The first quarter of the Week 15 Thursday Night Football game between the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers was a punt-fest. Seven combined punts between the teams tied for the most in any quarter during the 2024 season.
But while the punters got plenty of work, they didn’t really approach any all-time records. What are the most punts in a game, both by a single team and combined?
Most Combined Punts in a Game
The most combined punts in a game is 31, ironically done twice on the same day in 1933.
31: Chicago Bears (17) vs. Green Bay Packers (14), Oct. 22, 1933
31: Cincinnati Reds (17) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (14), Oct. 22, 1933
29: Chicago Cardinals (15) vs. Cincinnati Reds (14), Nov. 12, 1933
29: Chicago Cardinals (16) vs. Chicago Bears (13), Nov. 30, 1933
29: Chicago Cardinals (16) vs. Detroit Lions (13), Sept. 15, 1940
28: Philadelphia Eagles (14) vs. Washington (14), Nov. 5, 1939
Most Punts by a Single Team in a Game
The record for punts by a single team is 17 by the Chicago Bears and Cincinnati Reds (no, not the MLB team). As with the combined punts, both of these games occurred on the same day.
17: Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers, Oct. 22, 1933
17: Cincinnati Reds vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, Oct. 22, 1933
16: Cincinnati Reds vs. Portsmouth Spartans, Sept. 17, 1933
16: Chicago Cardinals vs. Chicago Bears, Nov. 30, 1933
16: Chicago Cardinals vs. Detroit Lions, Sept. 15, 1940
16: Oakland Raiders vs. San Diego Chargers, Oct. 11, 1998
Most Combined Punts in a Half (Since 2000)
TruMedia only has combined punt data for quarters and halves since 2000. In that time span, here are the most combined punts in a half in a single game:
15: New York Jets vs. New York Giants, Oct. 29, 2023
14: Seattle Seahawks vs. Buffalo Bills, Sept. 7, 2008
13: Cincinnati Bengals vs. Indianapolis Colts, Oct. 19, 2014
13: Dallas Cowboys vs. Philadelphia Eagles, Oct. 20, 2013
13: Green Bay Packers vs. Baltimore Ravens, Oct. 13, 2013
13: Baltimore Ravens vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, Oct. 24, 2011
13: Carolina Panthers vs. Philadelphia Eagles, Dec. 4, 2006
13: New York Jets vs. Cleveland Browns, Nov. 21, 2004
13: Dallas Cowboys vs. Detroit Lions, Nov. 3, 2002
13: Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Green Bay Packers, Dec. 24, 2000
Most Combined Punts in a Quarter (Since 2000)
TruMedia only has combined punt data for quarters and halves since 2000. In that time span, here are the most combined punts in a quarter in a single game:
9: New York Jets vs. New York Giants, Oct. 29, 2023
9: Detroit Lions vs. New Orleans Saints, Oct. 15, 2017
9: San Francisco 49ers vs. Arizona Cardinals, Oct. 1, 2017
9: Arizona Cardinals vs. New Orleans Saints, Sept. 22, 2013
9: Carolina Panthers vs. Oakland Raiders, Nov. 9, 2008
9: Seattle Seahawks vs. Buffalo Bills, Sept. 7, 2008
9: Buffalo Bills vs. Dallas Cowboys, Nov. 9, 2003
9: Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Green Bay Packers, Dec. 24, 2000