Has there ever been a “Perfect Game” for an NFL team?

[SeahawkFever]

I thought of a set of criteria that one could say leads to a team playing an NFL game “perfectly”:

1. The team’s passer rating for the game must be 158.3, with no sacks taken.

2. The team must score a touchdown on every possession of the game that is not terminated by the end of a half (so no turnovers, punts, or field goals attempted)

3. The team must convert all fourth downs it attempts (so no turnovers on downs)

4. The team’s kicker must make all extra point attempts

5. On the flipside, the opposing team must score no points, and attempt no field goals (I.e. every drive for the other team ends in a punt or turnover including on downs)

Has any game ever fit all five of the criteria to your knowledge?

The closest I have found to the criteria I set is the Patriots 38-0 beat down of the Colts in 1993.

That team attempted and made a couple field goals, and missed only one fourth down conversion.

[Jay Z]

The 49-0 Packers beat down of the Eagles in 1962 doesn't qualify on every front but is probably close. 37 first downs to 3. Max McGee rushed farther on a fake punt than the Eagles did for the whole game. The Packers attempted six halfback option passes with three different players. Hornung threw two of those passes, otherwise just rushed once for four yards. 628 yards to 54.

The Lions beat the Jags 52-6 in 2024. Lions drives were TD, TD, TD, TD, TD, TD, TD, FG, end of game (11 play drive.)

I don't think there's been a perfect game. I didn't find any games where the defense pitched a shutout and the offense didn't punt or turn the ball over. So that's a ways away from perfection. You'd probably have to set up a scoring system and see which one graded the best.

[JuggernautJ]

Those criteria are pretty "era specific."

I would think 73-0 for the Championship would be pretty close to a "perfect game" but Luckman had "only" a 156.2 passer rating...

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/ ... 080was.htm

[Gary Najman]

This game in 1980 (Packers at Bears) is close. Chicago scored 9 touchdowns, but Bob Thomas missed two extra points. VInce Evans had a 158.3 passer rating, but Mike Phipps (who entered late in the game) only had a 108.3.


https://www.pro-football-reference.com/ ... 070chi.htm

[LeonardRachiele]

Game 3 1991 Eagles at Dallas-at least on defense

Philadelphia got 11 sacks for 60 yards in losses; made three pass interceptions; one pass Troy Aikman completed to himself for a six yard loss; one pass blocked at the line of scrimmage; signature goal line with recovered fumble at the end of the game. Dallas netted 90 yards gained the entire game; Dallas focused on Reggie White who did not record a sack until the last series; instead Clyde Simmons got four sacks.

Jim McMahon field in well for the injured Randall Cunningham. Eagles 24 Cowboys 0.

[CSKreager]

Bills/Patriots 2021 Playoffs

Buffalo did not punt, turn the ball over, or kick a field goal

The Bills scored touchdowns on their first 7 drives before kneeling out the clock on their last possession

[JohnTurney]

I thought of a set of criteria that one could say leads to a team playing an NFL game “perfectly”:

1. The team’s passer rating for the game must be 158.3, with no sacks taken.

2. The team must score a touchdown on every possession of the game that is not terminated by the end of a half (so no turnovers, punts, or field goals attempted)

3. The team must convert all fourth downs it attempts (so no turnovers on downs)

4. The team’s kicker must make all extra point attempts

5. On the flipside, the opposing team must score no points, and attempt no field goals (I.e. every drive for the other team ends in a punt or turnover including on downs)

Has any game ever fit all five of the criteria to your knowledge?

The closest I have found to the criteria I set is the Patriots 38-0 beat down of the Colts in 1993.

That team attempted and made a couple field goals, and missed only one fourth down conversion.

per Stathead it has never happened. It says only one 158.3 and zero sacks and zero punts ... 2024 52-6 W win over Jax so that ends there,

[John Maxymuk]

I don't know anything about the Stathead calculation, 73-0 in the 1940 Championship Game seems pretty perfect to me.

[SeahawkFever]

On second thought I think I should revise my definition for a “perfect game” if it was so strict that nothing qualifies.

How does this criteria sound for a “perfect game” by a team in the NFL:

1. You have no turnovers, punts, or extra points missed on offense, and allow no points on defense until you are up by a score of 38-0 at minimum.

2. After which point you may turn the ball over or punt on offense, and allow no more than ten points on defense.

I say 38-0 of a margin because at that point we are talking a six possession game (five touchdowns and extra points with a field goal), and if the other details of the criteria are fulfilled, the team will have played near perfectly until they reach a margin that is five points greater than any team has ever come back from in an NFL game, and the points scored by the other team would probably have been seen as being scored in garbage time (unless the six scores occurred very quickly), and the other team would still have at least four scores to go.

How does that sound, and does anything qualify to your knowledge?

[Wendell02]

The Patriots 59-0 win over the Titans almost qualifies, but the Patriots punted once.