From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a list of National Football League (NFL)
champions before the 1970 AFL–NFL merger. From 1920–1932, the
league champion was determined by a team's win–loss percentage,
with ties omitted.
In 1932,
because of a tie in the final standings, a playoff game was played to
determine the championship.[2]
In 1933,
the NFL played its first official championship game.[2]
On July 8, 1933, the NFL was divided into two divisions, which were
renamed as conferences after 1949, and the winners of each
division/conference played each other to determine the league
champion.[2]
This format would remain through the 1966 season. Any ties in the regular
season standings resulted in a playoff game, while the winner of
the other conference stood idle. This last occurred in 1965.
In 1967,
the then-16-team NFL split each conference into two divisions of
four teams each. From 1967–69, the division winners met in a
conference championship game. The two conference champions then
played for the NFL championship. Starting with the 1966 season,
the NFL champion played the American Football League
champion in what would become the Super Bowl.
Since the completion of the merger in 1970, the Super Bowl has served as
the NFL championship game. Unlike the Super Bowl, which is
contested at a site selected years in advance, NFL championship games from 1933 to 1969 took place
at the home field of one of the competing teams. Home field was not
determined by record but alternated between the conferences: the
East hosted the even-numbered seasons and the West the odds.
Starting with the 1934 game, the winning team received the Ed
Thorp Memorial Trophy, which had replaced the Brunswick-Balke Collender
Cup, the league's original championship trophy that had gone
missing 13 years earlier. 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 (just like its predecessor). Teams
would also receive a replica trophy. The trophy was last awarded to
the Minnesota Vikings in 1969. It is now missing.[3]
End-of-season
championships
The number in parentheses indicates the number of championships
the franchise has won.
- Note: From 1920–71, the NFL did not
officially include tie games in the winning percentage.
- ^
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. The Buffalo All-Americans and Decatur Staleys
disputed the title but lost.
- ^
The Buffalo
All-Americans disputed the title but lost. The Chicago Staleys
were renamed the Chicago Bears in 1922.
- ^
The NFL considers the Canton Bulldogs and the Cleveland
Bulldogs to be separate franchises. The Chicago Bears
disputed the title but lost.
- ^
The Chicago Cardinals were named the 1925 NFL Champions as a result
of the league's controversial ruling
concerning the Pottsville Maroons.
- ^
At the end of the 1932 season the Chicago Bears and Portsmouth Spartans
finished regularly scheduled games tied for first place. The Bears
won a playoff game, which counted in
the standings, 9–0.
NFL
Championships
The number in parentheses indicates the number of championships
the franchise has won and the number of times a particular location
has hosted the game.
| Eastern/American
Division/Conference* |
Western/National
Division/Conference† |
| Season |
Winning Team |
Score |
Losing Team |
Location |
Attendance |
Television |
| 1933 |
Chicago Bears† (3) |
23–21 |
New York Giants* |
Wrigley
Field |
26,000 |
|
| 1934 |
New York Giants* (2) |
30–13 |
Chicago Bears† |
Polo
Grounds |
35,059 |
|
| 1935 |
Detroit Lions† |
26–7 |
New York Giants* |
University of Detroit
Stadium |
15,000 |
|
| 1936 |
Green Bay Packers† (4) |
21–6 |
Boston Redskins* |
Polo Grounds
(2) |
29,545 |
|
| 1937 |
Washington Redskins* |
28–21 |
Chicago Bears† |
Wrigley
Field (2) |
15,870 |
|
| 1938 |
New York Giants* (3) |
23–17 |
Green Bay Packers† |
Polo Grounds
(3) |
48,120 |
|
| 1939 |
Green Bay Packers† (5) |
27–0 |
New York Giants* |
Wisconsin
State Fair Park |
32,279 |
|
| 1940 |
Chicago Bears† (4) |
73–0 |
Washington Redskins* |
Griffith
Stadium |
36,034 |
|
| 1941 |
Chicago Bears† (5) |
37–9 |
New York Giants* |
Wrigley
Field (3) |
13,341 |
|
| 1942 |
Washington Redskins* (2) |
14–6 |
Chicago Bears† |
Griffith
Stadium (2) |
36,006 |
|
| 1943 |
Chicago Bears† (6) |
41–21 |
Washington Redskins* |
Wrigley
Field (4) |
34,320 |
|
| 1944 |
Green Bay Packers† (6) |
14–7 |
New York Giants* |
Polo Grounds
(4) |
46,016 |
|
| 1945 |
Cleveland Rams† |
15–14 |
Washington Redskins* |
Cleveland Municipal Stadium |
32,178 |
|
| 1946 |
Chicago Bears† (7) |
24–14 |
New York Giants* |
Polo Grounds
(5) |
58,346 |
|
| 1947 |
Chicago Cardinals† (2) |
28–21 |
Philadelphia Eagles* |
Comiskey
Park |
30,759 |
|
| 1948 |
Philadelphia Eagles* |
7–0 |
Chicago Cardinals† |
Shibe Park |
36,309 |
ABC |
| 1949 |
Philadelphia Eagles* (2) |
14–0 |
Los Angeles Rams† |
Los Angeles Memorial
Coliseum |
27,980 |
|
| 1950 |
Cleveland Browns* |
30–28 |
Los Angeles Rams† |
Cleveland Municipal Stadium (2) |
29,751 |
ABC |
| 1951 |
Los Angeles Rams† (2) |
24–17 |
Cleveland Browns* |
Los Angeles Memorial
Coliseum (2) |
57,522 |
DuMont |
| 1952 |
Detroit Lions† (2) |
17–7 |
Cleveland Browns* |
Cleveland Municipal Stadium (3) |
50,934 |
DuMont |
| 1953 |
Detroit Lions† (3) |
17–16 |
Cleveland Browns* |
Briggs Stadium |
54,577 |
DuMont |
| 1954 |
Cleveland Browns* (2) |
56–10 |
Detroit Lions† |
Cleveland Municipal Stadium (4) |
43,827 |
DuMont |
| 1955 |
Cleveland Browns* (3) |
38–14 |
Los Angeles Rams† |
Los Angeles Memorial
Coliseum (3) |
85,693 |
NBC |
| 1956 |
New York Giants* (4) |
47–7 |
Chicago Bears† |
Yankee Stadium |
56,836 |
NBC |
| 1957 |
Detroit Lions† (4) |
59–14 |
Cleveland Browns* |
Briggs Stadium (2) |
55,263 |
NBC |
| 1958 |
Baltimore Colts† |
23–17 (OT) |
New York Giants* |
Yankee Stadium (2) |
64,185 |
NBC |
| 1959 |
Baltimore Colts† (2) |
31–16 |
New York Giants* |
Memorial Stadium |
57,545 |
NBC |
| 1960 |
Philadelphia Eagles* (3) |
17–13 |
Green Bay Packers† |
Franklin
Field |
67,325 |
NBC |
| 1961 |
Green Bay Packers† (7) |
37–0 |
New York Giants* |
"New" City
Stadium |
39,029 |
NBC |
| 1962 |
Green Bay Packers† (8) |
16–7 |
New York Giants* |
Yankee Stadium (3) |
64,892 |
NBC |
| 1963 |
Chicago Bears† (8) |
14–10 |
New York Giants* |
Wrigley
Field (5) |
45,801 |
NBC |
| 1964 |
Cleveland Browns* (4) |
27–0 |
Baltimore Colts† |
Cleveland Municipal Stadium (5) |
79,544 |
CBS |
| 1965 |
Green Bay Packers† (9) |
23–12 |
Cleveland Browns* |
Lambeau
Field (2) |
50,777 |
CBS |
- In 1950, 1951, and 1952, the league's two divisions (Eastern
and Western) were renamed the American and National Conferences,
respectively. In 1953, the conferences were renamed the Eastern and
Western Conferences.
- The site at Wisconsin State Fair Park where the Packers played
their two games a year was the infield of The Milwaukee
Mile.
NFL Championships
during the Super Bowl era
The number in parentheses indicates the number of championships
the franchise has won and the number of times a particular location
has hosted the game.
| Eastern
Conference* |
Western
Conference† |
- Between 1966 and the merger in 1970, the NFL champions would go
on to play the AFL champions in Super Bowls I, II, III, and IV.
Championship
Game appearances 1933–1969
| Eastern/American
Division/Conference* |
Western/National
Division/Conference† |
Records
- The Cleveland Browns made six straight
appearances in the NFL championship game (1950–55). The Chicago Bears and
the Buffalo
Bills made four straight.
- The Green Bay Packers won 3 straight
championship games twice (1929–31 and 1965–67), and the most over all
championships with 12.
- The Philadelphia Eagles are the only
team to win back-to-back championships by shutouts, defeating the
Chicago Cardinals, 7–0,
in 1948 — in a blizzard — and
the Los Angeles Rams, 14–0, in
1949.
- In 1960, the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Green Bay
Packers, by a score of 17–13, thereby becoming the only team to
defeat Vince
Lombardi and his Packers in the playoffs.
- The Browns lost 3 straight (1951–53) as did the
New York Giants (1961–63).
- The Boston Redskins were the host team
for the 1936
championship game, but team owner George Preston Marshall sold
the game site to the Polo Grounds in New York City. The Redskins moved south
to Washington following the game.
- In the 37 NFL Championship games played, the teams from the
Western Division / National / Western Conference won 25 of the
games, to the Eastern Division / American / Eastern Conference
teams' total of 12.
- The home team was 25–12 (.676).
- Attendance
- Host Stadiums
- Cleveland Municipal Stadium hosted 6 games (1 with the Rams and
5 with the Browns)
- Wrigley Field hosted 5 (all with the Bears)
- Polo Grounds hosted 5 (4 with the Giants and the 1936 game
moved by the Redskins)
- First and last points scored
- 1933: first points were scored by Chicago's Jack Manders a
field goal. The first touchdown was scored by New York on a
touchdown pass from Harry Newman to Morris "Red" Badrgo.
- 1969: last field goal was scored on a 3rd quarter kick by
Minnesota's Fred Cox. The last points scored was on a Cleveland
touchdown pass from Bill Nelsen to Gary Collins with the extra
point scored by Don Cockroft.
- Winning and losing player shares
- 1933 –
Each Chicago player received $210.34 and each New York player
received $140.22.
- Note
- After the 1970 AFL–NFL merger and the emergence of the
Super Bowl, all NFL
league championship games prior to merger are listed along with the
NFC conference championship games in the NFL's official
records.
- A third-place game was played during the 1960s. The Playoff Bowl was
played in January in Miami. The NFL
officially classifies these ten games (and statistics) as
exhibitions, not playoff games.
See also
References
External
links
| National Football League Championship Games
(1933–present) |
|
NFL Championship Game
(1933–1969) |
|
|
AFL Championship Game
(1960–1969) |
|
|
AFL-NFL World Championship
Games[1]
(1966–1969) |
1966 ( I) • 1967 ( II) • 1968 ( III) • 1969 ( IV) |
|
Super
Bowl[2]
(1970–present)
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
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