1973 was the continuation of the Miami Dolphins two-year domination of the NFL. They would repeat as champions in Super Bowl VIII. Despite losing two games, the 1973 Dolphins were even more dominant than the undefeated 1972 Dolphin team. Miami (12-2) would win the AFC East by three games over the up and coming Buffalo Bills (9-5). The Bills had the spectacular O.J. Simpson. Simpson became the first man to rush for 2,000 yards in one season, while averaging a staggering 6 yards per carry. Other AFC division winners were Cincinnati in the Central, and Oakland in the West, with the Wild-Card going to Pittsburgh. In the NFC, the division winners were Dallas in the East, Minnesota in the Central, and Los Angeles in the West, with the Wild-Card going to Washington. In the first round of the AFC playoffs, Miami beat Cincinnati 34-16 and the Raiders took care of Pittsburgh 33-14. In the NFC, Minnesota beat Washington 27-20, while Dallas took care of Los Angeles 27-16. In the conference championship games, the Dolphins dominated Raiders 27-10, while Vikings did the same against the Cowboys 27-10, setting up the match-up for Super Bowl VIII. This woud be the
Dolphins third consecutive Super Bowl appearance, while the Vikings were making their second appearance. The game was played on January 13, 1974 at Rice Stadium in Houston, Texas. Super Bowl VIII was largely dominated by the Dolphins, who scored 24 unanswered points during the first three quarters, including two touchdowns on their first two drives. Minnesota's best chance to threaten Miami occurred with less than a minute left in the first half, but Vikings running back Oscar Reed fumbled the ball away at the Dolphins' 6-yard line, and his team was unable to overcome Miami's lead in the second half. The Dolphins' Larry Csonka became the first running back to be named Super Bowl MVP; both his 145 rushing yards and his 33 carries were Super Bowl records.