Larry Csonka is once again getting calls about another team that is trying to join his 1972 Miami Dolphins as the NFL’s only perfect teams. Csonka, a Hall of Fame running back who led Miami to back-to-back world titles and helped the ’72 Dolphins go 17-0, sees similarities between that team and the 2024 Kansas City Chiefs, who will put their 9-0 record until Sunday’s test against the Buffalo Bills.
“It’s fun to talk about a team that is showing signs that remind me of the Dolphins,” Csonka said during an interview with CBS Sports. “The attention to detail, his willingness to not worry about his own statistics but to worry about winning, it’s reminiscent, and I kind of enjoy that quarterback and that coach. It brings back memories.”
Csonka sees a specific similarity between his team and today’s Chiefs, who in addition to trying to remain undefeated are also vying to become the first team in history to win three consecutive Super Bowls.
“When you look at Kansas City, maybe you don’t see perfect execution, but you see much better execution than anyone else is doing,” he said. “You see how the fundamentals are executed… You don’t see the fundamental flaws that lead to defeat. When you see something like that, then you recognize that they have that competitive advantage.”
As for the Chiefs’ prospects of remaining undefeated, Csonka said it’s a “toss-up” and added that “the right people have to come along at the right time.” He then alluded to last week’s blocked field goal attempt that sealed Kansas City’s 16-14 victory over Denver as an example of that. In fact, the ’72 Dolphins, whose success was largely due to someone routinely stepping up in big moments, received a similar play in the playoffs when safety Charlie Babb blocked a punt that set up the score in the Miami’s 20-14 victory over Cleveland.
“Someone steps up and does more than what they’re asked to do,” Csonka said. “And that was a characteristic of the ’72 Dolphins. I see similarities in Kansas City. It’s intriguing to see them. Basically, they don’t make mistakes as much. In crisis situations, just like the way the game ended last week, with a blocked shot at the end of the game, made the difference.
While Kansas City’s close victory against Denver brought back memories for Csonka, it drew some criticism from fans and media members who think the Chiefs should win games more decisively. That’s another thing the Chiefs share with the ’72 Dolphins, who won more than their share of close games.
“Some days we were dominant, but 50-60% of the time, our butts were out there sweating with everyone else,” Csonka said. “It was down to the wire. That perseverance and being fundamentally correct is a discipline. I see some of that discipline in Kansas City and it reminds me of the 1972 season and when I was playing.”
Csonka, who recently wrote a book chronicling his fascinating life and career, was the driving force behind Miami’s powerful offense that led the league in scoring in 1972. He was to the Dolphins what Patrick Mahomes is to the Chiefs today. They may play different positions, but Csonka and Mahomes share a similar mentality in that winning matters above all else.
“He reminds me of some of the guys I played with in 1972,” Csonka said of Mahomes, who is just one of five starting quarterbacks in NFL history to win three Super Bowls. “He doesn’t care about stats. He cares about mistakes, bad lineups, being out of count, that drives him crazy. He’s kind of a perfectionist in the way he approaches how he plays. He doesn’t have to lead the league in stats. He wants to win. I think that’s something a great team has in common.
“It’s so competitive that it inspires you to do a little better. It’s a great thing to have.”
Another similarity between the two teams is the head coaches. The ’72 Dolphins were led by Don Shula, the NFL’s all-time wins leader. Shula was a maniac when it came to fundamentals and finding a winning edge. Csonka sees those same qualities in Andy Reid, who will one day flop alongside Shula in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“He’s a fun guy,” Shula said of Reid, who has led five teams to the Super Bowl as a head coach. “He makes funny commercials. Several times I have seen him extremely emotional and outspoken on the sideline to the point where players yell back at him. He is a strong advocate of attention to detail… Sometimes, he is not the nice guy that one See in the commercials. There’s a bit of Shula in it, and it shows at the time. I think it’s a comparison I’d smile about.
“He’s his own man. Shula was his own man. But they have common knowledge in terms of attention to detail.”
Back on the field, Csonka appears to be another similarity between the ’24 Chiefs and the ’72 Dolphins, one that probably won’t be noticed by 99% of the people who watch Kansas City games. That similarity is the Chiefs’ old-school approach to run blocking, something that has somewhat become a lost art in today’s game.
“Most of the first movement of their offensive and defensive line is already done,” he said. “Now, if we take Kansas City, we look at them, they get a little closer, but they also keep shooting. They hit each other shoulder to shoulder, not face to face, but there is still a tic of our ancestral heritage there. In the game I see something that reminds to my time, a part of it”.
Listening to Csonka, it became clear that he has great admiration for what the Chiefs are doing. However, he made it clear that he is not rooting for the Chiefs to join his Dolphins as the NFL’s only perfect teams.
“Make no mistake, I’m not pushing for them to go undefeated,” he said. “At the same time, I appreciate seeing someone who remembers so much attention to detail. There are so many things I see that remind me of the Dolphins in that era… Sure, I wish they would lose.” a game “So I would support them all the way, if they win three straight Super Bowls, that’s fine too.”
If Kansas City joins the long list of teams that fell short of perfection, Csonka said he will celebrate by remembering Shula and some of his teammates who are no longer here. But if the Chiefs achieve perfection, Csonka will be one of the first to congratulate them and welcome them to the most exclusive club in professional football.
“I’ll celebrate from memory, I’ll put glasses with Shula and (Nick) Buoniconti and the rest of them that aren’t here anymore,” Csonka said if the Chiefs lose. “In my opinion, they will be there with me and we will celebrate being alone at the top of the mountain.
“But believe me when I tell you, there’s nothing but respect for someone else if they reach that mountain. Perfect is perfect, whether it’s 17 games, 19 games or eight games. Perfect is perfect. But if someone else reaches the top of the mountain, you have to come up and say, ‘Have a seat, buddy, you’ve earned it.’ And that’s how it is.
