Last Fourth of July weekend, the NFL Network ran an America’s Game marathon. If you haven’t watched one of these docs yet, set aside some time to do so. They are amazing. This clip details the fall of the Miami Dolphins back to back Super Bowl winners in ’72 and ’73 thanks to Jim Kiick, Larry Csonka, and Paul Warfield signing with the WFL prior to the ’74 season.

Nonetheless, Miami made the playoffs again and played the Raiders in the epic “Sea of Hands” game.

I consider this one of the 10 most historically significant games in league history for a few reasons. First off, it marked the end of the Dolphins reign (from 1971 to ’74 they posted a regular season record 47-8, appeared in three straight Super Bowls, went undefeated in ’72 and repeated as world champs in ’73); is in any argument as one of the best games of all-time; and perhaps, most importantly set the stage for the NFL’s next superpower.

A cunning young fellow by the name of Charles Noll brought his little team from Pennsylvania into Oakland the following week to take on the newly annointed “best team in football” for the right to play in Super Bowl IX.

The Steelers slammed a flat Oakland squad 24-13 in the AFC title game to make its first Super Bowl…and the rest as they say is history.