What was the highest scoring game in NFL history? | Reference.com What was the highest scoring game in NFL history? A: Quick Answer The Washington Redskins defeated the New York Giants 72-41 on November 27, 1966, in the highest scoring game in National Football League history as of 2015. The two teams combined for 16 touchdowns, including nine that were 30 yards or longer in length. Full Answer The Redskins dominated the game right from the start, scoring two touchdowns in the first quarter to take a 13-0 lead. The Redskins led the Giants 34-14 at halftime and 48-28 after three quarters. Other high scoring games in NFL history include the Oakland Raiders defeating the Houston Oilers 52-49 in 1963, the Seattle Seahawks defeating the Kansas City Chiefs 51-48 in 1983, the Denver Broncos defeating the Dallas Cowboys 51-48 in 2013 and the Pittsburgh Steelers beating the San Diego Chargers 54-44 in 1985.

This Day in NFL History: 1123-1129 This Date in NFL History November 23 1975 — Minnesota quarterback Fran Tarkenton becomes the NFL's all-time completions leader when he completes his 2,840th pass in the Vikings' 28-13 victory over San Diego. November 24 1957 — Cleveland rookie Jim Brown rushes for an NFL record 237 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Browns to a 45-31 victory over the Los Angeles Rams. November 25 1976 — Buffalo running back O.J. Simpson rushes for an NFL record 273 yards at Detroit. Despite his efforts, the Bills fall to the Lions 27-14. November 26 1989 — Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Willie "Flipper" Anderson makes 15 catches for an NFL record 336 yards and a touchdown as the Rams rally for a 20-17 overtime victory over New Orleans.

November 27 1966 — The Washington Redskins beat the New York Giants 72-41 in the highest-scoring game in league history. The Redskins' also establish a new record for points by one team in a regular season game. November 28 1929 — Chicago Cardinals running back Ernie Nevers scores an NFL record 40 points. He rushes for an NFL record six touchdowns and adds four extra points to tally all of the Cardinals' points in their 40-6 victory over the Chicago Bears. November 29 1934 — The Detroit Lions play the first of their traditional Thanksgiving Day home games, losing to the Chicago Bears 19-16 before a crowd of 26,000 as CBS Radio does its first-ever national broadcast of an NFL game. Information New York Giants at Washington Redskins - November 27th, 1966 | Pro-Football-Reference.com New York Giants at Washington Redskins - November 27th, 1966 A.D. Whitfield 5 yard pass from Sonny Jurgensen 0 A.D.

Whitfield 63 yard rush ( Charlie Gogolak kick) 0 Brig Owens 62 yard fumble return ( Charlie Gogolak kick) 0 Allen Jacobs 6 yard rush ( Pete Gogolak kick) 7 A.D.

Whitfield 1 yard rush ( Charlie Gogolak kick) 7 Joe Don Looney 9 yard rush ( Charlie Gogolak kick) 7 Gary Wood 1 yard rush ( Pete Gogolak kick) 14 Joe Morrison 41 yard pass from Gary Wood ( Pete Gogolak kick) 21 Charley Taylor 32 yard pass from Sonny Jurgensen ( Charlie Gogolak kick) 21 Homer Jones 50 yard pass from Gary Wood ( Pete Gogolak kick) 28 Charley Taylor 74 yard pass from Sonny Jurgensen ( Charlie Gogolak kick) 28 Rickie Harris 52 yard punt return ( Charlie Gogolak kick) 28 Brig Owens 60 yard interception return ( Charlie Gogolak kick) 28 Aaron Thomas 18 yard pass from Tom Kennedy 34 Dan Lewis 1 yard rush ( Pete Gogolak kick) 41 Bobby Mitchell 45 yard rush ( Charlie Gogolak kick) 41 Charlie Gogolak 29 yard field goal 41 You are here: PFR Home > Boxscores >

 New York Giants at Washington Redskins - November 27th, 1966 Full Site Menu All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC.

We present them here for purely educational purposes. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. A Member of the Meadville Beats DuBois 107-90 in Pennsylvania High School Football Shootout | Bleacher Report Meadville Beats DuBois 107-90 in Pennsylvania High School Football Shootout By Joe Pantorno , Featured Columnist Sep 11, 2015 Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse more stories Brett Carlsen/Getty Images 190 Comments Usually, when a sports fan sees a 107-90 scoreline, it's assumed to be from a basketball game. Well, Friday night in Pennsylvania, Meadville High School's football team (yes, football) defeated DuBois High School by that same scoreline, per Tom Reisenweber of the Erie Times-News, in a game that can be described only as putting up video game numbers.

The scoreboard had trouble comprehending the final score as well, as Alan Robinson showed: Real life Pennsylvania high school football score: Meadville 107 DuBois 90 Journey Brown ran for 720 yards and 10 TDs pic.twitter.com/Hs3HEuAvho — Alan Robinson (@alanrobinson412) September 12, 2015 To put things into perspective, the highest-scoring game in NFL history was a 1966 affair in which the Washington Redskins defeated the New York Giants 72-41 for a combined 113 points, per NFL.com . This game had 84 more points than that. The Meadville Bulldogs were led by running back Journey Brown, who ran for 720 yards and 10 touchdowns, per ESPN Stats & Info . Those numbers are more unfathomable than the ones a fan might attain on Xbox when playing Madden on the easiest skill level. NBC's Brandon Arroyo took a look at Brown's stats at halftime, which were already fantastic: 341 yards and 5 TDs in a half!?! ... Believe the hype. Downtown Journey Brown.

@mvillebulldogs @NBCSports @CBSSports pic.twitter.com/xeBUon3wrK — Brandon Arroyo (@BrandonWICU) September 12, 2015 Brown's 720-yard journey reportedly broke the former Pennsylvania state record by over 200 yards, according to Andy Close of the Times Observer. It was a close affair for much of the evening despite the unbelievable numbers, with Meadville up 56-51 at halftime and 85-82 at the end of the third quarter. The two teams had a little way to go to surpass a record set on the collegiate level by Georgia Tech in 1916 when it blew out Cumberland 222-0 , but in modern-day football, with modern-day parity, a scoreline of this proportion is worthy of a double take, a jaw drop and a lot of head-scratching. Maybe the defenses should get some extra work in over the next week to ensure they don't give up 90 or more points again in their following games.

The major events and pop culture of 1966 - Houston Chronicle The major events and pop culture of 1966 By John Boyd , Houston Chronicle Updated 9:21 am, Monday, December 12, 2016 Image 1of/36 Image 1 of 36 Image 2 of 36 U.S. deaths in the war more than tripled from 1965 to 1966. After sending a modest amount of ground troops to Vietnam in 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson quickly escalated ground action in December of that year and then multiple times again in 1966. That summer, the U.S. bombed the North Vietnamese capital of Hanoi for the first time, along with Haiphong, another major urban center. Photo: Rolls Press/Popperfoto, Getty Images Image 3 of 36 The "Batman" TV series debuted in 1966. The "Batman" TV series debuted in 1966. Photo: Silver Screen Collection, Getty Images Image 4 of 36 A 1966 ad shows kitchen appliances.

The average cost of a new house that year was about $14,200. A 1966 ad shows kitchen appliances. The average cost of a new house that year was about $14,200. Photo: Paul Walters Worldwide Photography Ltd, Heritage Images/Getty Images Image 5 of 36 The Beach Boys released "Pet Sounds" in May 1966, which some believe is the greatest rock 'n' roll album of all time. The Beach Boys released "Pet Sounds" in May 1966, which some believe is the greatest rock 'n' roll album of all time. Photo: Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images Image 6 of 36 In a groundbreaking surgery, Dr. Michael De Bakey implants an artifical heart into the chest of coal miner Marcel DeRudder in April 1966. In a groundbreaking surgery, Dr. Michael De Bakey implants an artifical heart into the chest of coal miner Marcel DeRudder in April 1966.

Photo: Ralph Morse, Getty Images Image 7 of 36 The Washington Redskins defeated the New York Giants 72-41 in the highest scoring game in NFL history on November 27, 1966. The Washington Redskins defeated the New York Giants 72-41 in the highest scoring game in NFL history on November 27, 1966. Photo: Focus On Sport, Getty Images Image 8 of 36 "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" made its CBS debut in December 1966. "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" made its CBS debut in December 1966. Photo: ABC, Getty Images 'Star Trek' debuted on TV with an episode entitled 'The Man Trap' in September 1966. 'Star Trek' debuted on TV with an episode entitled 'The Man Trap' in September 1966. Photo: CBS Photo Archive, Getty Images Image 10 of 36 Surfer fashion was all the rage in 1966 thanks to the Beach Boys and other TV and film hits.

Surfer fashion was all the rage in 1966 thanks to the Beach Boys and other TV and film hits. Photo: Tom Kelley Tom Kelley, Getty Images Image 11 of 36 "Lost in Space" was a popular TV hit of 1966. "Lost in Space" was a popular TV hit of 1966. Photo: CBS Photo Archive, Getty Images Image 12 of 36 Hippies attend the first "acid test" in 1966 in San Francisco, California. Hippies attend the first "acid test" in 1966 in San Francisco, California. Photo: Paul Ryan, Getty Images Image 13 of 36 Singer Frank Sinatra won the Album of the Year at the 1966 Grammy Awards for "September of My Years.". Singer Frank Sinatra won the Album of the Year at the 1966 Grammy Awards for "September of My Years.". Photo: Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images Image 14 of 36 In a crime that shocked the nation, Richard Speck murdered eight nursing students in a Chicago dorm in July 1966.

In a crime that shocked the nation, Richard Speck murdered eight nursing students in a Chicago dorm in July 1966. Photo: Art Shay, Getty Images Image 15 of 36 "Mean" Joe Greene dominated college football at the University of North Texas before going on to do the same in the NFL and make that classic Coca-Cola ad. "Mean" Joe Greene dominated college football at the University of North Texas before going on to do the same in the NFL and make that classic Coca-Cola ad. Photo: Collegiate Images, Getty Images Image 16 of 36 Soul singer Otis Reddingwas one of the most beloved performers of 1966. Sadly, he was killed a year later in a plane crash. Soul singer Otis Reddingwas one of the most beloved performers of 1966. Sadly, he was killed a year later in a plane crash. Photo: Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images Image 17 of 36 American actress Raquel Welch poses in her dressing room during filming of Don Chaffey's prehistoric epic 'One Million Years B.C.', 1966. The film made her a star and a sex symbol for the ages.

American actress Raquel Welch poses in her dressing room during filming of Don Chaffey's prehistoric epic 'One Million Years B.C.', 1966. The film made her a star and a sex symbol for the ages. Photo: Terry O'Neill, Getty Images Image 18 of 36 Comedian Bill Cosby was at the height of his early popularity after releasing the Grammy-winning album "Why is There Air?" and winning an Emmy for "I Spy" in 1966. Comedian Bill Cosby was at the height of his early popularity after releasing the Grammy-winning album "Why is There Air?" and winning an Emmy for "I Spy" in 1966. Photo: Fotos International, Getty Images Image 19 of 36 Stella Stevens, seen wearing a bikini in a publicity shot for the film 'Rage,' was a sex symbol of the year 1966. Stella Stevens, seen wearing a bikini in a publicity shot for the film 'Rage,' was a sex symbol of the year 1966.

Photo: Silver Screen Collection, Getty Images Image 20 of 36 Nolan Ryan, statistically the greatest MLB pitcher of all time, made his big league debut with the New York Mets in 1966. Nolan Ryan, statistically the greatest MLB pitcher of all time, made his big league debut with the New York Mets in 1966. Photo: Louis Requena, Getty Images Image 21 of 36 Actor Burt Reynolds starred in the the TV series "Hawk" in 1966. Actor Burt Reynolds starred in the the TV series "Hawk" in 1966. Photo: Martin Mills, Getty Images Image 22 of 36 American actor Robert Vaughn starred as Napoleon Solo in widely popular 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.' television series in 1966. American actor Robert Vaughn starred as Napoleon Solo in widely popular 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.' television series in 1966. Photo: Silver Screen Collection, Getty Images Image 23 of 36 "The Doors" released their widely-regarded self-titled LP in August 1966.

"The Doors" released their widely-regarded self-titled LP in August 1966. Photo: Getty Images Image 24 of 36 Actor Ronald Reagan was elected governor of California in November 1966 on his way to the White House years later. Actor Ronald Reagan was elected governor of California in November 1966 on his way to the White House years later. Photo: Bill Ray, Getty Images Image 25 of 36 NASA launched five separate Gemini space missions in 1966. NASA launched five separate Gemini space missions in 1966. Photo: Time Life Pictures, Getty Images Image 26 of 36 "Days of Our Lives" debuted in 1966. "Days of Our Lives" debuted in 1966. Photo: NBC, Getty Images Image 27 of 36 Actors Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg, reading Truman Capote's 'In Cold Blood' as they wait at London Airport to travel across the United States to promote their television series, 'The Avengers' in 1966. The iconic book was released earlier that year.

less Actors Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg, reading Truman Capote's 'In Cold Blood' as they wait at London Airport to travel across the United States to promote their television series, 'The Avengers' in 1966. The ... more Photo: George Freston, Getty Images Image 28 of 36 Charles Whitman killed 16 people at the University of Texas in the nation's first modern mass shooting on Aug. 1, 1966. Charles Whitman killed 16 people at the University of Texas in the nation's first modern mass shooting on Aug. 1, 1966. Photo: Shel Hershorn, Getty Images Image 29 of 36 The Beatles released their highly-influential album "Revolver" in 1966. In March of that same year, John Lennon told the London Evening Standard that the group was "more popular than Jesus," sparking outcry from Christians around the world. Photo: Evening Standard, Getty Images Image 30 of 36 Frank Robinson and his Balitmore Orioles won the World Series over the Dodgers in 1966.

Frank Robinson and his Balitmore Orioles won the World Series over the Dodgers in 1966. Photo: Bob Gomel, Getty Images Image 31 of 36 Since 1966 police have to advise a suspect that they have the right to remain silent and the right to counsel during interrogation. The so called 'Miranda Warning' after Ernesto Miranda who had a retrial because he was not so advised. less Since 1966 police have to advise a suspect that they have the right to remain silent and the right to counsel during interrogation. The so called 'Miranda Warning' after Ernesto Miranda who had a retrial ... more Photo: MPI, Getty Images Image 32 of 36 Released the prior year, The Sound of Music win the Oscar for Best Picture in 1966. Released the prior year, The Sound of Music win the Oscar for Best Picture in 1966. Photo: Bruce Bailey, Getty Images Image 33 of 36 Beloved filmmaker and animator Walt Disney died Dec. 15, 1966. Beloved filmmaker and animator Walt Disney died Dec. 15, 1966.

Photo: Alfred Eisenstaedt, Getty Images Image 34 of 36 Singer Johnny Cash sits with an acoustic guitar in a still from the film, 'Road To Nashville,' directed by Will Zenz in 1966. Singer Johnny Cash sits with an acoustic guitar in a still from the film, 'Road To Nashville,' directed by Will Zenz in 1966. Photo: Hulton Archive, Getty Images Image 35 of 36 Medicare began in the United States on July 1, 1966. Medicare began in the United States on July 1, 1966. Photo: Lowell Georgia , Getty Images Image 36 of 36 Redskins 72, Giants 41 on Nov. 27, 1966 | Redskin Historian "Burgundy & Gold Magazine" -- 1 on 1 w/ HOF linebacker Sam Huff On Nov. 16, 2009, Mike Richman held a wide-ranging interview with Hall of Fame linebacker Sam Huff at his office in Middleburg, VA.

The interview, later broadcast on "Burgundy & Gold Magazine" in three segments, spanned everything from Huff's recollections of his 13 seasons in the NFL (1st 8 w/ Giants, last 5 w/ Redskins) and his career of more than three decades as a Redskins color radio analyst. An emotional Huff spoke about how fulfilling his professional life has been and his close relationship with Sonny Jurgensen. Huff and Jurgy, who both came to the Redskins in trades in 1964, were teammates for several seasons in D.C. and have been color analysts in the Redskins' radio booth since the early-1980s. Huff said Jurgensen is like a "brother" to him. Huff also spoke about the famous 1958 NFL championship game between the Giants and Baltimore Colts, a 23-17 Colts win in overtime, and the Redskins' 72-41 win over the Giants in 1966, still the highest scoring game in NFL history (113 points). Huff was a Redskins LB at the time.

In addition, he shared his views on why the Redskins have repeatedly posted mediocre records during the ownership regime of Dan Snyder. Highest Scoring NFL Game Follow Us Highest Scoring NFL Game Do you know which is the highest scoring NFL game ever to be played? Well if not, here is where you can find out. Advertisement The highest scoring game in NFL history during regular season happened way back in 1966, when the Washington Redskins defeated the New York Giants by 72-41 on November, 27th. This was not the first meeting between the two teams in that season, as the Giants had recently defeated the Redskins on October, 16th by a 13-10 win. We'll take you back to when this historic NFL game was being played with our own take on how of commentary may have been. Commentator 1 - "It is a fine day to be playing football and you are watching live from the D.C Stadium. The New York Giants will be facing off against the Redskins today and it is going to be a game to keep a look out for." Commentator 2 - "That is correct. The redskins will wanna skin the Giants alive for the defeat they faced this season in October.

Let us wait and watch if they have practiced to perfection or will they again be at the other side of the fence!" Commentator 1 - "Yes, it should turn out to be a high-scoring NFL game, with these two teams battling each other. There you can see the Giants coach 'Allie Sherman' pepping up his boys especially the newbie 'Tom Kennedy'. 'Tom Kennedy' comes this way, straight out of from Los Angeles and I assure you, this young rookie will be making his folks proud today!" Commentator 2 - "On this side of town, we have the Washington Redskins coach 'Otto Grahman', bringing in the new 'Sonny Jurgenson' as the quarterback, all that is left to see is if these boys have it in them to handle the NFL." Commentator 1 - "The first whistle of the match has been blown, and there starts the game! The Kennedy boy has taken the lead and has taken his first pass, but no wait! The first pass of the game and it has been successfully intercepted by Redskins defensive back, 'Brig Owens'!

This already looks like it's going to be a tough game for the Giants." Commentator 2 - "You have to see this, Redskin's, 'Juggerson' has taken advantage of Kennedy's lapse and is seen leading his team down the field! And that is a beautiful 5 yard lead and a touchdown by A.D. Whitfield!! Oh! What a performance that was ...." Commentator 1 - "Believe it or not but 'Charlie Gogolok' is trying his best to get an extra point, will he or will he not be able to ... but no! It seems not, not this time as 'Jim Morgan' just tackled the poor Charlie down! Tough luck mate ...." Commentator 2 - "The Redskins are showing no signs of backing down, the Giants and Kennedy have been unsuccessful in budging the opposing defense! What a drag it must be for the Giants or may be for the Redskins who are perhaps getting bored by the lack of competition." Commentator 1 - "I won't say that if I were you ... looks like the Redskins are enjoying taking on 'Kid Kennedy' time after time.

The kid has not completed a single pass in all these 3 series and he keeps getting dumped by the blitzes from the Redskins. They sure are living it up out there!" Commentator 2 - "The 1st quarter is coming to its end and what perfect timing by 'Whitfield' and wow! He running like the wind ... and that's a 63 yard score run! That is a record setter people! And it's by 'Whitfield' alright ...." Commentator 1 - "An amazing feat, though it looks like Redskins 'Charlie Gogolak' is looking for his second chance again ... and he scores! The redskins are at 13-0 at the end of the first quarter and the Giants don't look so good ...." Commentator 2 - "The 2nd quarter has begun and the 'Kennedy boy' is not giving up! He keeps trying to make the pass but the Redskins are bullying the daylights out of him! There he goes again ... 'Kennedy' is on the run but NO! 'Chris Hanburger' got to him first, 'Kennedy' has lost control over his ball! And what's more ...

'Owens' taken possession and he's racing his way to the 62nth yard ... it's a touchdown! 'Brig Owens' is overwhelmed ... it's his career's 1st ever touchdown! Cheers to a bright career!" Commentator 1 - "The score is 20-0 and 'Kennedy' hasn't pulled out his white flag yet ... he has passed the ball to 'Homer Jones' who has completed 35 yards, and has passed the possession to 'Aaron Thomas' who is moving into the Redskins area ... and passed to 'Allen Jacobs' who is running, running, still running, and he SCORES! Six yards and a touchdown ... the Giants are at 20-7 and they are back in the game!" The Redskins 'Whitfield' scored a 27-7 and then future hall of fame NFL player, 'Paul Krause' scored and so did 'Joe Don Looney' making the Redskins score 34-7.

After which 'Kennedy' was replaced by Gary Wood as the quarterback, this proved to be a good decision as he scored twice once at intermission and then soon after the second half began, to give the Giants 14 extra points to make the score 34-21. This way the match continued normally until the Redskins made their 69th score to make a total of 69-41. The Giants knew they didn't stand a chance at winning. Still they tried and that is when the whole game took a strange turn! The game had 7 seconds left, and despite that, Giants 'Kennedy' decided to move the offense! He threw the ball out-of-bounds from within his own 22 yards line which ironically got scooped by the Redskins. That is when Redskins coach 'Otto Graham' made rookie 'Charlie Gogolok' go in for the final score. 'Gogolok' did and created history with his final second touchdown, which gave his team a 31 score victory as well as the title of the highest scoring game by one team! The Redskins crossed the 70 point mark by (+2) to be enlisted as the most scoring team in NFL.

They surpassed the record set by Los Angeles Rams in 1950 by earning 72 points which is still considered to be the highest scoring game in the history of American Football! Rohini Mohan Highest scoring game | Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site Redskins and Giants combine for nine TDs of 30 yards or more “It was a great defensive battle,” joked Washington Redskins head coach Otto Graham . The Hall of Fame quarterback turned head coach made his sarcastic comment after witnessing the highest scoring game in National Football League history. That day, his Redskins downed the New York Giants by a score of 72-41 on November 27, 1966. Brig Owens had a pair of 62-yard TD returns - one on a fumble recovery and the other on an interception. The 113 total points came via 16 touchdowns – ten scored by Washington and six by the Giants; and a field goal late in the game. A miscue by New York’s quarterback, Tom Kennedy gave the Redskins a chance for some kicking practice. With the Giants trailing 69-41, a shell-shocked Kennedy lost track of downs.

With just seven seconds remaining and thinking it was third down, Kennedy threw the ball out of bounds so he could run out the clock on one final play to end his team’s misery. Unfortunately for the young quarterback, his throw took place on fourth down and, as a result, New York turned the ball over to the Redskins at their own 23-yard-line. Based on the fact that his kicker missed two field goals the previous week, Graham sent Charlie Gogolak out for what he described as “practice.” Gogolak converted the three-pointer and the Redskins had run up 72 points by the time the gun sounded to end the contest. The win did not come without a sacrifice from the host team. In the days before nets were placed behind the goal posts, extra points would sail into the stands. So, needless to say, the team shelled out a fair amount of money in the cost of footballs that afternoon. According to a newspaper account, 14 footballs ended up in the stands – thirteen of the lost footballs came on extra point attempts while the other lost ball came courtesy of Brig Owens who heaved it into the crowd after he returned a fumble 62 yards for a score.

At a value of $22.50 each, the total tab for balls for the Redskins that afternoon came to $315. November 27, 1966 Classic Rewind: 1966 Giants vs. Redskins | Sports Then and Now Sports Then and Now Remembering Sports Greats We Lost in 2016 Snow Sports Injuries and How To Treat Them Mixed Martial Arts Professional Wrestling: Weird Form of Show How Mixed Martial Arts Was Created 5 Things Sports Fans Can Look Forward to in 2017 Best Rose Bowl Games in College Football History Tweet Each week during the 2009 NFL season, Sports Then and Now will pick one upcoming NFL matchup and look through the history books to find an intriguing past meeting between the two teams. We will recap the game and hopefully help reintroduce (or introduce for you younger readers) you to some of the greats (and in some cases not so greats) from the history of professional football. The Matchup: Washington Redskins vs. New York Giants Series Record: Two of the oldest teams in the NFL, the Redskins and Giants have met 152 times with the Giants holding an 87-61-4 advantage.

The two teams have been division rivals since the Redskins joined the NFL as the Boston Braves in 1932. The Game: November 27, 1966, D.C. Stadium in Washington, DC Team Records: Washington Redskins 5-6; New York Giants 1-8-1 Overview: When the Redskins and Giants met in Washington late in the 1966 season, neither team was headed to the playoffs. Actually, far from it as the Giants were on their way to the worst season in team history just three seasons after playing for the NFL title. The Redskins were trying to reach .500 for the first time in a decade. What ensued on this late November afternoon was not necessarily one of the best played games in professional football history, but it was a contest filled with more big plays and scoring than any other game in the history of the league. Coaches: New York Giants – Allie Sherman (6th year); Washington Redskins – Otto Graham (1st year) Otto Graham spent three seasons as head coach of the Washington Redskins.

Notable Giants: Tom Kennedy (qb), Homer Jones (wr), Gary Wood (qb), Joe Morrison (rb), Dick Lynch (db), Jim Katcavage (dl), Pete Gogolak (k), Allen Jacobs (rb), Spider Lockhart (db) Notable Redskins: Sonny Jurgensen (qb), A.D. Whitfield (rb), Charley Taylor (rb), Bobby Mitchell (fl), Jerry Smith (te), Sam Huff (lb), Chris Hanburger (lb), Brig Owens (db), Paul Krause (db), Charlie Gogolak (k) Interesting Notes: Linebacker Sam Huff, who had earned his reputation as one of the fiercest players in the NFL as part of the great Giants teams of the 1950s and early 1960s, was in his third season as a member of the Washington Redskins; The game featured the famous soccer style kicking brother duo of Pete (Giants) and Charlie (Redskins) Gogolak; This was the second meeting of the season between the two teams as New York’s lone victory so far in the season had been a 13-10 win over the Redskins on October 16th.

The Game: After shifting between Earl Morrall and Gary Wood as the starting quarterbacks for much of the season, New York Giants head coach Allie Sherman decided to try rookie Tom Kennedy from Los Angeles State in the contest with the Redskins. While Sherman had a rookie playing in only his third NFL game under center, Washington’s head coach Otto Graham (himself a legendary quarterback) had the luxury of starting future Hall of Fame quarterback Sonny Jurgensen. Sonny Jurgensen threw for three touchdowns against the Giants. Kennedy didn’t get off to a good start as Washington defensive back Brig Owens intercepted Kennedy’s first pass of the contest. It would be just the start of a memorable day for Owens, a rookie out of the University of Cincinnati. Jurgensen immediately took advantage of the mistake as he led the Skins down the field. They took the lead on a five-yard touchdown run by A.D. Whitfield. The extra point attempt by Charlie Gogolak was blocked by New York tackle Jim Moran. Over their next three offensive series, Kennedy and the Giants were unable to move against the Washington defense.

Using blitzes to rattle the rookie quarterback, the Redskins kept Kennedy off-balance and he didn’t complete a pass during in each of the three series. Meanwhile, the Redskins started what would end up being a record-setting day for big plays with a 63-yard scoring run by Whitfield late in the first quarter. The extra point by Charlie Gogolak made the score 13-0. Kennedy tried to answer, but the Redskins continued to harass the rookie. Midway through the second quarter he went back to pass, but was caught by linebacker Chris Hanburger. The hit caused Kennedy to fumble and the ball was scooped up by Owens, who raced 62-yards for the first touchdown of his career. Now trailing 20-0, Kennedy finally started to get the offense moving. He completed a 14-yard pass to Homer Jones and a 35-yarder to Aaron Thomas to move into Redskins territory. From there, the running game took over and Allen Jacobs scored from six yards out to trim the lead to 20-7. Homer Jones caught six passes, including a 50-yard touchdown, against the Redskins.

Washington didn’t move the ball on their next possession, but another interception gave them the ball in Giants territory and Whitfield scored his third touchdown of the first half on a 1-yard run to make the score 27-7. Kennedy’s third interception of the day, by future Hall of Famer Paul Krause, led to the fifth Washington touchdown of the half. Former Giant Joe Don Looney scored on a 9-yard run to make the score 34-7. Sherman had seen enough of his rookie and inserted third-year pro Gary Wood at quarterback late in the half. Wood took advantage of a 45-yard pass interference call against the Redskins to move the Giants down the field. He scored on a one-yard run to make the score 34-14 at intermission. A 31-yard kickoff return by Phil Harris to start the second half gave the Giants good field position near midfield. Wood completed an 11-yard pass to Joe Morrison for a first down and then hit Morrison again on a 41-yard touchdown pass to make the score 34-21. That was the first of an amazing streak of six consecutive touchdown plays that were more than 30 yards in distance.

Future Hall of Famer Charley Taylor caught touchdown passes of 32 and 74 yards in the second half against the Giants. Sonny Jurgensen led the Skins down the field and hit future Hall of Famer Charley Taylor for a 32-yard touchdown pass to make it 41-21. The game then started to resemble a pinball game as the two teams kept going back and forth down the field. Wood’s hit Homer Jones on a 50-yard touchdown pass that made the score 41-28. Jurgensen then answered by again connecting with Taylor, this time on a 74-yard scoring toss. At the end of the third quarter, the score stood 48-28. Washington forced a New York punt early in the final period and Rickie Harris took the kick 52 yards to put the Redskins above the 50-point barrier. It didn’t take long for them to break 60 as an errant pass by Wood was intercepted by Owens and returned 62-yards for another Washington score. Rookie Brig Owens scored on a 62-yard fumble recovery and a 62-yard interception.

That marked the third interception of the game for Owens and his second 62-yard scoring play of the contest. The two touchdowns were the first two of his career. Owens would go on to play 12 seasons with the Redskins and scored only three additional touchdowns. Now trailing 62-28, Sherman put Kennedy back in the game and the rookie was finally able to consistently move the team. He completed five passes on a drive that culminated with an 18-yard touchdown pass from Kennedy to Aaron Thomas. The Giants missed the extra point to make the score 62-34. Graham replaced Jurgensen with backup quarterback Dick Shiner. Considering that the Skins had racked up more than 60 points it was surprising that Jurgensen’s statistics for the game were not earth shaking. He completed 10 of 16 passes for 145 yards and three touchdowns. He also did not toss an interception, which proved not to be true for Shiner as his only pass of the game was intercepted by second year defensive back Spider Lockhart. Dan Lewis scored on a 1-yard run with 1:35 remaining to make the score 62-41.

At this point you would think the Giants would just try to run out the clock and get out of town without any further embarrassment. However, that proved not to be the case. The Giants attempted an onside kick, but the Redskins recovered. Future Hall of Famer Bobby Mitchell then got into the act with a 45-yard run to make the score 69-41. Mitchell’s touchdown was the ninth scoring play of 30 or more yards in the contest. With just seconds remaining, this high-scoring game got bizarre. The Giants took over deep in their own territory, but again instead of just running out the clock, Kennedy tried to move the offense. With the ball on his own 22-yard line and only seven seconds remaining, Kennedy hurriedly threw the ball out of bounds to stop the clock. However, Kennedy was confused as to what down it was and his errant throw occurred on fourth down, rather than third as he had thought. A last second field goal by Charlie Gogolak gave the Redskins a new record for points in a game and a 31-point victory.

Coach Otto Graham said he called for the field goal because the rookie kicker needed the "practice." The Redskins got the ball one final time and instead of graciously taking a knee and ending the game, Graham called on his rookie placekicker. Graham later said that he wanted to give Gogolak, who had missed two kicks the previous week, additional practice in a game setting. Some reports said that Sam Huff, still angry about having been traded by the Giants two years earlier, encouraged Graham to send out the kicker. Regardless, he converted on a 29-yard field goal to end the scoring with the final score of 72-41. The 72 points by the Redskins surpassed the 70 points scored by the Los Angeles Rams in 1950 as the most scored in a regular season NFL game. The 113 total points was also an NFL record and remains the most ever scored by two teams in an NFL game. Post Script: The Redskins went on to finish the season with a 7-7 record while the Giants finished 1-12-1. The win literally came with a cost for the Redskins.

Because the NFL did not have nets to catch kick attempts, extra points and field goals often sailed into the stands and fans kept the footballs. Sources differ as to whether 14 or 15 total balls ended up in the stands, but regardless, at a cost of $22.50 per football, the Redskins ended the day on the hook for more than $300. I guess that is a small price to pay for football immortality. This game would be the only career start for Tom Kennedy. He did throw four touchdowns two weeks later in a 47-28 loss to Pittsburgh, but his final career appearance came the following week in the season finale against the Dallas Cowboys. The Giants traded for Fran Tarkenton after the season and improved to 7-7 the following year. Otto Graham coached the Redskins for three seasons and finished with a 17-22-3 record. Vince Lombardi replaced him as coach of the Redskins following the 1968 season.

Related Posts Today in Pro Football History: 1966: Redskins Defeat Giants 72-41 in Highest Scoring NFL Game November 27, 2009 1966: Redskins Defeat Giants 72-41 in Highest Scoring NFL Game The New York Giants team that played the Washington Redskins at DC Stadium on November 27, 1966 was far below the caliber of the Giants teams that had won three consecutive Eastern Conference titles from 1961-63. For that matter, it was far less impressive than the squad that finished 7-7 in 1965. The Giants, under Head Coach Allie Sherman, stood at 1-8-1 coming into the game, with the only win having come over the Redskins at Yankee Stadium five weeks earlier. Washington was 5-6 after having lost the last three contests under first year Head Coach Otto Graham, the Hall of Fame quarterback. What transpired was a thoroughly wild game, filled with turnovers and big plays. The final score was 72-41, the highest total in NFL history at 113 points. Redskins HB A.D.

Whitfield had three touchdowns on the day, leading all players, including a 63-yard run in the first quarter plus a one-yard run and five-yard pass reception from QB Sonny Jurgensen that started the scoring onslaught. Rookie safety Brig Owens scored two TDs for Washington, on a 62-yard fumble recovery in the second quarter and 60-yard interception return in the fourth quarter. Split end Charley Taylor also added two TDs to the Redskins total, on passes covering 32 and 74 yards from Jurgensen. The special teams contributed a touchdown as DB Rickie Harris ran a punt back 52 yards in the fourth quarter. 31-year-old flanker Bobby Mitchell, who hadn’t played running back since leaving Cleveland for Washington after the 1961 season, got in on the action when Coach Graham told him to play halfback (against his wishes). The second time he carried the ball, he ran 45 yards for a score. The team statistics were surprisingly even. In fact, the Giants outgained the Redskins (389 total yards to 341) and had more first downs (25-16).

Washington led 34-14 at the half, and yet had -5 net passing yards (at that point Jurgensen had completed just four of nine passes for a mere five yards). But turnovers continually put the Giants in a hole. They turned the ball over six times, five of them by interceptions, with the fumble recovery and one of the interceptions by Owens (he had three) directly leading to scores and three of the pickoffs giving the offense good field position for short scoring drives. All in all, Jurgensen recovered from the poor first half to put up respectable numbers, if rather ordinary (for him), completing 10 of 16 passes for 145 yards with three TDs and no interceptions (backup Dick Shiner had his lone pass picked off). Whitfield, not surprisingly, was the top rusher with 74 yards on just six carries. Mitchell was second with 54 yards on his two rushes. The eccentric HB Joe Don Looney had the most carries, 10, and gained 46 yards, including a nine-yard score. Charley Taylor accounted for most of the pass receiving offense, with six catches for 124 yards and the two TDs.

As for the Giants, Gary Wood and Tom Kennedy split the quarterback duties. Kennedy completed 13 of 21 passes for 165 yards with a TD and three interceptions, while Wood was successful on 7 of 12 passes for 146 yards with two touchdowns and two picked off. Wood’s two TD passes provided the big plays for New York; they covered 41 yards to HB Joe Morrison and 50 yards to the speedy split end, Homer Jones. Three Giants had over 80 yards receiving – Morrison, with 98 on four catches; Jones, who had 85 yards on a team-leading 6 receptions; and TE Aaron Thomas, who accumulated 82 yards on 4 catches including a touchdown. Washington placekicker Charlie Gogolak (pictured) tied a record with nine extra points (he missed one), while his brother Pete, kicking for the Giants, added another five. He also topped off the scoring with a controversial 29-yard field goal with the Redskins leading 69-41 with seven seconds left in the game.

The Giants surrendered the ball on their own 23 yard line after QB Kennedy threw the ball away on a fourth down pass, having lost track of the downs (not that it mattered at that point). LB Sam Huff, the Redskins defensive captain, shouted for the field goal team to go in (guard Vince Promuto also claimed to have done likewise). Huff still harbored bad feelings toward the Giants for the trade that sent him to Washington after the 1963 season, while Promuto, a native New Yorker who had been with the Redskins since 1960, had endured too many games early in his career when the Giants, in their contending years, had run up big scores. It was payback time, and there were Washington players who wanted to exact every bit of revenge that they could. Regardless of who called for the coup-de-grace field goal, it allowed the Redskins to pass the 70 points scored by the Rams in a 1950 game and lay claim to the highest total in a regular season contest.

It was the ultimate humiliation for the Giants, who were on the way to the bottom of the Eastern Conference in ’66, finishing with a franchise-worst 1-12-1 record. Washington concluded the season at 7-7, putting them in fifth place in the East. While this was not one of his better passing days, Sonny Jurgensen ended up leading the NFL in passing attempts (436) and completions (254) as well as yards (3209). Charley Taylor led the league in pass receptions for the first of two consecutive years with 72. Charlie Gogolak went over the 100-yard scoring mark, ranking third in the NFL with 105 points and 22 field goals. Homer Jones of the Giants had an outstanding season for a terrible team, catching 48 passes for 1044 yards (an average gain of 21.8) with 8 TDs. Posted by

Question: In November 1966, which team defeated the New York Giants 72-41 in the highest-scoring game in NFL history?
Answer: Washington Redskins