Scoring has been way down this season. Defenses have tended to get the better of offenses. Which only makes the two wild offensive explosions we’ve seen this season even more surprising.
A bunch of offenses are averaging fewer than 2 touchdowns. In a typical season, it’s more commonly close to 2 and a half. The Raiders know this as well as anyone having played in that 3-0 loss against Minnesota in Week 14.
But when it rains it pours. The Dolphins put up 70 on Denver in Week 3, and Las Vegas was able to pile up 63 points on the Chargers.
Since the merger in 1970, those are the two highest-scoring games in the league.
55 POINTS IN A GAME | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | Team | Opponent | Score |
2023 | Miami | Denver | 70-20 |
2023 | Las Vegas | LA Chargers | 63-21 |
2011 | New Orleans | Indianapolis | 62-7 |
1985 | NY Jets | Tampa Bay | 62-28 |
1973 | Atlanta | at New Orleans | 62-7 |
1972 | NY Giants | Philadelphia | 62-10 |
1989 | Cincinnati | Houston | 61-7 |
1980 | Chicago | Green Bay | 61-7 |
1972 | Cincinnati | at Houston | 61-17 |
2019 | Baltimore | at Miami | 59-10 |
2012 | New England | Indianapolis | 59-24 |
2010 | Philadelphia | at Washington | 59-28 |
2010 | Oakland | at Denver | 59-14 |
2009 | New England | Tennessee | 59-0 |
1996 | St. Louis | Atlanta | 59-16 |
1980 | Dallas | San Francisco | 59-14 |
1976 | LA Rams | Atlanta | 59-0 |
2012 | Seattle | Arizona | 58-0 |
2004 | Cincinnati | Cleveland | 58-48 |
1990 | Houston | Cleveland | 58-14 |
1976 | Baltimore | Buffalo | 58-20 |
2017 | Houston | Tennessee | 57-14 |
2000 | St. Louis | San Diego | 57-31 |
2021 | Dallas | Washington | 56-14 |
2020 | Buffalo | Miami | 56-26 |
2014 | Atlanta | Tampa Bay | 56-14 |
2013 | Kansas City | at Oakland | 56-31 |
2008 | NY Jets | Arizona | 56-35 |
2007 | New England | at Buffalo | 56-10 |
2007 | Philadelphia | Detroit | 56-21 |
2004 | Kansas City | Atlanta | 56-10 |
1992 | San Francisco | Atlanta | 56-17 |
1991 | Washington | Atlanta | 56-17 |
1989 | Cincinnati | Tampa Bay | 56-23 |
1979 | New England | NY Jets | 56-3 |
1977 | Seattle | Buffalo | 56-17 |
2019 | Tampa Bay | at LA Rams | 55-40 |
2014 | Green Bay | Chicago | 55-14 |
2013 | New England | Pittsburgh | 55-31 |
2012 | Green Bay | Tennessee | 55-7 |
2012 | Baltimore | Oakland | 55-20 |
2003 | Indianapolis | at New Orleans | 55-21 |
1997 | Detroit | Chicago | 55-20 |
1993 | San Francisco | at Detroit | 55-17 |
1988 | Indianapolis | Denver | 55-23 |
1986 | NY Giants | Green Bay | 55-24 |
1983 | Cincinnati | at Houston | 55-14 |
1983 | Green Bay | Tampa Bay | 55-14 |
1981 | San Diego | at Oakland | 55-21 |
1978 | New England | NY Jets | 55-21 |
1977 | Miami | at St. Louis | 55-14 |
Despite those two big games, it’s been a down year for scoring. Entering the weekend, teams are averaging 21.8 points per game. That’s down over a point from two years ago, and down 3 points from the 2020 season (when offenses apparently benefitted more than defenses from the changes caused by the COVID pandemic).
SCORING AVERAGES | |
---|---|
Year | Avg |
2002 | 21.67 |
2003 | 20.83 |
2004 | 21.48 |
2005 | 20.62 |
2006 | 20.66 |
2007 | 21.69 |
2008 | 22.03 |
2009 | 21.47 |
2010 | 22.04 |
2011 | 22.18 |
2012 | 22.76 |
2013 | 23.41 |
2014 | 22.59 |
2015 | 22.81 |
2016 | 22.78 |
2017 | 21.72 |
2018 | 23.34 |
2019 | 22.81 |
2020 | 24.79 |
2021 | 22.98 |
2022 | 21.88 |
2023 | 21.81 |
—Ian Allan