American Football League playoffs From 1960 to 1968 , the American Football League determined its champion via a single playoff game between the winners of its two divisions ( although ties in the standings during the 1963 and 1968 seasons necessitated a divisional playoff game ) . In 1969 , the final year of the independent AFL , a four - team playoff was held , with the second - place teams in each division playing the winner of the other division in what were called the " Interdivisional " playoffs . These playoffs were not , and are not considered to have been , " wildcard " playoffs since the two best non - division winners did not automatically qualify . ( Had the 1969 playoffs been true wildcard playoffs , the Western Division ' s third - place team , San Diego , would have qualified while the Eastern Division ' s second - place team , Houston , would not have . ) The 1969 playoffs were only the second time a major professional football league allowed teams other than the first place teams to compete in post - season playoffs ( the other instance being the All - America Football Conference ' s 1949 four - team playoff ) . Prior to the advent of the Super Bowl for the 1966 season , the AFL went to great lengths to avoid scheduling its playoffs head - to - head with the NFL . In 1960 , the NFL ' s game was held on Monday , December 26 ; the AFL had that week off , and played its title contest on Sunday , January 1st . In 1961 and 1962 , the AFL played its game during the off - week between the end of the NFL ' s regular season and its title game ( thus resulting in the AFL holding championship games on December 24 , 1961 and December 23 , 1962 , a week before the NFL ' s games of December 31 , 1961 and December 30 , 1962 ) . In 1963 , the AFL held its Eastern Division tiebreaker playoff on Saturday , December 28 , 1963 , thereby avoiding the Sunday , December 29 , 1963 NFL playoff ( the AFL then held its 1963 Championship Game a week later ) . In 1964 , pro football had a championship weekend , with the AFL ' s title game held on Saturday , December 26 , 1964 and the NFL ' s championship contest being held on Sunday , December 27 , 1964 . For 1965 , the AFL tried to return to the practice of playing its game on a Sunday during the off - week between the NFL playoff , slating its championship contest for December 26 , 1965 while the NFL ' s game wasn ' t held until January 2 , 1966 ; unfortunately , the Colts and Packers required a Western Conference tiebreaker on the December 26 , 1965 date - - - and since that game went overtime , the TV audience for the Bills - Chargers game in San Diego was diminished considerably . Even in 1966 , the AFL originally scheduled its championship game for the off - week , planning to hold its playoff on Monday , December 26 , 1966 , six days before the NFL ' s scheduled playoff of January 1 , 1967 . Negotiations prior to the first Super Bowl , during early December 1966 , resulted in the two leagues agreeing to have championship doubleheaders for the next four years , with each league holding its title game on the same day but at a different time that day . Thus the final four AFL playoffs were held on the same day as the NFL championship game was ( January 1 , 1967 ; December 31 , 1967 ; December 29 , 1968 ; and January 4 , 1970 ) . The Pro Football Hall of Fame and the National Football League include AFL playoffs in their statistics for the NFL playoffs . 1963 playoffs . 1963 Championship . The Chargers championship win is noted for being the only and most recent major sports championship won for the city of San Diego . No other city with at least two professional sports teams has a championship drought as long as of 2010 ( 47 years ) . This is also the only time that the Chargers have beaten the Patriots in a postseason game . 1964 Championship . Mike Stratton ' s hit on San Diego Chargers Running Back Keith Lincoln set the stage for the Buffalo Bills and their first AFL championship . 1965 Championship . This was the last AFL Championship Game before the Super Bowl era began the following season and the last time a final pro football championship game was played in December . It was also the most recent championship won by a Buffalo - based professional sports team . 1966 Championship . The Bills went into the 1966 AFL Championship having already won the game the previous two years . Though the game was to be played in Buffalo , the visiting Kansas City Chiefs were three - point favorites , mainly because of their explosive and innovative offense led by Head Coach Hank Stram . The Bills were a more conventional team with a solid defensive line and a running mindset on offense . A Bills fumble on the opening kickoff gave the Chiefs a short field to work with , and Quarterback Len Dawson immediately took advantage of it , hitting Fred Arbanas for the game ' s first score . Jack Kemp ' s first pass for the Bills was a 69 yard score to Elbert Dubenion . Late in the second quarter and trailing 14 - 7 , Kemp led the Bills to the Kansas City 10 . Bobby Crockett was open in the endzone , but Kemp ' s pass was intercepted by Johnny Robinson , who returned the ball 72 - yards , setting up a Mike Mercer field goal to close out the first half . Buffalo found no offensive rhythm in the second half , and the Chiefs closed the game out in the fourth quarter with Dawson found Chris Burford for a 45 yard gain , setting up a one foot touchdown run by rookie Mike Garrett . Garrett scored his second touchdown less than two minutes later following another Bills fumble . This was the first AFL Championship Game to determine which team would represent the league in the Super Bowl . The Chiefs lost 35 - 10 to the NFL champion Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl I . 1967 Championship . The Oakland Raiders were ten and a half point favorites over the Houston Oilers in the 1967 AFL Championship Game . Quarterback Daryle Lamonica , acquired in a trade from the Buffalo Bills in the offseason , led the Raiders to a 13 - 1 record , throwing 30 touchdown passes in the process . The Oilers went from last place in the Eastern Conference in 1966 to first in ' 67 , beating out the New York Jets by a game . Most of the Oilers ' offense centered on big fullback Hoyle Granger , and a midseason quarterback trade for the shifty Pete Beathard ( sending their own starter , Jacky Lee , to the Kansas City Chiefs ) proved to be the spark that turned Houston ' s season around . The previous meeting between the two teams had been a close game won 19 - 7 by the Raiders , with Lamonica struggling offensively . This was not the case in the rematch . Oakland took a 10 - 0 lead in the second quarter on a 69 yard run down the left sidelines by Hewritt Dixon , and on a fake field goal attempt Lamonica passed to Dave Kocourek for the 17 - 0 halftime margin . Former Oilers quarterback George Blanda , who had led Houston to the AFL ' s first two championships , kicked four field goals for the Raiders . Houston did not score until the fourth quarter , when they already trailed 30 - 0 . Oakland lost Super Bowl II to the NFL champion Green Bay Packers . 1968 playoffs . 1968 Championship . The Jets went on to win Super Bowl III to become the first AFL Super Bowl champion . 1969 playoffs . 1969 Championship . This was the final AFL Championship Game , as well as the final game played between two AFL teams before the merger with the National Football League . The Chiefs won Super Bowl IV as the last AFL champion .