The National Football League (NFL) is a professional football organization based on the East Coast of the United States - it is the sister league of the Midwest's American Football League (AFL) and West Coast-based Western Football Association (WFA). The NFL was formed in 1938 with only six teams - today, it fields 16 teams in two eight-team divisions. The NFL season has 12 league games as well as four exhibition games against opponents from the other two leagues. The NFL is the only of the three professional football leagues in which all 16 members have won the NFL championship.
National Football League Teams[]
North Division[]
- New York Giants (Giants Stadium, Meadowlands, NJ) (1937-)
- New York Jets (East Side Stadium, New York, NY) (1960-)
- Halifax Mariners (Ocanoil Field, Halifax, NS) (1937-)
- Boston Rebels (Boston Memorial Stadium, Boston, MA) (1954-)
- Washington Redskins (Eisler Memorial Stadium, Washington, DC) (1937-)
- Philadelphia Eagles (Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, PA) (1937-)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA) (1937-)
- Baltimore Colts (Bankfirst Stadium, Baltimore, MD) (1937-)
South Division[]
- Carolina Panthers (Bank of Carolina Stadium, Charlotte, NC) (1975-)
- Virginia Commodores (Navy Federal Field, North Hampton, VA)
- Atlanta Falcons (Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA) (1960-)
- San Juan Barracudas (Puerto Rico Stadium, San Juan, PR) (1964-2001 as Mobile Gators)
- New Orleans Saints (New Orleans Superdome, New Orleans, LA) (1964-)
- Miami Dolphins (Dolphin Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL) (1960-)
- Tampa Bay Pirates (BayStadium, Tampa, FL) (1975-)
- Havana Seagulls (Seagull Stadium, Havana, CU) (1954-)
Playoff Format[]
The top two teams from each division are guaranteed a spot in the bracket - after that, the next eight best teams, regardless of division, play a crossover "wild-card" round to determine which four teams will play the top four in the quarterfinals. Essentially, this excludes only the four worst teams in the NFL from the playoffs. Regardless of division, the wild card champions are road teams against the Top 4 in the quarterfinals. The victors advance and play based on seeding, not division, for the semifinals. The two best teams then get a two-week period to prepare for the championship game, which is typically played at the stadium of a South Division team (due to favorable weather). Division rivals are often paired off in the championship game.
List of NFL Championships[]
Champion By Year[]
2017: Philadelphia Eagles 31, Baltimore Colts 14
2016: Washington Redskins 55, New York Giants 10
2015: Carolina Panthers 22, Boston Rebels 10
2014: Pittsburgh Steelers 40, Atlanta Falcons 13
2013: Washington Redskins 17, Boston Rebels 13
2012: Boston Rebels 21, Washington Redskins 12
2011: Washington Redskins 20, Carolina Panthers 7
2010: Boston Rebels 33, Atlanta Falcons 31
2009: Baltimore Colts 34, Carolina Panthers 17
2008: New York Giants 17, Atlanta Falcons 0
2007: Atlanta Falcons 30, Havana Seagulls 3
2006: Atlanta Falcons 27, Baltimore Colts 13
2005: Baltimore Colts 28, Washington Redskins 27
2004: Baltimore Colts 17, New Orleans Saints 10
2003: Boston Rebels 56, Baltimore Colts 13
2002: Pittsburgh Steelers 24, New York Giants 14
2001: Miami Dolphins 42, Philadelphia Eagles 14
2000: Pittsburgh Steelers 34, Philadelphia Eagles 20
1999: Virginia Commodores 21, Havana Seagulls 7
1998: Tampa Pirates
1997: Tampa Pirates
1996: Havana Seagulls
1995: Miami Dolphins
1994: Mobile Gators
1993: New York Giants
1992: New York Giants
1991: Havana Seagulls
1990: New York Giants
1989: Miami Dolphins
1988: Philadelphia Eagles
1987: Carolina Panthers
1986: Mobile Gators
1985: Mobile Gators
1984: Mobile Gators 20, Philadelphia Eagles 13
1983: New Orleans Saints 13, Mobile Gators 10
1982: Boston Rebels
1981: Mobile Gators
1980: Mobile Gators
1979: New York Jets 31, Mobile Gators 27
1978: Atlanta Falcons
1977: Washington Redskins
1976: Halifax Mariners
1975: New York Giants
1974: Washington Redskins
1973: Washington Redskins
1972: Miami Dolphins
1971: Washington Redskins
1970: New York Jets
1969: Baltimore Colts
1968: New York Giants
1967: New York Giants
1966: Havana Seagulls
1965: Baltimore Colts
1964: Baltimore Colts
1963: Boston Rebels
1962: Baltimore Colts
1961: Philadelphia Eagles
1960: Halifax Mariners
1959: Halifax Mariners
1958: Philadelphia Eagles
1957: Pittsburgh Steelers
1956: Pittsburgh Steelers
1955: Halifax Mariners
1954: Baltimore Colts
1953: Baltimore Colts
1952: New York Giants
1951: New York Giants
1950: Baltimore Colts
1949: Philadelphia Eagles
1948: Baltimore Colts
1947: New York Giants
1946: Halifax Mariners
1945: Philadelphia Eagles
1944: Halifax Mariners
1943: Washington Redskins
1942: Washington Redskins
1941: Washington Redskins
1940: Philadelphia Eagles
1939: Washington Redskins
1938: Washington Redskins
1937: Pittsburgh Steelers
Number of Titles by Franchise[]
Washington Redskins: 12 (1938, 1939, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1977, 2011, 2013, 2016)
Baltimore Colts: 11 (1948, 1950, 1953, 1954, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1969, 2004, 2005, 2009)
New York Giants: 10 (1947, 1951, 1952, 1967, 1968, 1975, 1990, 1992, 1993, 2008)
Philadelphia Eagles: 7 (1940, 1945, 1949, 1958, 1961, 1988, 2017)
Pittsburgh Steelers: 6 (1937, 1956, 1957, 2000, 2002, 2014)
Mobile Gators (now San Juan Barracudas): 6 (1980, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1994)
Boston Rebels: 5 (1963, 1982, 2003, 2010, 2012)
Miami Dolphins: 4 (1972, 1989, 1995, 2001)
Atlanta Falcons: 3 (1978, 2006, 2007)
Havana Seagulls: 3 (1966, 1991, 1996)
Carolina Panthers: 2 (1987, 2015)
New York Jets: 2 (1970, 1979)
Tampa Pirates: 2 (1997, 1998)
Virginia Commodores: 1 (1999)