Cleveland Browns Hold All-Time Record For Most Ever DST Points
Published on November 22nd, 2020 7:42 pm ESTWritten By: Dave Manuel
If you had to guess as to which team held the record for best ever defensive performance in a game (in terms of fantasy football points), you'd likely point to one of the NFL's greatest all-time defenses. The "Steel Curtain". The "Purple People Eaters". The "Legion of Boom". The 1985 Chicago Bears.
All of these answers would be incorrect.
The greatest ever single-game defensive performance in terms of fantasy football points is held by the 1989 Cleveland Browns.
Their opponent in the game? The Pittsburgh Steelers.
Using ESPN's standard scoring model for defenses (Fumble Recovered = 2 points, INT/Fumble Return for TD = 6 points, INT = 2 points, Sack = 1 point, Less Than 100 Yards Allowed = 5 points, 0 Points Allowed = 5 Points), the Cleveland Browns had a total of 50 points in their opening day trouncing of the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 10th, 1989.
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The Cleveland Browns won 51-0 and absolutely wreaked havoc on the defensive end. Here were their stats for the day:
0 Points Allowed
Just 53 Yards in Total Offense Allowed
8 Total Takeaways (5 Fumble Recoveries, 3 picks)
3 Defensive Touchdowns
6 sacks
David Grayson would have a particularly good day for the Browns, returning two interceptions for touchdowns. Linebacker Clay Matthews added the third defensive score on a fumble return.
A few interesting points from the game:
1. The weather was not a factor (73 degrees, hardly any wind)
2. Cleveland was a small 2 point favorite to win
The Pittsburgh Steelers were just plain awful that day.
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Other teams - including the 1950 New York Giants, 1984 Seattle Seahawks, 1978 Green Bay Packers, 1960 Cleveland Browns - have turned in gargantuan defensive performances in a single game, though nothing will top the 1989 Cleveland Browns.
Given the overall quality of quarterbacks and offensive schemes in the NFL these days, we may be waiting a very long time before we see the record broken for most defensive (DST) points in a single game.
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One correction worth making, since you'll see the 2002 Houston Texans put forward as the record holder in a few corners of the internet.
On December 8th, 2002, the expansion Texans went into Heinz Field and beat the Steelers 24-6 on the back of three defensive touchdowns - a 40 yard fumble return by Kenny Wright, and two Aaron Glenn pick-sixes of 70 and 65 yards. Houston won that game with 47 total yards of offense. It was one of the strangest afternoons in NFL history. It was not, however, a record.
Run it through the same ESPN model and it comes out to 35 points: 18 for the three touchdowns, 6 for six sacks, 6 for three fumble recoveries, 4 for two interceptions, and 4 for holding Pittsburgh to six points - minus three, because the Steelers still racked up 422 net yards.
That's the whole difference right there. Cleveland allowed 53 yards and nothing else. Houston allowed 422 yards and six points. Three defensive touchdowns is a wonderful day at the office, but it doesn't get you within fifteen points of what the Browns did in 1989.
