(Photo credit: heathbrandon)

Sports Stats ‘on Tapp’ is a sports statistics blog published with a focus on stats that go beyond the numbers.

The New York Giants have had an up-and-down season this year and the last two games were a perfect example of that.

On December 9 the Giants put up 52 points in a 52-27 win over the New Orleans Saints. Just seven days later, the Giants were shutout 34-0 by the Falcons. It was the third time since 1966 (start of the Super Bowl era) that a team has scored 50-plus points one week and then was shutout the following week.

Here’s a quick look at those three cases.

Score 50-plus one game, shutout the next (since 1966)

2012: New York Giants… scored 52 points on Dec. 9; shutout on Dec. 16.
2005: Washington Redskins… scored 52 points on Oct. 23; shutout on Oct. 30
1973: Atlanta Falcons… scored 62 points on Sept. 16; shutout on Sept. 23.

In 1987 we had the reverse of the above scenarios. On November 22 the Indianapolis Colts were scoreless in a 24-0 loss to the New England Patriots. The following week they topped the 50-point mark with a 51-27 win over the Houston Oilers. This has been the only time since 1966 that a team has been shutout one week and then scored 50-plus points the following game.

In addition to the four cases noted above, there have been 10 additional times since 1966 that a team has been shutout in a game and scored 50-plus points in a game in the same season. Those teams include: 2008 Buffalo Bills, 2002 Carolina Panthers, 1996 St. Louis Rams, 1989 Cleveland Browns, 1985 New York Jets, 1979 Buffalo Bills, 1977 Seattle Seahawks, 1976 L.A. Rams, 1970 Dallas Cowboys, 1966 New York Jets.

Speaking of scoring 50 or more points in a game, there has been a lot mentioned about how the Seattle Seahawks last weekend became the first team since 1950 to score 50-plus points in consecutive games. Using the 1966 season as the starting point, the Seahawks became the ninth team since the ’66 season to score 50 or more points in a game two or more times in a season. (Note: The New England Patriots actually joined this club earlier in the season when they scored 50-plus in two games.) Here’s a look at those nine teams:

Games with 50-plus points in a season, teams

3: Dallas (1966); Minnesota (1969)
2: Oakland (1967); New England (1979); Dallas (1980)Cincinnati (1989); New England (2007); New England (2012); Seattle (2012)

Here’s one more interesting stat: The Patriots have scored 50-plus points in nine games since 1966. Four times they did it on November 18 (in 1979, 1984, 2007 and 2012).

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