CFZ The most common final score in NFL history and what it says about the game

Bobhaze

Bobhaze

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In January, 2023, an NBC sports station in Philly published an interesting report on the most common final score in the history of the NFL. The NFL estimates that since 1920, there have been nearly 20,000 regular season games played in American professional football which includes the NFL, AFL, and the old AAFC (the short lived “All America Football Conference”)

According to the NFL, in those nearly 20k games, there have been 1,075 different final scores achieved in NFL history. In over 100 years of pro football, these are THE 5 most common final scores in regular season games in history:
  • 20-17 (282 games)
  • 27-24 (230 games)
  • 17-14 (200 games)
  • 23-20 (198 games)
  • 24-17 (172 games)
There are several interesting aspects of this historical record:
  • Over its 100+ year history, pro football has been remarkably competitive. Having a 3 point margin be that common is a testament to how evenly matched teams have been.
  • It really underscores how important having a good kicker can be if games are consistently close.
  • It also emphasizes that if games are that close, details matter. Having coaches and players that pay attention to the details of the game gives you a better chance to win.
In short, when the game is this competitive, details matter!
 
Bobhaze said:
In January, 2023, an NBC sports station in Philly published an interesting report on the most common final score in the history of the NFL. The NFL estimates that since 1920, there have been nearly 20,000 regular season games played in American professional football which includes the NFL, AFL, and the old AAFC (the short lived “All America Football Conference”)

According to the NFL, in those nearly 20k games, there have been 1,075 different final scores achieved in NFL history. In over 100 years of pro football, these are THE 5 most common final scores in regular season games in history:
  • 20-17 (282 games)
  • 27-24 (230 games)
  • 17-14 (200 games)
  • 23-20 (198 games)
  • 24-17 (172 games)
There are several interesting aspects of this historical record:
  • Over its 100+ year history, pro football has been remarkably competitive. Having a 3 point margin be that common is a testament to how evenly matched teams have been.
  • It really underscores how important having a good kicker can be if games are consistently close.
  • It also emphasizes that if games are that close, details matter. Having coaches and players that pay attention to the details of the game gives you a better chance to win.
In short, when the game is this competitive, details matter!
Click to expand...
Do you have any data on how many games in total have been decided by 3 points or less?
 
Bobhaze said:
In January, 2023, an NBC sports station in Philly published an interesting report on the most common final score in the history of the NFL. The NFL estimates that since 1920, there have been nearly 20,000 regular season games played in American professional football which includes the NFL, AFL, and the old AAFC (the short lived “All America Football Conference”)

According to the NFL, in those nearly 20k games, there have been 1,075 different final scores achieved in NFL history. In over 100 years of pro football, these are THE 5 most common final scores in regular season games in history:
  • 20-17 (282 games)
  • 27-24 (230 games)
  • 17-14 (200 games)
  • 23-20 (198 games)
  • 24-17 (172 games)
There are several interesting aspects of this historical record:
  • Over its 100+ year history, pro football has been remarkably competitive. Having a 3 point margin be that common is a testament to how evenly matched teams have been.
  • It really underscores how important having a good kicker can be if games are consistently close.
  • It also emphasizes that if games are that close, details matter. Having coaches and players that pay attention to the details of the game gives you a better chance to win.
In short, when the game is this competitive, details matter!
Click to expand...
Bobhaze - no way I can prove it - but when I saw the thread title, '20-17' instantly popped into my mind.
 
Bobhaze said:
In January, 2023, an NBC sports station in Philly published an interesting report on the most common final score in the history of the NFL. The NFL estimates that since 1920, there have been nearly 20,000 regular season games played in American professional football which includes the NFL, AFL, and the old AAFC (the short lived “All America Football Conference”)

According to the NFL, in those nearly 20k games, there have been 1,075 different final scores achieved in NFL history. In over 100 years of pro football, these are THE 5 most common final scores in regular season games in history:
  • 20-17 (282 games)
  • 27-24 (230 games)
  • 17-14 (200 games)
  • 23-20 (198 games)
  • 24-17 (172 games)
There are several interesting aspects of this historical record:
  • Over its 100+ year history, pro football has been remarkably competitive. Having a 3 point margin be that common is a testament to how evenly matched teams have been.
  • It really underscores how important having a good kicker can be if games are consistently close.
  • It also emphasizes that if games are that close, details matter. Having coaches and players that pay attention to the details of the game gives you a better chance to win.
In short, when the game is this competitive, details matter!
Click to expand...

Thanks for that useless, but slightly interesting, piece of information.

This belongs in the OT Zone.
 
Bobhaze said:
In January, 2023, an NBC sports station in Philly published an interesting report on the most common final score in the history of the NFL. The NFL estimates that since 1920, there have been nearly 20,000 regular season games played in American professional football which includes the NFL, AFL, and the old AAFC (the short lived “All America Football Conference”)

According to the NFL, in those nearly 20k games, there have been 1,075 different final scores achieved in NFL history. In over 100 years of pro football, these are THE 5 most common final scores in regular season games in history:
  • 20-17 (282 games)
  • 27-24 (230 games)
  • 17-14 (200 games)
  • 23-20 (198 games)
  • 24-17 (172 games)
There are several interesting aspects of this historical record:
  • Over its 100+ year history, pro football has been remarkably competitive. Having a 3 point margin be that common is a testament to how evenly matched teams have been.
  • It really underscores how important having a good kicker can be if games are consistently close.
  • It also emphasizes that if games are that close, details matter. Having coaches and players that pay attention to the details of the game gives you a better chance to win.
In short, when the game is this competitive, details matter!
Click to expand...
Do you have the link to that Philly sports station story?

I'm going to guess that the Elias Sports Bureau was their source for that information.
 
I wonder that modern times now, how many games are close to these same scores, but have been altered because of the 2 point conversion attempts, as well as the missed PAT’s from them being moved back from the furthest distance. As well the OT rules.
As to the changes in rules favoring the offense for higher score games.

I guess easier said, what are the averages in the past 20 to 30 years. Compared prior to 1990 or 2000 as a percentage comparison.
 
Bobhaze said:
In January, 2023, an NBC sports station in Philly published an interesting report on the most common final score in the history of the NFL. The NFL estimates that since 1920, there have been nearly 20,000 regular season games played in American professional football which includes the NFL, AFL, and the old AAFC (the short lived “All America Football Conference”)

According to the NFL, in those nearly 20k games, there have been 1,075 different final scores achieved in NFL history. In over 100 years of pro football, these are THE 5 most common final scores in regular season games in history:
  • 20-17 (282 games)
  • 27-24 (230 games)
  • 17-14 (200 games)
  • 23-20 (198 games)
  • 24-17 (172 games)
There are several interesting aspects of this historical record:
  • Over its 100+ year history, pro football has been remarkably competitive. Having a 3 point margin be that common is a testament to how evenly matched teams have been.
  • It really underscores how important having a good kicker can be if games are consistently close.
  • It also emphasizes that if games are that close, details matter. Having coaches and players that pay attention to the details of the game gives you a better chance to win.
In short, when the game is this competitive, details matter!
Click to expand...
It also says a lot about the importance of garbage time!
:muttley:
 
J12B said:
Thanks for that useless, but slightly interesting, piece of information.

This belongs in the OT Zone.
Click to expand...
Lot less boring and a lot less stupid then most of the threads in the Fan Zone
 
Bobhaze said:
In January, 2023, an NBC sports station in Philly published an interesting report on the most common final score in the history of the NFL. The NFL estimates that since 1920, there have been nearly 20,000 regular season games played in American professional football which includes the NFL, AFL, and the old AAFC (the short lived “All America Football Conference”)

According to the NFL, in those nearly 20k games, there have been 1,075 different final scores achieved in NFL history. In over 100 years of pro football, these are THE 5 most common final scores in regular season games in history:
  • 20-17 (282 games)
  • 27-24 (230 games)
  • 17-14 (200 games)
  • 23-20 (198 games)
  • 24-17 (172 games)
There are several interesting aspects of this historical record:
  • Over its 100+ year history, pro football has been remarkably competitive. Having a 3 point margin be that common is a testament to how evenly matched teams have been.
  • It really underscores how important having a good kicker can be if games are consistently close.
  • It also emphasizes that if games are that close, details matter. Having coaches and players that pay attention to the details of the game gives you a better chance to win.
In short, when the game is this competitive, details matter!
Click to expand...
That is why they call it FOOT ball. Need a kicker.

Defense whens championships as Tom Landry use to say "hold their offense under 20 points and we should win the game".
 
eromeopolk said:
That is why they call it FOOT ball. Need a kicker.

Defense whens championships as Tom Landry use to say "hold their offense under 20 points and we should win the game".
Click to expand...
Really does show how important it is to have a reliably good Kicker. We saw that with Maher late in the season when even an Xtra point was a white knuckle experience.
 
I literally made this same point in the draft zone (without the awesome research and stats) about how many games are decided by kickers.
Two things..
A) is a high or mid round draft pick REALLY too early to take a kicker when he will likely decide a portion of your games?
B) the game itself is WAAAAAAY to tied to kicking. No one wants to watch that or lose like that.
 
Bobhaze said:
In January, 2023, an NBC sports station in Philly published an interesting report on the most common final score in the history of the NFL. The NFL estimates that since 1920, there have been nearly 20,000 regular season games played in American professional football which includes the NFL, AFL, and the old AAFC (the short lived “All America Football Conference”)

According to the NFL, in those nearly 20k games, there have been 1,075 different final scores achieved in NFL history. In over 100 years of pro football, these are THE 5 most common final scores in regular season games in history:
  • 20-17 (282 games)
  • 27-24 (230 games)
  • 17-14 (200 games)
  • 23-20 (198 games)
  • 24-17 (172 games)
There are several interesting aspects of this historical record:
  • Over its 100+ year history, pro football has been remarkably competitive. Having a 3 point margin be that common is a testament to how evenly matched teams have been.
  • It really underscores how important having a good kicker can be if games are consistently close.
  • It also emphasizes that if games are that close, details matter. Having coaches and players that pay attention to the details of the game gives you a better chance to win.
In short, when the game is this competitive, details matter!
Click to expand...
And with this data one would assume our FO would put a premium on a kicker.

Not a 1st rounder like Fatty Janikowski but certainly shouldn’t be an afterthought either
 
Bobhaze said:
I’m going to disagree that it doesn’t belong in the Fan Zone. The Cowboys need a kicker. Pretty clear when you look at these historical stats.
P.S.- leave out the insults.
Click to expand...
Since you mentioned historical, this site has historically given plenty of leeway in the off-season towards things posted in the Fan Zone.
 
I grew up around washington fans so therefore i had to watch washington games and i can tell you for DECADES now theyve played SOOOO many 20-17 games its sickenkng
 
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