Published October 16, 2025
“Unanswered points” shows up a lot in American football stories. Writers often use it incorrectly.
Let’s say one team scores the last 22 points of a game. The other team didn’t “answer,” meaning it didn’t score during or after that run. Unanswered points? Yes.
Look at the scoreboard above. If the home team scored 22 points before the other team began to rally and scored 14, those 22 points aren’t “unanswered.” The other team, the visiting team, answered.
In that same situation, with the score 22-0, if the trailing team then scores 14 points but no more, guess what? The team scored 14 unanswered points — but lost. Not as fun, right?
Writers have protested when I’ve told them this. “At the time,” they say, “they were unanswered points.”
Using that logic, all points become “unanswered points” as soon as they are scored. If a team starts the game with a drive that ends in a field goal, are those immediately three unanswered points? The other team hasn’t even had a chance to answer!
If at any point the other team scores after your team has put together an impressive run on on the scoreboard, the latter’s points are not “unanswered.” You have to wait and see.
Just say “22 straight points.” Or they “scored three touchdowns to turn a 14-0 deficit into a 22-14 lead.”
Use your words!
But be careful if one of those words is “unanswered” when it’s followed by “points,” “runs” or “goals.”
See? I can be picky about wording.
Oh, and some writers say the team “answered back,” which is one word too many.
Sending love. Protect your peace.
Featured image © Paul65516 | Megapixl.com
This is how to answer
Hat tip to James Fraleigh for sharing that with me yesterday.
Here is the video post.
Someone in the crowd: “Go Cubs!”
Pope Leo XIV: “Han perdido! They lost!”
— Razzball (@razzball.bsky.social) October 15, 2025 at 9:47 AM
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