The 1972 Miami Dolphins can light the cigars.
Their mark as the only NFL team to be undefeated for an entire season, through a Super Bowl championship, remains secure for another year.
It’s an annual tradition to watch the unbeaten teams and see if they can keep it going late into the year.
The 2026 NFL season had it end in Week 8, and those legendary Dolphins have the Detroit Lions to thank.
Last Undefeated Team This Season Loses
The Minnesota Vikings entered Week 8 as the last remaining undefeated team in the NFL.
The Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers had both lost recently to ruin their perfect records, so that left the Vikes standing alone with a zero in the loss column.
The Vikings entered Sunday at 6-0. They ended the day at 6-1.
The Lions beat the Vikings by a 19-15 score, an unusual final to be sure.
Detroit led 3-0 on a short Jake Bates field goal. Minnesota went up 7-3 on a freakish TD catch by Justin Jefferson.
Bates made another field goal, and then Jahmyr Gibbs ran for a 30-yard touchdown. But the Lions failed on a two-point try to lead 12-7.
The Vikings took the lead back in the fourth quarter when T.J. Hockenson caught a touchdown from Kyler Murray, and the Vikes converted the two-pointer to go up 15-12.
The Lions got the final score when Jared Goff found Jameson Williams from seven yards out with 4:35 to play. Bates kicked the extra point for that final 19-15 margin.
The Lions are gonna outlast the Vikings …
’72 Dolphins safe for another year.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) November 1, 2026
What About The Patriots?
The 2007 New England Patriots did have an undefeated regular season. They were a dominant 16-0.
But that Pats team didn’t win the Super Bowl.
They were stunned in the final game of the season by Eli Manning’s New York Giants, who benefited from David Tyree’s legendary helmet catch to give the Patriots their only loss of that season.
Difficulties in Going Undefeated
Of course, the season is longer now, even longer than when the Pats went 16-0. Teams now would have to go 17-0 to finish the regular season with a perfect record.
They then have to win three playoff games from that point (because an undefeated team would have a bye in the Wild Card Round).
So to have a perfect season in the modern NFL would require 20 wins.
That doesn’t take anything away from the 1972 Dolphins, though. They’re going to remain one of the most storied teams in the history of football no matter what comes in the years ahead in the NFL.
And for another year, they stand alone. Only one team has run the table in the NFL from Week 1 through the Super Bowl. The ’72 Dolphins can take another bow.
1972 Miami Dolphins Safe For Another Year Thanks To Detroit Lions