List of NFL champions (1920–1969) facts for kids
The National Football League champions are the teams that won the NFL's top prize each year. Before 1970, the way the champion was decided changed a few times. The NFL started on September 17, 1920, but it was first called the American Professional Football Association (APFA). In 1922, it changed its name to the National Football League, which it still is today.
From 1921 to 1931, the champion was the team with the best winning record. There were no playoff games back then. Ties didn't count in the winning percentage. For the 1920 season, the APFA didn't keep official records. Instead, the team owners voted the Akron Pros as the first champions. They had 8 wins, 0 losses, and 3 ties. The Canton Bulldogs won two championships in a row in 1922 and 1923. The Green Bay Packers won three straight from 1929 to 1931.
In 1932, the Chicago Bears and Portsmouth Spartans ended up tied for first place. The usual system couldn't pick a winner. So, they played a special playoff game to decide. Chicago won and became the champion. The next year, the NFL split into two groups called divisions. The best team from each division would then play in the NFL Championship Game to find the overall champion.
Later, in 1967, the NFL and another league, the American Football League (AFL), decided to join together. This "merger" would happen after the 1969 season. As part of this plan, the NFL champion from 1966 to 1969 would play the AFL champion in a game called the AFL–NFL World Championship Game. This game is now known as the Super Bowl. The NFL Championship Game ended after the 1969 season. Now, the winners of the NFC Championship Game and the AFC Championship Game play each other in the Super Bowl to decide the NFL champion.
The Green Bay Packers won the most NFL championships before the merger. They won eleven out of fifty titles. They were also the only team to win three championships in a row, and they did it twice! This happened from 1929–31 and again from 1965–67. The Chicago Bears won eight titles. The Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, and New York Giants each won four. The Bears had the biggest win in a championship game. They beat the Washington Redskins 73–0 in the 1940 NFL Championship Game. Six other championship games ended with one team scoring zero points. The Philadelphia Eagles had two shutouts in a row in 1948 and 1949. New York City hosted the most championship games, with eight. The game with the most fans was the 1955 NFL Championship Game. 85,693 people watched the Browns beat the Los Angeles Rams 38–14 in Los Angeles.
Contents
APFA/NFL Champions (1920–1932)
During these years, the champion was the team with the best winning percentage. The number in parentheses shows how many championships that team had won so far.
| Season | Champion | Wins | Losses | Ties | Pct. | Runner-up | Wins | Losses | Ties | Pct. | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | Akron Pros | 8 | 0 | 3 | 1.000 | Decatur Staleys | 10 | 1 | 2 | .909 | |
| 1921 | Chicago Staleys | 9 | 1 | 1 | .900 | Buffalo All-Americans | 9 | 1 | 2 | .900 | |
| 1922 | Canton Bulldogs | 10 | 0 | 1 | 1.000 | Chicago Bears | 9 | 3 | 0 | .750 | |
| 1923 | Canton Bulldogs (2) | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1.000 | Chicago Bears | 9 | 2 | 1 | .818 | |
| 1924 | Cleveland Bulldogs | 7 | 1 | 1 | .875 | Chicago Bears | 6 | 1 | 4 | .857 | |
| 1925 | Chicago Cardinals | 11 | 2 | 1 | .846 | Pottsville Maroons | 10 | 2 | 0 | .833 | |
| 1926 | Frankford Yellow Jackets | 14 | 1 | 2 | .933 | Chicago Bears | 12 | 1 | 3 | .923 | |
| 1927 | New York Giants | 11 | 1 | 1 | .917 | Green Bay Packers | 7 | 2 | 1 | .778 | |
| 1928 | Providence Steam Roller | 8 | 1 | 2 | .889 | Frankford Yellow Jackets | 11 | 3 | 2 | .786 | |
| 1929 | Green Bay Packers | 12 | 0 | 1 | 1.000 | New York Giants | 13 | 1 | 1 | .929 | |
| 1930 | Green Bay Packers (2) | 10 | 3 | 1 | .769 | New York Giants | 13 | 4 | 0 | .765 | |
| 1931 | Green Bay Packers (3) | 12 | 2 | 0 | .857 | Portsmouth Spartans | 11 | 3 | 0 | .786 | |
| 1932 | Chicago Bears (2) | 7 | 1 | 6 | .875 | Green Bay Packers | 10 | 3 | 1 | .769 |
NFL Championship Games (1933–1969)
From 1933 onwards, the NFL held a championship game between the winners of its two divisions. The numbers in parentheses show how many times that team had won the NFL championship up to that game.
| Divisions/Conferences | |
|---|---|
| Eastern Division (1933–1949)‡ | Western Division (1933–1949)^ |
| American Conference (1950–1952)‡ | National Conference (1950–1952)^ |
| Eastern Conference (1953–1969)‡ | Western Conference (1953–1969)^ |
| Season | Date | Winning team | Score | Losing team | Venue | City | Attendance | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1933 | December 17, 1933 | Chicago Bears (3)^ | 23–21 | New York Giants‡ | Wrigley Field | Chicago, Illinois | 26,000 | |
| 1934 | December 9, 1934 | New York Giants (2)‡ | 30–13 | Chicago Bears^ | Polo Grounds | New York City, New York | 35,059 | |
| 1935 | December 15, 1935 | Detroit Lions | 26–7 | New York Giants‡ | University of Detroit Stadium | Detroit, Michigan | 15,000 | |
| 1936 | December 13, 1936 | Green Bay Packers (4)^ | 21–6 | Boston Redskins‡ | Polo Grounds (2) | New York City, New York (2) | 29,545 | |
| 1937 | December 12, 1937 | Washington Redskins‡ | 28–21 | Chicago Bears^ | Wrigley Field (2) | Chicago, Illinois (2) | 15,870 | |
| 1938 | December 11, 1938 | New York Giants (3)‡ | 23–17 | Green Bay Packers^ | Polo Grounds (3) | New York City, New York (3) | 48,120 | |
| 1939 | December 10, 1939 | Green Bay Packers (5)^ | 27–0 | New York Giants‡ | Dairy Bowl | West Allis, Wisconsin | 32,279 | |
| 1940 | December 8, 1940 | Chicago Bears (4)^ | 73–0 | Washington Redskins‡ | Griffith Stadium | Washington, D.C. | 36,034 | |
| 1941 | December 21, 1941 | Chicago Bears (5)^ | 37–9 | New York Giants‡ | Wrigley Field (3) | Chicago, Illinois (3) | 13,341 | |
| 1942 | December 13, 1942 | Washington Redskins (2)‡ | 14–6 | Chicago Bears^ | Griffith Stadium (2) | Washington, D.C. (2) | 36,006 | |
| 1943 | December 26, 1943 | Chicago Bears (6)^ | 41–21 | Washington Redskins‡ | Wrigley Field (4) | Chicago, Illinois (4) | 34,320 | |
| 1944 | December 17, 1944 | Green Bay Packers (6)^ | 14–7 | New York Giants‡ | Polo Grounds (4) | New York City, New York (4) | 46,016 | |
| 1945 | December 16, 1945 | Cleveland Rams^ | 15–14 | Washington Redskins‡ | Cleveland Stadium | Cleveland, Ohio | 32,178 | |
| 1946 | December 15, 1946 | Chicago Bears (7)^ | 24–14 | New York Giants‡ | Polo Grounds (5) | New York City, New York (5) | 58,346 | |
| 1947 | December 28, 1947 | Chicago Cardinals (2)^ | 28–21 | Philadelphia Eagles‡ | Comiskey Park | Chicago, Illinois (5) | 30,759 | |
| 1948 | December 19, 1948 | Philadelphia Eagles‡ | 7–0 | Chicago Cardinals^ | Shibe Park | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 36,309 | |
| 1949 | December 18, 1949 | Philadelphia Eagles (2)‡ | 14–0 | Los Angeles Rams^ | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | Los Angeles, California | 27,980 | |
| 1950 | December 24, 1950 | Cleveland Browns‡ | 30–28 | Los Angeles Rams^ | Cleveland Stadium (2) | Cleveland, Ohio (2) | 29,751 | |
| 1951 | December 23, 1951 | Los Angeles Rams (2)^ | 24–17 | Cleveland Browns‡ | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (2) | Los Angeles, California (2) | 57,522 | |
| 1952 | December 28, 1952 | Detroit Lions (2)^ | 17–7 | Cleveland Browns‡ | Cleveland Stadium (3) | Cleveland, Ohio (3) | 50,934 | |
| 1953 | December 27, 1953 | Detroit Lions (3)^ | 17–16 | Cleveland Browns‡ | Briggs Stadium | Detroit, Michigan (2) | 54,577 | |
| 1954 | December 26, 1954 | Cleveland Browns (2)‡ | 56–10 | Detroit Lions^ | Cleveland Stadium (4) | Cleveland, Ohio (4) | 43,827 | |
| 1955 | December 26, 1955 | Cleveland Browns (3)‡ | 38–14 | Los Angeles Rams^ | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (3) | Los Angeles, California (3) | 85,693 | |
| 1956 | December 30, 1956 | New York Giants (4)‡ | 47–7 | Chicago Bears^ | Yankee Stadium | New York City, New York (6) | 56,836 | |
| 1957 | December 29, 1957 | Detroit Lions (4)^ | 59–14 | Cleveland Browns‡ | Briggs Stadium (2) | Detroit, Michigan (3) | 55,263 | |
| 1958 | December 28, 1958 | Baltimore Colts^ | 23–17 | New York Giants‡ | Yankee Stadium (2) | New York City, New York (7) | 64,185 | |
| 1959 | December 27, 1959 | Baltimore Colts (2)^ | 31–16 | New York Giants‡ | Memorial Stadium | Baltimore, Maryland | 57,545 | |
| 1960 | December 26, 1960 | Philadelphia Eagles (3)‡ | 17–13 | Green Bay Packers^ | Franklin Field | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2) | 67,325 | |
| 1961 | December 31, 1961 | Green Bay Packers (7)^ | 37–0 | New York Giants‡ | City Stadium | Green Bay, Wisconsin | 39,029 | |
| 1962 | December 30, 1962 | Green Bay Packers (8)^ | 16–7 | New York Giants‡ | Yankee Stadium (3) | New York City, New York (8) | 64,892 | |
| 1963 | December 29, 1963 | Chicago Bears (8)^ | 14–10 | New York Giants‡ | Wrigley Field (5) | Chicago, Illinois (6) | 45,801 | |
| 1964 | December 27, 1964 | Cleveland Browns (4)‡ | 27–0 | Baltimore Colts^ | Cleveland Stadium (5) | Cleveland, Ohio (5) | 79,544 | |
| 1965 | January 2, 1966 | Green Bay Packers (9)^ | 23–12 | Cleveland Browns‡ | Lambeau Field (2) | Green Bay, Wisconsin (2) | 50,777 | |
| 1966 | January 1, 1967 | Green Bay Packers (10)^ | 34–27 | Dallas Cowboys‡ | Cotton Bowl | Dallas, Texas | 74,152 | |
| 1967 | December 31, 1967 | Green Bay Packers (11)^ | 21–17 | Dallas Cowboys‡ | Lambeau Field (3) | Green Bay, Wisconsin (3) | 50,861 | |
| 1968 | December 29, 1968 | Baltimore Colts (3)^ | 34–0 | Cleveland Browns‡ | Cleveland Stadium (6) | Cleveland, Ohio (6) | 78,410 | |
| 1969 | January 4, 1970 | Minnesota Vikings^ | 27–7 | Cleveland Browns‡ | Metropolitan Stadium | Bloomington, Minnesota | 46,503 |
Total Championships Won (1920–1969)
This table shows how many championships each team won and how many times they were the runner-up (the team that lost in the final).
| Club | Winners | Runners-up | Winning years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green Bay Packers | 11 | 4 | 1929, 1930, 1931, 1936, 1939, 1944, 1961, 1962, 1965, 1966, 1967 |
| Chicago Bears | 8 | 9 | 1921, 1932, 1933, 1940, 1941, 1943, 1946, 1963 |
| New York Giants | 4 | 13 | 1927, 1934, 1938, 1956 |
| Detroit Lions | 4 | 2 | 1935, 1952, 1953, 1957 |
| Cleveland Browns | 4 | 7 | 1950, 1954, 1955, 1964 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 3 | 1 | 1948, 1949, 1960 |
| Baltimore Colts | 3 | 1 | 1958, 1959, 1968 |
| Canton Bulldogs | 2 | 0 | 1922, 1923 |
| Chicago Cardinals | 2 | 1 | 1925, 1947 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 2 | 3 | 1945, 1951 |
| Washington Redskins | 2 | 4 | 1937, 1942 |
| Akron Pros | 1 | 0 | 1920 |
| Cleveland Bulldogs | 1 | 0 | 1924 |
| Providence Steam Roller | 1 | 0 | 1928 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 1 | 0 | 1969 |
| Frankford Yellow Jackets | 1 | 1 | 1926 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 0 | 2 | N/A |
| Buffalo All-Americans | 0 | 1 | N/A |
| Pottsville Maroons | 0 | 1 | N/A |
See also
- NFC Championship Game
- AFC Championship Game
