Has an NFL game ever ended 42–40?

Yes. An NFL game has ended 42–40 once. The Giants beat the Packers 42–40 on September 19, 1971. It was the 685th different final score in NFL history.

Every NFL game that ended 42–40

Datenewest first	Winner42 points	Loser40 points	Wherehome team	Roundplayoffs	Windowstandalone game
Sep 19, 1971	New York Giants	Green Bay Packers	Packers	—	—

Scores next to 42–40

41–39 happened once
41–40 happened once
41–41 never
42–39 happened once
42–41 happened twice
43–39 happened once
43–40 happened once
43–41 never

Where 42–40 sits

42–40 was the 685th different final score in NFL history, and it first happened in 1971. 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