# Football scores **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [September 24, 2019, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-scores/840754 "2019-09-24T14:43:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2019, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-scores/840754/1 "2019-09-24T14:43:44Z")
I like football. I also like statistics. What nfl game during the seasons had the biggest difference; in other words, the biggest blowout? Was there ever a game where no one scored? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2019, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-scores/840754/2 "2019-09-24T14:46:53Z")
> [@SuntanLotion](#): > > Was there ever a game where no one scored? In football? All the time 🙂 Assuming you mean \*American \*football, [not since 1943](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2015/oct/01/and-you-thought-the-bears-offense-was-bad-nfls-last-0-0-game) in the NFL. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2019, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-scores/840754/3 "2019-09-24T15:02:37Z")
> [@SuntanLotion](#): > > What nfl game during the seasons had the biggest difference; in other words, the biggest blowout? According to this [Wiki](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blowout_(sports)) article, the largest margin of victory in an NFL game occurred in the 1940 championship game, when the Bears beat the Redskins 73-0. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2019, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-scores/840754/4 "2019-09-24T15:05:12Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > According to this [Wiki](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blowout_(sports)) article, the largest margin of victory in an NFL game occurred in the 1940 championship game, when the Bears beat the Redskins 73-0. They nearly repeated the feat last night. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![mcgato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@mcgato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcgato)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2019, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-scores/840754/5 "2019-09-24T15:43:46Z")
[This site has every NFL final score ever.](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/game-scores.htm) You can sort by total points, point differential, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2019, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-scores/840754/6 "2019-09-24T16:06:31Z")
Since the AFL-NFL merger, there have been two games with 59 point margins of victory, which is the largest margin of victory in the modern era. In '76, the LA Rams beat the Falcons 59-0. And more recently in '09, the Patriots over the Titans 59-0. As noted above, there are games with larger margins of victory but you have to go back to when the game was significantly different. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2019, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-scores/840754/7 "2019-09-24T18:00:27Z")
**Moderator Action** Moving thread from GQ to the Game Room. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2019, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-scores/840754/8 "2019-09-24T18:05:58Z")
> [@SuntanLotion](#): > > Was there ever a game where no one scored? Only once. In 1943, the Giants and Lions played each other to a 0-0 tie [The only scoreless tie in NFL history was played in Detroit - Vintage Detroit Collection](https://www.vintagedetroit.com/blog/2016/11/03/scoreless-tie-nfl-history-played-detroit/). ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2019, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-scores/840754/9 "2019-09-24T19:02:01Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Only once. In 1943, the Giants and Lions played each other to a 0-0 tie > [The only scoreless tie in NFL history was played in Detroit - Vintage Detroit Collection](https://www.vintagedetroit.com/blog/2016/11/03/scoreless-tie-nfl-history-played-detroit/). And, as the NFL, in 1974, instituted an overtime period if a regular-season game is tied at the end of regulation, the odds of ties themselves has gone down. In a typical NFL season, there are no more than one or two games that end in a tie, and it’s not uncommon to have no ties at all during a season. Plus, as decades of NFL rule changes have opened up the offenses, and led to increased scoring, shutouts, in general, aren’t common anymore (probably less than a dozen, across 256 games, per season). ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2019, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-scores/840754/10 "2019-09-24T19:30:03Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > And, as the NFL, in 1974, instituted an overtime period if a regular-season game is tied at the end of regulation, the odds of ties themselves has gone down. In a typical NFL season, there are no more than one or two games that end in a tie, and it’s not uncommon to have no ties at all during a season. > > Plus, as decades of NFL rule changes have opened up the offenses, and led to increased scoring, shutouts, in general, aren’t common anymore (probably less than a dozen, across 256 games, per season). According to [Pro Football Reference](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/play-index/tgl_finder.cgi?request=1&match=game&year_min=1991&year_max=2018&game_type=R&game_num_min=0&game_num_max=99&week_num_min=0&week_num_max=99&temperature_gtlt=lt&c1stat=points_opp&c1comp=lte&c1val=0&c5val=1.0&order_by=game_date&offset=200), there were 214 shutouts from 1991 through 2018. That’s an average of 7.6 shutouts per season. There were 8 shutouts in the 2018 season. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2019, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-scores/840754/11 "2019-09-24T20:10:22Z")
I’m not even seeing a game, post-merger, that was 0-0 heading into overtime. > **[Team Game Stats Finder | Stathead.com](https://stathead.com/football/team-game-finder.cgi)** > > Find teams with most passing yards in home games in single season, combined seasons and many more filter criteria on Stathead.com. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2019, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-scores/840754/12 "2019-09-24T20:30:05Z")
I would think [NFL Scorigami](https://nflscorigami.com/) is relevant here. They keep track of all possible scores and gleefully announce new unique final scores. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2019, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-scores/840754/13 "2019-09-24T20:38:41Z")
> [@mcgato](#): > > [This site has every NFL final score ever.](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/game-scores.htm) You can sort by total points, point differential, etc. As that table shows (and I just want to say that I love Pro Football Reference), the biggest total score (both teams) in NFL history was 113 points – [the Redskins beat the Giants, 72 to 41, in 1966](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/196611270was.htm). ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2019, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-scores/840754/14 "2019-09-24T21:30:26Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > I would think [NFL Scorigami](https://nflscorigami.com/) is relevant here. They keep track of all possible scores and gleefully announce new unique final scores. I remember an absolutely miserable game recently between the Seahawks and Cardinals. Final score was 6-6. It was the only time an NFL game ended in that score. It featured an overtime where both teams missed chip shot field goals. It was without a doubt the worst football game I ever watched. ---
**Author:** ![Harrington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac8455/32.png) [@Harrington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harrington)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2019, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-scores/840754/15 "2019-09-24T22:06:54Z")
[Scores that have never happened in the NFL](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/missing-scores.htm) There are several on that list that are surprising, especially with the inclusion of the 2-point conversion 25 years ago. 32-19. 35-29. et. al. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2019, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-scores/840754/16 "2019-09-24T22:42:18Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > I remember an absolutely miserable game recently between the Seahawks and Cardinals. Final score was 6-6. It was the only time an NFL game ended in that score. > > It featured an overtime where both teams missed chip shot field goals. It was without a doubt the worst football game I ever watched. I remember that game. It was bad, but I found it hilarious. Making it worse was it was a Sunday Night primetime game. I’m a 49er fan, but I live in the Seattle area. I teased my co-worker the next day for causing it. For “Blue Friday” that week he wore a Seahawks necktie. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2019, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-scores/840754/17 "2019-09-24T23:06:04Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > I would think [NFL Scorigami](https://nflscorigami.com/) is relevant here. They keep track of all possible scores and gleefully announce new unique final scores. I wonder how they reacted to Super Bowl XLVIII, the only NFL game that ended 43-8. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2019, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-scores/840754/18 "2019-09-24T23:24:51Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > I remember that game. It was bad, but I found it hilarious. Making it worse was it was a Sunday Night primetime game. > > I’m a 49er fan, but I live in the Seattle area. I teased my co-worker the next day for causing it. For “Blue Friday” that week he wore a Seahawks necktie. I wore Seahawks socks for Blue Friday once. It was such a cop-out. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-scores/840754/19 "2019-09-25T00:26:54Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I wonder how they reacted to Super Bowl XLVIII, the only NFL game that ended 43-8. With glee. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-scores/840754/20 "2019-09-25T01:03:05Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > I remember an absolutely miserable game recently between the Seahawks and Cardinals. Final score was 6-6. It was the only time an NFL game ended in that score. > > It featured an overtime where both teams missed chip shot field goals. It was without a doubt the worst football game I ever watched. The Cardinals played a Monday night game against the Giants in 1984. IIRC correctly, the weather got progressively worse during the game with multiple missed field goals by both sides in overtime and ended in a tie. The next morning one of the local newscasters noted the prime time game was telecast, “as a stunned nation watched in muted agony.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-scores/840754.md?page=2)