Biggest Score Difference In NFL History

Biggest margin of victory in NFL is a 73-score margin victory by Chicago Bears against Washington Redskins in the 1940 season. 

Both teams were at the NFL championship stage, and the Chicago team showcased one of the best performances in their franchise history. The Monsters of the Midway finished the first half with 28 points and then added 45 after the break. 

The points started with the powerful 68-yard rush by ful-back Bill Osmanski, after the kick from Jack Manders. The Bears went on to establish 8 interceptions too, from where 3 became TDs. Hampton Pool made a 15-yeard INT return in the third quarter. 

The Bears had recently lost to the Redskins (now known as Commanders) during the regular season game 7-3 just three weeks prior to the game. The Bears had found an issue with the Redskin’s pass interference, and Washington’s owner had called them crybabies.

Coach George Halas used the owner Marshall’s words as a motivating tool during the locker room talk. And the team heeded the coach’s words well, as they came to record the lopsided victory of all time.

Not only the Bears have achieved this record, but other franchises have also gained this marvelous feat in various seasons. 

Here is the list of the top 10 teams that have made the highest differential scores against another team in NFL’s history:

• Chicago Bears vs Washington Redskins (73-0)
• Jacksonville Jaguars vs Maimi Dolphins (62-7)
• Oakland Raiders vs Houston Oilers (56-7)
• Buffalo Bills vs Oakland Raiders (51-3)
• New York Giants vs San Francisco 49ers (49-3)
• Cleveland Browns vs Detroit Lions (56-10)
• San Francisco 49ers vs Denver Broncos (55-10)
• Detroit Lions vs Cleveland Browns (59-14)
• Washington Redskins vs Los Angeles Rams (51-7)
• New York Jets vs Indianapolis Colts (41-0)

1. Jacksonville Jaguars vs Maimi Dolphins

Biggest NFL score difference covers Jacksonville Jaguars 55 points against Miami Dolphins on 15 January 2000. The scoreboard result was 62-7. 

As part of the AFC Divisional matchup, the Jaguars hosted their Floridian neighbor at the Alltel Stadium with a 75,173 attendance. The Jaguars scored 24 points in the first quarter and hammered 17, 14, and 7 in the latter quarters. Meanwhile, the Maimi side managed 7 in the second quarter. 

QB Mark Brunell threw an 8-yard pass for Jimmy Smith in the first quarter that started the first touchdown of the game. Similarly, DE Tony Brackens led a 16-yard fumble return when the time clocked 3:21 in the first quarter. 

The Dolphins had 7 turnovers with 5 fumbles lost. They also gave 520 total yards to their opponents. Jacksonville QB Brunell established 105 passing yards and 2 TDS, while Aaron Beasley made 2 interceptions.  WR Jimmy Smith Jr recorded 136 receiving yards, that included a 70-yard receiving TD. 

2. Oakland Raiders vs Houston Oilers

Biggest point difference in NFL history includes Oakland Raiders who routed the Houston Texans on 21 December 1969 with a 49-margin victory. The final outcome was 56-7. 

Played at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum for the Divisional round, the Raiders made a fine display in their home, by hammering the Oilers with 35 points in the first half and making another 21 in the second. 

The Raiders started the TDs with a 13-yard pass from QB Daryle Lamonica to Fred Biletnikoff. Then, Defensive Back George Atkinson widened the scoring gap with a 57-yard INT return. The longest TD pass happened in the third quarter for a 60-yard pass from Lamoinca to Charlie Smith. 

Lamonica made 276 passing yards in the match, with 13 completed passes from 17 attempts. Raiders’ Smith made a total of 103 receiving yards. Meanwhile, Atkinson, Memiah Wilson, and Willie Brown had 1 INT each for the Oakland defense.

Largest point spread in NFL history is -28 between the Denver Broncos and Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2013 season.

The -28 spread was due to the great offensive display during the 2013 season prior to Week 6. They showcased an average of 46 points per game and were facing the Jaguars which averaged 10.2 points per match. 

Everyone expected another great offensive power from Quarterback Peyton Manning’s Broncos, and they did. The franchise made 14 points in the first quarter, and led by 14-0. Things were looking for Denver until the Jaguars made a solid second-quarter performance, jumping back 14-12.

In the end, Manning’s side delivered 35 points in total. But, they did not win the game by 28 margins as expected, since Jacksonville landed a good defense along with scoring 19 points. 

Steelers vs Buccaneers Held The Previous Record

Pittsburgh Steelers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a -27 point spread in the 1976 season. The 1976 Buccanneers faced one of the worst seasons in their franchise history with a 0-11 win-loss record. 

The Week 13’s match pitted them against each other, and betting enthusiasts were expecting the Steelers to at least make a 27-point margin feat against the winless Tampa Bay. Steelers had showcased a 9-4 win-loss record before this game. 

The betting fans’ prediction came true, with the Steelers thrashing the Buccs with a humongous 42-0 rout. The Steelers made 28 points before halftime and followed with 14 more in the third quarter. 

RB Rocky Bleier and WR Lynn Swann were the stars of the match. Bleier created 3 rushing TD, while Lynn made 2 receiving TD. 

Here is the list of some other largest point spreads in NFL to date:

• New England Patriots vs Philadelphia Eagles – Week 12, 2007 (-25)
• San Francisco 49ers vs Cincinnati Bengals – Week 14, 1993 (-24)
• San Francisco 49ers vs Atlanta Falcons – Week 4, 1987 (-24)
• Dallas Cowboys vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Week 3, 1977 (-23)
• New England Patriots vs. Miami Dolphins – Week 7, 2007 (-22)

Biggest blowout in NFL history Super Bowl is a 45-point win margin by San Francisco 49ers over Denver Broncos. The final outcome was 55-10.

At the Super Bowl XXIV, NFC champion 49ers were designated to play against the AFC’s winner Broncos at the Louisiana Superdome. The 49ers had a better win-loss record of 17-2 compared to Denver’s 13-6. 

The 49ers started strong in the first quarter, making 13 points, and then followed suit with 14 in each of the quarters. Broncos managed to create a field goal in the first, and 7 in the third. It turned out to be a humiliating day for the Broncos. 

The legendary 49ers QB Joe Montana established 297 passing yards, with 5 TDs and 0 INT. The first TD happened with a powerful 20-yard pass by Montana to Jerry Rice. Similarly, John Taylor caught a 35-yard pass ball from Montana in the third quarter to extend the lead to 41. 

WR Jerry Rice displayed a brilliant performance, with 148 receiving yards, and making 3 TDs. Likewise, Chet Brooks and Mike Walter intercepted once each for the 49ers. DE Kevin Fagan made 4 tackles and recorded 1 sack in the game.

Other Super Bowl Blowouts In NFL History

• Chicago Bears vs New England Patriots (SB XX) – 46-10
• Seattle Seahawks vs Denver Broncos (SB XLVIII) – 43-8 
• Dallas Cowboys vs Buffalo Bills (SB XXVII) – 52-17
• Washington Redskinsvs Denver Broncos (SB XXII) – 42-10
• Oakland Raiders vs Washington Redskins (SB XVIII) – 38-9