Has an NFL game ever ended in a 0-0 tie?

Let's take a trip down memory lane and see if there has been any instance where the game was actually tied at 0-0.

Has an NFL game ever ended in a 0-0 tie?

Has an NFL games ever tied at 0-0 (Image via NBC Sports)

NFL is one of the most popular sports leagues in North America given that it is a physical sport with a lot of physical contacts. There are last-minute comebacks and thrillers at every point in the game, which makes it an interesting watch. There really isn’t a dull moment during the entire match because both offense and defense come up with exciting plays to put up points on the scoreboard.

Nowadays, teams are bound to score more than 20 points on average in every game. There are a few instances where teams score under 20 points, but it’s not that common to occur in today’s league with the talent at quarterback and receiving positions. Back in the day, the offense would heavily depend on the running game rather than passing.

The defense was also not as strong as it is today, so it was easier to run the ball rather than take the risk of the quarterback throwing an interception. This made for low-scoring games, and it was a big deal if teams scored more than 20-25 points in the game.

In today’s NFL, there hasn’t been a single game where games ended without a single score from either team but this has happened before back in the day. So, let’s take a trip down memory lane and see if there has been any instance where the game was actually tied at 0-0!

Exploring the Possibility of a 0-0 Tie in NFL Games

Games can be tied at 0-0 at the end of regulation if both teams fail to score a touchdown or even kick a field goal. It is practically impossible in today’s football that teams go without scoring a single point. Even if the offense is unable to convert the downs into a touchdown, special teams come on the field to kick the field goal and secure 3 points for the team.

Pro Football game prior to the merger of AFL-NFL
Pro Football game prior to the merger of AFL-NFL (Image via Sportscasting)

It is true that a kicker can miss multiple field goals, which was evident from Dallas Cowboys kicker Brett Maher, who infamously missed four PATs in a single game in the 2022 season. But a team failing to score a single point in the entire 60 minutes of game play is a very long shot and the chances of that happening are very rare. The reason is that even defense can score points with a pick-six if the offense fails to step up to the plate. Anyway, the odds of a game-tying at 0-0 in today’s date are next to impossible.

Instances of Scoreless NFL Games: Has a 0-0 Tie Ever Occurred?

Yes! There have been many instances where a game went scoreless, but this did not happen in the modern Super Bowl era. As reported by Pro Football Reference, there have been a total of 73 games in the history of football where the games have tied at 0-0. But this was before the merger of AFL-NFL and the last time it happened was almost 80 years back.

Image via Freepik
(Image via Freepik)

The last instance of the game ending at a 0-0 score was on November 7, 1943. The game was played between the New York Giants and the Detroit Lions. Since the game was played during World War II, most of the starters of both teams were enlisted and on the borderline or overseas fighting the war. Due to this, the roster and staff were seriously understaffed, and the game was played with the players available.

There were a total of 77 running plays and 16 pass attempts from both teams combined, which didn’t come as a shock. These stats don’t reflect that of a high-scoring game and probably were the main reason behind the game-tying at 0-0.

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