Analysis: Miami’s unbeaten season still stands test of time

By BARRY WILNER
AP Pro Football Writer

It can be argued — and has been for decades — that a perfect record including winning a championship makes that team the best in its sport. Maybe. And maybe the 1972 Miami Dolphins wouldn’t have matched up with, say, the great Steelers dynasty of the later 1970s. Or the dominant 49ers of the 1980s. Or the Cowboys Triplets of the 1990s. And, naturally, the 2007 Patriots who won all 16 regular-season games and two in the playoffs before falling to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl. No matter: Miami owns the only unblemished record in the Super Bowl era.