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 powered Miami to back-to-back world titles in addition to helping the ’72 Dolphins go 17-0, sees similarities between that team and the 2024 Kansas City Chiefs, who will put their 9-0 record to the test Sunday against the Buffalo Bills.
“It’s fun to talk about a team that’s showing signs that kind of reminds me of the Dolphins,” Csonka said during an interview with CBS Sports. “The attention to detail, their willingness to not care about their own statistics but about winning, is reminiscent, and I kind of get a kick out of that quarterback and that coach. It brings back memories.”
Csonka sees one specific similarity between his team and the modern day Chiefs, who in addition to trying to go undefeated are also vying to become the first team in history to win three straight Super Bowls.
“When you watch Kansas City, you see perhaps not perfect execution, but a lot better than anybody else is doing,” he said. “You see the fundamentals being executed. … You don’t see the basic fundamental breakdowns that lead to defeat. When you see something like that, then you recognize that they have that competitive edge.”
As far as the Chiefs’ prospects of remaining undefeated, Csonka said that it’s a “coin flip” while adding that “the right people have to come forward at the right time.” He then alluded to last week’s blocked field goal attempt that sealed Kansas City’s 16-14 win 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 a score in Miami’s 20-14 win over Cleveland.
“Someone steps up and does more than what they’re being called on to do,” Csonka said. “And that was a characteristic of the ’72 Dolphins. I see similarities in Kansas City. They’re intriguing to watch. Fundamentally, they don’t mess up that much at all. In crisis situations, just like the game ended last week, with a blocked kick at the end of the game, made the difference. That’s reminiscent.”
While Kansas City’s close win against Denver brought back memories for Csonka, it led to some criticism from fans and media members who think the Chiefs should be winning games more decisively. That is 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 right in there sweating with everybody 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’s reminiscent in the ’72 season and back when I played.”
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 currently is to the Chiefs. They may play different positions, but Csonka and Mahomes share a similar mentality in that winning mattered above all else.
“He reminds me of some of the guys that I played with in ’72,” Csonka said of Mahomes, who is just one of five starting quarterbacks in NFL history to win three Super Bowls. “He does not care about statistics. He cares about mistakes, improper alignment, being off count, that drives him crazy. He is something 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 a commonality that falls on a great team.
“He is so competitive, that inspires you to do a little better yourself. That’s a damn great thing to have.”
Another similarity between the two teams are the head coaches. The ’72 Dolphins were led by Don Shula, the NFL‘s all-time leader in wins. Shula was maniacal when it came to fundamentals and finding a winning edge. Csonka sees those same qualities in Andy Reid, who will one day have a bust alongside Shula’s in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“He’s a funny guy,” Shula said of Reid, who has led five teams to the Super Bowl as a head coach. “Makes funny commercials. Several times, I’ve seen him become extremely emotional and outspoken on the sideline to the point where players are screaming back. He is an outspoken advocate of attention to detail. … Sometimes, he’s not the nice guy that you see on the commercials. There’s a little bit of Shula in him, and it shows in that time. I think that’s a comparison that he’d smile about.
“He’s his own man. Shula was his own man. But they have the common knowledge background as far as attention to detail.”
Back to the gridiron, Csonka seems yet another similarity between the ’24 Chiefs and ’72 Dolphins, one that probably isn’t noticed by 99% of 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 your offensive and defensive line’s first movement is up,” he said. “Now, you take Kansas City, you watch them, they come up a little bit, but they also still kind of fire out. They hit shoulder to shoulder, it’s not head to head, but there’s still a twitch of our ancestral heritage there in the game. I’m seeing what’s reminiscent of my era, a piece of it.”
Listening to Csonka, it became apparent that he has great admiration for what the Chiefs are doing. He made it clear, however, that he isn’t cheering for the Chiefs to join his Dolphins as the NFL’s only perfect teams.
“Make no mistake, I’m not pulling for them to go undefeated,” he said. “At that same time, I’m appreciative to watch somebody that’s so reminiscent of attention to detail. There are so many things that I see that remind me of the Dolphins in that era. … Sure, I’d like it if they lost one game. Then I’d pull for 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 perfect, Csonka said that he will celebrate by remembering Shula and some of his teammates that are no longer here. But if the Chiefs are able to obtain perfection, Csonka will among the first to congratulate them while welcoming them into pro football’s most exclusive club.
“I will celebrate through memory, 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 mind, they’ll be there with me, and we celebrate remaining being alone on the mountaintop.
“But trust me when I tell you, there is nothing but respect for someone else if they attain that mountain. Perfect is perfect, whether it’s 17 games, 19 games or eight games. Perfect is perfect. But if somebody else makes the mountain top, you’ve got to scoot over and say, ‘Have a seat pal, you’ve earned it.’ And that’s the way that it is.”
