Trivia: Top Scoring Teams and All-Pro Honors

by Chase Stuart on May 30, 2020

Last year, Lamar Jackson had an MVP season, playing a huge role in Baltimore leading the NFL in points scored. Surprisingly, Baltimore didn’t have many other offensive players receive much All-Pro recognition: LT Ronnie Stanley and RG Marshal Yanda were both first-team All-Pros, but that was it. But this made me wonder, which league-leading offense had the least All-Pro recognition?

In 1985, the San Diego Chargers led the NFL in points scored. That year, Dan Fouts was a 1st-team All-Pro selection at quarterback by the NEA, while Dan Marino was a 1st-team All-Pro by all the other major organizations (AP, Sporting News, Pro Football Weekly). For purposes of today’s post, I am treating all organizations equally, and therefore both Fouts and Marino would get credited with being a 1st-team All-Pro.

The Chargers didn’t have many other honors on offense, though: the only other recognition went to RB Lionel James and LT Jim Lachey, who were each 2nd-team All-Conference selections from the UPI. But that’s only the second-least decorated offense since 1970 among teams that have led the league in scoring. One team had just one 1st-team All-Pro and the only other all-pro honor was one 2nd-team All-Conference selection. Can you guess the team?

Trivia hint 1	Select Show
The team’s quarterback was a first-team All-Pro and the MVP.

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The 2nd-team All-Conference choice was the team’s backup tight end

Trivia hint 3	Select Show
The player who was second on the team in receiving yards was Don Beebe.

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The answer: The 1996 Green Bay Packers. Brett Favre was the MVP and the unanimous choice for first-team QB by all major organizations. The starting TE was technically Mark Chmura, but Keith Jackson, who caught 10 touchdowns, was a second-team all-conference selection (behind Wesley Walls).

Meanwhile, what about the most-decorated offense since 1970? One league-leading unit actually had over half of their starters receive some recognition, including five first-team All-Pro honors. Can you guess them?

Trivia hint 1	Select Show
The team’s quarterback was a first-team All-Pro at the MVP… and the team had a first-team All-Pro at WR, LT, RT, and TE. And the starting LG was a second-team All-Pro choice.

Trivia hint 2	Select Show
The team went 14-2: one loss came in a game where the team never punted, and the other came when the starting QB missed most of the game.

Trivia hint 3	Select Show
They lost at home in the NFC Championship Game to the Cowboys.

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The answer: The 1992 San Francisco 49ers, with Steve Young, Jerry Rice, Harris Barton, Steve Wallace, and Brent Jones all named first-team All-Pros by at least one organization; LG Guy McIntyre was a second-team All-Pro and first-team All-Conference choice. In addition, RB Ricky Watters made the Pro Bowl, leaving only FB Tom Rathman, WR John Taylor, C Jesse Sapolu and RG Roy Foster as the only starters with no Pro Bowl or All-Pro recognition.

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How did you do?

Finally, below is every team to lead the NFL in scoring since 1970, and the All-Pro honors (1st team, 2nd team, All-Conf, 2nd-team All-Conf) that offense had at each position. Note that I split tackle, guard, and wide receiver into 2 slots.

For purposes of the last column, a 1st-team All-Pro honor is worth 10 points, a 2nd team is worth 5, an All-Conference honor is worth 4, and a 2nd-team All-Conference is worth 1 point.

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