Editing Running up the score (section)

===Professional football===
Running up the score is rarely done by teams in the [[National Football League]] (NFL) and other professional American football leagues. A primary reason is that starting players and coaches are paid hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars each year, which is affected by how the players and the team performs during the season. Any attempt to run up the score increases the risks of losing a key player to an injury that could affect the team's chances for the rest of the season. Thus, if a team decides to keep their stars in during a blowout, it is usually viewed by the opponent as an insult. Another factor is that the parity that the [[salary cap]] has brought to the NFL in the 1990s has evened out competition somewhat, with less talent disparity between the best and worst teams compared to the past. It is much more difficult to run up the score to embarrassing (50+ point) margins in the modern game at the pro level. The greatest margin of victory at the professional level happened in the [[1940 NFL Championship Game]] won by the [[Chicago Bears]] over the [[Washington Redskins]] 73–0. In 1976, the [[Los Angeles Rams]] defeated the [[Atlanta Falcons]] 59–0, a margin which was matched in 2009 when the [[New England Patriots]] defeated the [[Tennessee Titans]] in the New England snow. Most recently, the [[New Orleans Saints]] defeated the [[Indianapolis Colts]] 62–7 on October 23, 2011; the [[Seattle Seahawks]] defeated the [[Arizona Cardinals]] 58–0 on December 9, 2012; and the [[Miami Dolphins]] defeated the [[Denver Broncos]] 70–20 on September 24, 2023.

The one exception to this general rule is in regards to the NFL's tiebreaking rules that are used to determine which teams qualify for the playoffs if they are tied in the standings. One criterion to break ties is comparing the total number of points scored by each team during the regular season. Under this scenario, running up the score in a late season game is not considered poor sportsmanship because there is a benefit to having the score higher. This scenario almost occurred during the 1999 season when the [[Green Bay Packers]] could possibly have made the playoffs if the [[Dallas Cowboys]] had lost and they had scored enough points against the division rival Cardinals, in their final regular season game to surpass the [[Carolina Panthers]] in total points scored. They ended up beating the Cardinals 49–24, but Dallas went on to beat the Giants later that day to earn the final playoff spot and knock the Packers out of the playoff picture anyway.

Accusations of running up the score are unusual in the NFL (except in playoff races), but not unheard of. One of the most notorious occurred on November 17, 1985, when the [[New York Jets]] defeated the [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]] 62–28 in a regular season game. The two teams had last met in the final game of [[1984 NFL season|the previous season]], when Tampa Bay had somewhat controversially appeared to stop playing defense and allowing the Jets to score late in a 41–21 victory in an apparent effort to get the ball back so that [[running back]] [[James Wilder Sr.]] could attempt to break the NFL record for most yards from scrimmage in a season. Commentators wondered if the Jets' huge margin of victory was a way of retaliating against the Bucs for such poor sportsmanship, but the Jets and their coaches denied that there had been any conscious effort to run the score up. The Jets' denials may be valid since Bucs coach [[John McKay (football coach)|John McKay]], who allowed the Jets to score late in the 1984 contest, retired after the '84 season and had been replaced by [[Leeman Bennett]], and also the Jets were 11–5 in 1985 and reached the playoffs, while Tampa Bay was in the midst of back-to-back 2–14 seasons in 1985 and '86.

A game in 1996 between the Packers and Cowboys ended in a 21–6 Cowboys victory<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.footballdb.com/games/boxscore.html?gid=1996111801 | title=Packers vs. Cowboys Box Score, November 18, 1996 &#124; the Football Database }}</ref> and some complaints by Green Bay players that the home team's final [[Field goal (football)|field goal]] was an insult to them, as Dallas had the ball deep in Green Bay territory with the game well in hand as it ended, yet chose to score more points anyway. However, the final field goal was not an attempt at embarrassment, but at a record – Cowboys coach [[Barry Switzer]] wanted to give kicker [[Chris Boniol]] a chance to tie the then-NFL record for most field goals in a game (seven). Similarly, during the 2011 Saints' 62–7 victory, while the margin of victory was very large and the game was almost beyond doubt at halftime, [[Drew Brees]] had thrown below his average number of yards. Keeping him and the first offense playing contributed towards his breaking of the single season all time passing record later in the year, and edging out [[Tom Brady]] who also broke the old record that season. While it may be considered derisive to the opponents for coaches to push for records, they are a mark in history for the players and the coaches and it is generally accepted among critics {{who|date=February 2013}} that chasing records is not bad sportsmanship or running up the score per se.

While some teams who regularly score very large number of points are occasionally criticized for running up the score, it is debatable at exactly what point scoring additional points becomes running up the score. Given recent comebacks such as [[The Miracle at the New Meadowlands]] and [[Super Bowl LI]], and how quickly points can be accumulated (through interception returns, onside kicks and kick returns), it is understandable that coaches are cautious about becoming overconfident in their offenses and they normally prefer to run out the clock rather than risk an unlikely but certainly possible comeback late in the game, particularly for teams who have a strong offense but a weaker defense.

During the 2011 season, the three teams with the best offenses (New England, Green Bay and New Orleans) also had the worst defenses, which explains why none of those teams were happy to run out the clock, instead always pressuring for points. The current salary cap rules mean that it is nearly impossible for a team to have an excellent offense and defense over any period of time, particularly as cheaper players who play very well one year will likely cost more in the next year. Such tactics are generally referred to as 'Keeping their foot on the gas', and is generally not frowned upon in the NFL.

The most egregious known case of running up the score in professional football is believed to have taken place in 1904, when the [[Massillon Tigers]], in the pre-[[forward pass]] era, racked up 26 touchdowns and 18 extra points to amass a score of 148–0 against a team from [[Marion, Ohio]]. (Touchdowns only counted five points in this era.) A similar rout had occurred in 1903 when the [[Watertown Red & Black]] obliterated an opponent from [[Cortland, New York]] by a score of 142–0. Under then-current rules, the team that had scored ''received'' the kickoff instead of kicking it as it is today; however, it was much easier and more common to perform [[onside kick]]s in this era, and as far as it's known, neither Marion nor Cortland attempted one. As such, neither team ever touched the ball after receiving the opening possession. The third-highest total in professional football history is much more recent, and happened in an indoor football game, where scores tend to be much higher than in the traditional outdoor game. In 2011, the [[Erie Explosion]] indoor football team racked up 138 points in a shutout victory over the [[Fayetteville Force (SIFL)|Fayetteville Force]]. Having blown out the Force 42–0 in the first quarter alone thanks to three Force pick-sixes (including one achieved by a lateral), the Explosion continued to pile on, offering free tickets if the Explosion hit 100 points; when the players and head coach [[Shawn Liotta]] were told that the indoor record was 133 points (they were not informed of the overall pro record), they decided to attempt to break it, a feat they succeeded in achieving.

There is one definite instance of running up the score in NFL History. In 1987, during the NFL strike, the Dallas Cowboys had many starters cross the picket line such as Hall of Famers Randy White and Tony Dorsett, and starting QB Danny White. The Cowboys destroyed the Eagles 41–22 in one of the three strike games played in the 1987 season. To get back at the Cowboys, when the teams faced off again later in the season, Coach Buddy Ryan called a passing play on 3rd down with 1:00 left to play in the game after taking a knee on first and second down, even though the Eagles had the game won at 30–20. The pass was incomplete but was called for pass interference, moving the Eagles to the 1 yard line, where the foul was called. The Eagles then proceeded to score another touchdown and finish the game 37–20. Because both teams finished 7–8 and failed to make the playoffs that season, this moment is not remembered as much as the 1987 Replacement game between the Washington Redskins and the Dallas Cowboys. This moment was also overshadowed by the future success of the Eagles, the Cowboys' failures in the late 1980s, and Buddy Ryan's heavily publicized feud against his former coach Mike Ditka.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20110522%2FFOOTBALL09%2F305219895 |title=Erie Explosion set record in 138-0 win |author=Rankin, Duane |date=May 22, 2011 |work=Erie Times}}</ref>