The Top-10 Offenses in NFL History

10/06/2023 The Top-10 Offenses in NFL History

By: Marissa Kasch

The Dolphins & Bills Are Touchdown-Crazed in 2023, So Which Team Might Be Next to Breach the NFL’s Highest-Scoring Offenses? (By Marissa Kasch)

I think we may all have shared a similar experience during Week 3 of the NFL. You’re flipping through the channels, or maybe you’re on RedZone. Everything seems normal. You get up to grab some food and return to the TV. When you do, you can’t believe your eyes. The Dolphins put up 70?! Inevitably, you wonder what the record is, because 70 points in an NFL game is unheard of. Well, almost unheard of. The Dolphins chose to kneel rather than attempt a field goal to break the record, a classy move by Mike McDaniel, but they now hold the No. 2 spot in the record books. If you were curious like I was, here are the top 10 highest-scoring NFL games of all time:

 

1. Washington Redskins 72-41 — New York Giants (1996)

2. Miami Dolphins 70-20 — Denver Broncos (2023)

3. Los Angeles Rams 70-27 — Baltimore Colts (1950)

4. Los Angeles Rams 65-24 — Detroit Lions (1950)

5. Chicago Cardinals 65-24 — New York Bulldogs (1949)

6. Philadelphia Eagles 64-0 — Cincinnati Reds (1934)

7. Pittsburgh Steelers 63-7 — New York Giants (1952)

8. Chicago Cardinals 63-35 — New York Giants (1948)

9. New Orleans Saints 62-7 — Indianapolis Colts (2011)

10. New York Jets 62-28 — Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1985)

 

Historic Pace

The Dolphins’ 70-point outing wasn’t just impressive – it was historical. No NFL team has scored more than 62 points in over 10 years. The fun (or scary) part about the Dolphins is that they made dropping 70 look effortless. They practically walked into the end zone every drive, which begged the question: What will Miami and its explosive offense do next?

 

In Week 4, it was the Bills who erupted for 48 points (against the Dolphins, no less). That gave Buffalo three straight games of 35-plus, and those two AFC East squads are full-speed ahead chasing history.

 

The Single-Season Points Record

So where do they stand in relation to the most points scored by a single team for an entire season? Ironically, the team to beat is Denver (see graphic above). The Broncos hold the record with 606 points scored in 2013. Peyton Manning threw 55 touchdowns to the Broncos’ endless supply of weapons — Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker, Wes Welker and Julius Thomas. Manning’s 55 TDs were also an NFL single-season record that year.

 

The ’23 Fins have 150 points through four games, and they’re on pace to notch the highest-scoring season ever (638 points). The Bills? They’re in the conversation, too. Buffalo is on pace for 590 points, meaning these two AFC East teams could be chasing history, simultaneously, while also chasing the division title. Imagine if Aaron Rodgers was healthy for the Jets.

 

Editor’s Note: The NFL added a 17th game back in 2021, so it’s only a matter of time before these records tumble.

 

4 Offenses to Watch in 2023

1. Dolphins (37.5 ppg) — Pace: 636 points
2. Bills (34.8 ppg) — Pace: 590 points

3. 49ers (31.3 ppg) — Pace: 531 points

4. Cowboys (31 ppg) — Pace: 527 points

 

Even after the NFL’s 17-game expansion in 2021, no team has cracked the top-10 scoring list in the past two seasons. Patrick Mahomes and the 2018 Chiefs were the last active group to make this kind of history. If you like points, the NFL’s got ‘em in 2023.

 

*Check Back for More Coverage of the NFL Scoring Pace as the 2023 Season Continues