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Worst Loss in NFL History: How the Odds Were Shockingly Defied
- The 1940 Chicago Bears still own the largest margin of victory in the NFL.
- Playing Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers could result in some of the worst losses in NFL history.
- Some lopsided scores in 2024 defied NFL odds, but none approached the level of a 73-0 victory.
The Detroit Lions just destroying the Jacksonville Jaguars by a 52-6 score during the 2024 season led to some trips down memory lane regarding the worst loss in NFL history. With that in mind, we will revisit some games that should have featured the corner throwing in the towel or at least instituting running-time, as is the case in some states with high school football. Perhaps that game helped some of the Lions trend in the right direction in the NFL MVP odds.
It seems unlikely that there will ever be a score in the NFL to rival the Chicago Bears beating the Washington Redskins 73-0 in 1940. It could be fun looking back and seeing how previous game scores affect future odds regarding some of the biggest blowouts in NFL history.
Let’s look at some of the most one-sided games in NFL history.
Looking Back At NFL Blowout Wins
The Blowout of All Blowouts
It might shock some to realize that the Chicago Bears and the Washington Redskins had the same number of first downs in the 1940 NFL Championship Game. Who would have thought that would result in the worst loss in NFL history?
The Bears only completed seven passes in the 73-0 victory. When you run 57 times for 382 yards, why throw the ball? Washington’s eight interceptions played a major role in NFL history’s most lopsided final score.
It might be stunning to some that the Bears punted twice in the game in the first, third, and fourth quarters. Chicago failed to convert on three extra points, and the final conversion was no good when a pass fell incomplete, or the Bears would have won by more than 73 points.
One of the more surprising scores came in 1967 as Vince Lombardi was in his final season during his Hall of Fame run with the Green Bay Packers.
The teams were a couple of years removed from playing in the NFL Championship Game, with the Packers barely having to break a sweat in a 55-7 win over the Browns during the regular season. Lombardi’s Packers also had a 56-3 victory over Atlanta during the 1966 season. They are still considered some of the worst losses in NFL history.
In a score that would be unthinkable right now, the Dallas Cowboys just took the Philadelphia Eagles to the cleaners with a 56-7 win in 1966. It was a 49-0 game in the third quarter, and it was fair to wonder if the Cowboys would make a run at the 73-0 score from 1940.
The next year, the Denver Broncos had negative passing yards in a 51-0 loss to the Oakland Raiders.
In 1972, the New York Giants couldn’t be stopped, with a 62-10 win at Yankee Stadium over the Philadelphia Eagles. That was the same year the Miami Dolphins had one of those name-your-final-score games against the New England Patriots. For those scoring at home, the final score was Miami 52, New England 0. That is among the worst losses at the NFL level.
Looking At Modern Day Blowouts
The Miami Dolphins had chances to set the NFL single-game scoring record as rookie De’Von Achane scored four touchdowns in his second game, as the Miami Dolphins put a 70-20 shellacking on the Denver Broncos.
Miami had a chance to tie Chicago’s 73-point scoring outburst but passed on a field goal in the final minute. The Dolphins took a knee inside the Denver 30. It still was one of the worst losses in NFL history.
The game went over the 47.5-point total in the first half, with the Dolphins obviously covering as 5.5-point favorites in a game when the Dolphins had more than 700 yards in total offense.
Just Missing A 60-Point Win
Tom Brady and the New England Patriots had plenty of games that were over not long after they got started. That was the case in 2009 when the Patriots cruised to a 59-0 win. That was the same score of the 1976 matchup won by the Los Angeles Rams against the Atlanta Falcons. That is the highest margin of victory during the Super Bowl era.
In 2000, the Jacksonville Jaguars almost had the distinction before topping the Miami Dolphins 62-7. That game took place in the playoffs.
Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts 62-7 in 2011, and the next year, the Seattle Seahawks beat the Arizona Cardinals 58-0.
What Were The Worst Losses in Super Bowl History?
Things started poorly in the Super Bowl era if you were a fan of the Green Bay Packers, the NFL champion. Hopefully, there won’t be similar results regarding Super Bowl betting.
The Packers beat the American Football League champions in the first two Super Bowls. In Super Bowl I, Green Bay crushed the Kansas City Chiefs 35-10 and beat the Oakland Raiders, who didn’t “Just Win Baby,” with the Packers celebrating the 33-14 victory.
In the final Super Bowl between the NFL and AFL champs, the AFL’s Chiefs beat the Minnesota Vikings 23-7.
The 25-point margin of victory in Super Bowl I was the highest until the Los Angeles Raiders took care of business with a 38-9 win over Washington. The Redskins were favored by three points.
Two years later, in Super Bowl XX, the Chicago Bears and their 46 defense obliterated the underdog New England Patriots 46-10 to wrap up a dominant 1985 season for the Bears.
Washington topped Denver 42-10 in Super Bowl XXII, and the Broncos were on the wrong end of a 55-10 score in Super Bowl XXIV, with the San Francisco 49ers winning their fourth Super Bowl.
In Super Bowl XXVII, the Dallas Cowboys handed Buffalo the third of four consecutive Super Bowl losses by a commanding 52-17 score.
Among recent matchups, the 2013 season ended with the Seattle Seahawks soaring to a 43-8 win against the Denver Broncos. The sports betting odds listed the Broncos as a 2-point favorite.
