Football fans live for those wild games where the scoreboard can barely keep up. You know, the type where touchdowns feel like they’re happening every five seconds, and defenses might as well not even show up. Some games go beyond just being fun; they make history with how many points get slapped on the board. These are the games that leave everyone talking long after the final whistle.
Here’s a breakdown of the top five highest-scoring games in NFL history. Get ready because these were straight-up offensive shootouts.
5. New Orleans Saints 52, New York Giants 49 (2015)
This one went down on November 1, 2015, and if you were watching, you probably still remember it. The Saints and Giants dropped a combined 101 points in a game that felt like it might never stop. Drew Brees and Eli Manning went off. Brees tied the NFL record with seven touchdown passes, and Manning wasn’t far behind with six. Together, they set a league record with 13 passing touchdowns.
Brees was ridiculous, 39 of 50 for 505 yards. Late in the game, he hit C.J. Spiller for a 9-yard touchdown to tie it at 49. Then Kai Forbath drilled a 50-yard field goal to win it. Manning had his moments, too, linking up with Odell Beckham Jr. three times. OBJ finished with eight catches for 130 yards. By the end, the two teams combined for over 1,000 yards of offense.
Also Read: Ranking The Top 7 Quarterbacks With The Most Passing Yards In NFL History
4. Las Vegas Raiders 52, Houston Oilers 49 (1963)
Let’s take it back to December 22, 1963, when the AFL was still a thing. The Raiders and Oilers gave fans a 101-point shootout that felt ahead of its time. Tom Flores was the man for Oakland. He threw for 407 yards and six touchdowns, including four to Art Powell. Flores tied it up late at 49-49, and then Mike Mercer hit a 39-yard field goal to seal the win.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NFL stories via Google! Follow Us
George Blanda wasn’t backing down on the other side. He threw five touchdown passes, and Willard Dewveall caught four of them. But even with all that firepower, the Oilers couldn’t close it out.
3. Los Angeles Rams 54, Kansas City Chiefs 51 (2018)
This one wasn’t just any game. On November 19, 2018, the Rams and Chiefs gave us what’s still considered the greatest Monday Night Football game ever. The 105-point slugfest felt like a playoff game in November.
Mahomes and Goff put on a show. Mahomes threw for 478 yards and six touchdowns, but his three interceptions were killers. Goff wasn’t perfect, but his 413 yards and four touchdowns included the game-winner, a 40-yard strike to Gerald Everett with under two minutes left. This was the first (and so far only) game in NFL history where both teams scored 50-plus points. From start to finish, it was pure chaos, and fans loved every second of it.
Also Read: Ranking All 32 NFL Teams’ Starting Quarterbacks For The 2024 Season From WORST To FIRST
2. Cincinnati Bengals 58, Cleveland Browns 48 (2004)
On November 28, 2004, the Bengals and Browns turned a regular AFC North game into an absolute circus. They combined for 106 points, and it felt like nobody on defense even got off the bus. Carson Palmer was dealing, throwing four touchdown passes, while Rudi Johnson went off for 202 rushing yards and two scores. The Bengals built a 41-27 lead, but the Browns stormed back to go up 48-44 in the fourth quarter.
Johnson scored again to put Cincinnati back on top, and then Deltha O’Neal shut the door with a 31-yard pick-six. Cleveland’s Kelly Holcomb still balled out, throwing for 413 yards and five touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough. This one had everything: a big comeback, huge plays, and a division rivalry that just wouldn’t quit.
1. Washington Redskins 72, New York Giants 41 (1966)
This one’s still the king of high-scoring games. On November 27, 1966, Washington and the Giants combined for a record 113 points, and it wasn’t close. Washington crushed it, 72-41. Sonny Jurgensen was slinging it, throwing three touchdown passes, while A.D. Whitfield added two rushing scores. In total, the game had 16 touchdowns, 10 from Washington and six from the Giants.
Here’s a fun fact: this was before the NFL had nets behind the goalposts, so fans took home 14 footballs thanks to extra-point kicks and a celebratory toss into the stands. It’s been almost 60 years, and no one’s come close to touching this record.
Also Read: Ranking The Top 5 Lowest-Scoring Games In NFL History
