6 Biggest Blowouts in NFL History You Won’t Believe Happened

It’s common for people to think of NFL playoff games being tightly contested battles between two prime teams. Nobody considers that one of them could be considered the biggest blowouts in NFL history.

It has happened before, though. Sometimes, one team will just find itself falling victim to the superior skills of the other. That can result in an unexpected blowout, where one team claims a win with a huge margin. We have researched games with massive margins of victory. So, what is the biggest blowout in NFL history? Let’s find out.

6 Biggest Blowouts in NFL History

Several NFL games have experienced monumental blowouts, with a few standing out more so than others. Here are the details of the biggest blowout in NFL playoff history and where this occurred.

1. The Biggest Blowout in NFL: 2023 – Miami Dolphins vs. Denver Broncos

It was only in 2023 that the Miami Dolphins achieved a feat that hadn’t been seen since 1966. In a year that witnessed more and more new betting sites signed up to by gamblers across the U.S., the Dolphins scored the most points in a game of the modern era. The historical victory placed the Fins atop the record book, with 50 points clear of the Broncos.

There were three clear takeaways from the game, including the offensive strength of the Dolphins. To capture its 70 points, the team ran 726 yards. At the same time, the Dolphins’ defense proved vital to the victory. Jevon Holland would force two fumbles, with one being picked up by Andrew van Ginkel who returned it to the 3-yard line of the Broncos.

The Florida side set or tied 13 franchise records in this outing, including most points scored, most touchdowns scored in 10, the most total yards in team history and most rushing yards in team history at 350. And just to add a bi foe extra flavor to the game, it was the first time an NFL game had ever finished with the exact score of 70-20, marking the 1,077th different scoring combination in history.

Tua Tagovailoa showed exactly why he is considered as one of the best (and potential MVP this season) after throwing 309 yards and obtaining four touchdowns. Raheem Mostert and De’Von Achane combined their efforts, securing 285 rushing yards and five touchdowns between them.

Tyreek Hill also proved invaluable to the team, hauling in nine catches for 157 yards and a touchdown for the Fins. He also forced three turnovers.

Russell Wilson may have shown out in his 2012 game for the Seahawks, but he could do little to help the Broncos in this game against the Dolphins. While he did complete 23 of 38 passes for 306 yards and got his own touchdown as well as an interception, the Denver team still finished the game with a 0-3 standing for the season.

With 14:55 left on the clock in the fourth quarter, Achane gained a 10-yard catch touchdown. The Miami team wasn’t done though. It was with 9:05 left that backup quarterback Mike White found Robbie Chosen and picked up a 68-yard score. A concerted, powerful team effort by the Fins saw the Broncos sent back home, losing by 50 points.

2. The Biggest Blowout in NFL: 2012 – Seattle Seahawks vs. Arizona Cardinals

Various cities in the United States have been noteworthy for producing a large number of successful NFL players. Cincinnati is one of the top cities, and it is this location that is responsible for introducing Russell Wilson to the world. It is his time as part of the Seattle Seahawks roster that is most memorable, though. Never is that truer than in the team’s December game against the Arizona Cardinals in 2012.

By the end of that game, Wilson had been on the bench for 25 minutes already. He commented:

“It was great to be able to come out of the game because we blew them out so bad.”

He was referring to the absolute squash that the Cardinals suffered at the hands of his team of Seahawks. While that game was in play, Wilson became the first rookie quarterback to start and win his first six games at home since the 1970 AFL merger.

It was also a game that witnessed both Richard Sherman and Bobby Wagner secure two interceptions, while Marshawn Lynch achieved three touchdowns and 128 yards. To add to that, eight turnovers were forced, and in the end, the Seahawks set a franchise record with their 58 points.

The Seahawks had spent their previous two games pushing things to the limit, with the winners decided in the final seconds or in overtime. And while they knew that they could take it a little easier against the Cardinals, few could have predicted the 58-0 finish.

With Leon Washington securing a 3-yard run with 2:32 left on the clock, he pushed the team past its old record of 56 points versus Buffalo in 1977. The backup for Lynch, Robert Turbin, also went beyond the 100 mark, securing 108 yards.

Other statistics that stood out for the Seahawks include tight end Anthony McCoy becoming the first receiver for the team to top 100 yards that season. Sherman recovered a fumble and secured the team its first defensive touchdown of 2012 after intercepting John Skelton.

Meanwhile, Wilson didn’t have to do much. Instead, he passed for 148 yards and completed 7 of 13 passes. Even with the team’s ability to take things easier against the Cardinals, they scored in any way they possibly could. It led to the Arizona team suffering their ninth straight loss, gaining just 154 yards.

Despite that being the case, the team started well with Skelton completing his first three passes. It was only when he threw to Larry Fitzgerald that things took a turn for the worse. By full time, the team had suffered almost as many turnovers as they had first downs at 10.

3. The Biggest Blowout in NFL: 2011 – New Orleans Saints vs. Indianapolis Colts

While the Indianapolis Colts didn’t lose out in as bad a way as the Baltimore Colts did several decades earlier, it wasn’t much better. The team seemed to suffer from the lack of Peyton Manning on its roster, who had moved over to the Denver Broncos by that time. That led to a superior showing by Drew Brees and the Saints of New Orleans.

The week 7 game produced a record for the Saints, with the 62 points scored being the most ever in a single game for them. Prior to that time, the most points scored by the New Orleans side was 51 against the Green Bay Packers in 2008.

Of course, because Manning wasn’t on the field for the Colts, many expected it to be very one-sided. In fact, it was a complete rout even before the end of the first quarter. Marques Colston got the first 7 at the 9:02 mark, followed by another 7 at the 5:31 mark. The score reached 21-0 with 0:42 left on the clock, thanks to Darren Sproles. In all three cases, Drew Brees threw the winning passes with kicks from John Kasay.

Even so, the Colts did try to send a message in that first quarter, sending a shot deep downfield to Pierre Garcon. That was only around a foot short of becoming a touchdown. However, it seemed like the team was centered on those long plays, rather than trying to put together any sort of suitable drive.

The second quarter was the only one in which the Colts gained 7 points, with a 2-yard rush from Delone Carter. The Saints secured two field goals, one at 23 yards and another at 47 yards – both coming from Kasay – as well as a 1-yard rush from Jed Collins at 10:39.

The upward slant continued for the Saints in the third and fourth quarters, with more points acquired in both. John Kasay’s kicks and Drew Brees passes proved nothing short of impressive throughout. Jimmy Graham received a 4-yard pass and a 2-yard pass in quarter 3 before Sproles hit a 16-yard rush at 12:26 in the final quarter.

At 12:12, Leigh Torrence secured a 42-yard interception return to push the Saints’ points up to the 62 mark. In 2011, Brees won the NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award, with his efforts in this game contributing to that. Sproles, meanwhile, set an NFL record for most all-purpose yards in a season with 2,696 yards. In total, 603 of those were rushing yards and 710 of them were receiving yards.

4. The Biggest Blowout in NFL: 2009 – New England Patriots vs. Tennessee Titans

There are NFL games that will never be forgotten. Some for the best reasons, such as nail-biting, close-call finishes. Those games certainly draw the avid sports bettors towards the top football betting apps. Yet there are also those that are remembered for being extreme NFL blowouts.

Such was the case when the New England Patriots faced the Tennessee Titans in October 2009. When people ask what’s the biggest blowout in NFL history, this is usually a game that is mentioned. That year belonged to Tom Brady, the star quarterback for the Patriots. A huge knee injury had forced him to sit out every game but the first seven minutes of one in 2008. Thus, 2009 was his chance to show that he was firing in all cylinders.

While the New England squad from 2007 was somewhat of a distant memory, many didn’t think they’d be breaking many records in the 2009 season. That is until the team’s game against the Titans. Before the week six match-up, Tennessee had yet to record a win. New England had a 3-2 record by that point – not overwhelmingly stunning but better than the Titans.

As snow and wind drifted across the Gilette Stadium, the game started out in a relatively equal fashion. The Patriots couldn’t score points right away, thanks to Stephen Gostkowski missing a 39-yard field goal attempt after a return on a punt from the Titans. Yet it was on the next possession that New England set off on its point collection.

Laurence Maroney broke free for a 45-yard touchdown (he ended up finishing the game with 126 rushing yards on 16 carries). That kick-started the Patriots’ drive, and the points just kept on coming. Maroney’s touchdown was the first of nine consecutive scoring drives for the team. The end of the first quarter finished with a 33-yard field goal by Gostkowski. The second quarter then went into overdrive.

Every opportunity the Titans had; the Patriots blocked. Jonathan Wilhite and Mike Wright recovered fumbles, and an interception was recorded by Darius Butler. Yet all eyes were on Tom Brady who put on a historic performance. He threw two touchdowns to Randy Moss, one to Kevin Faulk and two to Wes Welker.

At the 30-minute mark, the Patriots had a 45-0 lead. New England dominated the second half just as they did the first, with Randy Moss finishing with eight catches for 129 yards and three scores. Brian Hoyer would come on to replace Brady for the final part of the game, driving the offense 61 yards on his first drive. His 1-yard touchdown provided the Patriots with their final score of 59-0.

This 2009 game between the Patriots and the Titans was one of, if not the, most lopsided games in NFL history. The Patriots finished the contest with a team record 619 yards of offense – something that even the best football betting sites couldn’t have predicted. Brady also set an NFL record by securing five scoring passes in a single quarter.

5. The Biggest Blowout in NFL: 2000 – Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Miami Dolphins

Known to many as the biggest blowout in NFL playoff history, this game in the new millennium proved the strength of the Jaguars on the field. The team had entered the 1999 postseason as the number one seed from the AFC, and it went on to back up its status in a historic event.

Many suggest that this is the game that forced the Dolphins’ Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino into retirement. It wasn’t his finest showing, and the whole game leant very much in favor of the Jacksonville team.

The first quarter witnessed the Jaguars secure 24 points, with Jimmy Smith receiving an 8-yard pass from Mark Brunell to pick up the first 7 at 10:32. A 45-yard field goal would push the score to 10 at the 6:19 mark, thanks to Mike Hollis. Two more 7-pointers would then be scored by Fred Taylor’s 90-yard rush at 3:46 and Tony Brackens’s 16-yard defensive fumble return at 3:21.

Taylor sprang to life again in the second quarter, receiving a 39-yard pass from Brunell at 14:48. It was then down to James Stewart with a 25-yard rush at 12:05 and Mike Hollis acquiring a 28-yard field goal at 1:51, which saw the Jaguars’ score reach 41.

The Dolphins managed to get a look in with 0:01 left on the clock in the second quarter, when Oronde Gadsden received a 20-yard pass from Marino. However, this would be their only points in the game, as the second half witnessed more offense from the Jacksonville side. Chris Howard gave the team its final 7 points with a 5-yard rush at 10:37 in the fourth quarter.

One of the second half’s touchdowns scored by Smith came from a 70-yard pass from quarterback Jay Fiedler. As one of the leading passers, he threw for 172 yards and gained two touchdowns as well as a single interception. Taylor, as a leading rusher, recorded 18 carries, 135 yards and his own touchdown in the game.

This Jaguars victory is remembered for the mass of offensive plays set in motion by the team and for its effective number-one-ranked defense.

6. The Biggest Blowout in NFL: 1962 – Chicago Bears vs. Baltimore Colts

When someone asks what’s the biggest blowout in NFL history, it usually conjures up imagery of two vastly different teams in terms of skill. The win-loss record of each team also gives an insight into what a game is likely to be like. There was no way a blowout could have been predicted between the Chicago Bears and the Baltimore Colts in 1962, though.

The Bears had a 6-4 record by the time the game came around and traveled to the Memorial Stadium in Maryland to meet the 5-5 Colts. A game that was likely to be evenly matched, right? Not at all!

The Bears ended up clobbering the Colts on their home turf. And in fact, the Colts were considered the favorites to win against the middling Bears beforehand. Quarterback Billy Wade threw for 328 yards for the Bears. Meanwhile, the Colts’ Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas only managed to secure 91 throwing yards.

Tight end for the Chicago team, Mike Ditka, caught four passes for 40 yards and that included a 5-yard score in the second quarter. Joe Marconi then added to the growing total with a one-yard rush before Roger LeClerc picked up the fourth score for the team from 9-yards.

The third quarter would also see Wade grab a 5-yard rushing touchdown, with Johnny Morris enjoying a 3-yard pass from Wade not long after. Three scores came in the final quarter – one from Rick Casares, another from Angelo Coia who had scored the first 7 points in quarter 1 of the game, and Charlie Bivins grabbed a 12-yard rush to bring the total to 57.

By the end of the game, the Bears had crushed the Colts statistically as well, taking over 500 total yards along with their eight touchdowns. Baltimore could do little to counter the offensive, losing four fumbles and crossing the midfield line just four times. The Bears went on to secure a third-place finish in the NFL Western Conference in ’62.

Conclusion

The six games mentioned above are some of the biggest blowouts experienced in the NFL. It goes to show in some cases that you can’t always judge a team by their win-loss record. NFL fans, teams and sports bettors need to make sure that they always have their eyes open on what is happening on the field.

Do you have any thoughts and opinions on these NFL blowouts? Do you remember any other moments when a team routed another one unexpectedly? Feel free to continue the conversation on the subject, putting forward your own take on things.