73 points (Chi v Was, 73-0 in the 1940 championship game).
I guess the regular season record is 72 points (Was over NYG , 72-41 in 1966, which is also the record for most points per game by combined teams (113). Perhaps Washington was trying to compensate for the 1940 embarrassment).
70 points (LA over Bal , 70-27 in 1950).
66 points (Rochester over Fort Porter , 66-0 in 1920).
These records seem kind of old. You’d think with the high powered offenses and whatnot over the years, these records would have fallen… or perhaps we’ve lost our stomachs for a good full blown take no prisoners ass whoopin’.
Yeah, I think we have. With the salaries and risk of injury today, coaches are more anxious than ever, when they have a lead, to run out the clock and get out with everybody healthy. And with every play broadcast and analyzed nationwide within seconds, running up the score looks tackier than ever.
Still, you never know. A few years back some coach got pissed at Jerry Glanville and deliberately ran up 61 points. Maybe some day somebody will run up 74.
I think over the years teams have gotten more professional. Both in the players and in the support from defensive/offensive coaches and analysts. This tends to level the playing field somewhat. Even the worst NFL team versus the best these days it would be reaching to see a 40+ point differential (happens occasionally I know).
I think that has somehting to do with it. Sports Illustrated writer Dr. Z has written that the NFL used to be much more blue-collar, with grudges, vendettas, guys out to really hurt each other in defense or revenge of a teammate, etc. Now, with so much money on the line and free agency scrambling rosters every other year no one wants to really get hurt or upset the applecart. Everyone has gotten the message that no one is to disturb the gravy train for anyone else. So the result is a slackening of the personal ferocity the games used to have.
I also think that with a team’s best players costing so much money now, it doesnt make sense to leave them in the game and risk injury when a team is up by 40 points.
Hell man, that was nothing. In 2004 they had a game that finished something like 55-49, Bengals. It was the 3rd-highest combined score in league history, and this recent game was the sixth. So, two of the six highest-scoring games in league history have been played in the past three years between the Bengals and the Browns. Defense, anyone?
But with free agency and what not, parity has increased. No longer do you have the powerhouse teams stocking hall of famers three deep while others can’t find a decent running back who will take the NFL over selling paper.
