Professional American football championship games
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Below is a list of professional football championship games in the United States, involving:
- the American Professional Football Association/National Football League, the first professional football league;
- the All-America Football Conference (AAFC, 1946-1949),
- the American Football League (AFL, 1960-1969);
- the World Football League (WFL, 1974); and
- the United States Football League (USFL, 1983-85)
Although the American Professional Football Association (APFA) started play in 1920, the league and its successor, the NFL, conducted play for thirteen years before conceiving a "championship game". From 1920 through 1932, league "champions" were determined by won-loss record, but the schedules and rules were so ill-defined that conflicts exist to this day over who the actual champions were. Some teams played more games than others; some played against college or semi-pro teams; some played after the season was over, some stopped play before a season was over. For example, in 1921, the Buffalo All-Americans disputed the Chicago Staleys' title, and in 1925, the Pottsville Maroons claimed the championship was theirs, not the Chicago Cardinals'.
The APFA had no championship games before it changed its name to the NFL in 1922. Boston/Washington Redskins owner George Preston Marshall is credited with significant innovations by the NFL. In 1933, Marshall convinced the NFL to play a championship game between two division winners. Thus, 1933 was the year of the first professional football championship game in the United States. See National Football League championships. Since there were only four seasons (1966 - 1969) which ended with games between the champions of two different leagues, there have been only four true world championships of professional football. Claims by the NFL or other leagues that their champions were world champions in other years are spurious.
Professional Football Championship Games
(Years indicate the SEASON, not necessarily the year in which the game was played.)
- 1933 (NFL) - Chicago Bears 23, New York Giants 21
- 1934 (NFL) - New York Giants 30, Chicago Bears 13
- 1935 (NFL) - Detroit Lions 26, New York Giants 7
- 1936 (NFL) - Green Bay Packers 21, Boston Redskins 6
- 1937 (NFL) - Washington Redskins 28, Chicago Bears 21
- 1938 (NFL) - New York Giants 23, Green Bay Packers 17
- 1939 (NFL) - Green Bay Packers 27, New York Giants 0
- 1940 (NFL) - Chicago Bears 73, Washington Redskins 0
- 1941 (NFL) - Chicago Bears 37, New York Giants 9
- 1942 (NFL) - Washington Redskins 14, Chicago Bears 6
- 1943 (NFL) - Chicago Bears 41, Washington Redskins 21
- 1944 (NFL) - Green Bay Packers 14, New York Giants 7
- 1945 (NFL) - Cleveland Rams 15, Washington Redskins 14
- 1946 (AAFC) - Cleveland Browns 14 New York Yankees 9
- 1946 (NFL) - Chicago Bears 24, New York Giants 14
- 1947 (AAFC) - Cleveland Browns 14 New York Yankees 3
- 1947 (NFL) - Chicago Cardinals 28, Philadelphia Eagles 21
- 1948 (AAFC) - Cleveland Browns 49 Buffalo Bills 7
- 1948 (NFL) - Philadelphia Eagles 7, Chicago Cardinals 0
- 1949 (AAFC) - Cleveland Browns 21 San Francisco 49ers 7
- 1949 (NFL) - Philadelphia Eagles 14, Los Angeles Rams 0
- 1950 (NFL) - Cleveland Browns 30, Los Angeles Rams 28
- 1951 (NFL) - Los Angeles Rams 24, Cleveland Browns 17
- 1952 (NFL) - Detroit Lions 17, Cleveland Browns 7
- 1953 (NFL) - Detroit Lions 17, Cleveland Browns 16
- 1954 (NFL) - Cleveland Browns 56, Detroit Lions 10
- 1955 (NFL) - Cleveland Browns 38, Los Angeles Rams 14
- 1956 (NFL) - New York Giants 47, Chicago Bears 7
- 1957 (NFL) - Detroit Lions 59, Cleveland Browns 14
- 1958 (NFL) - Baltimore Colts 23, New York Giants 17 (OT)
- 1959 (NFL) - Baltimore Colts 31, New York Giants 16
- 1960 (AFL) - Houston Oilers 24, Los Angeles Chargers 16
- 1960 (NFL) - Philadelphia Eagles 17, Green Bay Packers 13
- 1961 (AFL) - Houston Oilers 10, San Diego Chargers 3
- 1961 (NFL) - Green Bay Packers 37, New York Giants 0
- 1962 (AFL) - Dallas Texans 20, Houston Oilers 17 (double OT)
- 1962 (NFL) - Green Bay Packers 16, New York Giants 7
- 1963 (AFL) - San Diego Chargers 51, Boston Patriots 10
- 1963 (NFL) - Chicago Bears 14, New York Giants 10
- 1964 (AFL) - Buffalo Bills 20, San Diego Chargers 7
- 1964 (NFL) - Cleveland Browns 27, Baltimore Colts 0
- 1965 (AFL) - Buffalo Bills 23, San Diego Chargers 0
- 1965 (NFL) - Green Bay Packers 23, Cleveland Browns 12
- 1966 (AFL) - Kansas City Chiefs 31, Buffalo Bills 7
- 1966 (NFL) - Green Bay Packers 34, Dallas Cowboys 27
- 1966 (Super Bowl I) - 1/15/67 NFL Green Bay Packers 35, AFL Kansas City Chiefs 10
- 1967 (AFL) - Oakland Raiders 40, Houston Oilers 7
- 1967 (NFL) - Green Bay Packers 21, Dallas Cowboys 17
- 1967 (Super Bowl II) - 1/14/68 NFL Green Bay Packers 33, AFL Oakland Raiders 14
- 1968 (AFL) - New York Jets 27, Oakland Raiders 23
- 1968 (NFL) - Baltimore Colts 34, Cleveland Browns 0
- 1968 (Super Bowl III) - 1/12/69 AFL New York Jets 16, NFL Baltimore Colts 7
- 1969 (AFL) - Kansas City Chiefs 17, Oakland Raiders 7
- 1969 (NFL) - Minnesota Vikings 27, Cleveland Browns 7
- 1969 (Super Bowl IV) - 1/11/70 AFL Kansas City Chiefs 23, NFL Minnesota Vikings 7
- 1970 (NFL) - Super Bowl V - 1/17/71 AFC Baltimore Colts 16, NFC Dallas Cowboys 13
- 1971 (NFL) - Super Bowl VI - 1/16/72 NFC Dallas Cowboys 24, AFC Miami Dolphins 3
- 1972 (NFL) - Super Bowl VII - 1/14/73 AFC Miami Dolphins 14, NFC Washington Redskins 7
- 1973 (NFL) - Super Bowl VIII - 1/13/74 AFC Miami Dolphins 24, NFC Minnesota Vikings 7
- 1974 (WFL) - Birmingham Americans 22 Florida Blazers 21
- 1974 (NFL) - Super Bowl IX - 1/12/75 AFC Pittsburgh Steelers 16, NFC Minnesota Vikings 6
- 1975 (NFL) - Super Bowl X - 1/18/76 AFC Pittsburgh Steelers 21, NFC Dallas Cowboys 17
- 1976 (NFL) - Super Bowl XI - 1/09/77 AFC Oakland Raiders 32, NFC Minnesota Vikings 14
- 1977 (NFL) - Super Bowl XII - 1/15/78 NFC Dallas Cowboys 27, AFC Denver Broncos 10
- 1978 (NFL) - Super Bowl XIII - 1/21/79 AFC Pittsburgh Steelers 35, NFC Dallas Cowboys 31
- 1979 (NFL) - Super Bowl XIV - 1/20/80 AFC Pittsburgh Steelers 31, NFC Los Angeles Rams19
- 1980 (NFL) - Super Bowl XV - 1/25/81 AFC Oakland Raiders 27, NFC Philadelphia Eagles 10
- 1981 (NFL) - Super Bowl XVI - 1/24/82 NFC San Francisco 49ers 26, AFC Cincinnati Bengals 21
- 1982 (NFL) - Super Bowl XVII - 1/30/83 NFC Washington Redskins 27, AFC Miami Dolphins 17
- 1983 (USFL) -Michigan Panthers 24, Philadelphia Stars 22
- 1983 (NFL) - Super Bowl XVIII - 1/22/84 AFC Los Angeles Raiders 38, NFC Washington Redskins 9
- 1984 (USFL)- Philadelphia Stars 23, Arizona Wranglers 3
- 1984 (NFL) - Super Bowl XIX - 1/20/85 NFC San Francisco 49ers 38, AFC Miami Dolphins 16
- 1985 (USFL) - Baltimore Stars 28, Oakland Invaders 24
- 1985 (NFL) - Super Bowl XX - 1/26/86 NFC Chicago Bears 46, AFC New England Patriots 10
- 1986 (NFL) - Super Bowl XXI - 1/25/87 NFC New York Giants 39, AFC Denver Broncos 20
- 1987 (NFL) - Super Bowl XXII - 1/31/88 NFC Washington Redskins 42, AFC Denver Broncos 10
- 1988 (NFL) - Super Bowl XXIII - 1/22/89 NFC San Francisco 49ers 20, AFC Cincinnati Bengals 16
- 1989 (NFL) - Super Bowl XXIV - 1/28/90 NFC San Francisco 49ers 55, AFC Denver Broncos 10
- 1990 (NFL) - Super Bowl XXV - 1/27/91 NFC New York Giants 20, AFC Buffalo Bills 19
- 1991 (NFL) - Super Bowl XXVI - 1/26/92 NFC Washington Redskins 37, AFC Buffalo Bills 24
- 1992 (NFL) - Super Bowl XXVII - 1/31/93 NFC Dallas Cowboys 52, AFC Buffalo Bills 17
- 1993 (NFL) - Super Bowl XXVIII - 1/30/94 NFC Dallas Cowboys 30, AFC Buffalo Bills 13
- 1994 (NFL) - Super Bowl XXIX - 1/29/95 NFC San Francisco 49ers 40, AFC San Diego Chargers 26
- 1995 (NFL) - Super Bowl XXX - 1/28/96 NFC Dallas Cowboys 27, AFC Pittsburgh Steelers 17
- 1996 (NFL) - Super Bowl XXXI - 1/26/97 NFC Green Bay Packers 35, AFC New England Patriots 21
- 1997 (NFL) - Super Bowl XXXII - 1/25/98 AFC Denver Broncos 31, NFC Green Bay Packers 24
- 1998 (NFL) - Super Bowl XXXIII - 1/31/99 AFC Denver Broncos 34, NFC Atlanta Falcons 19
- 1999 (NFL) - Super Bowl XXXIV - 1/30/00 NFC Saint Louis Rams 23, AFC Tennessee Titans 16
- 2000 (NFL) - Super Bowl XXXV - 1/28/01 AFC Baltimore Ravens 34, NFC New York Giants 7
- 2001 (NFL) - Super Bowl XXXVI - 2/03/02 AFC New England Patriots 20, NFC Saint Louis Rams 17
- 2002 (NFL) - Super Bowl XXXVII - 1/26/03 NFC Tampa Bay Buccaneers 48, AFC Oakland Raiders 21
- 2003 (NFL) - Super Bowl XXXVIII - 2/1/04 AFC New England Patriots 32, NFC Carolina Panthers 29
- 2004 (NFL) - Super Bowl XXXIX - 2/6/05 AFC New England Patriots 24, NFC Philadelphia Eagles 21
External Link
- American Football League Championship Game summaries on Robert Phillips' site (http://aflfootball.tripod.com/championship/1960.html)