In the early window of the Week 14 slate of games in the NFL, the New York Jets and Houston Texans showed us the definition of anemic offenses. The two teams combined for 11 punts and 0 points through the first two quarters, and it was the first time since 2019 that neither team scored by halftime. The Jets eventually figured things out and there were 36 total points scored in the game, and the early scoring woes had at least something to do with the nasty weather that was taking place in New York.
Week 14 Featured Lowest Scoring NFL Game Since 2007
FINAL: @Vikings win the lowest-scoring NFL game since… 2007 😮 #MINvsLV pic.twitter.com/L0o4MjvXhq
— NFL (@NFL) December 11, 2023
In the late window, the Vikings and Raiders struggled even more mightily, and they couldn’t blame anything on the elements.
In a game played indoor inside Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, we saw fewer points than we have seen in pretty much every single game in NFL history. 58 minutes and some change of game time went by without either team getting in the end zone or kicking a field goal (or forcing a safety). It wasn’t until just after the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter when the Vikings were able to convert a 36-yard field goal, which ended up being the difference in the game.
Both teams finished the game with fewer than 235 yards of total offense, and the Vikings were only able to manage 99 total yards in the passing game. Josh Dobbs threw for 63 yards before being benched, but his passing total was just 16 yards when factoring in the 5 sacks for 47 yards that he endured.
Most Low Scoring Games Are Weather-Affected
Vikings -Raiders tie NFL record for lowest scoring game 😮 pic.twitter.com/xqljKY3iIZ
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 11, 2023
It ties the record held by a handful of other games for the lowest score in NFL history, and it is the lowest that we’ve seen since 2007. That game was a contest between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins, which was nicknamed the Mud Bowl due to the conditions of the field throughout. Neither team could get anything going that night in a complete downpour at Heinz Field, which was mercifully ended with less than a minute left on 24-yard field goal by the Steelers.
Many of the other lower-scoring games throughout NFL history have been affected by weather, and typically happen later in the year as the winter months approach. And while the game between the Raiders and Vikings took place in December like many of the others, it was played indoors, and was simply a product of two bad offenses on the field at the same time.
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