Has an NFL game ever ended 40–30?

Yes. An NFL game has ended 40–30 once. The Cardinals beat the Commanders 40–30 on September 20, 1981. It was the 772nd different final score in NFL history.

Every NFL game that ended 40–30

Datenewest first	Winner40 points	Loser30 points	Wherehome team	Roundplayoffs	Windowstandalone game
Sep 20, 1981	Arizona Cardinals	Washington Commanders	Cardinals	—	—

Scores next to 40–30

39–29 happened once
39–30 happened once
39–31 happened 3 times
40–29 happened twice
40–31 never
41–29 happened twice
41–30 happened once
41–31 happened 13 times

Where 40–30 sits

40–30 was the 772nd different final score in NFL history, and it first happened in 1981. The league has produced 1,097 different final scores through 18,340 games. See the whole grid →

About the data

Scorigami is a term coined by Jon Bois in 2014; his 2016 video explains the idea. Game data from nflverse and the FiveThirtyEight NFL archive: every NFL and AFL regular-season and playoff game since 1920, Super Bowls included, the AAFC and the Pro Bowl left out. Franchises carry their current name, so the Baltimore Colts count for Indianapolis and the Houston Oilers for Tennessee.

Updated: October 26, 2026