Unfolding Scorigami: NFL’s Unique Scoring Patterns and the Stories They Tell

In the contemporary NFL landscape, statistics are becoming an element of the game which are increasingly hard to avoid. Each touchdown, field goal, and extra point is meticulously deconstructed and analysed. Last week, Amazon’s predictive A.I. went viral after successfully highlighting defensive blitzes prior to the snap. 

Elsewhere, esteemed platforms like Pro Football Focus maintain extensive analytical databases, spanning a comprehensive range of data points, ranging from passes deflected at the line of scrimmage to the favoured routes of wide receivers and running backs.

Nevertheless, amid this abundance of information furnished by modern broadcasters and sites such as PFF, few phenomena are able to captivate NFL fans quite like the news of a Scorigami.

If you’re not already aware, a ‘Scorigami’ is a popular concept coined by SB nation’s Jon Bois. Simply put, the term refers to the occurrence of a final score in NFL games that have never happened before in the league’s history. At the point of writing, there have been 1,078 unique scores in NFL history. 

Whilst not a term of complexity, it has proved an occasion many NFL fans feel the need to celebrate. All Scorigamis are available to view at nflscorigami.com, and a X account keeping track of live unique opportunities hosts over 400,000 followers and regularly goes viral on the site.. 

It is difficult to explain why this innovation evokes such a reaction out of the NFL fanbase. Perhaps it’s down to the perfect blend of unpredictability and historical significance; all coming together to remind NFL fans about our ever-surprising sport. 

Whilst all Scorigamis are prestigious in their own right, here at offGrid NFL we thought we would explore a handful of examples which not only defy the hefty statistical odds, but offer a fascinating glimpse into important moments within NFL history.

Chicago Bears 73 – 0 Washington Redskins, December 1940

Scorigami’s are no recent phenomenon. Early examples which still stand today include a 1929 9-2 win by the Green Bay Packers over the Chicago Bears and a Washington Redskins 7-5 victory over the Detroit Lions in 1929. By 1940, the NFL Championship game had marked a Scorigami which continues to stand today as the highest NFL winning margin in history. 

Touchdown scorers for the Bears that day included Linebacker ‘Bulldog’ Clyde Turner and Fullback Joe Maniaci, who also played for the Brooklyn Dodgers between 1936 to 1938. 

This result marked one of the three times an NFL team has scored 70 points in a match. Ironically it was the Redskins who later joined the Bears in the 70 point club in 1966. The third team to join the prestigious group came this season, as Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill helped batter a weak Denver Broncos team 72-20. The Dolphins’ recent display of offensive prowess shares many resemblances to the Bears who were led by quarterback Sidney Luckman.. 

However, a stark contrast is evident when considering the disparities in safety measures employed between the two eras.

This 1940 Championship matchup marked the final time in football history a player would play without a helmet. Redskins defensive end Dick Plasman (who later joined the US Army after Pearl Harbour) remains the last player to ever play helmetless. Perhaps the battering endured by the Redskins influenced the rule changes employed by NFL bosses three years later.

Washington Redskins 70-41 New York Giants, November 1966

Over 2 decades later, the Redskins put on a 70 point performance of their own, and the Scorigami still stands as the highest scoring game of all time. 

Analysing contemporary reactions to the result shows that celebrating participation in unique NFL score lines is no new phenomena. Following the result, the Washington Post commented that despite the Giants being ‘bombed, boomed and doomed by the Redskins’, they remained alive thanks to the knowledge they were newly implicated in the etchings of NFL history.

This score-fest also saw two brothers take centre stage in the action. Current NFL fans have the Kelce brothers, who have risen to fame both through the gridiron and off-field pursuits such as their popular podcast and public love lives. In comparison, 1966 saw the Gogolak brothers, Pete and Charlie, etch their name into history not through dating pop stars or documentaries, instead it was for kicking a total of 14 extra points! 

This ran up a hefty bill for the Redskins, who due to the lack of behind the post netting, forked out over $300 for balls that went into the stands! The Gogolaks brothers success offers a glimpse into the pre-social media NFL, where legacies were often simply carved with pure on-field brilliance. 

Seahawks 43 – 8 Broncos (Super Bowl 48) January 2014

This Big Game matchup marked the 3rd time there had been a Scorigami in the Super Bowl, with the previous two being seen over twenty years earlier in XXI (21) and XXI (24).

2013’s Super Bowl marked several important moments within NFL History. This was undeniably the peak of Seattle’s Legion of Boom. The Seahawks, with their rock-solid defence fronted by stars like Richard Sherman and Bobby Wagner, put on a show for the books. They cruised to a whopping 36-0 lead in Super Bowl history,  forcing a couple of turnovers and only allowing Denver to put some points on the board during the game’s garbage time. 

Their dominant victory gave Russel Wilson, who threw for over 200 yards and two touchdowns, his first and what would be last Superbowl. Just one year later the Seahawks got close again, but would infamously endure heartbreakl after a certain Malcolm Butler endzone interception…

This not only signified the peak of the Legion of Boom, but the result also asserted the Seahawks status of the kings of Scorigami. Creator of the term, Jon Bois, outlined Hawks head coach Pete Carroll as  ‘The Wizard of Scorigami’. The legendary gum-chewing coach has been involved in 9 Scorigami’s, winning them all. 

Despite this embarrassing defeat, the Broncos would return to the Superbowl two years later and win in Peyton Manning’s last game in NFl history, solidifying his status as an all time great. 

Carolina Panthers 49 – 15 Arizona Cardinals (NFC Championship Game), January 2016

Remember Cam Newton as an MVP? This Scorigami showcased Cam at the peak of his powers as he helped the Panthers reach the Superbowl with this emphatic play-off victory. The 2015 season saw Newton claim his only MVP, he threw for 3,837 yards whilst running for 600 yards including 10 rushing touchdowns. This dominance helped the Panthers go 14-0 to start the season and finish with an impressive record of 15-1. 

The NFC Championship game saw outright Panther dominance. Newton’s 335 passing yards and 47 yards on the ground contributed to this whitewash, but the Panthers were also undeniably aided by 7, yes 7, turnovers committed by the Carson Palmer led Cardinals. 

Much like the Seahawks, this game marked the peak of Newton and the Panthers, who were one of the more exciting teams in recent memory. Their performance in the consequential SuperBowl ultimately lacked much of the offensive firepower which was associated with the side, Newton was also criticised for infamously appearing to not jump on a loose ball after a fumble. 

After the 2015 season, Newton suffered a series of injuries which unfortunately meant he was never quite the same. Nevertheless, this Scorigami will always be reflected upon as the pinnacle of MVP Cam, who was one of the most exciting NFL players in decades. He remains an important figure in NFL history, particularly due to his role in paving the way for a series of dual threat quarterbacks who are now far more commonplace in today’s league.

Who knows, maybe this year will see Lamar Jackson, who has frequently expressed his admiration of Newton, lead the Ravens to legitimate play-off success?

Kansas City Chiefs 51-54 Los Angeles Rams, November 2018

This result was the first time two teams have scored 50 points in a game, and undeniably stands as one of the most notable Scorigami’s in recent memory. The match showcased two young QB’s, Patrick Mahomes and Jared Goff who have since taken starkly different roads to success. 

In this exciting Monday Night Football matchup, Mahomes threw for a career high 478 yards and 6 touchdowns. Despite the loss, this was a performance that would ultimately serve as the exclamation point for his first MVP award. 2018 was Mahomes first full season as a starter after being drafted the year prior, and this offensive masterclass served as testament for a season which saw him instantly break out as one of the league’s best stars. The season would ultimately end in heartbreak for the Chiefs which saw them lose the AFC Championship game to the Patriots at home. 

Nonetheless, there is not much need for me to tell you what Mahomes’ career has looked like since then. Fast forward to 2023, Mahomes is now the owner of two Most-Valuable Player awards and two Super Bowl rings. 

On the other side of this unforgettable Scorigami stood Jared Goff, a figure whose career trajectory has been far from the linear ascendancy enjoyed by Mahomes. Then in the 3rd year of his career, Goff threw for 412 yards and 4 touchdowns, ensuring a victory which would help the Rams achieve a 13-3 record and go on to reach the Super Bowl.

Despite winning a head to head with Mahomes and helping the Rams reach a Super Bowl, two following seasons of inconsistent form saw Goff traded to the Lions in a deal with Matthew Stafford. As a first overall draft pick, Goff has often been labelled a disappointment and bust over the years. However, he now fought back against many of these accusations, heading up a Detroit Lions team who are 5-2, leading the NFC North and hailed as a potential SuperBowl Contender.

In the wake of that unforgettable night at the Los Angeles Coliseum, the divergent career trajectories of Mahomes and Goff stand as a compelling testament to the absence of a predetermined road to success in the modern NFL.