If you’re like me and enjoy the fall and winter season while watching NFL throughout the weekend, then you might want to learn a bit more about the sport.
I’ve been a fan of watching since I was little, always keeping track of the players and ranks with my dad. I enjoy the intensity of the matches and watching how each team battled for victory. But the best games were the ones that insanely close, or even tied, and high scoring.
So, what are the highest scoring NFL games ever? Of course, there are so many variables to this, and there’s nothing wrong with games that don’t reach the high numbers, but it’s riveting to watch the numbers climb. Without further ado, let’s check out the highest scoring NFL games.
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What’s the Average Score for NFL Games?
It’s hard to realize just how high some of these scores can be without knowing the average. Of course, all games differ. When both teams have a really great defense, it’s possible that scoring is less likely to happen because each side is fending off the other team.
Now if both teams have an average defense, but a stellar offense, you’re more likely to see a score each time the team has the ball, which makes it a close game, but a higher score count. But overall, what is the average score within an NFL game so you can see just how crazy high the highest scoring NFL games are.
Generally, when looking at the average total number of points scored in a game, you’re looking between the 30s and the 50s, with an average sitting around 41-45. Again, this is just the total number of points from both teams combined. Betting Offers UK analyzed the last seven regular seasons and summed up the average of the AFC is 45.2 while the AFC is 46.2.
Has There Been an NFL Game Where No One Scored?
With that being said, has there ever been a game where no one has scored? Several, actually.
NFL prides itself in being one of the most exciting sports that you can watch. While baseball is considered America’s past-time, we can be honest and say that football definitely has a larger fanbase. There was actually a poll in 2021 where only 11% of adults listed baseball as their favorite sport to watch, putting it far behind football.
That being said, it’s not often that you come across a scoreless game. However, according to Pro Football Reference, there have been over 70 games now that have had a score of 0-0, making them the lowest scoring games. The most recent one happened in 1943 with the Giants vs the Lions.
What’s the Highest Scoring Super Bowl Game Ever?
When looking at the highest scoring NFL games, you can’t find out without thinking of the highest scoring Super Bowl ever, which was the 29th Super Bowl. In this match-up, the Chargers and 49ers reached a combined score of 75 points. The 49ers defeated the Chargers 49-26 in 1995, making it the highest scoring Super Bowl in history (so far).
The second highest score was only one point less and happened recently with the Eagles and the Patriots in Super Bowl 52 in 2018. The Eagles won the game 41 to 33, making it a combined score of 74 points.
What’s the Highest Scoring Playoff Game Ever?
But what about playoff games? If we’re going to talk about the highest scoring NFL games ever, we might as well talk about all types of games, not just the regular season.
For the highest scoring playoff game, we’re looking at a combined score of 96 in total, which is almost as high as the highest scoring NFL game ever. This score was made between the Cardinals and the Packers back in 2010 when they went into overtime. The Cardinals beat the Packers 51-45, making it the highest playoffs score ever.
What’s the Highest Score One Team Has Reached in One Game?
It might be a bit unfair to talk about combined points. What about teams that have done the most in one single game? A team that reached the most points ever, but is rarely talked about because it’s not combined with another top score?
The most points one team has reached in a single game is 72 points by the Redskins during a 1966 game against the Giants. The second on the list is 70 points won by the Rams in 1950 against the Colts.
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Highest Scoring NFL Games Ever
20. Titans vs Broncos, 46-45 (1962)
The closer the game, the better for many. While everyone wants to see their team win, it’s also boring to just watch a complete landslide. Having one team dominate the other is just not fun to watch, whether it’s your team winning or not. But this game was the exact opposite.
The Titans might have come out of the gate with a 14-point lead, but it did not stay that way as the Broncos came back in the second quarter ready to go. Even so, it wasn’t enough for them, as the Titans pulled the victory by one point.
19. Jets vs Cardinals, 56-35 (2008)
The 2008 game between the Jets and the Cardinals was crazy. With no scoring in the first quarter, and then a whopping 34 points for the Jets in the second quarter, and still nothing out of the Cardinals until the third, this game was really a match to see.
The scale tilted in both directions, but by the fourth quarter, it was obvious that the Jets were taking it home with a staggering 23-point lead.
18. Seahawks vs Lions, 48-45 (2022)
The Seahawks ensured their victory in the 2022 game as they started out with a bang, leading in the first quarter by 12 points, and then consistently scoring throughout the game to keep them in the lead.
In the final quarter, the Lions tried to get ahead by scoring an additional 22 points, but they weren’t able to push forward far enough, leaving them behind by 3-points, giving the Seahawks the victory.
17. Titans vs Chargers, 50-43 (1960)
The 1960 game with the Titans against the Chargers is one of the highest scoring NFL games ever played with a total score of 93.
The Chargers led themselves to victory by gaining a lead at the start of the game to keep them ahead of the Chargers, letting them cruise to the finish line at the end.
16. Saints vs Cardinals, 51-42 (1969)
In order to achieve the average 45 total point score game, each team needs to try and get a touchdown at least once per quarter.
And that was the plan for the Cardinals in this 1969 game versus the Saints, however, the Saints wanted to go above and beyond by boosting their score to a couple a quarter. The Cardinals had one final push in the last quarter with an additional 21 points, but it wasn’t enough, leaving them shy of just 3-pionts.
15. 49ers vs Saints, 48-46 (2019)
One of the highest scoring NFL games ever is the 2019 match between the 49ers and the Saints, one of the two 2019 games to make it on this list.
The game started with a bang of the Saints leading by 13-7, but the 49ers came back with 21 added points in the second quarter, sending them to a high lead. But even so, the final result of 48-46 with the 49ers winning shows that these two were pretty equal in the match.
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14. Packers vs Redskins, 48-47 (1983)
Talk about an even match. The Redskins were 5-2 and the Packers were 4-3, with the first quarter having them tied at 10.
Both teams managed to stay pretty equal, with the Packers reigning victorious by only one point, having a combined total of 95.
13. Buccaneers vs Rams, 55-40 (2019)
A year before Tom Brady entered the picture for Tampa, the Buccaneers showed their potential with their offense in the 2019 game against the Rams.
In this game, the Rams pushed Jared Goff to throw the ball a total of 68 times, where he completed 45 of his throws for 517 yards and two touchdowns, with three interceptions as well. In this game, the Buccaneers took a victory of 55-40, a total score of 95, one of the highest scoring NFL games ever.
12. Jets vs Dolphins, 51-45 (1986)
Games moving to overtime is one of the best feelings, but also the most stressful. You never really want to see the game end, but you also want to make sure your team wins.
And this game did just that, moving to overtime, with the Jets winning with a 6-point lead.
11. Browns vs Bengals, 51-45 (2007)
The Browns have a history of being a pretty bad team, having a history of just not doing so hot. But for this 2007 game, it was one to be remembered.
The Browns were against their AFC North rivals, the Bengals, and came out on top by 6 points, making it one of the highest score NFL games ever with a total score of 96. Both teams exceeded 500 total years in the game, but the biggest star was Jamal Lewis, the Browns’ running back, who rushed 216 yards.
10. Rams vs Colts, 70-27 (1950)
The longer the game’s been going on, the more rules and stipulations players and teams are up against. That being said, one of the highest scoring NFL games comes from 1948, where rules were a bit more lax.
The Rams were able to dominate the Colts, as they were known for having some of the highest scores back then, and with an end score of 70-27, it shows. And the week following, the Rams kept their momentum going by scoring a whopping 60 points. They were a team to be scared of for sure.
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9. Cardinals vs Giants, 63-35 (1948)
The 1948 game between the Cardinals and the Giants was another game that had a pretty huge lead, making it difficult to take control back.
Within the first quarter, the Cardinals were able to get a two-touchdown lead, and by the fourth quarter, the Giants were behind four touchdowns, 28 points total. It’s hard to come back after that. The Cardinals fought for victory with a score double the Giants, a total score of 98.
8. Chargers vs Steelers, 54-44 (1985)
Next on the list today is in 1985 between the Chargers and the Steelers. Dan Fouts from the Chargers threw impressively with 372 yards, scoring three touchdowns.
The Steelers’ David Woodley had his own three touchdowns, but still, the Chargers began their lead with 21-7 making it hard to catch up one. But the Steelers did their best, only losing by ten points at the final scoring of 54-44, making it one of the highest scoring NFL games ever.
7. Seahawks vs Chiefs, 51-48 (1983)
In 1983, with the matchup of the Seahawks and the Chiefs, neither having an outlook towards playoffs, created an amazing game. In the second quarter, the Chiefs already reached a great score of 21 points, with the Seahawks coming in with 17 points.
The Chiefs answered their call, making another 13 points, and the game went on to overtime thanks to a 48-tie. This game surely was a sight to behold for two teams that were doing just okay in this season.
6. Broncos vs Cowboys, 51-48 (2013)
Reaching a combined score of 99 points was the Broncos versus the Cowboys. The Broncos in 2013 held the record for the most points scored in a single season with a total of 606, so it’s valid that they are on the top spot for one of the highest scoring NFL games ever.
Tony Romo had one of his best games in his career, recording 506 yards with five touchdowns, keeping the Cowboys high on the charts, however, the Broncos didn’t budge, leading them to victory by three points.
5. Raiders vs Oilers, 52-49 (1963)
For those that might not be aware, the Oilers were the Tennessee Titans before they changed their name in 1999. And they have one of the highest scoring NFL games ever reaching a total score of 101 points.
The Raiders were doing great in 1963 and were on a 7-game winning streak by the time they faced the Oilers. They quickly showed their strengths and consistency in this game. But by the fourth quarter, both teams were tied 49-49, however, the Raiders were able to get past them by just three points.
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4. Saints vs Giants, 52-49 (2015)
Personally, I’m not a fan of either Manning brother, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t prove themselves every now and again.
And while you might be wondering what I mean (because the Giants lost by three points in 2015 against the Saints), Eli’s match with Drew Brees was remarkable. The stats at the end of the game, losing or not, showed how well he fought.
3. Rams vs Chiefs, 54-51 (2018)
This was a game for both teams. Mahomes was the newest addition to the Chiefs team, making him a sensation in the franchise and instantly beloved by Kansas City.
And with the young coach Sean McVay’s flashy offense going up against him, it was a battle of the year, and rightly so as the scoring is incredibly close. Even though Mahomes has the hearts of Chiefs fans, he has three interceptions and two fumbles, making it the key difference in the three-point loss.
2. Bengals vs Browns, 58-48 (2004)
Coming in second place in our round up of the highest scoring NFL games is the Bengals versus the Browns from 2004. The rivalry between these two teams is immense, making it a spectacular game.
With four touchdown throws by Carson Palmer, and Rudi Johnson having a career-high of 202 yards and a touchdown himself, this was one fans didn’t want to miss. And while both teams battled hard, the Bengals came out on top by ten points.
1. Redskins vs Giants, 72-41 (1966)
As mentioned above, the Redskins hold the award for scoring the greatest number of points within a single game at 72 points, a total of 16 touchdowns. This was their year, apparently, as they completely dominated the Giants.
But the Giants didn’t let that hurt them, as they still made several scores, making up a decent score of 41. Still, the effort was a bit short, as that score is greatly one-sided, making Washington fans ecstatic. With a combined score of 113, this is currently the highest scoring NFL game ever played.
Conclusion
NFL games are riveting, to say the least. Between the battle to get to the endzone, to the dramatics and fights in between, it’s like watching a movie. And some truly believe that it’s scripted. But either way, watching teams score over and over, moving their team to overtime even to get the final point, it’s entertaining.
That being said, remembering the highest scoring NFL games ever and seeing just how infrequent it can be to get those high points is interesting, especially for the NFL superfans. Hopefully, with the oncoming seasons, we can witness more high-scoring games.
