NFC Championship Game
| File:Nfc-championship2005.png NFC Championship logo | |
| First played | 1970 |
|---|---|
| Trophy | George Halas |
The NFC Championship Game is one of the two semi-final playoff matches of the National Football League, the largest professional American football league in the United States. The game is played on the penultimate Sunday in January and determines the champion of the National Football Conference. The winner receives the George Halas Trophy and advances to face the winner of the AFC Championship Game in the Super Bowl. The Arizona Cardinals are the current NFC Champions.
The first NFC Championship Game was played in 1970 after the merger between the NFL and the American Football League. The game ultimately replaced the NFL Champtionship game which had taken place prior to the merger and for the first four years of the merged league. The NFC ultimately represented the original NFL as it contained all of the NFL teams with the exception of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Colts, and Cleveland Browns, whom were moved to the AFC following the merger to make the number of teams in each conference even. The NFC was formed with the remaining teams that played in the NFL before the merger.
Playoff structure
At the end of each football season, a series of playoff games involving the top six teams in the NFC are conducted, consisting of the four division champions and two wild card teams. The two teams remaining play in the NFC Championship game.
List of Championship Games
^ a: Sudden-death overtime.
NFC Championship Game appearances 1970–present
| Num | Team | W | L | PCT | PF | PA | Last appearance | Last championship | HOME games | Home wins | Home losses | Home Win Pct. | ROAD games | Road wins | Road losses | Road Win Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | Dallas Cowboys | 8 | 6 | .571 | 317 | 264 | 1995 | 1995 | 5 | 4 | 1 | .800 | 9 | 4 | 5 | .444 |
| 12 | San Francisco 49ers | 5 | 7 | .417 | 224 | 198 | 1997 | 1994 | 8 | 4 | 4 | .500 | 4 | 1 | 3 | .250 |
| 9 | Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams | 3 | 6 | .333 | 82 | 187 | 2001 | 2001 | 4 | 2 | 2 | .500 | 5 | 1 | 4 | .250 |
| 7 | Minnesota Vikings | 3 | 4 | .429 | 108 | 144 | 2000 | 1976 | 3 | 2 | 1 | .667 | 4 | 1 | 3 | .250 |
| 6 | Washington Redskins | 5 | 1 | .833 | 139 | 78 | 1991 | 1991 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 1.000 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| 6 | Philadelphia Eagles | 2 | 4 | .333 | 109 | 119 | 2008 | 2004 | 4 | 2 | 2 | .500 | 2 | 0 | 2 | .000 |
| 4 | New York Giants | 4 | 0 | 1.000 | 96 | 33 | 2007 | 2007 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1.000 |
| 4 | Green Bay Packers | 2 | 2 | .500 | 100 | 84 | 2007 | 1997 | 2 | 1 | 1 | .500 | 2 | 1 | 1 | .500 |
| 4 | Chicago Bears | 2 | 2 | .500 | 66 | 65 | 2006 | 2006 | 3 | 2 | 1 | .667 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| 3 | Carolina Panthers | 1 | 2 | .333 | 41 | 67 | 2005 | 2003 | 0 | 0 | 0 | --- | 3 | 1 | 2 | .333 |
| 3 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 1 | 2 | .333 | 33 | 30 | 2002 | 2002 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 | 2 | 1 | 1 | .500 |
| 2 | Atlanta Falcons | 1 | 1 | .500 | 40 | 54 | 2004 | 1998 | 0 | 0 | 0 | --- | 2 | 1 | 1 | .500 |
| 1 | Arizona Cardinals | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 32 | 25 | 2009 | 2009 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | --- |
| 1 | Seattle Seahawks[b] | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 34 | 14 | 2005 | 2005 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | --- |
| 1 | New Orleans Saints | 0 | 1 | .000 | 14 | 39 | 2006 | N/A | 0 | 0 | 0 | --- | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| 1 | Detroit Lions | 0 | 1 | .000 | 10 | 41 | 1991 | N/A* | 0 | 0 | 0 | --- | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 |
^ b: The Seattle Seahawks were members of the AFC from 1977 until 2002, and hold a combined 1–1 record between both Conference Championship Games.
NFC Championship Game records
- Most Victories: 8 - Dallas Cowboys (1970-71, 1975, 1977-78, 1992-93, 1995)
- Most Losses: 7* - San Francisco 49ers (1970–71, 1983, 1990, 1992–93, 1997)
- Most Appearances: 14** - Dallas Cowboys (1970-73, 1975, 1977–78, 1980-82, 1992–95)
- Most Consecutive Appearances: 4
- Most Consecutive Victories: 2 - (tie)
- Most Victories Without a Loss: 4** - New York Giants (1986, 1990, 2000, 2007)
- Most Consecutive Losses: 3* - (tie)
- Most Games Hosted: 8 - San Francisco 49ers (1970, 1981, 1984, 1989–90, 1992, 1994, 1997)
- Most numerous matchup: 6 - Dallas Cowboys vs. San Francisco 49ers (1970-1971, 1981, 1992-1994)
- Most points scored: 41 - Washington Redskins, January 12, 1992 (1991 season); New York Giants, January 14, 2001 (2000 season)
- Largest margin of victory: 41 points - January 14, 2001 (2000 season), New York Giants (41) vs. Minnesota Vikings (0)
- Fewest points scored, winning team: 9[**]; January 6, 1980 (1979 season) - Los Angeles Rams vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Most points scored, losing team: 28; January 15, 1995 (1994 season) - Dallas Cowboys vs. San Francisco 49ers
- Most aggregate points scored: 66; January 15, 1995 (1994 season) - San Francisco 49ers (38) vs. Dallas Cowboys (28)
- Fewest aggregate points scored: 9**; January 6, 1980 (1979 season) - Los Angeles Rams (9) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0)
- Longest game: 71 minutes, 52 seconds**; January 17, 1999 (1998 season) - Atlanta Falcons (30) @ Minnesota Vikings (27), OT
- Current teams which have never won an NFC Championship
- New Orleans Saints (0–1)
- Detroit Lions (0–1)
- Longest drought without appearing in an NFC Championship Game: 17 years
- Longest drought without an NFC Championship: 32 years**; Minnesota Vikings (last championship - 1976)
*Tied for Conference Championship record
^ **: Conference Championship record
Trivia
1. From 1970-1982 (13 years) the NFC Championship always featured the Dallas Cowboys or Los Angeles Rams.
Broadcasting
See also
References
- Time Almanac 2004