The Dolphins are the first NFL team to ever have two 1,000-yard rushers in the same season: Larry Csonka and Mercury Morris. They were the thunder and lightning of a three-back rotation that also included Jim Kiick, a steady presence but also the least prolific of the three. Csonka and Kiick had shared all the rushing duties in Super Bowl VI, which upset Morris and led to a meeting with Shula. A decision to spread the ball-carrying load among the three backs proved a very effective strategy, since it made it more difficult for teams to know what they needed to defend from play to play.
