SWC75
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This afternoon the Denver Broncos became, according to the host of NFL Red Zone, “the highest scoring team in NFL history”. They did so by scoring more points than anyone ever had. They were the first NFL team to score 600 points in a regular season. But the NFL has not always played 16 regular season games. From 1961-77 they played 14 games. They played 12 games from 1947-1960. Before that it was 11 games, 10 games and irregular numbers of games before that. The team that has averaged the most points per game is still the 1950 Los Angeles Rams, who scored 466 points in 12 games, an average of 38.83 points per game. Denver had to get to 622 points in 16 games to top that, (38.875). They wound up with 606 points, (37.875)
Here are the teams in NFL history that have averaged 30 points per game. I’ve added in teams from the All-America Conference, and NFL rival from 1946-49 that became the current Colts). I’ve also added in the records of the American Football league from 1960-69, before they emerged with the NFL. I’ve put them in chronological, rather than rank order. And the numbers are based on the regular season only. (Sorry 1954 Browns and 1963 Chargers- and no, the 1940 Bears wouldn’t make it even with the 73-0 game.)
1941 Bears 36.0
1942 Bears 34.2
1943 Bears 30.3
1946 Browns 30.2
1947 Bears 30.3
1948 49ers 35.4
1948 Cardinals 32.9
1948 Bears 31.3
1948 Eagles 31.3
1949 49ers 34.7
1949 Eagles 30.3
1949 Rams 30.0
1950 Rams 38.8
1950 New York Yanks 30.5
1951 Rams 32.7
1953 49ers 31.0
1953 Rams 30.5
1956 Bears 30.3
1958 Colts 31.8
1959 Colts 31.2
1960 Browns 30.2
1961 Oilers 36.6
1963 Giants 32.0
1964 Colts 30.6
1966 Chiefs 32.0
1966 Cowboys 32.0
1967 Raiders 33.4
1968 Raiders 32.4
1968 Cowboys 30.8
1975 Bills 30.0
1981 Chargers 32.0
1983 Redskins 33.8
1984 Dolphins 32.1
1991 Redskins 30.3
1994 49ers 31.6
1998 Vikings 34.8
1998 Broncos 31.3
1999 Rams 32.9
2000 Rams 33.8
2000 Broncos 30.3
2001 Rams 31.4
2003 Chiefs 30.3
2004 Colts 32.6
2006 Chargers 30.8
2007 Patriots 36.8
2009 Saints 31.9
2010 Patriots 32.4
2011 Packers 35.0
2011 Saints 34.2
2011 Patriots 32.1
2012 Patriots 34.8
2012 Broncos 30.1
2013 Broncos 37.9
OK, here’s a Top Ten:
1) 1950 Rams 38.8
2) 2013 Broncos 37.9
3) 2007 Patriots 36.8
4) 1941 Bears 36.0
5) 1948 49ers 35.4
6) 2011 Packers 35.0
7) 2012 Patriots 34.81
8) 1998 Vikings 34.75
9) 1949 49ers 34.7
10) 2011 Saints 34.188 (the 1942 Bears were 34.182)
People think that the highest scoring teams in the NFL must be only recent teams because only recent teams would have the talent and up—to-date strategies necessary to score a lot of points. But that works on both sides of the ball. In fact I think greater size, speed and agility probably helps defense more than offense as the field stays the same size but the players defending it make it smaller by being able to cover more territory. Strategical thinkers work on both sides: the T formation, splitting out a halfback to become a flanker, the shotgun, the West Coast offense and the spread on offense: the “umbrella”, 4-3, 3-4, 53, 46 and cover 2 defenses. I think the real trend is toward less scoring because of more athletic and sophisticated defesnes. But the league from time to time makes rules that alter the balance of power between offense and defense. They generally do it to help the offenses because the defenses have become too dominant and the league knows what sells tickets.
We had no 30ppg teams until the 40’s but had 12 of them in that decade, then 8 in the 50’s and 9 more in the 60’s. But we had only one in the 70’s and that team barely made it, (and it wasn’t even one of the best teams of the decade). Only 3 teams reached that level in the 80’s and 5 in the 90’s. Since the turn of the century, they’ve been joined by 15 more. But the true highest scoring team is still one that played 63 years ago. And here they are in action:
Perhaps the most impressive thing is to sustain it over a period of seasons. The Bears did it three years in a row from 1941-43 and might have continued it if their best players weren’t fighting a war after that. The Eagles and 49ers did it in 1948-49, the Rams in 1949-51 and 1953, the Colts in 1958-59. The Cowboys only averaged 24.4 in 1967 but had averaged 31.8 the year before and got to 30.8 the year afterward. The Raiders did it in 1967-68, the Broncos in 1998 and 2000, the Rams in 1999-2001, the Patriots four times from 2007-2012, the Saints in 2009 and 2011 and the Broncos the last two years. Strangely, in all Peyton Manning’s years with the Colts, only the 2004 team scored at this level. The 40's Bears and the Rams are the only team to have averaged 30ppg three years in a row and they've done it twice, exactly a half century apart.
Maybe someday we’ll have a 40ppg team.
Here are the teams in NFL history that have averaged 30 points per game. I’ve added in teams from the All-America Conference, and NFL rival from 1946-49 that became the current Colts). I’ve also added in the records of the American Football league from 1960-69, before they emerged with the NFL. I’ve put them in chronological, rather than rank order. And the numbers are based on the regular season only. (Sorry 1954 Browns and 1963 Chargers- and no, the 1940 Bears wouldn’t make it even with the 73-0 game.)
1941 Bears 36.0
1942 Bears 34.2
1943 Bears 30.3
1946 Browns 30.2
1947 Bears 30.3
1948 49ers 35.4
1948 Cardinals 32.9
1948 Bears 31.3
1948 Eagles 31.3
1949 49ers 34.7
1949 Eagles 30.3
1949 Rams 30.0
1950 Rams 38.8
1950 New York Yanks 30.5
1951 Rams 32.7
1953 49ers 31.0
1953 Rams 30.5
1956 Bears 30.3
1958 Colts 31.8
1959 Colts 31.2
1960 Browns 30.2
1961 Oilers 36.6
1963 Giants 32.0
1964 Colts 30.6
1966 Chiefs 32.0
1966 Cowboys 32.0
1967 Raiders 33.4
1968 Raiders 32.4
1968 Cowboys 30.8
1975 Bills 30.0
1981 Chargers 32.0
1983 Redskins 33.8
1984 Dolphins 32.1
1991 Redskins 30.3
1994 49ers 31.6
1998 Vikings 34.8
1998 Broncos 31.3
1999 Rams 32.9
2000 Rams 33.8
2000 Broncos 30.3
2001 Rams 31.4
2003 Chiefs 30.3
2004 Colts 32.6
2006 Chargers 30.8
2007 Patriots 36.8
2009 Saints 31.9
2010 Patriots 32.4
2011 Packers 35.0
2011 Saints 34.2
2011 Patriots 32.1
2012 Patriots 34.8
2012 Broncos 30.1
2013 Broncos 37.9
OK, here’s a Top Ten:
1) 1950 Rams 38.8
2) 2013 Broncos 37.9
3) 2007 Patriots 36.8
4) 1941 Bears 36.0
5) 1948 49ers 35.4
6) 2011 Packers 35.0
7) 2012 Patriots 34.81
8) 1998 Vikings 34.75
9) 1949 49ers 34.7
10) 2011 Saints 34.188 (the 1942 Bears were 34.182)
People think that the highest scoring teams in the NFL must be only recent teams because only recent teams would have the talent and up—to-date strategies necessary to score a lot of points. But that works on both sides of the ball. In fact I think greater size, speed and agility probably helps defense more than offense as the field stays the same size but the players defending it make it smaller by being able to cover more territory. Strategical thinkers work on both sides: the T formation, splitting out a halfback to become a flanker, the shotgun, the West Coast offense and the spread on offense: the “umbrella”, 4-3, 3-4, 53, 46 and cover 2 defenses. I think the real trend is toward less scoring because of more athletic and sophisticated defesnes. But the league from time to time makes rules that alter the balance of power between offense and defense. They generally do it to help the offenses because the defenses have become too dominant and the league knows what sells tickets.
We had no 30ppg teams until the 40’s but had 12 of them in that decade, then 8 in the 50’s and 9 more in the 60’s. But we had only one in the 70’s and that team barely made it, (and it wasn’t even one of the best teams of the decade). Only 3 teams reached that level in the 80’s and 5 in the 90’s. Since the turn of the century, they’ve been joined by 15 more. But the true highest scoring team is still one that played 63 years ago. And here they are in action:
Perhaps the most impressive thing is to sustain it over a period of seasons. The Bears did it three years in a row from 1941-43 and might have continued it if their best players weren’t fighting a war after that. The Eagles and 49ers did it in 1948-49, the Rams in 1949-51 and 1953, the Colts in 1958-59. The Cowboys only averaged 24.4 in 1967 but had averaged 31.8 the year before and got to 30.8 the year afterward. The Raiders did it in 1967-68, the Broncos in 1998 and 2000, the Rams in 1999-2001, the Patriots four times from 2007-2012, the Saints in 2009 and 2011 and the Broncos the last two years. Strangely, in all Peyton Manning’s years with the Colts, only the 2004 team scored at this level. The 40's Bears and the Rams are the only team to have averaged 30ppg three years in a row and they've done it twice, exactly a half century apart.
Maybe someday we’ll have a 40ppg team.
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