Don Shula would 'love' for Panthers to match '72 Dolphins' perfect recordBy Ryan Wilson | CBSSports.comNovember 10, 2015 8:06 pm ET 
Don Shula says he would love to see his son's team match the Dolphins' record. (Getty Images)No word on how former Dolphins running back Mercury Morris feels about all this, but Hall of Fame coach Don Shula made it quite clear that he would be happy for the 2015 Panthers to match the 1972 Dolphins' perfect season.As it stands, the Panthers are 8-0, with impressive wins over the Seahawks and Packers."That would make me so proud if that happened," Shula told Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer. "I'd love to see the Panthers do it. I'm rooting them on, that's for sure."Worth mentioning: The Panthers' offensive coordinator is Mike Shula, Don's son."Mike is calm and cool," Don Shula said, "not hot-headed like the old man."But the elder Shula isn't just talking about the Panthers going 16-0 in the regular season -- the Patriots did that in 2007 -- he means a 19-0 run to a Super Bowl title."I just think that it hadn't been done before we did it and it hasn't been done since," Shula said. "That just tells you how hard, how difficult it is to do. There have been a lot of good teams, and only one team has done it."Any chance of that happening rests with quarterback Cam Newton's abilities to step up in big moments, something he has done with some regularity this season."That's a unique guy -- 6-5, 250 pounds, and can run faster than anybody and throw better than anybody," Shula said. "He's just the complete package. They've got him working as a field general now, understanding what quarterback position is all about."Shula continued: "Cam is just such a great athlete and a big, strong guy. If he stays healthy and keeps doing all the good things he's doing, if he keeps getting better like he is -- he will be a lock to be a Hall of Famer."We're only halfway through the season but here's what the next two months look like for Carolina: at Tennessee, Washington, at Dallas, at New Orleans, Atlanta, at New York Giants, at Atlanta, Tampa Bay.On paper, 16-0 certainly seems possible. Whether it happens or not is another matter, though the Panthers would gladly trade in a few losses along the way for a Lombardi Trophy at the end of the season.
