Most offensive touchdowns scored in an NFL season (all teams)

NFL teams scored a combined total of 1,473 offensive touchdowns in 2020, the most offensive touchdowns scored in a season in NFL history. The previous mark for touchdowns was 1,371, set in 2018.

Historic Highs

The 2020 NFL season saw teams score a record 1,473 TDs in 256 regular-season games. This total included the most passing touchdowns in an NFL season (all teams) – 871 – and the most rushing touchdowns in an NFL season (all teams) – 532. The Green Bay Packers led the way with a league-leading 66, quarterback Aaron Rodges throwing 48 passing touchdowns. The Tennessee Titans and the Buffalo Bills also broke the 60-TD barrier, with 62 and 60 respectively.

The previous highest total had been set in the 2018 NFL season, which saw 1,371 touchdowns. Running back Todd Gurley topped the individual standings with 21 for the LA Rams, while Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was the passing touchdown leader with 50. Prior to that, the 2013 season had  held the record with 1,338 touchdowns. Quarterback Peyton Manning of the Denver Broncos completed the most touchdown passes in an NFL season, racking up 55. 

2020’s touchdown highlights

Week 2 of the 2020 NFL season saw Los Angeles Chargers backup QB Justin Herbert step in for starter Tyrod Taylor, who had punctured his lung. Herbert seized his opportunity, throwing for 311 yards and a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs and going on to establish himself as the Chargers’ first-choice quarterback. Over the rest of the season, Herbert went on to complete the most touchdown passes by an NFL rookie – 31 – beating Baker Mayfield’s record of 27 from 2018 by four.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes registered his 100^th touchdown pass during the Kansas City Chiefs’ 33–31 victory over the Carolina Panthers on 8 Nov. It was just Mahomes’ 40^th game in the NFL – the fastest time to throw 100 NFL touchdown passes.

During the Baltimore Ravens’ 47–42 win over the Cleveland Browns on 14 Dec, the two teams combined for the most rushing touchdowns in an NFL game, both teams – nine. They equalled a record that had stood since 1922, when the Rock Island Independents (on 15 Oct) and the Racine Legion (on 5 Nov) each scored nine rushing touchdowns against their opponents – the Evansville Crimson Giants and the Louisville Brecks respectively.

No player scored more regular-season touchdowns in 2020 than Alvin Kamara of the New Orleans Saints, the running back reaching the endzone 21 times. He saved his finest performance for Christmas Day, when he ran in six TDs during New Orleans’ 52–33 win over the Minnesota Vikings. This matched the all-time record for most touchdowns in an NFL game, equalling the single-game haul of Ernie Nevers (1929), Dub Jones (1951) and Gale Sayers (1965).

Factors Contributing to High Offensive Scores

When the NFL was inaugurated in 1920, it consisted of just 14 teams. By 2020, this number had swelled to 32. The league’s gradual expansion would suggest it would make sense that the seasons with the highest number of touchdowns had occurred recently. But this isn’t the whole story. The average points scored by each team per game in 2020 was also the highest in NFL history – 24.8, beating the previous record of 23.6 from 1948. So why did offensive rule in 2020?

Throughout the 2000s and the 2010s, the NFL had witnessed a growing sophistication of passing plays, with coaches more willing to adopt aggressive game strategies and trick plays. Teams such as the New England Patriots found success using the spread offense, which stretched the field and isolated defenders. In 2020, offensive penalties dropped to their lowest figure (1,227) in the 32-team era, giving teams a greater chance of keeping their drives going. There was also an increase in play-action – where the quarterback fakes a handoff to the running back to draw in the defense, before throwing the ball downfield. Play-action has proven to be one of the most statistically effective offensive tactics.

One factor particular to the 2020 season was the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to sports teams across the world playing in front of empty stadia. Without the fans, traditional home-field advantage evaporated – home teams won 127 games but lost 125, with one tie. If the three games that the San Francisco 49ers were forced to play at a neutral venue in Arizona are included, then away victories would be one greater. More potent performances by away teams certainly played its part in 2020’s touchdown explosion. And with new defensive strategies helping to put the squeeze on offenses inside the red zone, and more kickers able to convert field goals from greater distances, it might be that 2020 holds the record for many seasons to come.

Five of the NFL’s greatest touchdowns

1. The “Immaculate Reception”. Voted the No.1 greatest play of all time by nfl.com. Down by a point against Oakland in their 1972 AFC divisional playoff game, the Pittsburgh Steelers were on their own 40-yard line and running out of time. Quarterback Terry Bradshaw launched the ball forward in search of teammate John Fuqua, only to see it knocked back by Raiders safety Jack Tatum. Yet Pittsburgh’s running back Franco Harris arrived on the scene, snatching up the ball before it could hit the ground and running in a 60-yard touchdown.
   
   
2. “The Catch”. Voted the No.2 greatest play of all time by nfl.com. The San Francisco 49ers were six points down against Dallas in the 1981 NFC Championship Game. Under pressure from the Cowboys defense, 49ers QB Joe Montana scrambled to his right and threw a pass into the endzone from close to the sideline. It was taken by 6-ft 4-in wide receiver Dwight Clark, who soared into the air to take a scarcely believable catch and seal a dramatic 28–27 comeback win.
   
   
3. The “Hail Mary”. During their 1975 play-off game against the Minnesota Vikings, the Dallas Cowboys were down 14–10 at the 50-yard line with 32 sec left on the clock. Quarterback Roger Staubach launched the ball forward towards receiver Drew Pearson, who caught it at the 5-yard line and crossed over for the game-winning TD.  “I just closed my eyes and said, ‘Hail Mary’,” Staubach said afterwards, forever popularizing the name for a last-minute desperate play.
   
   
4. The “Music City Miracle”. The AFC Wild Card Game of Jan 2000 saw the Tennessee Titans haul themselves back from the brink against the Buffalo Bills with a stunning last-second play. After the Titans had retrieved a short kick-off, tight end Frank Wycheck turned and threw the ball laterally across the field to Kevin Dyson, who sprinted his way to the end zone for a 75-yard touchdown return.
   
   
5. The “Ice Bowl Sneak”. The 1967 NFL Championship Game remains the coldest game in the league’s history, with an average wind chill of -48˚F (-44˚C). With 16 sec to go, the Green Bay Packers were 17–14 down to the Dallas Cowboys. At third down and goal on the Cowboys’ 1-yard line, quarterback Bart Starr snuck over to win the game for the Packers.