Dolphins, By A Nose

Miami's No-Name Defense, which allowed 48 fewer points than Dallas' Doomsday, will swarm after Calvin Hill and Thomas; and Hayes and Lance Al-worth will have great difficulty finding vacancies in the Miami zone. More often than not, they will find themselves in convoy with two or three Dolphins at a time, as Kansas City's Otis Taylor did when he was restricted to three catches for 12 yards. And then Staubach's concentration will wander (even as John Unitas' did), as will his feet, not by the sheer force of the Miami defense but because he will be looking for something that is not there, and then when he scrambles he will find that Miami's No-Names are very sure hitters in the open field. Linebacker Mike Kolen, for example, is known as Captain Crunch. He put the crunch on Baltimore's Don Nottingham in the open field two weeks ago, and Nottingham never got back in the game. Should Kolen catch Staubach in the open field, well, how does the song go, Roger? Anchors Aweigh?

All these things might not happen, of course, because the Cowboys are overdue, and if the law of averages does catch up with them someday, it would be altogether fitting that they award Tex Maule the game ball.