Has an NFL game ever ended 42-38?
Yes. NFL has seen a final score of 42-38 3 times. It first happened on October 24, 1954, when Los Angeles Rams beat Chicago Bears, and most recently on December 28, 2025, when San Francisco 49ers beat Chicago Bears.
That makes 42-38 the 632nd most common final score out of 1,095 that have ever occurred in NFL. One point away, 43-38 has happened 1 times and 42-39 has happened 1 times. At one point the score disappeared for 68 years, between 1954 and 2022.
Every 42-38 in NFL history
| Date | Result | Season | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-12-28 | San Francisco 49ers over Chicago Bears | 2025 | |
| 2022-09-18 | Miami Dolphins over Baltimore Ravens | 2022 | |
| 1954-10-24 | Los Angeles Rams over Chicago Bears | 1954 |