History of the National Football league championship - wikipedia History of the National Football league championship Throughout its history, the National Football League ( NFL ) and other rival American football leagues have used several different formats to determine their league champions, including a period of inter-league matchups determining a true world champion. Following its founding in 1920, the NFL first determined champions through end - of - season standings, but switched to a playoff system in 1933. The rival All - America Football Conference ( AAFC ) and American Football League ( AFL ) have since merged with the NFL ( the only two AAFC teams that currently exist joined the NFL in 1950 -- the Cleveland Browns and the San Francisco 49ers ), but AAFC championship games and records are not included in NFL record books. The AFL began play in 1960 and, like its rival league, used a playoff system to determine its champion. From 1966 -- 1969 prior to the merger in 1970, the NFL and the AFL agreed to hold an ultimate championship game, first called the AFL - NFL World Championship Game and later renamed the Super Bowl after 1968. Following the merger in 1970, the Super Bowl name continued as the game to determine the NFL champion. The most important factor of the merger was that all ten AFL teams joined the NFL in 1970 and every AFL championship game and record is included in NFL record books. The old NFL Championship Game became the NFC Championship Game, while the old AFL Championship Game became the AFC Championship Game. The NFL lists the old AFL / NFL championship games with `` new '' AFC / NFC championship games in its record books. The Green Bay Packers have won the most championships with 13 total ( 9 NFL championships pre-merger, four ( 4 ) Super Bowl championships ). The Packers are also the only team to win three consecutive championships, having done so twice ( 1929 -- 1931, 1965 -- 1967 ). The Chicago Bears have won the second most overall championships with nine ( 9 ) ( eight NFL championships, one Super Bowl championship ). Contents 1 1920 -- 1932 : The early years 2 1933 -- 1966 : The advent of the postseason 2.1 1933 -- 1966 : NFL Championship Game 2.2 1946 -- 1949 : AAFC Championship Game 2.3 1960 -- 1969 : AFL Championship Game 3 1966 -- 1969 : NFL vs. AFL -- The beginning of the Super Bowl era 4 1970 -- present : The Super Bowl era 4.1 Post -- merger 4.2 The institution of `` home - field advantage '' 4.3 Further playoff expansion 5 Championship games per season 5.1 APFA / NFL standings champions ( 1920 -- 1932 ) 5.2 NFL Championship Game ( 1933 -- 1959 ) 5.3 AFL Championship Game and NFL Championship Game ( 1960 -- 1965 ) 5.4 AFL Championship Game and NFL Championship Game ( 1966 -- 1969 ) 5.5 Super Bowl championship ( 1966 -- present ) 6 NFL championships by franchise 7 List of various league / world championship game systems 8 Undefeated regular seasons and `` perfect seasons '' in professional football 9 See also 10 References 1920 -- 1932 : the early years For a list of NFL standings champions prior to 1933, see List of NFL champions ( 1920 -- 69 ). At its inception in 1920, the NFL had no playoff system or championship game. The champion was the team with the best record during the season, determined by winning percentage, with ties omitted. This sometimes led to very unusual results, as teams played anywhere from six to twenty league games in a season, and not all teams played the same number of games or against league talent. As a result, in the league 's first six seasons, four league titles were disputed and had to be resolved by the league 's executive committee. In 1920, the Akron Pros went undefeated, tying three games, but two teams that had won more games ( and who had both tied Akron ), the Buffalo All - Americans and Decatur Staleys, petitioned the league for a share of the title ; both teams ' petitions were denied, and Akron was awarded the first ( and only ) Brunswick - Balke Collender Cup. According to modern tie - breaking rules, Akron and Buffalo would be co-champions. Akron and Buffalo both awarded their team members with gold medallions. The next was in the 1921 NFL season, between the same All - Americans and Staleys ( with the latter now being based in Chicago ). Buffalo had insisted that the last matchup between the two was an exhibition match not to be counted toward the standings ; however, Chicago owner George Halas, as well as league management, insisted the game be counted in its standings ( the league, at the time, did not recognize exhibition matches ). The result was that although the two teams were effectively tied in the standings, the disputed game, having been played later, was given more weight and thus ended up being considered a de facto championship game. ( Chicago also had one fewer tie game. ) A nearly identical situation recurred in 1924, when Chicago tried the same tactic of a final game against the Cleveland Bulldogs, but the league ruled the opposite and declared the last game `` post-season '', giving the Bulldogs their third consecutive league title. The fourth and final disputed title was the 1925 NFL Championship controversy between the Pottsville Maroons and the Chicago Cardinals. The Maroons had been controversially suspended by the league at the end of the 1925 NFL season for an unauthorized game against a non-NFL team, allowing the Cardinals to throw together two fairly easy matches ( one against a team consisting partly of high school players, also against league rules ) to pass Pottsville in the standings. The league awarded the Cardinals the title, one of only two in the team 's history, but the Cardinals declined the offer and the championship was vacated. Only in 1933, when the Bidwill family ( which still owns the Cardinals to this day ) bought the team, did the Cardinals reverse their decision and claim the title as their own, a decision that continues to be disputed, with the Bidwills opposing any change in the record and the two current Pennsylvania teams in favor. The league recognized the Bidwills ' claim to the title and has taken no other action on the issue, although a self - made championship trophy from the Maroons sits in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Ironically, it was Pottsville 's win in this game against the Notre Dame All - Stars that gave professional football legitimacy over college football. Part of the controversy over these stems from the criteria the league used to determine its champion. The league used a variation of win percentage as its criterion, in which the number of wins is divided by the sum of wins and losses, and ties were excluded. The league began considering ties in its standings in 1972, counting them as half a win and half a loss, but this was not applied retroactively. Had it been, it would have changed several championships : the Buffalo All - Americans would have won a share of the 1920 title, and the Duluth Kelleys would have tied for first place in 1924. Had win - loss differential, the standard used in baseball, been used, the 1924 title would have gone to yet another team : the Frankford Yellow Jackets, who were four games ahead of eventual champion Cleveland in the standings by that measure ; the Decatur Staleys would have similarly won the 1920 title by virtue of being one game ahead of Buffalo. In the 1932 season, the Chicago Bears and the Portsmouth Spartans tied with the best regular - season winning percentages ( although the Green Bay Packers had four more wins ; had the current method of calculating winning percentage been used, the Packers ' record would have won them the championship, ahead of the Spartans and the Bears ). To determine the champion, the league ( reportedly at the behest of George Preston Marshall ) voted to hold the first official playoff game in Chicago at Wrigley Field. Because of severe winter conditions before the game, and fear of low turnout, the game was held indoors at Chicago Stadium which forced some temporary rule changes. The game was played on a modified 80 - yard dirt field, and Chicago won 9 -- 0, winning the league championship. 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 -- 1966 : the advent of the postseason 1933 -- 1966 : NFL championship game For a list of NFL Championship Games and winners, see List of NFL champions ( 1920 -- 69 ). 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, a coin was tossed for an extra playoff game determined which team played in the NFL Championship Game. ( 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 Minnesota Vikings in 1969. The actual trophy, however, is now missing. 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. 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. Sudden death overtime was finally approved for the NFL championship game in 1946 and has remained in effect ever since. 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 For a list of AAFC Championship Games and winners, see List of AAFC champions 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 For a list of AFL Championship Games and winners, see American Football League Championship Game. 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 For a list of AFL Championship Games and winners, see American Football League Championship Game. For a list of NFL Championship Games and winners, see List of NFL champions ( 1920 -- 69 ). For a list of AFL - NFL World Championship games, see List of Super Bowl champions § AFL - NFL World Championships. 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. The Packers defeated the Chiefs in the first AFL -- NFL Championship Game ( Super Bowl I ) 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 For a complete list of post-merger Super Bowl winners, see List of Super Bowl champions § NFL Championships. Post -- merger 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. The Colts beat the Cowboys in the first Super Bowl after the AFL -- NFL merger ( Super Bowl V ) 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 '' 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 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. Championship games per season 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 ) 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 Team Win Loss Tie Pct. 1920 APFA Akron Pros ( 1 ) 8 0 1.000 1921 APFA Chicago Staleys ( 1 ) 9. 900 1922 NFL Canton Bulldogs ( 1 ) 10 0 1.000 1923 NFL Canton Bulldogs ( 2 ) 11 0 1.000 1924 NFL Cleveland Bulldogs ( 1 ) 7. 875 1925 NFL Chicago Cardinals ( 1 ) 11. 846 1926 NFL Frankford Yellow Jackets ( 1 ) 14. 933 1927 NFL New York Giants ( 1 ) 11. 917 1928 NFL Providence Steam Roller ( 1 ) 8. 889 1929 NFL Green Bay Packers ( 1 ) 12 0 1.000 1930 NFL Green Bay Packers ( 2 ) 10. 769 1931 NFL Green Bay Packers ( 3 ) 12 0. 857 1932 NFL Chicago Bears ( 2 ) 7 6. 875 NFL championship game ( 1933 -- 1959 ) Click on column heading to sort by teams, venue or attendance. 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 Wisconsin State Fair Park 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 AFL championship game and NFL championship game ( 1960 -- 1965 ) ( The NFL was joined by the American Football League ( AFL ) from 1960 to 1969 with the AFL merging with the NFL in 1970. The number in the parentheses is the total number of NFL championships only. ) Season League Winning Team Score Losing Team Venue Attendance 1960 AFL Houston Oilers 24 -- 16 Los Angeles Chargers Jeppesen Stadium 32,183 NFL Philadelphia Eagles ( 3 ) 17 -- 13 Green Bay Packers Franklin Field 67,325 1961 AFL Houston Oilers 10 -- 3 San Diego Chargers Balboa Stadium 29,556 NFL Green Bay Packers ( 7 ) 37 -- 0 New York Giants `` New '' City Stadium 39,029 1962 AFL Dallas Texans 20 -- 17 ( 2 OT ) Houston Oilers Jeppesen Stadium 37,981 NFL Green Bay Packers ( 8 ) 16 -- 7 New York Giants Yankee Stadium 64,892 1963 AFL San Diego Chargers 51 -- 10 Boston Patriots Balboa Stadium 30,127 NFL Chicago Bears ( 8 ) 14 -- 10 New York Giants Wrigley Field 45,801 1964 AFL Buffalo Bills 20 -- 7 San Diego Chargers War Memorial Stadium 40,242 NFL Cleveland Browns ( 4 ) 27 -- 0 Baltimore Colts Cleveland Municipal Stadium 79,544 1965 AFL Buffalo Bills 23 -- 0 San Diego Chargers Balboa Stadium 30,361 NFL Green Bay Packers ( 9 ) 23 -- 12 Cleveland Browns Lambeau Field 50,777 AFL championship game and NFL championship game ( 1966 -- 1969 ) In 1966, the NFL and AFL agreed to merge and play an ultimate championship game between the two leagues entitled NFL -- AFL World Championship game. The merger however did not formally take place until 1970 ; because of this the NFL -- AFL championship games unofficially became an additional qualifying round in the playoffs as there was still one more game to play in the season for the winner of the AFL -- NFL championship games. Officially these games were still the main championships of both leagues. The NFL -- AFL championship game eventually became known as the Super Bowl. Inclusion of these eight AFL -- NFL championship games is problematical in overall listing of most world championships / league championships, therefore they are generally not included in the overall records. After the merger the AFL and NFL championship games were replaced / retooled as / with AFC Championship Game and NFC Championship Game. Because these AFL -- NFL championships are generally not included in overall league championships lists, there are no number given in parentheses counting them. Season League Winning team Score Losing team Venue Attendance 1966 AFL Kansas City Chiefs 31 -- 7 Buffalo Bills War Memorial Stadium 42,080 NFL Green Bay Packers 34 -- 27 Dallas Cowboys Cotton Bowl 74,152 1967 AFL Oakland Raiders 40 -- 7 Houston Oilers Oakland Coliseum 53,330 NFL Green Bay Packers 21 -- 17 Dallas Cowboys Lambeau Field 50,861 1968 AFL New York Jets 27 -- 23 Oakland Raiders Shea Stadium 62,627 NFL Baltimore Colts 34 -- 0 Cleveland Browns Cleveland Municipal Stadium 78,410 1969 AFL Kansas City Chiefs 17 -- 7 Oakland Raiders Oakland Coliseum 53,561 NFL Minnesota Vikings 27 -- 7 Cleveland Browns Metropolitan Stadium 46,503 Super Bowl championship ( 1966 -- present ) ( The creation of Super Bowl was the first sign of AFL -- NFL merger. The first four Super Bowls served as inter-league championship games because of these inter-league championship games this created some confusion amongst football fans that there was a special World Championship series in the pre-merger era. After the merger, the Super Bowl became the NFL 's championship game. The number in the parentheses is the total number of Super Bowl championships and the bolded number in parentheses is the total number of NFL championships. ) Further information : List of Super Bowl champions Season League Game Winning team Score Losing team Venue Attendance 1966 NFL AFL 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 NFL IX Pittsburgh Steelers ( 1 ) ( 1 ) 16 -- 6 Minnesota Vikings Tulane Stadium 80,997 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 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 NFL XXII Washington Redskins ( 2 ) ( 4 ) 42 -- 10 Denver Broncos Jack Murphy Stadium 73,302 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 NFL XXVII Dallas Cowboys ( 3 ) ( 3 ) 52 -- 17 Buffalo Bills Rose Bowl 98,374 NFL XXVIII Dallas Cowboys ( 4 ) ( 4 ) 30 -- 13 Buffalo Bills Georgia Dome 72,817 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 NFL XXXI Green Bay Packers ( 3 ) ( 12 ) 35 - 21 New England Patriots Louisiana Superdome 72,301 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 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 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 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 NFL championships by franchise 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. Italics indicate a franchise that has folded. Franchise Championships Seasons Green Bay Packers 13 1929, 1930, 1931, 1936, 1939, 1944, 1961, 1962, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1996, 2010 Chicago Bears 9 1921, 1932, 1933, 1940, 1941, 1943, 1946, 1963, 1985 New York Giants 8 1927, 1934, 1938, 1956, 1986, 1990, 2007, 2011 Pittsburgh Steelers 6 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979, 2005, 2008 Washington Redskins 5 1937, 1942, 1982, 1987, 1991 San Francisco 49ers 5 1981, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1994 Dallas Cowboys 5 1971, 1977, 1992, 1993, 1995 New England Patriots 5 2001, 2003, 2004, 2014, 2016 Detroit Lions 1935, 1952, 1953, 1957 Cleveland Browns 1950, 1954, 1955, 1964 Indianapolis Colts 1958, 1959, 1970, 2006 Philadelphia Eagles 1948, 1949, 1960 Oakland Raiders 1976, 1980, 1983 Los Angeles Rams 1945, 1951, 1999 Denver Broncos 1997, 1998, 2015 Canton Bulldogs 1922, 1923 Arizona Cardinals 1925, 1947 Miami Dolphins 1972, 1973 Baltimore Ravens 2000, 2012 Akron Pros 1920 Cleveland Bulldogs 1924 Frankford Yellow Jackets 1926 Providence Steam Rollers 1928 New York Jets 1968 Kansas City Chiefs 1969 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2002 New Orleans Saints 2009 Seattle Seahawks 2013 Minnesota Vikings 0 Buffalo Bills 0 Atlanta Falcons 0 Cincinnati Bengals 0 Carolina Panthers 0 Los Angeles Chargers 0 Tennessee Titans 0 Jacksonville Jaguars 0 Houston Texans 0 List of various league / world championship game systems 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 1969 Ed Thorp Memorial Trophy AFL AFL Championship Game AFL Championship 1960 1969 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 Perfect Season † League Season Franchise Regular Season Post Season Result ( s ) Recognition Wins Losses Ties Pct. Finish NFL 1920 Akron Pros * 8 0 1.000 1st NFL No Post-Season -- Championship by league vote. NFL : No HOF : No 1922 Canton Bulldogs * 10 0 1.000 1st NFL No Post-Season -- Championship by standings NFL : No HOF : No 1923 Canton Bulldogs * 11 0 1.000 1st NFL No Post-Season -- Championship by standings NFL : No HOF : No 1929 Green Bay Packers * 12 0 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 National Football Conference Championship Game NFL lore References Jump up ^ Daniel Brown ; Mark Emmons ( November 8, 2011 ). `` 49ers great Joe Perry and the stats that do n't count ''. San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved November 8, 2011. Jump up ^ Tony Grossi ( February 2, 2008 ). `` Browns put together a forgotten perfect season in 1948 ''. The Plain Dealer. Retrieved February 2, 2008. Jump up ^ `` NFL tie breaking rules ''. Jump up ^ `` Akron Pros ' Karl Johnson fob ''. Jump up ^ For more information on the trophy visit Jump up ^ The New York Times, November 19, 1940. Novel Plan Adopted to Decide Play - Offs, p. 22 Jump up ^ The New York Times, December 2, 1941. Play - Off Plans Given by Layden, p. 33. Jump up ^ The New York Times, April 30, 1946. Danzig, Allison, Pro Giants To Play Seven Home Games, p. 27. Jump up ^ The New York Times, December 18, 1948, Cards And Eagles Evenly Matched, p. 17. Jump up ^ The New York Times, December 11, 1950, Sudden Death Overtime For Play - Off Contests, p. 33 Jump up ^ For more information on the proposed playoff expansion visit Jump up ^ 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. Jump up ^ Became the Chicago Bears in 1922 Jump up ^ http://www.packers.com/history/super-bowls-and-championships.html Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 2008 - 03 - 25. Retrieved 2008 - 03 - 29... Jump up ^ http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/nyj/1968.htm Jump up ^ http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/min/ Jump up ^ http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/history/yearly-full Jump up ^ http://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/ National Football League ( 2017 ) AFC East North South West Buffalo Bills Miami Dolphins New England Patriots New York Jets Baltimore Ravens Cincinnati Bengals Cleveland Browns Pittsburgh Steelers Houston Texans Indianapolis Colts Jacksonville Jaguars Tennessee Titans Denver Broncos Kansas City Chiefs Los Angeles Chargers Oakland Raiders NFC East North South West Dallas Cowboys New York Giants Philadelphia Eagles Washington Redskins Chicago Bears Detroit Lions Green Bay Packers Minnesota Vikings Atlanta Falcons Carolina Panthers New Orleans Saints Tampa Bay Buccaneers Arizona Cardinals Los Angeles Rams San Francisco 49ers Seattle Seahawks Seasons Seasons ( by team ) Preseason Hall of Fame Game American Bowl Regular season Kickoff game Monday Night Football International Series Thanksgiving games Christmas games Playoffs Streaks Droughts AFC Championship NFC Championship Super Bowl champions quarterbacks Pro Bowl History League history Executive history Championship history AFL Championship ( 1960 -- 1969 ) NFL Championship ( 1920 -- 1969 ) Playoff Bowl Other Owners Officials Properties Stadiums ( chronology ) Timeline Defunct franchises Franchise moves and mergers Los Angeles team history Records individual team Super Bowl All time win -- loss Last undefeated Awards All - Pro Numbers ( retired ) Hall of Fame Lore Nicknames AFL Merger International Foreign players London Toronto Bills Series List of games played outside the U.S. Media TV NFL Network Radio Management Council Competition Committee Collective Bargaining Agreement NFLPA Player conduct Suspensions Player misconduct Combine Draft Training camp Rivalries NFL Foundation Tied games Canceled games Lockouts Controversies Cheerleading Mascots Color Rush National Football League Championship Games ( 1933 -- present ) NFL Championship Game ( 1933 -- 1969 ) 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 AFL Championship Game ( 1960 -- 1969 ) 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 AFL - NFL World Championship Games ( 1966 -- 1969 ) 1966 ( I ) 1967 ( II ) 1968 ( III ) 1969 ( IV ) Super Bowl ( 1970 -- present ) 1970 ( V ) 1971 ( VI ) 1972 ( VII ) 1973 ( VIII ) 1974 ( IX ) 1975 ( X ) 1976 ( XI ) 1977 ( XII ) 1978 ( XIII ) 1979 ( XIV ) 1980 ( XV ) 1981 ( XVI ) 1982 ( XVII ) 1983 ( XVIII ) 1984 ( XIX ) 1985 ( XX ) 1986 ( XXI ) 1987 ( XXII ) 1988 ( XXIII ) 1989 ( XXIV ) 1990 ( XXV ) 1991 ( XXVI ) 1992 ( XXVII ) 1993 ( XXVIII ) 1994 ( XXIX ) 1995 ( XXX ) 1996 ( XXXI ) 1997 ( XXXII ) 1998 ( XXXIII ) 1999 ( XXXIV ) 2000 ( XXXV ) 2001 ( XXXVI ) 2002 ( XXXVII ) 2003 ( XXXVIII ) 2004 ( XXXIX ) 2005 ( XL ) 2006 ( XLI ) 2007 ( XLII ) 2008 ( XLIII ) 2009 ( XLIV ) 2010 ( XLV ) 2011 ( XLVI ) 2012 ( XLVII ) 2013 ( XLVIII ) 2014 ( XLIX ) 2015 ( 50 ) 2016 ( LI ) 2017 ( LII ) 1921 APFA de facto championship game 1925 NFL Championship controversy 1932 NFL Playoff Game NFL Championship broadcasters AFL Championship broadcasters Super Bowl champions Super Bowl Most Valuable Players Super Bowl records Super Bowl broadcasters Super Bowl officials Super Bowl halftime Super Bowl commercials Pre-Super Bowl NFL champions NFL playoffs ( Results ) AFL playoffs 1 -- From 1966 to 1969, the first four Super Bowls were `` World Championship '' games played between two independent professional football leagues, AFL and NFL, and when the league merged in 1970 the Super Bowl became the NFL Championship Game. 2 -- Dates in the list denote the season, not the calendar year in which the championship game was played. For instance, Super Bowl XLI was played in 2007, but was the championship for the 2006 season. Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=History_of_the_National_Football_League_championship&oldid=805071285 '' Categories : American Football League Championship Game History of the Super Bowl National Football League Championship games Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 12 October 2017, at 21 : 38. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: what game is played every january to determine the championship of the national football league
Answer: AFC Championship Game