Football is usually a game of inches. Most Sundays, we're holding our breath over a missed field goal or a toe-tap catch in the back of the end zone. But every once in a long while, the wheels don't just come off the wagon—the wagon explodes into a thousand pieces. When you start digging into the highest team score NFL history has ever produced, you aren't just looking at good offenses. You're looking at total, absolute, unmitigated disasters for the defense.
Honestly, it’s kinda rare to see a team cross that 70-point threshold. We’ve seen it happen recently, and it felt like the world was ending for the losing side. But the real record? It’s been sitting on a shelf gathering dust since before your grandparents probably even knew what a "wide receiver" was.
The 73-0 massacre: A record that won't die
On December 8, 1940, the Chicago Bears did something that basically shouldn't be possible in professional sports. They beat the Washington Redskins 73-0 in the NFL Championship. Think about that for a second. Seventy-three points. Zero.
You’ve got to understand the context here to really appreciate the pettiness involved. Just a few weeks earlier, Washington had beaten Chicago 7-3. After that game, Washington’s owner, George Preston Marshall, called the Bears "crybabies." He said they were quitters.
George Halas, the legendary Bears coach, didn't forget. He pinned those newspaper clippings all over the locker room.
The game was a bloodbath from the jump. Bill Osmanski ripped off a 68-yard touchdown run on the second play. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, the Bears had scored so many touchdowns that they actually ran out of footballs. They’d kicked so many extra points into the stands that the officials literally asked Halas to stop kicking because they didn't have any balls left. The Bears had to start passing for the point after because of a literal equipment shortage.
When people talk about the highest team score NFL records, this 73-point outburst is the undisputed king. It wasn't just a win; it was a 60-minute execution.
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What about the regular season record?
The 73-point game was a championship, but if we’re talking regular season, the crown belongs to the 1966 Washington Redskins. It’s a bit ironic, really. The team that got embarrassed for 73 points in 1940 ended up setting the regular season record for points by a single team 26 years later.
They dropped 72 points on the New York Giants.
The final score was 72-41. This game is still the highest combined score in NFL history at 113 points. It was absolute chaos.
Here’s the weird part: Washington’s quarterback, the legendary Sonny Jurgensen, only threw for 145 yards. You'd think a guy scoring 72 points would have 500 yards, right? Nope. They scored on a fumble return, an interception return, and a punt return. They basically scored in every way a human being can score in a football game.
With seven seconds left and the score already at 69-41, Washington’s coach, Otto Graham, ordered a field goal. People thought it was unsportsmanlike. Graham later said he just wanted his kicker, Charlie Gogolak, to get some practice. Yeah, okay, Otto. We see you.
The Miami Dolphins and the 70-point "almost"
Fast forward to September 24, 2023. This is the one you probably remember. The Miami Dolphins, led by Mike McDaniel’s "track team" offense, were absolutely dismantling the Denver Broncos.
It was 70-20.
Tyreek Hill was flying. De’Von Achane was averaging like 11 yards a carry. Raheem Mostert was scoring at will. With a few minutes left, the Dolphins had the ball deep in Denver territory. They were at 70 points. One more field goal would have given them 73, tying the all-time record. A touchdown would have given them 76 or 77, the highest team score NFL fans had ever seen.
McDaniel decided to take a knee.
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He said he didn't want to chase points and that he had respect for the game. Broncos fans were grateful; NFL historians were honestly a little annoyed. We wanted to see the record fall! But 70 points in the modern era is still insane. Before that game, a team hadn't hit 70 in the regular season since that 1966 Washington/Giants shootout.
Why don't we see these scores anymore?
You’d think with all the rule changes favoring offenses—no hitting the QB, no touching receivers—scores would be going up. And they are, generally. But the "mercy" factor is real in the NFL.
Once a team gets up by 30 or 40, they usually pull the starters. You don't want your $50 million quarterback tearing an ACL in the fourth quarter of a blowout just to move from 50 points to 60. Coaches also have to work with these guys again. Running up the score creates bad blood.
There's also the "parity" of the modern league. The talent gap between the best team and the worst team isn't as wide as it was in 1940. Back then, if you had a revolutionary scheme like the T-formation (which the Bears used to crush Washington), the other team simply had no answer for it. Today, defensive coordinators have iPad footage of a play before the game is even over.
The highest-scoring games: A quick reality check
If you're looking for where the high-water marks sit, here is the basic layout of the most lopsided and high-scoring affairs.
- 73 points: Chicago Bears vs. Washington (1940) - The playoff gold standard.
- 72 points: Washington vs. New York Giants (1966) - The regular season peak.
- 70 points: Los Angeles Rams vs. Baltimore Colts (1950) - A forgotten classic.
- 70 points: Miami Dolphins vs. Denver Broncos (2023) - The modern miracle.
Most teams struggle to get to 21. Seeing 70 is like seeing a lunar eclipse.
What this means for your fantasy team
Look, if you're chasing the highest team score NFL history can offer for your betting or fantasy needs, you’re usually looking for a "perfect storm." You need a high-powered offense playing against a defense that has essentially quit.
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In the 2023 Dolphins game, the Broncos' defense looked like they were running in sand. In 1966, the Giants were just a bad team that caught Washington on a day where everything went right.
If you want to find the next game that flirts with these records, look for these three things:
- Turf fields: Speed kills, and fast teams play faster on turf.
- High-turnover defenses: Points off turnovers are the fastest way to balloon a score.
- Aggressive coaching: You need a coach who isn't afraid to keep throwing even when the game is won.
While we might not see another 73-0 game anytime soon, the league is definitely trending toward more points. Defenses are smaller and faster, which is great until a power-running team starts hammering them.
The next time you see a team put up 50 in the third quarter, keep your eyes on the TV. You might be watching history. And if they get to 70? Just hope the coach doesn't decide to be "classy" and take a knee.
Actionable Insight: If you’re tracking historic scoring trends, keep an eye on teams with a high "Points Per Drive" metric rather than just total points. This usually signals an offense capable of a 70-point explosion if the opponent's defense crumbles early. Study the 2023 Dolphins or the 2018 Rams for the blueprint of how modern offensive spacing creates these statistical outliers.