami.
The 16th win also came at the expense of the Giants, who lost their flag 38 to 35 in front of their supporters. But instructor Tom Coughlin’s men did their homework well and gained confidence, because a few weeks later they retaliated by ruining the course for the “Pats”. The latter saw their dream go up in smoke with a 17-14 loss in Super Bowl XLII. Some New England fans prefer to forget that famed David Tyree caught the Giants’ decisive offensive boost in the fourth quarter, while others still curse ex-pivot Eli Manning.
-San Francisco 49ers, 1984
Thanks in part to the famed Joe Montana, the Niners had the best year in their history in 1984: 15 wins against a single miss, in addition to conquering Super Bowl XIX, which they won by defeating Dan Marino and the Dolphins 38-16. The No. 16 drove to the second of his three titles as “Most Deving Athlete” in the final. Their only misstep was a 20-17 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 7.
San Francisco expected a dozen footballers to receive a Pro Bowl invite. Notable alongside Montana, author of 28 touchdown passes and a 3,630-yard harvest, was running back Roger Craig, who mustered 1,324 yards on offense, as well as offensive linemen Fred Quillan, Randy Cross, and Keith Fahnhorst.
-Chicago Bears, 1985
Football fans who followed the activities of the NFL in the 1980s will still remember the impressive Chicago Bears of 1985. Recalcitrant head coach Mike Ditka led his squad in a 15-1 campaign; The Dolphins suffered their only loss on a Monday night in December after the Illinois club won their first 12 games.
With quarterback Jim McMahon, running back Walter Payton and towering rookie defensive end William “The Fridge” Perry, a 335-pound behemoth, the Bears terrorized the entire league, including the Patriots, who beat them 46-10 in Super Bowl XX slaughtered. Much to the chagrin of their haters, they had much to celebrate, sometimes arrogantly. Incidentally, after their ultimate win, the players produced a rap song – “The Super Bowl Shuffle” – that reached #41 on the US Billboard Top 100.