Background
The AFL or AFC champion is not necessarily the team with the best record in the regular season. Rather, the champion is decided by the AFC Championship Game (formerly the AFL Championship Game) as part of the post-season playoffs involving the teams with the best regular season records. The Houston Oilers won the first two AFL championships, in 1960 and 1961. The only other team to win two consecutive AFL championships prior to the merger was the Buffalo Bills, who won in 1964 and 1965 with future United States Congressman, HUD Secretary and Vice-Presidential nominee Jack Kemp at quarterback. The first team to win three consecutive AFL or AFC championships was the Miami Dolphins in 1971 through 1973. The only team to win to win four consecutive AFL or AFC championships was the Buffalo Bills in 1990 through 1993.
Through the 2010 season, the most AFL or AFC championships won by any team is eight, by the Pittsburgh Steelers. The New England Patriots have won seven AFC championships. Two teams, the Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos, have each won six AFL or AFC championships. The Miami Dolphins and Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders have each won five AFL or AFC championships. The Raiders have also been the AFL or AFC runner up, as a result of losing the AFL or AFC Championship Game, a record nine times. The Steelers and Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers have each been the runner up seven times.
The record for the most regular season wins by an AFL or AFC champion is 16, by the 2007 New England Patriots, with a perfect 16–0 record. No AFL or AFC champion has won exactly 15 games. Seven AFL or AFC champions have won 14 games, including three Miami Dolphins teams. Six of the teams that won 14 games did so in a 16 game season. Only the 1972 Miami Dolphins won 14 games in a 14 game season, with their perfect 14–0 record.
Don Shula was the head coach for five AFL or AFC championship teams, more than any other head coach. Shula coached the Miami Dolphins to AFC championships in 1971, 1972, 1973, 1982 and 1984. Chuck Noll, Marv Levy and Bill Belichick each coached four AFC champions. Hank Stram and Dan Reeves each coached three AFL or AFC champions.
John Elway and Tom Brady have been the starting quarterback for five AFL or AFC championship teams, more tham any other quarterback. Elway was the starring quarterback for the 1986, 1987, 1989, 1997 and 1998 Denver Broncos. Tom Brady was the starting quarterback for the 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007 and 2011 New England Patriots. Terry Bradshaw and Jim Kelly were each the stating quarterback for four AFC champions.
Franco Harris and Thurman Thomas were each the leader in rushing yards for an AFC champion four times. Larry Csonka was the leader in rushing yards for an AFC champion three times. Andre Reed was the leader in receiving yards for an AFC champion four times. Paul Warfield was the leader in receiving yards for an AFC champion three times.
The 1973 Miami Dolphins had seven first team All-Pros, more than any other AFC champion since the NFC/AFC merger. The 1971 Miami Dolphins, 1979 Pittsburgh Steelers and 2007 New England Patriots each had five 1st team All-Pros. The 1970 Baltimore Colts, 1982 Miami Dolphins, 1987 Denver Broncos and 1996 and 2001 New England Patriots did not have any 1st team All-Pros. Jack Ham is the only defensive player to be named as a 1st team All-Pro for four AFC champions. Ham was a 1st team All-Pro for the 1974, 1975, 1978 and 1979 Pittsburgh Steelers. Larry Little is the only offensive lineman to be named as a 1st team All-Pro for three AFC champions, the 1971–1973 Miami Dolphins. Garo Yepremian is the only kicker to be named as a 1st team All-Pro for two AFC champions, the 1971 and 1973 Miami Dolphins.
At the end of the 1966 season, the Super Bowl began to be played between the AFL champion and the NFL champion. After the AFL/NFL merger in 1970, the Super Bowl continued to be played between the AFC champion and the NFC champion. The AFL champion lost the first two Super Bowls. The 1968 AFL champion New York Jets with Joe Namath at quarterback became the first AFL team to win the Super Bowl. Starting with that Super Bowl, the AFL or AFC champion won 11 out of 13 Super Bowls. However, the AFC champion lost 13 consecutive Super Bowls, from the 1984 AFC champion Miami Dolphins through the 1996 AFC champion New England Patriots. Overall, the AFL or AFC champion has won 21 of the 45 Super Bowls played through the end of the 2009 season.
Read more about this topic: List Of AFC Champions
Famous quotes containing the word background:
“In the true sense one’s native land, with its background of tradition, early impressions, reminiscences and other things dear to one, is not enough to make sensitive human beings feel at home.”
—Emma Goldman (1869–1940)
“Silence is the universal refuge, the sequel to all dull discourses and all foolish acts, a balm to our every chagrin, as welcome after satiety as after disappointment; that background which the painter may not daub, be he master or bungler, and which, however awkward a figure we may have made in the foreground, remains ever our inviolable asylum, where no indignity can assail, no personality can disturb us.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“Pilate with his question “What is truth?” is gladly trotted out these days as an advocate of Christ, so as to arouse the suspicion that everything known and knowable is an illusion and to erect the cross upon that gruesome background of the impossibility of knowledge.”
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)