Editing Super Bowl XVII (section)

===Miami Dolphins===
{{main|1982 Miami Dolphins season}}

The Dolphins finished the strike-shortened regular season with a 7–2 record, ranking them second in the AFC. The Miami club's main strength was its defense, nicknamed the "Killer Bees" because six of the defense's 11 starters had surnames that began with the letter B. The "Killer Bees", anchored by [[Pro Bowl]] defensive tackle [[Bob Baumhower]], allowed the fewest total yards in the league (2,312) and the fewest passing yards in the league (1,027). Linebacker [[A. J. Duhe]] was extremely effective at blitzing and in pass coverage. The Dolphins' secondary, consisting of defensive backs [[Don McNeal]], [[Gerald Small]] and brothers [[Lyle Blackwood|Lyle]] and [[Glenn Blackwood]], combined for 11 interceptions.

However, Miami's passing attack, led by quarterback [[David Woodley]], ranked second to last in the league with 1,314 total yards, 8 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. One of the few bright spots in the Dolphins' passing attack was wide receiver [[Jimmy Cefalo]], who gained 356 yards from just 17 receptions for an average of 20.9 yards per catch. Wide receiver [[Duriel Harris]] also provided a deep threat with 22 receptions for 331 yards.

Miami's strength on offense was its ground game, ranking third in the league with 1,344 rushing yards. Pro Bowl running back [[Andra Franklin]] was the team's top rusher with 701 yards (third in the NFL) and seven touchdowns. Running back [[Tony Nathan]] rushed for 233 yards and caught 16 passes for another 114 yards. Woodley himself also rushed for 207 yards and two touchdowns. One reason for the Dolphins' rushing success was the blocking of their offensive line, led by future [[Pro Football Hall of Fame|Hall of Fame]] center [[Dwight Stephenson]], along with Pro Bowlers [[Bob Kuechenberg]] (a starter on Miami's early 1970s Super Bowl teams) and [[Ed Newman]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=1982 Miami Dolphins Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/mia/1982.htm |access-date=2024-06-08 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref>