Under the bright, cold lights of Lambeau Field, the highly anticipated NFC clash between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers delivered a shockingly anomalous result at the halfway mark: a 0-0 score.
The half was primarily defined by two crucial quarterback fumbles that derailed promising drives. Both Jalen Hurts and Jordan Love fumbled in opponent territory, and the offenses struggled in a game that's become much more rare in the NFL.
This defensive slugfest was a monumental surprise for a matchup featuring two of the conference’s top offenses, marking the first time an NFL game has gone into halftime scoreless since December 2023.
With that, let's take a look at some of the lowest-scoring games in NFL history.
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What is the lowest scoring NFL game?
In the Super Bowl era, the lowest score is 3-0. Seven games have ended with this score, with the most recent being the Minnesota Vikings' 3-0 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on December 10, 2023
In the entire history of the NFL, the lowest score is 0-0.
This has happened 73 times, but not since 1943 when the New York Giants and Detroit Lions ended in a scoreless tie. There have also been five games that ended 2-0, but the last one was in 1938.
What is the lowest scoring Monday night football game?
The lowest-scoring game in Monday Night Football history took place on November 14, 1993, when the Washington Redskins defeated the Dallas Cowboys by a score of 3-0. This defensive masterpiece (or offensive nightmare, depending on your perspective) was a stunning anomaly for the prime-time slot, which is usually reserved for high-octane matchups.
The contest was an intense, low-yardage affair played at RFK Stadium in Washington. The only points of the entire game came courtesy of a second-quarter 20-yard field goal kicked by Washington’s Chip Lohmiller. For the remainder of the evening, both storied franchises struggled immensely on offense.
The Cowboys, who were on their way to a Super Bowl victory that season, fumbled five times (losing four) and quarterback Troy Aikman threw an interception. Washington, meanwhile, couldn’t muster a touchdown despite forcing those turnovers.
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When was the NFL's last scoreless first half?
The last scoreless half came on December 10, 2023 (Week 14 of the 2023 NFL season), and there were actually two.
The first was the Minnesota Vikings vs. Las Vegas Raiders which was an all-time defensive struggle, ending as the lowest-scoring NFL game in 16 years (and the third 3-0 game since 1993). Neither team could muster any points in the first three quarters. The Vikings' offense, which played the majority of the game with Joshua Dobbs at quarterback, finally broke the deadlock late in the fourth quarter after Nick Mullens was subbed in. A 36-yard field goal by Greg Joseph with less than two minutes remaining was the only score of the entire contest.
The other one happened in East Rutherford, New Jersey, where the New York Jets hosted the Houston Texans. It was a different kind of scoreless half, driven primarily by terrible weather and offensive ineptitude. Playing in a driving rain at MetLife Stadium, the Texans (led by C.J. Stroud) and the Jets (led by Zach Wilson) combined for 11 punts in the first half, resulting in a 0-0 tie.
However, the game changed dramatically in the second half. The Jets' offense, revitalized by Zach Wilson, exploded for 30 unanswered points in the third and fourth quarters, turning the defensive slog into a dominant 30-6 win for New York.
In the past 10 years, these have been the lowest scoring NFL games.
Combined Score | Winning Team (Score) | Losing Team (Score) | Date | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
3 | Minnesota Vikings (3) | Las Vegas Raiders (0) | Dec 10, 2023 | 2023 |
6 | New England Patriots (0) | Dec 3, 2023 | 2023 | |
6 | Jacksonville Jaguars (6) | Indianapolis Colts (0) | Dec 2, 2018 | 2018 |
6 | Dallas Cowboys (6) | Philadelphia Eagles (0) | Dec 31, 2017 | 2017 |
9 | New Orleans Saints (9) | Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0) | Dec 19, 2021 | 2021 |
9 | San Francisco 49ers (9) | Washington Commanders (0) | Oct 20, 2019 | 2019 |
12 | Los Angeles Rams (9) | Seattle Seahawks (3) | Sep 18, 2016 | 2016 |
12 | Carolina Panthers (9) | Buffalo Bills (3) | Sep 17, 2017 | 2017 |
12 | Seattle Seahawks (6) | Arizona Cardinals (6) | Oct 23, 2016 | 2016 |
13 | San Francisco 49ers (13) | New Orleans Saints (0) | Nov 27, 2022 | 2022 |
Has the NFL ever had a 0-0 game?
The NFL has historically had games end with a 0-0 score, but it hasn't happened in over 80 years.
Throughout the league's history, there have been a total of 73 games that resulted in a scoreless tie. However, these all occurred in the early, low-scoring days of the league, and the most recent one took place on November 7, 1943, between the New York Giants and the Detroit Lions.
Changes in league rules, including the introduction of regular-season overtime in 1974, have made a 0-0 finish virtually impossible in the modern era.
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