Dec 162012
The Arizona Cardinals’ defense had a historical turnaround this Sunday. Last week they were embarrassed 58-0 by the Seattle Seahawks, only to come back strong this week with a 38-10 victory over the Detroit Lions – snapping a 9-game losing skid.
It was a 48-point swing in favor of the Cardinals’ defense – it’s tied for the 16th largest ever drop in points allowed from one game to the next. Earlier this season the Tennessee Titans’ defense also had a favorable 48-point swing (week 9 to week 10).
The Largest Drop in Points Allowed From One Game to the Next
| Team | Drop in Points | Season | Date | Opponent | Score | |
| Miami Dolphins | -62 points | 1999 | 1/15/2000 | at | Jacksonville Jaguars | 7-62 |
| 2000 | 9/3/2000 | Seattle Seahawks | 23-0 | |||
| Team | Drop in Points | Season | Date | Opponent | Score | |
| Detroit Lions | -59 points | 1968 | 9/15/1968 | at | Dallas Cowboys | 13-59 |
| 9/22/1968 | Chicago Bears | 42-0 | ||||
| Team | Drop in Points | Season | Date | Opponent | Score | |
| Washington Redskins | -56 points | 1940 | 12/8/1940 | Chicago Bears | 0-73 | |
| 1941 | 9/28/1941 | New York Giants | 10-17 | |||
| Team | Drop in Points | Season | Date | Opponent | Score | |
| Baltimore Colts | -53 points | 1950 | 10/22/1950 | Los Angeles Rams | 27-70 | |
| 10/29/1950 | San Francisco 49ers | 14-17 | ||||
| Team | Drop in Points | Season | Date | Opponent | Score | |
| Cleveland Browns | -52 points | 1954 | 10/17/1954 | at | Pittsburgh Steelers | 27-55 |
| 10/24/1954 | at | Chicago Cardinals | 35-3 | |||
| Team | Drop in Points | Season | Date | Opponent | Score | |
| St. Louis Cardinals | -52 points | 1981 | 11/8/1981 | Philadelphia Eagles | 10-52 | |
| 11/15/1981 | Buffalo Bills | 24-0 | ||||
| Team | Drop in Points | Season | Date | Opponent | Score | |
| Chicago Bears | -52 points | 1997 | 11/27/1997 | at | Detroit Lions | 20-55 |
| 12/7/1997 | Buffalo Bills | 20-3 | ||||
| Team | Drop in Points | Season | Date | Opponent | Score | |
| Louisville Brecks | -51 points | 1922 | 11/5/1922 | at | Racine Legion | 0-57 |
| 11/12/1922 | Evansville Crimson Giants | 13-6 | ||||
| Team | Drop in Points | Season | Date | Opponent | Score | |
| San Diego Chargers | -51 points | 1967 | 10/29/1967 | at | Oakland Raiders | 10-51 |
| 11/12/1967 | Miami Dolphins | 24-0 | ||||
| Team | Drop in Points | Season | Date | Opponent | Score | |
| Oorang Indians | -49 points | 1922 | 10/29/1922 | at | Akron Pros | 0-62 |
| 11/5/1922 | at | Minneapolis Marines | 6-13 | |||
| Team | Drop in Points | Season | Date | Opponent | Score | |
| Milwaukee Badgers | -49 points | 1925 | 12/10/1925 | at | Chicago Cardinals | 0-59 |
| 1926 | 9/19/1926 | Chicago Bears | 7-10 | |||
| Team | Drop in Points | Season | Date | Opponent | Score | |
| New York Giants | -49 points | 1948 | 11/14/1948 | Los Angeles Rams | 37-52 | |
| 11/21/1948 | at | Green Bay Packers | 49-3 | |||
| Team | Drop in Points | Season | Date | Opponent | Score | |
| Chicago Bears | -49 points | 1962 | 9/30/1962 | at | Green Bay Packers | 0-49 |
| 10/7/1962 | at | Minnesota Vikings | 13-0 | |||
| Team | Drop in Points | Season | Date | Opponent | Score | |
| Houston Oilers | -49 points | 1969 | 12/21/1969 | at | Oakland Raiders | 7-56 |
| 1970 | 9/20/1970 | at | Pittsburgh Steelers | 19-7 | ||
| Team | Drop in Points | Season | Date | Opponent | Score | |
| Atlanta Falcons | -49 points | 1991 | 11/10/1991 | at | Washington Redskins | 17-56 |
| 11/17/1991 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 43-7 | ||||
| Team | Drop in Points | Season | Date | Opponent | Score | |
| Brooklyn Dodgers | -48 points | 1943 | 10/31/1943 | Washington Redskins | 10-48 | |
| 11/7/1943 | Chicago Cardinals | 7-0 | ||||
| Team | Drop in Points | Season | Date | Opponent | Score | |
| Green Bay Packers | -48 points | 1949 | 10/2/1949 | Los Angeles Rams | 7-48 | |
| 10/7/1949 | at | New York Bulldogs | 19-0 | |||
| Team | Drop in Points | Season | Date | Opponent | Score | |
| Washington Redskins | -48 points | 1954 | 11/7/1954 | at | Cleveland Browns | 3-62 |
| 11/14/1954 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 17-14 | ||||
| Team | Drop in Points | Season | Date | Opponent | Score | |
| Detroit Lions | -48 points | 1960 | 10/30/1960 | at | Los Angeles Rams | 35-48 |
| 11/6/1960 | at | San Francisco 49ers | 24-0 | |||
| Team | Drop in Points | Season | Date | Opponent | Score | |
| Cleveland Browns | -48 points | 1969 | 11/9/1969 | at | Minnesota Vikings | 3-51 |
| 11/16/1969 | at | Pittsburgh Steelers | 24-3 | |||
| Team | Drop in Points | Season | Date | Opponent | Score | |
| Cleveland Browns | -48 points | 1990 | 12/9/1990 | at | Houston Oilers | 14-58 |
| 12/16/1990 | Atlanta Falcons | 13-10 | ||||
| Team | Drop in Points | Season | Date | Opponent | Score | |
| Tennessee Titans | -48 points | 2012 | 11/4/2012 | Chicago Bears | 20-51 | |
| 11/11/2012 | at | Miami Dolphins | 37-3 | |||
| Team | Drop in Points | Season | Date | Opponent | Score | |
| Arizona Cardinals | -48 points | 2012 | 12/9/2012 | at | Seattle Seahawks | 0-58 |
| 12/16/2012 | Detroit Lions | 38-10 |
Sources: Pro-Football-Reference.com and The Pro Football Archives