AFC Championship Game
The AFC Championship Game is one of the two semi-finals of the National Football League (NFL). The winners of the divisional play-offs from the American Football Conference (AFC) compete against each other. The winner will receive the Lamar Hunt Trophy as the new champion of the AFC and will compete in the Super Bowl against the winner of the NFC Championship Game to determine the master of the NFL.
The current champions of the AFC are the Kansas City Chiefs ( 2019 season ), who defeated the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Championship Game with 35:24.
Until 1970 the AFC Championship Game was called the AFL Championship Game , since the American Football League (AFL), founded in 1959, and the NFL were two independent and competing American football leagues at that time . The AFL Championship Game was the final of the AFL. With the merger of AFL and NFL, two conferences , the AFC and National Football Conference (NFC), each with 13 teams, were founded. The AFC contained the ten teams from the former AFL. Three teams that had belonged to the NFL before the merger switched to the AFC to form two equally large conferences. These were the Pittsburgh Steelers , the Baltimore Colts, and the Cleveland Browns . The remaining 13 teams of the old NFL formed the NFC.
List of AFC Championship Games
Teams marked in bold subsequently won the Super Bowl.
| season | winner | Result | loser | Result | Venue | Stadion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Baltimore Colts (1) | 27 | Oakland Raiders | 17th | Baltimore , Maryland | Memorial Stadium |
| 1971 | Miami Dolphins (1) | 21st | Baltimore Colts | 0 | Miami , Florida | Orange Bowl Stadium |
| 1972 | Miami Dolphins (2) | 21st | Pittsburgh Steelers | 17th | Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania | Three Rivers Stadium |
| 1973 | Miami Dolphins (3) | 27 | Oakland Raiders | 10 | Miami, Florida | Orange Bowl Stadium |
| 1974 | Pittsburgh Steelers (1) | 24 | Oakland Raiders | 13 | Oakland , California | Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum |
| 1975 | Pittsburgh Steelers (2) | 16 | Oakland Raiders | 10 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Three Rivers Stadium |
| 1976 | Oakland Raiders (1) | 24 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 7th | Oakland, California | Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum |
| 1977 | Denver Broncos (1) | 20th | Oakland Raiders | 17th | Denver , Colorado | Mile High Stadium |
| 1978 | Pittsburgh Steelers (3) | 34 | Houston Oilers | 5 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Three Rivers Stadium |
| 1979 | Pittsburgh Steelers (4) | 27 | Houston Oilers | 13 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Three Rivers Stadium |
| 1980 | Oakland Raiders (2) | 34 | San Diego Chargers | 27 | San Diego , California | San Diego Stadium |
| 1981 | Cincinnati Bengals (1) | 27 | San Diego Chargers | 7th | Cincinnati , Ohio | Riverfront Stadium |
| 1982 | Miami Dolphins (4) | 14th | New York Jets | 0 | Miami, Florida | Orange Bowl Stadium |
| 1983 | Los Angeles Raiders (3) | 30th | Seattle Seahawks | 14th | Los Angeles , California | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum |
| 1984 | Miami Dolphins (5) | 45 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 28 | Miami, Florida | Orange Bowl Stadium |
| 1985 | New England Patriots (1) | 31 | Miami Dolphins | 14th | Miami, Florida | Orange Bowl Stadium |
| 1986 | Denver Broncos (2) | 23 | Cleveland Browns | 20th | Cleveland , Ohio | Cleveland Municipal Stadium |
| 1987 | Denver Broncos (3) | 38 | Cleveland Browns | 33 | Denver, Colorado | Mile High Stadium |
| 1988 | Cincinnati Bengals (2) | 21st | Buffalo Bills | 10 | Cincinnati, Ohio | Riverfront Stadium |
| 1989 | Denver Broncos (4) | 37 | Cleveland Browns | 21st | Denver, Colorado | Mile High Stadium |
| 1990 | Buffalo Bills (1) | 51 | Los Angeles Raiders | 3 | Orchard Park , New York | Rich Stadium |
| 1991 | Buffalo Bills (2) | 10 | Denver Broncos | 7th | Orchard Park, New York | Rich Stadium |
| 1992 | Buffalo Bills (3) | 29 | Miami Dolphins | 10 | Miami, Florida | Joe Robbie Stadium |
| 1993 | Buffalo Bills (4) | 30th | Kansas City Chiefs | 13 | Orchard Park, New York | Rich Stadium |
| 1994 | San Diego Chargers (1) | 17th | Pittsburgh Steelers | 13 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Three Rivers Stadium |
| 1995 | Pittsburgh Steelers (5) | 20th | Indianapolis Colts | 16 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Three Rivers Stadium |
| 1996 | New England Patriots (2) | 20th | Jacksonville Jaguars | 6th | Foxborough , Massachusetts | Foxboro Stadium |
| 1997 | Denver Broncos (5) | 24 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 21st | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Three Rivers Stadium |
| 1998 | Denver Broncos (6) | 23 | New York Jets | 10 | Denver, Colorado | Mile High Stadium |
| 1999 | Tennessee Titans (1) | 33 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 14th | Jacksonville , Florida | Alltel Stadium |
| 2000 | Baltimore Ravens (1) | 16 | Oakland Raiders | 3 | Oakland, California | Network Associates Coliseum |
| 2001 | New England Patriots (3) | 24 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 17th | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Heinz Field |
| 2002 | Oakland Raiders (4) | 41 | Tennessee Titans | 24 | Oakland, California | Network Associates Coliseum |
| 2003 | New England Patriots (4) | 24 | Indianapolis Colts | 14th | Foxborough, Massachusetts | Gillette Stadium |
| 2004 | New England Patriots (5) | 41 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 27 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Heinz Field |
| 2005 | Pittsburgh Steelers (6) | 34 | Denver Broncos | 17th | Denver, Colorado | Invesco Field at Mile High |
| 2006 | Indianapolis Colts (2) | 38 | New England Patriots | 34 | Indianapolis , Indiana | RCA dome |
| 2007 | New England Patriots (6) | 21st | San Diego Chargers | 12 | Foxborough, Massachusetts | Gillette Stadium |
| 2008 | Pittsburgh Steelers (7) | 23 | Baltimore Ravens | 14th | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Heinz Field |
| 2009 | Indianapolis Colts (3) | 30th | New York Jets | 17th | Indianapolis, Indiana | Lucas Oil Stadium |
| 2010 | Pittsburgh Steelers (8) | 24 | New York Jets | 19th | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Heinz Field |
| 2011 | New England Patriots (7) | 23 | Baltimore Ravens | 20th | Foxborough, Massachusetts | Gillette Stadium |
| 2012 | Baltimore Ravens (2) | 28 | New England Patriots | 13 | Foxborough, Massachusetts | Gillette Stadium |
| 2013 | Denver Broncos (7) | 26th | New England Patriots | 16 | Denver, Colorado | Sports Authority Field at Mile High |
| 2014 | New England Patriots (8) | 45 | Indianapolis Colts | 7th | Foxborough, Massachusetts | Gillette Stadium |
| 2015 | Denver Broncos (8) | 20th | New England Patriots | 18th | Denver, Colorado | Sports Authority Field at Mile High |
| 2016 | New England Patriots (9) | 36 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 17th | Foxborough, Massachusetts | Gillette Stadium |
| 2017 | New England Patriots (10) | 24 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 20th | Foxborough, Massachusetts | Gillette Stadium |
| 2018 | New England Patriots (11) | 37 | Kansas City Chiefs | 31 | Kansas City, Missouri | Arrowhead Stadium |
| 2019 | Kansas City Chiefs (1) | 35 | Tennessee Titans | 24 | Kansas City, Missouri | Arrowhead Stadium |
AFC Championship Game participations 1970-present
| space | team | G | V | number | % | Points | Last participation | Last championship |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New England Patriots | 11 | 4th | 15th | 73.3 | 407: 297 | 2018 | 2018 |
| 2 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 8th | 8th | 16 | 50.0 | 349: 339 | 2016 | 2010 |
| 3 | Denver Broncos | 8th | 2 | 10 | 80.0 | 235: 200 | 2015 | 2015 |
| 4th | Miami Dolphins | 5 | 2 | 7th | 71.4 | 152: 115 | 1992 | 1984 |
| 5 | Los Angeles / Oakland Raiders | 4th | 7th | 11 | 36.4 | 202: 253 | 2002 | 2002 |
| 6th | Buffalo Bills | 4th | 1 | 5 | 80.0 | 130: 54 | 1993 | 1993 |
| 7th | Baltimore / Indianapolis Colts | 3 | 4th | 7th | 42.9 | 132: 178 | 2014 | 2009 |
| 8th | Baltimore Ravens | 2 | 2 | 4th | 50.0 | 78: 62 | 2012 | 2012 |
| 9 | Cincinnati Bengals | 2 | 0 | 2 | 100 | 48: 17 | 1988 | 1988 |
| 10 | Houston Oilers / Tennessee Titans | 1 | 4th | 5 | 20.0 | 99: 151 | 2019 | 1999 |
| 11 | San Diego Chargers | 1 | 3 | 4th | 25.0 | 63: 95 | 2007 | 1994 |
| 12 | Kansas City Chiefs | 1 | 2 | 3 | 33.3 | 79: 91 | 2019 | 2019 |
| 13 | New York Jets | 0 | 4th | 4th | 0 | 46: 91 | 2010 | --- |
| 14th | Cleveland Browns | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 74: 98 | 1989 | --- |
| 15th | Jacksonville Jaguars | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 40: 77 | 2017 | --- |
| 16 | Seattle Seahawks | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 14: 30 | 1983 | --- |