На протяжении всей своей истории Национальная футбольная лига (НФЛ) и другие конкурирующие лиги американского футбола использовали несколько различных форматов для определения своих чемпионов лиги, включая период межлиговых матчей, определяющих настоящего национального чемпиона.
После своего основания в 1920 году НФЛ сначала определяла чемпионов через турнирную таблицу в конце сезона, но в 1933 году перешла на систему плей-офф. С тех пор всеамериканская футбольная конференция (AAFC) и Американская футбольная лига (AFL) объединились с НФЛ (единственные две существующие в настоящее время команды AAFC присоединились к НФЛ в 1950 году - Cleveland Browns и San Francisco 49ers ), но игры и рекорды чемпионатов AAFC не включены в книги рекордов НФЛ. [1] [2] AFL начала играть в 1960 году и, как и ее соперничающая лига, использовала систему плей-офф для определения своего чемпиона.
С 1966 - 1969 до слияния в 1970 году, НФЛ и AFL договорились провести окончательную игру чемпионата, первая называется AFL-NFL Чемпионат мира игры и позже переименовал Super Bowl после 1968 г. После слияния в 1970 году, Супер Название Bowl продолжилось как игра по определению чемпиона НФЛ. Самым важным фактором слияния было то, что все десять команд AFL присоединились к НФЛ в 1970 году, и каждая игра и рекорд чемпионата AFL включены в книги рекордов НФЛ. Старая игра чемпионата NFL стала игрой чемпионата NFC , а старая игра чемпионата AFL стала игрой чемпионата AFC.. НФЛ перечисляет старые игры чемпионатов AFL / NFL с «новыми» играми чемпионатов AFC / NFC в своих книгах рекордов.
В Bay Packers Грин выиграл большинство титулов чемпионата НФЛ с (13) (9 NFL чемпионатов и 4 Суперкубков) и являются только НФЛ команда , чтобы выиграть игру чемпионата мира AFL-НФЛ. « Чикагские медведи» выиграли вторые по величине чемпионаты с (9) (8 чемпионатов НФЛ, 1 чемпионат Суперкубка). New York Jets и Kansas City Chiefs - единственные команды AFL, выигравшие матч чемпионата мира AFL-NFL.
1920–1932: Ранние годы [ править ]
С момента своего создания в 1920 году в НФЛ не было системы плей-офф или чемпионата: чемпионом была команда с лучшими показателями в сезоне, определяемыми процентом побед, без учета ничьих. Иногда это приводило к очень необычным результатам, поскольку команды играли от шести до двадцати игр лиги за сезон, и не все команды играли одинаковое количество игр или против талантливых игроков лиги.
В результате за первые шесть сезонов лиги четыре титула лиги оспаривались и должны были быть решены исполнительным комитетом лиги. В 1920 году « Акрон профи» остались непобежденными и сыграли вничью три игры, но две команды, выигравшие больше игр (и обе сыграли вничью с Акроном), « Баффало Всеамериканцы» и Декейтер Стейли , подали прошение о разделении титула на лигу; Петиции обеих команд были отклонены, и Акрон был награжден первым (и единственным) кубком Brunswick-Balke Collender Cup . Согласно современным правилам тай-брейка, Акрон и Баффало будут со-чемпионами. [3] Акрон и Баффало наградили членов своей команды золотыми медальонами . [4]
Следующий был в сезоне НФЛ 1921 года , между теми же Всеамериканцами и Стейли (последний теперь базируется в Чикаго). Баффало настаивал на том, что последний матч между ними был показательным и не учитывался в турнирной таблице, однако владелец Чикаго Джордж Халас и руководство лиги настаивали на том, чтобы игра учитывалась в ее турнирной таблице (в то время лига не признавала выставочные матчи). В результате, хотя две команды фактически имели равное положение в турнирной таблице, спорная игра, сыгранная позже, получила больший вес и, таким образом, в конечном итоге стала считаться игрой де-факто чемпионата. У «Чикаго» было на одну ничью меньше.
Почти идентичная ситуация повторилась в 1924 году , когда «Чикаго» попробовали ту же тактику финальной игры против « Кливлендских бульдогов» , но лига приняла противоположное решение и объявила последнюю игру «постсезонной», дав «Бульдогам» третий подряд титул в лиге.
Четвертым и последним спорным титулом стал спор о чемпионате НФЛ 1925 года между Pottsville Maroons и Chicago Cardinals . Мароны были дисквалифицированы лигой в конце сезона НФЛ 1925 года за несанкционированную игру против команды, не входящей в НФЛ, что позволило кардиналам провести два довольно легких матча (один против команды, частично состоящей из школьников, также против правил лиги), чтобы пропустить Поттсвилл в турнирной таблице. Лига присвоила кардиналам титул, один из двух в истории команды, но кардиналы отклонили предложение, и чемпионство было освобождено.
Только в 1933 году, когда семья Бидвиллов (которая все еще владеет кардиналами) купила команду, кардиналы отменили свое решение и заявили, что титул является своим, решение, которое продолжает оспариваться, причем Бидвиллы выступают против любых изменений в записи. и две текущие команды Пенсильвании в пользу. Лига признала претензию Бидвиллов на титул и не предприняла никаких других действий по этому вопросу, хотя самодельный чемпионский трофей от Maroons находится в Зале славы профессионального футбола . По иронии судьбы, именно победа Поттсвилля в той игре над Матчем звезд Нотр-Дам сделала профессиональный футбол легитимным по сравнению с университетским футболом.
Частично разногласия по поводу этих старых чемпионатов проистекают из критериев, которые лига использовала для определения своего чемпиона. Лига использовала вариацию процента побед в качестве критерия, в котором количество побед делится на сумму побед и поражений, а ничьи исключаются. Лига начала рассматривать ничьи в своей турнирной таблице в 1972 году, считая их как половину победы и половину поражения, но это не применялось задним числом. Если бы это было так, это бы изменило исход четырех чемпионатов 1920-1931 годов: все американцы Buffalo All-Americans сыграли бы вничью с Akron Pros в борьбе за титул 1920 года, Duluth Kelleys сыграли бы вничью с Cleveland Bulldogs в 1924 году, Pottsville Maroons выиграли бы в 1925 году, а New York Giants выиграли бы в 1930 году.
Если бы использовалась дифференциация выигрышей и проигрышей (стандартный метод в бейсболе), Decatur Staleys выиграли бы титул 1920 года в силу того, что на одну игру опередили Баффало, а титул 1924 года был бы выигран у Frankford Yellow Jackets , которые были По этому показателю турнирная таблица на четыре игры опережает действующего чемпиона Кливленда.
В конце сезона 1932 года у « Чикаго Медведи» и « Портсмутских спартанцев» был равный лучший процент побед - 0,857, с рекордом спартанцев 6–1–4 и рекордом медведей 6–1–6, равным шести. победы, одно поражение, в то время как Green Bay Packers закончили 10–3–1. Если бы чистая разница между выигрышами и проигрышами или нынешняя (после 1972 года) система подсчета ничьих за половину выигрыша, половина проигрыша имела место в 1932 году, рекорд Пакерс 10–3–1 (0,750, +7) выиграли им четвертый чемпионат подряд, опередив спартанцев 6–1–4 (0,727, +5) и 6–1–6 медведей (0,692, +5).
Чтобы определить чемпиона, лига, как сообщается, по настоянию Джорджа Престона Маршалла , проголосовала за проведение первой официальной игры плей-офф в Чикаго на стадионе Ригли Филд . Из-за суровых зимних условий перед игрой и опасения низкой явки, игра была проведена в помещении на стадионе Чикаго, что вынудило временно изменить правила. В игру играли на модифицированном 80-ярдовом грунтовом поле, и Чикаго выиграл 9–0, выиграв чемпионат лиги. Поскольку игра учитывалась в турнирной таблице, Портсмут финишировал третьим после Грин-Бей.
A number of new rule changes were instituted, many inspired by the 1932 indoor championship game: the goal posts were moved forward to the goal line, every play started from between the hash marks, and forward passes could originate from anywhere behind the line of scrimmage (instead of five yards behind).
The playoff game proved so popular that the league reorganized into two divisions for the 1933 season, with the winners advancing to a scheduled championship game.
1933–1965: The advent of the postseason[edit]
1933–1965: NFL Championship Game[edit]
Starting in 1933, the NFL decided its champion through a single postseason playoff game, called the NFL Championship Game. During this period, the league divided its teams into two groups, through 1949 as divisions and from 1950 onward as conferences.
- Divisions (1933–1949): Eastern and Western
- Conferences (1950–1952): American and National
- Conferences (1953–1966): Eastern and Western
- Conferences and Divisions (1967–1969): Eastern (Capitol and Century) and Western (Central and Coastal)
Home field for the 1933 title game was determined by the won-lost percentage in use at the time; the Western Division champion Chicago Bears (10–2–1, .833), having a better record that the Eastern Division champion New York Giants (11–3–0, .786), won the right to host the first title playoff. Thereafter, from 1934 onward, the divisions alternated the site of the playoff, with the East/American hosting in even years and the West/National in odd years. If there was a tie for first place within the conference, an extra playoff game decided who would go to the NFL Championship Game, with a coin toss deciding where the game would be played. (This occurred nine times in these 34 seasons: 1941, 1943, 1947, 1950 (both conferences), 1952, 1957, 1958, and 1965.)
This last occurred during the 1965 season, when the Green Bay Packers and Baltimore Colts tied for first place in the Western Conference at 10–3–1. Green Bay had won both its games with Baltimore during the regular season, but because no tie-breaker system was in place, a conference playoff game was held on December 26 (what was scheduled to be an off-week between the end of the regular schedule and the NFL Championship Game). The Cleveland Browns, the Eastern champion at 11–3–0, did not play that week. The championship game was then held on its originally-scheduled date, January 2, 1966—the first time the NFL champion was crowned in January. Green Bay won both post-season games at home, beating the injury-riddled Colts (with third-string QB Tom Matte) in overtime by a controversial field goal, and taking the title 23–12 on a very muddy field (in what turned out to be Jim Brown's final NFL game).
For the 1960 through 1969 seasons, the NFL staged an additional postseason game called the "Playoff Bowl" (aka the "Bert Bell Benefit Bowl" or the "Runner-up Bowl"). These games matched the second-place teams from the two conferences; the CBS television network advertised them as "playoff games for third place in the NFL." All ten of these consolation games were played in the Orange Bowl in Miami in January, the week after the NFL championship game. The NFL now classifies these contests as exhibition games and does not include the records, participants, or results in the official league playoff statistics. The Playoff Bowl was discontinued after the AFL–NFL merger; the final edition was played in January 1970.
Starting with the 1934 game the winning team received the Ed Thorp Memorial Trophy. The trophy was named after Ed Thorp, a noted referee, rules expert, and sporting goods dealer. Thorp died in 1934 and a large, traveling trophy was made that year, passed along from champion to champion each season with each championship team's name inscribed on it. Teams would also receive a replica trophy. The trophy was last awarded to the Green Bay Packers in 1967.
Late in the 1940 season, NFL President Carl Storck announced that sudden death periods would be authorized for any playoff game needed to decide either division title. It was emphasized that this did not apply to the final championship game, which would crown co-champions in the event of a tie.[5] While a shared championship was deemed an acceptable solution, it must have become obvious that an elimination game leading to the championship must necessarily produce a winner. Commissioner Elmer Layden approved a similar arrangement for the 1941 season, with the same limitation. A coin toss would decide possession of the Ed Thorp trophy that accompanied the league title should the championship game result in a tie.[6]
Sudden death overtime was finally approved for the NFL championship game in 1946[7] and has remained in effect ever since.[8][9] The first playoff game requiring overtime was the 1958 NFL Championship Game.
The 1955 and 1960 NFL championship games were played on Monday afternoons, Christmas having fallen on a Sunday in those years.
1946–1949: AAFC Championship Game[edit]
The All-America Football Conference was created in June 1944 to compete against the NFL. Even though the league outdrew the NFL in attendance, the continuing dominance of the Cleveland Browns led to the league's downfall.
For its first three seasons, the league was divided into two divisions: Eastern and Western (1946–1948). The league had no divisions in 1949. The site of the championship game during the first three was determined just as it was in the NFL—a divisional rotation. In 1949, the league held a four-team playoff, with home field based upon won-lost record.
The Browns, led by Quarterback Otto Graham, won all four of the league championship games.
A tiebreaker playoff game was played in 1948 to break a tie between the Baltimore Colts and Buffalo Bills (AAFC) for the Eastern Division championship. Semifinal playoff games were held in 1949, setting up a championship final between the first-place Browns and the second-place San Francisco 49ers.
In 1948, the Browns became the first professional football team to complete an entire season undefeated and untied — 24 years before the 1972 Miami Dolphins of the NFL would accomplish the task, but this feat is not recognized by NFL record books. Unlike the AFL statistics which are treated as NFL statistics, records of the AAFC and its teams (most of which folded) are not recognized. However, individual AAFC player statistics are included in Pro Football Hall of Fame records, and the defunct conference is memorialized in the Hall.
1960–1969: AFL Championship Game[edit]
With its creation in 1960, the AFL determined its champion via a single playoff game between the winners of its two divisions, the Eastern and Western. The AFL Championship games featured classics such as the 1962 double-overtime championship game between the Dallas Texans and the defending champion Houston Oilers. At the time it was the longest professional football championship game ever played. Also in 1963, an Eastern Division playoff was needed to determine the division winner between the Boston Patriots and Buffalo Bills.
1966–1969: NFL vs. AFL—The beginning of the Super Bowl era[edit]
In 1966, the success of the rival AFL, the spectre of the NFL's losing more stars to the AFL, and concern over a costly "bidding war" for players precipitated by the NFL's Giants' signing of Pete Gogolak, who was under contract to the AFL's Buffalo Bills, led the two leagues to discuss a merger. Pivotal to this was approval by Congress of a law (PL 89-800) that would waive jeopardy to anti-trust statutes for the merged leagues. The major point of the testimony given by the leagues to obtain the law was that if the merger were permitted, "Professional football operations will be preserved in the 23 cities and 25 stadiums where such operations are presently being conducted." The merger was announced on June 8, 1966, and became fully effective in 1970.
After expanding to enfranchise the New Orleans Saints in 1967, the NFL split its 16 teams into two conferences with two divisions each: the Capitol and Century Divisions in the Eastern Conference, and the Coastal and Central Divisions in the Western Conference. The playoff format was expanded from a single championship game to a four-team tournament, with the four divisional champions participating. The two division winners in each conference met in the "Conference Championships", with the winners advancing to the NFL Championship Game. Again, the home team for each playoff game was determined by a yearly divisional or conference rotation.
The AFL on the other hand, raised its total franchise number to ten with the Miami Dolphins joining the Eastern Division in 1966 and the Cincinnati Bengals joining the Western Division in 1968. The league until 1969 kept using the one-game-playoff format except when division tie-breakers were needed. In its final season, 1969, the AFL adopted a four-team playoff to determine its champion.
Following the NFL and AFL Championship Games for the 1966 through 1969 seasons, the NFL champion played the AFL champion in Super Bowls I through IV, the only true inter-league championship games in the history of professional football. The first two of these games were known as the AFL-NFL Championship Game, as the title Super Bowl was not chosen until 1968. Thus the third AFL-NFL matchup was dubbed "Super Bowl III" and the first two matches were retronamed as Super Bowls I and II. The first two games were convincingly won by the NFL's Packers, the last two by the AFL's New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs, leaving the leagues even at 2–2 in "Championship" competition when they subsequently merged.
All participants in those four AFL-NFL championship games were either AFL champions or NFL champions in the record books, no matter the outcome of the Super Bowl. Three of the four league champions who lost one of the first four Super Bowls would eventually win at least one. The exception is the Minnesota Vikings which went to three others and lost all of them.
1970–present: The Super Bowl era[edit]
Post–merger[edit]
After the 1969 season and Super Bowl IV, the AFL and NFL fully merged and underwent a re-alignment for the 1970 season. Three of the pre-merger NFL teams were transferred to the AFC (Browns, Colts, and Steelers) to level the conferences (AFC and NFC) at 13 teams each; each conference split into three divisions.
With only six division winners in the newly merged league, the NFL designed an eight-team playoff tournament, with four clubs from each conference qualifying. Along with the three division winners in each conference, two wild card teams (one from each conference), the second-place finishers with the best records in each conference, were added to the tournament. The first round was named the "Divisional Playoffs", the winners advancing to the "Conference Championships" (AFC & NFC). Two weeks later, the AFC and NFC champions met in the Super Bowl, now the league's championship game. Thus, Super Bowl V in January 1971 was the first Super Bowl played for the NFL title.
With the introduction of the wild card, a rule was instituted to prohibit two teams from the same division (champion and wild card) from meeting in the first-round (Divisional Playoffs). This rule would remain in effect through the 1989 season. More significantly, the home teams in the playoffs were still decided by a yearly divisional rotation, not on regular-season records (excluding the wild-card teams, who would always play on the road). This lack of "home-field advantage" was most evident in the 1972 playoffs, when the undefeated Miami Dolphins played the AFC Championship Game at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh against the Steelers, who were undefeated at home during the regular season, but had three losses on the road.
Beginning in 1972, tie games were included in the computing of each team's winning percentage. Each tie was then counted as half of a win and half of a loss, rather than being omitted from the computation. Previously, the NFL disregarded any tie games played when they computed the standings, basing it on winning percentage with any ties thrown out and ignored. Overtime games were not played during the regular season until 1974.
The institution of "home-field advantage"[edit]
In 1975, the league modified its 1970 playoff format by instituting a seeding system. The surviving clubs with the higher seeds were made the home teams for each playoff round. The three division champions in each conference were seeded first through third based on their regular-season records, with the wild-card team in each conference as the fourth seed.
Teams that earned the top seed became known as clinching "home-field advantage" throughout the playoffs, since they played all of their playoff games at their home stadium (except for the Super Bowl, played at a neutral site).
However, the league continued to prohibit meetings between teams from the same division in the Divisional Playoffs. Thus, there would be times when the pairing in that round would pit the first seed versus the third, and the second versus the fourth.
Further playoff expansion[edit]
The league expanded the playoffs to 10 teams in 1978, adding a second wild-card team (a fifth seed) from each conference. The two wild-card teams from each conference (the fourth and fifth seeds) played each other in the first round, called the "Wild Card Playoffs." The division winners (the first three seeds) would then receive a bye to automatically advance to the Divisional Playoffs, which became the second round of the playoffs. In the divisional round, much like the 1970 playoff format, teams from the same division were still prohibited from playing each other, regardless of seeding. Under the 1978 format, teams from the same division could meet only in the wild-card round or the conference championship. Thus, as before, a divisional champion could only play a divisional foe in the conference championship game.
A players' strike shortened the 1982 season to nine games. The league used a special 16-team playoff tournament for that year. The top eight teams from each conference qualified (ignoring the divisional races—there were no division standings, and in some cases 2 teams from the same division did not play each other at all that season). The playoffs reverted to the 1978 format in the following year.
In 1990, the NFL expanded the playoffs to twelve teams by adding a third wild-card team (a sixth seed) from each conference. The restrictions on intra-division playoff games during the Divisional Playoffs were removed. However, only the top two division winners in each conference (the 1 and 2 seeds) received byes and automatically advanced to the Divisional Playoffs as host teams. The 3 seed, the division winner with the worst regular season record in each conference, would then host the 6 seed in the Wild Card Playoffs.
In 2002, the NFL realigned into eight divisions, four per conference, to accommodate a 32nd team, the Houston Texans. The playoffs remained a 12-team tournament, with four division winners (the 1, 2, 3, and 4 seeds) and two wild cards (the 5 and 6 seeds) from each conference advancing to the playoffs. Again, only the top two division winners in each conference would automatically advance to the Divisional Playoffs, while everybody else had to play in the Wild Card round. Furthermore, the league still maintains the names "Wild Card Playoffs", "Divisional Playoffs", and "Conference Championships" for the first, second, and third rounds of the playoffs, respectively.
A proposal to expand the playoffs to 14 teams by adding a third wild card team (a seventh seed) from each conference, and only giving the 1 seeds the bye in the first round, was tabled by the league owners in 2013.[10] Finally, for the 2020 season, seven teams per conference will make the playoffs.
Championship games per season[edit]
Below is a list of professional football champions per season as recognized by the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
APFA/NFL standings champions (1920–1932)[edit]
For the first thirteen seasons, the APFA/NFL did not hold a championship game, except in 1932, when a playoff game was held. Played indoors on a reduced-size field, it was the precursor to the championship game (though the losing team finished in third place in the final standings). For the 51 seasons from 1921–1971, the NFL did not officially include tie games in the winning percentage, they were omitted from the calculation.
| Season | League Name | Team | Win | Loss | Tie | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920[11] | APFA | Akron Pros (1) | 8 | 0 | 3 | 1.000 |
| 1921 | APFA | Chicago Staleys[12] (1) | 9 | 1 | 1 | .900 |
| 1922 | NFL | Canton Bulldogs (1) | 10 | 0 | 2 | 1.000 |
| 1923 | NFL | Canton Bulldogs (2) | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1.000 |
| 1924 | NFL | Cleveland Bulldogs (1) | 7 | 1 | 1 | .875 |
| 1925 | NFL | Chicago Cardinals (1) | 11 | 2 | 1 | .846 |
| 1926 | NFL | Frankford Yellow Jackets (1) | 14 | 1 | 2 | .933 |
| 1927 | NFL | New York Giants (1) | 11 | 1 | 1 | .917 |
| 1928 | NFL | Providence Steam Roller (1) | 8 | 1 | 2 | .889 |
| 1929 | NFL | Green Bay Packers (1) | 12 | 0 | 1 | 1.000 |
| 1930 | NFL | Green Bay Packers (2) | 10 | 3 | 1 | .769 |
| 1931 | NFL | Green Bay Packers (3) | 12 | 2 | 0 | .857 |
| 1932 | NFL | Chicago Bears (2) | 7 | 1 | 6 | .875 |
NFL Championship Game (1933–1965)[edit]
| Season | League | Winning Team | Score | Losing Team | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1933 | NFL | Chicago Bears (3) | 23–21 | New York Giants | Wrigley Field | 26,000 |
| 1934 | NFL | New York Giants (2) | 30–13 | Chicago Bears | Polo Grounds | 35,059 |
| 1935 | NFL | Detroit Lions (1) | 26–7 | New York Giants | University of Detroit Stadium | 15,000 |
| 1936 | NFL | Green Bay Packers (4) | 21–6 | Boston Redskins | Polo Grounds | 29,545 |
| 1937 | NFL | Washington Redskins (1) | 28–21 | Chicago Bears | Wrigley Field | 15,870 |
| 1938 | NFL | New York Giants (3) | 23–17 | Green Bay Packers | Polo Grounds | 48,120 |
| 1939 | NFL | Green Bay Packers (5) | 27–0 | New York Giants | Dairy Bowl | 32,279 |
| 1940 | NFL | Chicago Bears (4) | 73–0 | Washington Redskins | Griffith Stadium | 36,034 |
| 1941 | NFL | Chicago Bears (5) | 37–9 | New York Giants | Wrigley Field | 13,341 |
| 1942 | NFL | Washington Redskins (2) | 14–6 | Chicago Bears | Griffith Stadium | 36,006 |
| 1943 | NFL | Chicago Bears (6) | 41–21 | Washington Redskins | Wrigley Field | 34,320 |
| 1944 | NFL | Green Bay Packers (6) | 14–7 | New York Giants | Polo Grounds | 46,016 |
| 1945 | NFL | Cleveland Rams (1) | 15–14 | Washington Redskins | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | 32,178 |
| 1946 | NFL | Chicago Bears (7) | 24–14 | New York Giants | Polo Grounds | 58,346 |
| 1947 | NFL | Chicago Cardinals (2) | 28–21 | Philadelphia Eagles | Comiskey Park | 30,759 |
| 1948 | NFL | Philadelphia Eagles (1) | 7–0 | Chicago Cardinals | Shibe Park | 36,309 |
| 1949 | NFL | Philadelphia Eagles (2) | 14–0 | Los Angeles Rams | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | 27,980 |
| 1950 | NFL | Cleveland Browns (1) | 30–28 | Los Angeles Rams | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | 29,751 |
| 1951 | NFL | Los Angeles Rams (2) | 24–17 | Cleveland Browns | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | 57,522 |
| 1952 | NFL | Detroit Lions (2) | 17–7 | Cleveland Browns | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | 50,934 |
| 1953 | NFL | Detroit Lions (3) | 17–16 | Cleveland Browns | Briggs Stadium | 54,577 |
| 1954 | NFL | Cleveland Browns (2) | 56–10 | Detroit Lions | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | 43,827 |
| 1955 | NFL | Cleveland Browns (3) | 38–14 | Los Angeles Rams | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | 85,693 |
| 1956 | NFL | New York Giants (4) | 47–7 | Chicago Bears | Yankee Stadium | 56,836 |
| 1957 | NFL | Detroit Lions (4) | 59–14 | Cleveland Browns | Briggs Stadium | 55,263 |
| 1958 | NFL | Baltimore Colts (1) | 23–17 (OT) | New York Giants | Yankee Stadium | 64,185 |
| 1959 | NFL | Baltimore Colts (2) | 31–16 | New York Giants | Memorial Stadium | 57,545 |
| 1960 | NFL | Philadelphia Eagles (3) | 17–13 | Green Bay Packers | Franklin Field | 67,325 |
| 1961 | NFL | Green Bay Packers (7) | 37–0 | New York Giants | "New" City Stadium | 39,029 |
| 1962 | NFL | Green Bay Packers (8) | 16–7 | New York Giants | Yankee Stadium | 64,892 |
| 1963 | NFL | Chicago Bears (8) | 14–10 | New York Giants | Wrigley Field | 45,801 |
| 1964 | NFL | Cleveland Browns (4) | 27–0 | Baltimore Colts | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | 79,544 |
| 1965 | NFL | Green Bay Packers (9) | 23–12 | Cleveland Browns | Lambeau Field | 50,777 |
Super Bowl championship (1966–present)[edit]
| Season | League | Game | Winning team | Score | Losing team | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | NFL AFL | I | Green Bay Packers (1) (10) | 35–10 | Kansas City Chiefs | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | 61,946 |
| 1967 | NFL AFL | II | Green Bay Packers (2) (11) | 33–14 | Oakland Raiders | Miami Orange Bowl | 75,546 |
| 1968 | NFL AFL | III | New York Jets (1) (1) | 16–7 | Baltimore Colts | Miami Orange Bowl | 75,389 |
| 1969 | NFL AFL | IV | Kansas City Chiefs (1) (1) | 23–7 | Minnesota Vikings | Tulane Stadium | 80,562 |
| 1970 | NFL | V | Baltimore Colts (1) (3) | 16–13 | Dallas Cowboys | Miami Orange Bowl | 79,204 |
| 1971 | NFL | VI | Dallas Cowboys (1) (1) | 24–3 | Miami Dolphins | Tulane Stadium | 81,023 |
| 1972 | NFL | VII | Miami Dolphins (1) (1) | 14–7 | Washington Redskins | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | 90,182 |
| 1973 | NFL | VIII | Miami Dolphins (2) (2) | 24–7 | Minnesota Vikings | Rice Stadium | 71,882 |
| 1974 | NFL | IX | Pittsburgh Steelers (1) (1) | 16–6 | Minnesota Vikings | Tulane Stadium | 80,997 |
| 1975 | NFL | X | Pittsburgh Steelers (2) (2) | 21–17 | Dallas Cowboys | Miami Orange Bowl | 80,187 |
| 1976 | NFL | XI | Oakland Raiders (1) (1) | 32–14 | Minnesota Vikings | Rose Bowl | 103,438 |
| 1977 | NFL | XII | Dallas Cowboys (2) (2) | 27–10 | Denver Broncos | Louisiana Superdome | 76,400 |
| 1978 | NFL | XIII | Pittsburgh Steelers (3) (3) | 35–31 | Dallas Cowboys | Miami Orange Bowl | 79,484 |
| 1979 | NFL | XIV | Pittsburgh Steelers (4) (4) | 31–19 | Los Angeles Rams | Rose Bowl | 103,985 |
| 1980 | NFL | XV | Oakland Raiders (2) (2) | 27–10 | Philadelphia Eagles | Louisiana Superdome | 76,135 |
| 1981 | NFL | XVI | San Francisco 49ers (1) (1) | 26–21 | Cincinnati Bengals | Pontiac Silverdome | 81,270 |
| 1982 | NFL | XVII | Washington Redskins (1) (3) | 27–17 | Miami Dolphins | Rose Bowl | 103,667 |
| 1983 | NFL | XVIII | Los Angeles Raiders (3) (3) | 38–9 | Washington Redskins | Tampa Stadium | 72,920 |
| 1984 | NFL | XIX | San Francisco 49ers (2) (2) | 38–16 | Miami Dolphins | Stanford Stadium | 84,059 |
| 1985 | NFL | XX | Chicago Bears (1) (9) | 46–10 | New England Patriots | Louisiana Superdome | 73,818 |
| 1986 | NFL | XXI | New York Giants (1) (5) | 39–20 | Denver Broncos | Rose Bowl | 101,063 |
| 1987 | NFL | XXII | Washington Redskins (2) (4) | 42–10 | Denver Broncos | Jack Murphy Stadium | 73,302 |
| 1988 | NFL | XXIII | San Francisco 49ers (3) (3) | 20–16 | Cincinnati Bengals | Joe Robbie Stadium | 75,129 |
| 1989 | NFL | XXIV | San Francisco 49ers (4) (4) | 55–10 | Denver Broncos | Louisiana Superdome | 72,919 |
| 1990 | NFL | XXV | New York Giants (2) (6) | 20–19 | Buffalo Bills | Tampa Stadium | 73,813 |
| 1991 | NFL | XXVI | Washington Redskins (3) (5) | 37–24 | Buffalo Bills | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | 63,130 |
| 1992 | NFL | XXVII | Dallas Cowboys (3) (3) | 52–17 | Buffalo Bills | Rose Bowl | 98,374 |
| 1993 | NFL | XXVIII | Dallas Cowboys (4) (4) | 30–13 | Buffalo Bills | Georgia Dome | 72,817 |
| 1994 | NFL | XXIX | San Francisco 49ers (5) (5) | 49–26 | San Diego Chargers | Joe Robbie Stadium | 74,107 |
| 1995 | NFL | XXX | Dallas Cowboys (5) (5) | 27–17 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Sun Devil Stadium | 76,347 |
| 1996 | NFL | XXXI | Green Bay Packers (3) (12) | 35-21 | New England Patriots | Louisiana Superdome | 72,301 |
| 1997 | NFL | XXXII | Denver Broncos (1) (1) | 31–24 | Green Bay Packers | Qualcomm Stadium | 68,912 |
| 1998 | NFL | XXXIII | Denver Broncos (2) (2) | 34–19 | Atlanta Falcons | Pro Player Stadium | 74,803 |
| 1999 | NFL | XXXIV | St. Louis Rams (1) (3) | 23–16 | Tennessee Titans | Georgia Dome | 72,625 |
| 2000 | NFL | XXXV | Baltimore Ravens (1) (1) | 34–7 | New York Giants | Raymond James Stadium | 71,921 |
| 2001 | NFL | XXXVI | New England Patriots (1) (1) | 20–17 | St. Louis Rams | Louisiana Superdome | 72,922 |
| 2002 | NFL | XXXVII | Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1) (1) | 48–21 | Oakland Raiders | Qualcomm Stadium | 67,603 |
| 2003 | NFL | XXXVIII | New England Patriots (2) (2) | 32–29 | Carolina Panthers | Reliant Stadium | 71,525 |
| 2004 | NFL | XXXIX | New England Patriots (3) (3) | 24–21 | Philadelphia Eagles | Alltel Stadium | 78,125 |
| 2005 | NFL | XL | Pittsburgh Steelers (5) (5) | 21–10 | Seattle Seahawks | Ford Field | 68,206 |
| 2006 | NFL | XLI | Indianapolis Colts (2) (4) | 29–17 | Chicago Bears | Dolphin Stadium | 74,512 |
| 2007 | NFL | XLII | New York Giants (3) (7) | 17–14 | New England Patriots | University of Phoenix Stadium | 71,101 |
| 2008 | NFL | XLIII | Pittsburgh Steelers (6) (6) | 27–23 | Arizona Cardinals | Raymond James Stadium | 70,774 |
| 2009 | NFL | XLIV | New Orleans Saints (1) (1) | 31–17 | Indianapolis Colts | Sun Life Stadium | 74,059 |
| 2010 | NFL | XLV | Green Bay Packers (4) (13) | 31–25 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Cowboys Stadium | 103,219 |
| 2011 | NFL | XLVI | New York Giants (4) (8) | 21–17 | New England Patriots | Lucas Oil Stadium | 68,658 |
| 2012 | NFL | XLVII | Baltimore Ravens (2) (2) | 34–31 | San Francisco 49ers | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | 71,024 |
| 2013 | NFL | XLVIII | Seattle Seahawks (1) (1) | 43–8 | Denver Broncos | MetLife Stadium | 82,529 |
| 2014 | NFL | XLIX | New England Patriots (4) (4) | 28–24 | Seattle Seahawks | University of Phoenix Stadium | 70,288 |
| 2015 | NFL | 50 | Denver Broncos (3) (3) | 24–10 | Carolina Panthers | Levi's Stadium | 71,088 |
| 2016 | NFL | LI | New England Patriots (5) (5) | 34–28 (OT) | Atlanta Falcons | NRG Stadium | 70,807 |
| 2017 | NFL | LII | Philadelphia Eagles (1) (4) | 41–33 | New England Patriots | U.S. Bank Stadium | 67,612 |
| 2018 | NFL | LIII | New England Patriots (6) (6) | 13–3 | Los Angeles Rams | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | 73,019 |
| 2019 | NFL | LIV | Kansas City Chiefs (2) (2) | 31–20 | San Francisco 49ers | Hard Rock Stadium | 62,417 |
| 2020 | NFL | LV | Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2) (2) | 31–9 | Kansas City Chiefs | Raymond James Stadium | 25,000 |
NFL championships by franchise[edit]
In the sortable table below, teams are ordered first by number of appearances, then by number of wins, and finally by year of first appearance. Does not include the AFL or NFL championships won during the same seasons as the AFL–NFL Super Bowl championships before the 1970 AFL–NFL merger. Does not include AFL titles won from 1960–1965 or AAFC titles won from 1946–1949. Does not include folded NFL teams with zero "Appearances/Top 2 Finishes." In the "Seasons" column, bold years indicate NFL championships won.
| Current NFL Team | Folded Team |
| Appearances/Top 2 Finishes | Franchise | Wins | Losses/Runner-Ups | Win % | Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | New York Giants | 8 | 14 | .364 | 1927, 1929, 1930, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1944, 1946, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1986, 1990, 2000, 2007, 2011 |
| 19 | Chicago Bears | 9 | 10 | .474 | 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1926, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1937, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1946, 1956, 1963, 1985, 2006 |
| 18 | Green Bay Packers | 13 | 5 | .722 | 1927, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1936, 1938, 1939, 1944, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1996, 1997, 2010 |
| 11 | Boston / New England Patriots | 6 | 5 | .545 | 1985, 1996, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 |
| 11 | Boston / Washington Redskins / Football Team | 5 | 6 | .455 | 1936, 1937, 1940, 1942, 1943, 1945, 1972, 1982, 1983, 1987, 1991 |
| 9 | Cleveland Browns | 4 | 5 | .444 | 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1957, 1964, 1965 |
| 9 | Cleveland / St. Louis / Los Angeles Rams | 3 | 6 | .333 | 1945, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1955, 1979, 1999, 2001, 2018 |
| 8 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 6 | 2 | .750 | 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1995, 2005, 2008, 2010 |
| 8 | Dallas Cowboys | 5 | 3 | .625 | 1970, 1971, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1992, 1993, 1995 |
| 8 | Denver Broncos | 3 | 5 | .375 | 1977, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1997, 1998, 2013, 2015 |
| 7 | San Francisco 49ers | 5 | 2 | .714 | 1981, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1994, 2012, 2019 |
| 7 | Baltimore / Indianapolis Colts | 4 | 3 | .571 | 1958, 1959, 1964, 1968, 1970, 2006, 2009 |
| 7 | Philadelphia Eagles | 4 | 3 | .571 | 1947, 1948, 1949, 1960, 1980, 2004, 2017 |
| 6 | Detroit Lions | 4 | 2 | .667 | 1931, 1935, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1957 |
| 5 | Oakland / Los Angeles / Las Vegas Raiders | 3 | 2 | .600 | 1967, 1976, 1980, 1983, 2002 |
| 5 | Miami Dolphins | 2 | 3 | .400 | 1971, 1972, 1973, 1982, 1984 |
| 4 | Chicago / St. Louis / Phoenix / Arizona Cardinals | 2 | 2 | .500 | 1925, 1947, 1948, 2008 |
| 4 | Kansas City Chiefs | 2 | 2 | .500 | 1966, 1969, 2019, 2020 |
| 4 | Minnesota Vikings | 0 | 4 | .000 | 1969, 1973, 1974, 1976 |
| 4 | Buffalo Bills | 0 | 4 | .000 | 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993 |
| 3 | Seattle Seahawks | 1 | 2 | .333 | 2005, 2013, 2014 |
| 2 | Canton Bulldogs | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | 1922, 1923 |
| 2 | Baltimore Ravens | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | 2000, 2012 |
| 2 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | 2002, 2020 |
| 2 | Frankford Yellow Jackets | 1 | 1 | .500 | 1926, 1928 |
| 2 | Cincinnati Bengals | 0 | 2 | .000 | 1981, 1988 |
| 2 | Carolina Panthers | 0 | 2 | .000 | 2003, 2015 |
| 2 | Atlanta Falcons | 0 | 2 | .000 | 1998, 2016 |
| 1 | Akron Pros | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 1920 |
| 1 | Cleveland Bulldogs | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 1924 |
| 1 | Providence Steam Rollers | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 1928 |
| 1 | New York Jets | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 1968 |
| 1 | New Orleans Saints | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 2009 |
| 1 | Buffalo All-Americans | 0 | 1 | .000 | 1921 |
| 1 | Pottsville Maroons | 0 | 1 | .000 | 1925 |
| 1 | San Diego / Los Angeles Chargers | 0 | 1 | .000 | 1994 |
| 1 | Houston Oilers / Tennessee Titans | 0 | 1 | .000 | 1999 |
| 0 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 0 | 0 | — | |
| 0 | Houston Texans | 0 | 0 | — |
List of various league/world championship game systems[edit]
| Current NFL championship system | Inter-league/world championship system | Defunct league championship system |
| League | Official name | Common name | First year | Last year | Trophy name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NFL | NFL champion (No championship game played) | NFL Champion | 1920 | 1932 | Brunswick-Balke Collender Cup, 1920 None, 1921–32 |
| NFL Championship Game | NFL Championship | 1933 | 1965 | Ed Thorp Memorial Trophy | |
| AFL | AFL Championship Game | AFL Championship | 1960 | 1965 | AFL Trophy |
| AFL NFL | AFL-NFL World Championship Game | World Championship of Pro Football AFL-NFL World Championship Game Super Bowl | 1966 | 1969 | Vince Lombardi Trophy |
| NFL | Super Bowl "(Modern) NFL Championship" | Super Bowl World Championship (Modern) NFL Championship | 1970 | Present |
Undefeated regular seasons and "perfect seasons" in professional football[edit]
| Perfect Season† |
| League | Season | Franchise | Regular Season | Post Season Result(s) | Recognition | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wins | Losses | Ties | Pct. | Finish | |||||
| NFL | 1920 | Akron Pros* | 8 | 0 | 3 | 1.000 | 1st NFL | No Post-Season – Championship by league vote. | NFL: No HOF: No |
| 1922 | Canton Bulldogs* | 10 | 0 | 2 | 1.000 | 1st NFL | No Post-Season – Championship by standings | NFL: No HOF: No | |
| 1923 | Canton Bulldogs* | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1.000 | 1st NFL | No Post-Season – Championship by standings | NFL: No HOF: No | |
| 1929 | Green Bay Packers* | 12 | 0 | 1 | 1.000 | 1st NFL | No Post-Season – Championship by standings | NFL: No HOF: No | |
| 1934 | Chicago Bears | 13 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 1st NFL West | Lost NFL Championship (Giants) (13-30) | NFL: Yes HOF: Yes | |
| 1942 | Chicago Bears | 11 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 1st NFL West | Lost NFL Championship (Redskins) (6-14) | NFL: Yes HOF: Yes | |
| AAFC | 1948† | Cleveland Browns | 14 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 1st AAFC West | Won AAFC championship (Bills) (49-7) | NFL: No HOF: Yes |
| NFL | 1972† | Miami Dolphins | 14 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 1st AFC East | Won Divisional Playoffs (Browns) (20-14) Won Conference Championship (Steelers) (21-17) Won Super Bowl VII (Redskins) (14-7) | NFL: Yes HOF: Yes |
| NFL | 2007 | New England Patriots | 16 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 1st AFC East | Won Divisional Playoffs (Jaguars) (31-20) Won Conference Championship (Chargers) (21-12) Lost Super Bowl XLII (Giants) (14-17) | NFL: Yes HOF: Yes |
(*) Because the NFL did not count tied games in league standings until 1972 (when ties were added to past standings retroactively), these seasons were considered to be "perfect" at the time they finished. Because the rules existing at the times of those championships did not give the teams involved any incentive to avoid tie games in order to maintain a "perfect" season, the accuracy of calling these seasons "imperfect" is still disputed.
See also[edit]
- NFC Championship Game
- Players who have won the most NFL championships/Super Bowls
References[edit]
- ^ Daniel Brown; Mark Emmons (November 8, 2011). "49ers great Joe Perry and the stats that don't count". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved November 8, 2011.
- ^ Tony Grossi (February 2, 2008). "Browns put together a forgotten perfect season in 1948". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved February 2, 2008.
- ^ "NFL tie breaking rules".
- ^ "Akron Pros' Karl Johnson fob".
- ^ The New York Times, November 19, 1940. Novel Plan Adopted to Decide Play-Offs, p. 22
- ^ The New York Times, December 2, 1941. Play-Off Plans Given by Layden, p. 33.
- ^ The New York Times, April 30, 1946. Danzig, Allison, Pro Giants To Play Seven Home Games, p. 27.
- ^ The New York Times, December 18, 1948, Cards And Eagles Evenly Matched, p. 17.
- ^ The New York Times, December 11, 1950, Sudden Death Overtime For Play-Off Contests, p. 33
- ^ For more information on the proposed playoff expansion visit
- ^ No official standings were maintained for the 1920 season, and the championship was awarded to the Akron Pros in a league meeting on April 30, 1921. Clubs played schedules that included games against non-league opponents.
- ^ Became the Chicago Bears in 1922
