# Most Yards Lost in a Football Game **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [January 15, 2012, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-yards-lost-in-a-football-game/609568 "2012-01-15T04:04:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Reyemile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/46a35a/32.png) [@Reyemile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reyemile)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-yards-lost-in-a-football-game/609568/1 "2012-01-15T04:04:25Z")
Watching tonight’s AFC playoff, the announcer made a comment that he had never seen so many negative plays in a single game. However, while I can find lots of records on sacks, I can’t actually find this record. What is the most number of negative plays recorded in a single NFL football game? And, if it’s not the same game, what is the most yards lost to negative plays in a game? (Mods: I’m looking for a factual answer about a record, so I assume it goes here. If I’m wrong, please move it to the Game Room with my apologies.) ---
**Author:** ![tomcar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tomcar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomcar)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-yards-lost-in-a-football-game/609568/2 "2012-01-15T05:03:49Z")
I doubt it has been recorded. But if it has, check The Elias Sports Bureau. I am not sure how public they make there info though. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-yards-lost-in-a-football-game/609568/3 "2012-01-15T06:40:14Z")
Moved to the Game Room. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-yards-lost-in-a-football-game/609568/4 "2012-01-15T15:53:44Z")
I must say, watching last night’s massacre, it did cross my mind to wonder whether a team has ever finished a game with negative yardage? ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-yards-lost-in-a-football-game/609568/5 "2012-01-15T16:00:38Z")
> [@EddyTeddyFreddy](#): > > I must say, watching last night’s massacre, it did cross my mind to wonder whether a team has ever finished a game with negative yardage? Yes. The Seahawks finished with -7 against the Rams (Los Angeles) in 1979. (According to a post on [answers.com](http://answers.com), for what that’s worth.) ---
**Author:** ![Jilaad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jilaad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jilaad)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-yards-lost-in-a-football-game/609568/6 "2012-01-15T16:04:12Z")
I don’t know about the largest number of negative yardage plays in a game, but I think the record for fewest yards of offense is held by the Seahawks. They “gained” -7 yards in a game against the Rams in 1979. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-yards-lost-in-a-football-game/609568/7 "2012-01-15T16:08:58Z")
Thanks, guys! Should’ve Googled it myself, but I wasn’t sure how to phrase it. ---
**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:** [January 15, 2012, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-yards-lost-in-a-football-game/609568/8 "2012-01-15T19:37:20Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Yes. The Seahawks finished with -7 against the Rams (Los Angeles) in 1979. > > (According to a post on [answers.com](http://answers.com), for what that’s worth.) Turns out it’s an accurate post. Here’s the box score from the game: > **[Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks - November 4th, 1979 |...](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197911040sea.htm)** > > Los Angeles Rams 24 at Seattle Seahawks 0 on November 4th, 1979 - Full team and player stats and box score At 9-7, the Seahawks weren’t a bad team that year. But, in this game: - Jim Zorn was only 2 out of 17 passing, for 25 yards - Zorn was also sacked 6 times, for a loss of 55 yards - They only ran the ball 12 times, for a total of 23 yards Amazingly, the Seahawks only turned the ball over once (apparently a fumble)…they just couldn’t move it. (And, this game was indoors, in the old Kingdome.) They only had one first down for the game. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-yards-lost-in-a-football-game/609568/9 "2012-01-18T17:25:49Z")
And then there was the Giants/Eagles game a couple of years ago in which McNabb was sacked a record 22 times in one game, and the Eagles finished at over 100 negative yards on the game. –Madden '09 for PS2 ---
**Author:** ![HubZilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-yards-lost-in-a-football-game/609568/10 "2012-01-18T18:34:29Z")
1996 Fiesta Bowl, Florida finished with -28 yards rushing vs Nebraska. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-yards-lost-in-a-football-game/609568/11 "2012-01-18T19:04:48Z")
> [@HubZilla](#): > > 1996 Fiesta Bowl, Florida finished with -28 yards rushing vs Nebraska. That happens all the time in college football. Sacks count as negative rushing yards in college, unlike the NFL.