Monday 30 January 2017 09:46, UK
Miami Dolphins are undoubtedly one of the most iconic sports teams in the world.
With a rich history of top players and championship successes, they remain one of the reasons why the NFL is recognised and watched on a global scale.
The first few years for the franchise were not particularly successful, but it was the post-merger era from 1970 onwards that became all about the Dolphins.
A powerful defence that kept oppositions in their pockets week in, week out, were one of the cornerstones of early Dolphins success. The 1971 season saw them reach the Super Bowl for the first time - they lost to Dallas Cowboys, but reached it twice more in 1972 and 1973 to become the first team to play in the big game three times in a row.
The 1972 Dolphins are legendary. Their Super Bowl-winning season was perfect; they went 14-0 in the regular season and won both playoff games before seeing off Washington Redskins in the championship game. They accomplished back-to- back titles by retaining it the following year.
Don Shula was head coach at Miami for 26 seasons and is today considered a coach among the greats. He helped them reach two more Super Bowls in the 1980s, along with virtuoso quarterback, Dan Marino, who won NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year awards in 1984.
Replacing Shula and Marino has proved difficult in the 21st century. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill's career stuttered because of knee damage, leaving replacement QB, Matt Moore, to attempt to convince the Dolphins faithful during his recovery.
A Dolphins defence that is leaking rushing yards to the opposition every year has a period of restructuring and rebuilding on its hands if it is to compete as it did in the first three decades of its life in the NFL.
