Has an NFL game ever ended 52–38?

Yes. An NFL game has ended 52–38 once. The Saints beat the Lions 52–38 on October 15, 2017. It was the 1,036th different final score in NFL history.

Every NFL game that ended 52–38

Datenewest first	Winner52 points	Loser38 points	Wherehome team	Roundplayoffs	Windowstandalone game
Oct 15, 2017	New Orleans Saints	Detroit Lions	Saints	—	—

Scores next to 52–38

51–37 never
51–38 happened once
51–39 never
52–37 happened once
52–39 never
53–37 never
53–38 never
53–39 never

Where 52–38 sits

52–38 was the 1,036th different final score in NFL history, and it first happened in 2017. 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