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

[Flamma]

37-7

That score is surprisingly common in Cowboys history. The Cowboys have won 6 or 7 games by that score. I think they have also lost by that score at least once.

True story. In 9th grade I bet a kid 5 bucks and gave him 27 1/2 points in a Monday night football game between the Cowboys and Oilers. Near the end of the game it was 34-7 Dallas. They had something like a 3rd and 4 with close to 2 minutes left. I needed the Oilers to stop the Cowboys, or else they'd just take a few knees. The Oilers did. That set up a record breaking Septien FG attempt of 53 yards I believe. He made it. Otherwise I lose by a half point. Final score 37-7. This was back in 1982 so 5 bucks was a lot for a 9th grader.

 

[ElGatoGrande]

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!

The NFL has been pretty competitive though I would point out that many "close" games are really just one team easing up or playing prevent and allowing the losers some easier, but slower, points.

 

[kskboys]

Thanks for this useless post.

Boring people see things in boring ways!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[kskboys]

The NFL has been pretty competitive though I would point out that many "close" games are really just one team easing up or playing prevent and allowing the losers some easier, but slower, points.

Nature of football. A one score game isn't necessarily a close game, and a 3 score game can be a really close game.

 

[gtb1943]

Pretty much this - Games decided by 3 points only account for 13% of all scores, expanding that to just 3 points or less - accounts for 22% of all scores.

Meanwhile games with 7+ point differential account for nearly 65% of all scores.

Conclusions derived from Bob post are just silly.

Exactly 3 points

not really surprised at who does not get it

and those calling this silly are those that probably screw up by the numbers in life

 

[Verdict]

Lots of vitriol in this thread. I’m guessing it’s personal.

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

Boring people see things in boring ways!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Some would say boring, others would say ineffectual.

 

[DandyDon52]

Here's another trivia bit that I just learned.

The first game of any kind that the Cowboys ever won was a 1960 preseason game against the Giants. Dallas won 14-3. Date was 8-27-1960. Location was Louisville, KY.

Cowboys first win ever was in Louisville of all places.

why would a game be played in Louisville KY?????
Maybe it was in texas?

 

[plasticman]

I think it would be interesting to find the least common scores that actually happened.

I can think of two right away that included the Cowboys:

In 1970 the Cowboys beat the Browns in regular season, 6-2. Two weeks later in the divisional round of the playoffs, they beat the Lions 5-0

As far as the most common scores I wonder if that would have been true prior to organized drafts, free agency, and salary caps. I would like to research that someday.

My theory is that three point margins weren't as common before the different methods currently used to produce parity.. There was a wider separation of talent among the teams.

 

[Cowboys5217]

True story. In 9th grade I bet a kid 5 bucks and gave him 27 1/2 points in a Monday night football game between the Cowboys and Oilers. Near the end of the game it was 34-7 Dallas. They had something like a 3rd and 4 with close to 2 minutes left. I needed the Oilers to stop the Cowboys, or else they'd just take a few knees. The Oilers did. That set up a record breaking Septien FG attempt of 53 yards I believe. He made it. Otherwise I lose by a half point. Final score 37-7. This was back in 1982 so 5 bucks was a lot for a 9th grader.

I lost my lunch money (3 bucks) on the 1983 game against the Raiders. Got in trouble for it too.

 

[Cowboys5217]

why would a game be played in Louisville KY?????
Maybe it was in texas?

I'm just finding this stuff out. I found a site that has all exhibition and preseason games on it which has been something I've wanted from the internet for a long time.

According to what I can tell the NFL was using preseason in the early 1960s to explore potential new markets. The Cowboys played in several place you would not expect. Not only Louisville, KY, but also places like Portland, OR, Sacramento, CA, Bakersfield, CA and a few others.

The NFL still does this once in a great while. The Cowboys have played in Hawaii and the Independence Bowl post 2000, and there are also the so called American Bowls played internationally and the Hall of Fame game which is specific to Canton.

Sure, they are just exhibition games that do not factor into the playoffs or overall team success, but they are games played nonetheless. I find it fascinating.

 

[Bobhaze]

I think it would be interesting to find the least common scores that actually happened.

I can think of two right away that included the Cowboys:

In 1970 the Cowboys beat the Browns in regular season, 6-2. Two weeks later in the divisional round of the playoffs, they beat the Lions 5-0

As far as the most common scores I wonder if that would have been true prior to organized drafts, free agency, and salary caps. I would like to research that someday.

My theory is that three point margins weren't as common before the different methods currently used to produce parity.. There was a wider separation of talent among the teams.

That’s a good question. Prior to the 1940s, there were dozens of games that were 0-0. The improvement of the passing game and the emergence of more athletic players made scoring almost double over three decades. Scoring in the NFL has increased a lot over the last 30 years.

 

[Cowboys5217]

That’s a good question. Prior to the 1940s, there were dozens of games that were 0-0. The improvement of the passing game and the emergence of more athletic players made scoring almost double over three decades. Scoring in the NFL has increased a lot over the last 30 years.

Back in the stone age of football there were three 2-0 games in the Packers vs Bears series. I don't know if any of those were forfeits or if all three were legit one safety scored games. This has got to be among the rarest do-able scores in NFL history.

 

[Jarntt]

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!

I’m shocked by the second one. 51 points is pretty high for the second most common final score in history.

 

[Reverend Conehead]

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.

Last season I was having nighmarish visions that we would be in the NFC Championship, or even the Super Bowl, with three seconds left, and we have to ask Brett Maher to win the game for us on a 50-yard field goal.

Then we played that ridiculous second game against Washington, and I knew we weren't making any kind of dent in the playoffs. But imagine that: Your only hope to win a huge game is asking Maher to kick a field goal. We couldn't even rely on him for an extra point at the end. It reminds me of that Saints game where they scored a miracle TD on a multi-lateral play, and only needed the extra point to go to OT, but Carney missed it. OMG, imagine that happening to us in a playoff game! Just one point is needed to go to OT and have a chance to win, but Maher misses it. To me it seemed like we were being set up for something like that.

I hope they make a smart choice about kicker. I think they should draft a kicker in maybe the 7th round, plus bring in whatever veteran is available and shows promise. Then settle it via competition in camp and preseason.

 

[Flamma]

I lost my lunch money (3 bucks) on the 1983 game against the Raiders. Got in trouble for it too.

I remember the game. I don't remember the score, but I remember the Cowboys losing a high scoring game. I have better memory of games decades old than I do recent games.

Speaking of lunch money, I lost 5 bucks in the super bowl between the Eagles and Raiders. I was still in junior high. That was lunch money for the week. I never got in trouble because I never said anything. I was young and in top shape. I can skip lunch for a week.

 

[Diehardblues]

I don’t from what I’ve read but it’s pretty clear, games with a 3 point margin are extremely common.

Right. And why it’s not even common for more than 7+ point spreads in NFL.

NFL is the toughest sport to handicap . College Football is much easier with much larger spreads . NBA is mostly based on home teams favorites, MLB based on pitchers .

The bests handicappers can only pick about 60% against the spread in the NFL on a given weekend .

The NFL is the highest revenue and net profit money maker for Bookmakers and Casinos. Despite the fact it’s so difficult to win wagering NFL fans continue to wager their hearts over their minds in record numbers .

 

[Flamma]

I don't know if this has been brought up, but I think this has a lot to do with refs in close games. They can be the deciding factor. A bad call can decide an outcome.

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

Simply scintillating discussion. This might get to 100 pages.

 

[DandyDon52]

In 1970 the Cowboys beat the Browns in regular season, 6-2. Two weeks later in the divisional round of the playoffs, they beat the Lions 5-0

That was a truly great defense lol. All the offense had to do was kick a fg and they win.