The NFL has seen the offensive side of the game explode in recent years. Records have fallen, and quarterbacks are consistently throwing for nearly 5,000 yards per season.
If someone asked which team holds the record for the highest scoring offense per game in NFL history, the common answers probably would be teams from the recent era. The New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos have all put up some amazing offensive numbers over the past few years, but those answers would be wrong.
The right answer might surprise you. While the Broncos do have the record for points scored in a season (606, 2013), it's the 1950 Los Angeles Rams that hold the record for most points per game in a season. The Rams scored 466 points in just 12 games that year, averaging 38.83 points per game for the 1950 season. Making it even more impressive is the fact that the Rams played in a "defensively dominant" era for the NFL.
The performance of the 1950 Rams is interesting to look at with the way the NFL has evolved, especially in recent years. The Patriots of 2007 put up some record numbers on offense, while the Broncos of 2013 saw Peyton Manning carve up defenses for 55 touchdowns and 5,477 passing yards. The Seattle Seahawks had a run a few years ago that saw the team score 50 points in back-to-back games, combining for 108 over a three-game span.
The offensive numbers in the NFL have steadily gotten bigger over the years, but even with that and the rules of the game trending towards the offensive side of the ball, the Rams still hold various scoring records. All of that is a testament to how good the Rams were before the game evolved into what it is today.
NFL scoring has continued to trend upwards, going to 22.8 points per game from 22.6 points in 2014. The 2013 season saw the league average 23.4 points per game, which is the highest number in the modern era. With all of that in mind, it's a surprise that the 1950 Rams still that the record for points per game in a season.
The 2007 Patriots and the 2013 Broncos are likely the best comparisons when it comes to looking at the Rams of 1950, as those teams are ranked 1-2 in all-time scoring in a season. Both of those teams set high marks in those seasons, but the Rams still hold a number of offensive records, including points per game, most 50-point games in a season (tied with the 2013 Broncos with three), as well as the most consecutive games scoring 9-plus touchdowns.
