# NFL Record 73 pts., 1 team, 1 game (72 Reg. Season) = Permanent? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 3, 2007, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-record-73-pts-1-team-1-game-72-reg-season-permanent/421321 "2007-10-03T00:23:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2007, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-record-73-pts-1-team-1-game-72-reg-season-permanent/421321/1 "2007-10-03T00:23:37Z")
The current NFL scoring records, 1 team, 1 game: **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’. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2007, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-record-73-pts-1-team-1-game-72-reg-season-permanent/421321/2 "2007-10-03T00:44:17Z")
Well, if Indy had a defence that was as bad as the Bengals, and they played each other… They (Bengals) did have a pretty good barn burner with Cleveland a couple of weeks ago. 51-45 is the highest scoring game that I remember in a while. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2007, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-record-73-pts-1-team-1-game-72-reg-season-permanent/421321/3 "2007-10-03T01:27:11Z")
[QUOTE=Bearflag70] 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’. [/QUOTE] 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. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2007, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-record-73-pts-1-team-1-game-72-reg-season-permanent/421321/4 "2007-10-03T01:27:14Z")
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). ---
**Author:** ![Lizard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@Lizard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lizard)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2007, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-record-73-pts-1-team-1-game-72-reg-season-permanent/421321/5 "2007-10-03T01:37:50Z")
[QUOTE=Bearflag70] 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’. [/QUOTE] 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. [QUOTE=Bearflag70] They (Bengals) did have a pretty good barn burner with Cleveland a couple of weeks ago. 51-45 is the highest scoring game that I remember in a while. [/QUOTE] 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? ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2007, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-record-73-pts-1-team-1-game-72-reg-season-permanent/421321/6 "2007-10-03T03:38:45Z")
According to Wiki, regarding the 73-0 Chicago win over Washington: > [@](#): > > Washington had defeated Chicago, 7-3, in a regular season game three weeks earlier. After the contest, Redskins owner George Preston Marshall told reporters that the Bears were crybabies and quitters when the going got tough. As the Bears prepared for the rematch, Chicago head coach George Halas fired up his team by showing them newspaper articles of Marshall’s comments. > > The Bears controlled the game right from the start, \. > > The Bears held a 28-0 halftime lead and then continued to crush the Redskins, scoring 45 points during the second half. After Halas took the team’s starters out, the backup players continued to pile on the points. The Bears ended up recording 501 total yards on offense, 382 total rushing yards, and 8 interceptions–returning 3 for touchdowns. > > So many footballs were kicked into the stands after touchdowns that officials asked Halas to run or pass for the PAT on the last two TD’s I see what you mean about taking the game personally. I’d like to see the Cowboys run it up against the Eagles though. Yes, I’m still mad at Buddy Ryan. 😉 P.S. **Lizard** , you mis-attributed the **adam yax** quote to me. Just sayin’. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2007, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-record-73-pts-1-team-1-game-72-reg-season-permanent/421321/7 "2007-11-06T17:12:27Z")
NYJ @ NE 12/16/07 ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2007, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-record-73-pts-1-team-1-game-72-reg-season-permanent/421321/8 "2007-11-06T19:03:04Z")
[QUOTE=Bearflag70] 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’. [/QUOTE] 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. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2007, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-record-73-pts-1-team-1-game-72-reg-season-permanent/421321/9 "2007-11-06T19:49:25Z")
Dan Marino’s last game was a 62-7 loss to Jacksonville in 1999.