The NFL is known as a dramatic sport where teams can pull out incredible wins on any given Sunday - but this has not always been the case.
Particularly in recent times, high-powered offences have overwhelmed defences as the age of the quarterback has come into play. Quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen - the superstar centrepieces of the game - are protected by the rules to ensure scoring remains high, keeping spectators generally entertained.
However, there are the odd games where both offences struggle to reach the end zone in a defensive battle that results in low scoring clashes. The Thursday night contest between the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos in Week 5 earlier this season springs to mind, where the Colts kicked their way to touchdown-less 12-9 overtime win which saw both teams heavily scrutinised.
While the prospect in the modern NFL is somewhat unbelievable, there have been a number of occasions where both teams have failed to score any points. These rare clashes have seen the two teams suffer defensive shutouts much to the despair of those in attendance.
There have been 73 matches in pro football history which have ended in a scoreless 0-0 tie, according to Pro Football Reference. The most recent example occurred 79 years ago during World War II, which means there have been no scoreless contests in the Super Bowl era.
The last 0-0 score in the NFL took place when the Detroit Lions welcomed the New York Giants to Briggs Stadium on November 7 1943. The match took place amid the war effort, where many NFL players were drafted and were fighting overseas.
World War II left many rosters diminished and ragged, with this scoreline evidence of that while the players weren’t helped by the subpar wet and muddy conditions. The Lions and Giants - who play to this day in the NFC - combined for just nine first downs and 214 yards following 77 running plays and 16 pass attempts.
The match saw not just no touchdowns scored but also no field goals. Lions kicker Augie Lio missed three efforts from 32, 40 and 15 yards while the Giants hardly fared better, with kicker Ward Cuff sending his lone attempt wide. No overtime was played as it hadn’t been yet been conceptualised.
Back in the pre-WWII days, the single-wing offence was dominant. The limited formation meant scoreless ties were common until the T-formation rose in prominence. Scoring increased as passing came to the fore in the 1940s, although it was still a fairly repressed aspect of the game.
The first scoreless match came in just the third week of the inaugural NFL season - and there were two examples of the feat. On October 10 1920, the Dayton Triangles contested a 0-0 draw with the Cleveland Tigers as the Chicago Cardinals did the same against the Chicago Tigers.
In fact, the 1920 season saw the most scoreless matches in league history with 12 matches ending 0-0. The Columbus Panhandles even suffered the ignominious honour of enduring successive scoreless matches when they drew with Zanesville Mark Gray and Elyria Athletics in both Week 9 and 10.
