Shootouts are plenty of fun in the NFL playoffs, but what about a good, old-fashioned defensive battle?
The history of the NFL has featured plenty of defensive slugfests in win-or-go-home games. From the 1985 Chicago Bears to the 2015 Denver Broncos, great defenses tend to win out in the playoffs.
On some occasions, of course, a low-scoring game is more the product of sluggish offenses than elite defenses. Most bad offenses are weeded out during the regular season, but sometimes, the pressure simply gets to a team.
What are the lowest-scoring playoff games in NFL history? Here's a look at the games to remember (or not).
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What is the lowest-scoring NFL playoff game?
Here's a look at the eight lowest-scoring playoff games in NFL history:
Combined Score | Winning Team (Score) | Losing Team (Score) | Round | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
5 | Cowboys (5) | Lions (0) | Divisional | 1970 |
9 | Rams (9) | Buccaneers (0) | NFC Championship | 1979 |
13 | Jaguars (10) | Bills (3) | Wild-card | 2017 |
13 | Steelers (7) | Patriots (6) | Divisional | 1997 |
14 | Dolphins (14) | Jets (0) | AFC Championship | 1982 |
14 | 49ers (14) | Eagles (0) | Wild-card | 1996 |
16 | Patriots (13) | Rams (3) | Super Bowl | 2018 |
16 | Chiefs (10) | Raiders (6) | Wild-card | 1991 |
The 1970 divisional round battle between the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions will have a tough time being topped, as the two teams combined for only five points. The Cowboys kicked a first-quarter field goal and tacked on a fourth-quarter safety in a 5-0 win, getting the victory despite having only 22 net passing yards.
In more modern times, the Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars put up just 13 points in their wild-card matchup at the end of the 2017 season, while the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams combined for the lowest-scoring Super Bowl on record when they scored a total of 16 points one season later.
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What is the last NFL playoff game without a touchdown?
The last touchdown-free playoff game was a 15-6 Indianapolis Colts win over the Baltimore Ravens in the divisional round of the 2006 playoffs.
The Colts won behind five field goals from Adam Vinatieri as QBs Peyton Manning and Steve McNair each tossed two interceptions. The Colts only narrowly out-gained the Ravens 261-244 and had 15 first downs to Baltimore's 13, but neither side could finish a drive.
Only once did a team make it inside their opponent's 10-yard line, with the Colts reaching the Ravens' five-yard line on their first drive but settling for a field goal. Despite the offensive struggles, the Colts would go on to win Super Bowl 41.