NFC Championship Game

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NFC Championship Game
Nfc championship logo.svg
First played 1971 (1970 season)
Trophy George Halas Trophy
Recent and upcoming games

The NFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the National Football Conference (NFC) and one of the two semi-final playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional American football league in the world. The game is played on the last Sunday in January by the two remaining playoff teams, following the NFC postseason's first two rounds. The NFC champion then advances to face the winner of the AFC Championship Game in the Super Bowl.

The game was established as part of the 1970 merger between the NFL and the American Football League (AFL), with the merged league realigning into two conferences. Since 1984, each winner of the NFC Championship Game has also received the George Halas Trophy, named after the founder and longtime owner of the Chicago Bears, George Halas.

History

The first NFC Championship Game was played following the 1970 regular season after the merger between the NFL and the American Football League. The game is considered the successor to the original NFL Championship, and its game results are listed with that of its predecessor in the annual NFL Record and Fact Book.[1] Since the pre-merger NFL consisted of six more teams than the AFL (16 teams for the NFL and 10 for the AFL), a realignment was done as part of the merger to create two conferences with an equal number of teams: The NFL's Baltimore Colts, the Cleveland Browns, and the Pittsburgh Steelers joined the ten former AFL teams to form the AFC; while the remaining 13 pre-merger NFL clubs formed the NFC.

Every NFC team has played in an NFC Championship at least once. The Seattle Seahawks, who have been members in both the AFC and the NFC, hold the distinction of appearing in both conference title games. Only the Detroit Lions have yet to win or host an NFC Championship Game. The San Francisco 49ers have the most appearances in the NFC Championship Game at 17, and have hosted the most at 10. The Dallas Cowboys have won the most NFC Championships at 8.

The Los Angeles Rams and the Minnesota Vikings are the only two NFC teams to appear in at least one NFC Championship game in every decade since 1970.

Playoff structure

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File:NFC Championship logo old.svg
NFC Championship Game logo, 2008–2010 (Used with old shield since 2005)

The structure of the NFL playoffs has changed several times since 1970. At the end of each regular season, the top teams in the NFC qualify for the postseason, including all division champions (three division winners from the 1970–71 to 2001–02 seasons; four since the 2002–03 season) and a set number of "wild card" teams that possess the two best win-loss records after the regular season yet fail to win their division (one wild card team from the 1970–71 to 1977–78 seasons; two wild cards from 1978–79 to 1989–90, and from 2002–03 to 2019–20; three from 1990–91 to 2001–02, and since 2020–21). The two teams remaining following the Wild Card round (first round) and the divisional round (second round) play in the NFC Championship Game, with the winner advancing to the Super Bowl.

Initially, the site of the NFC Championship Game was determined on a rotating basis.[2]:10 Since the 1975–76 season, the site of the game has been based on playoff seeding based on the regular season won-loss record, with the highest surviving seed hosting the game. A wild card team can only host the game if both participants are wild cards; such an instance has yet to occur in the NFL.

George Halas Trophy

External images
image icon The George Halas Trophy is held by a member of the media during the NFC Championship game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Minnesota Vikings. Getty Images. January 21, 2017.
image icon The (former version of the) George Halas Trophy sits on a table at the Hyatt Union Station Hotel in St. Louis. UPI.com. January 25, 2002.

Beginning with the 1984–85 NFL playoffs, the winner of the NFC Championship Game has received the George Halas Trophy, named after the longtime owner and coach of the Chicago Bears, a charter member of the NFL. The original design consisted of a wooden base with a sculpted NFC logo in the front and a sculpture of various football players in the back.

It, and the Lamar Hunt Trophy that is awarded to the AFC champion, were redesigned for the 2010–11 NFL playoffs by Tiffany & Co. at the request of the NFL in an attempt to make both awards more significant.[3] The trophies are now a new, silver design with the outline of a hollow football positioned on a small base to more closely resemble the Vince Lombardi Trophy, awarded to the winner of the Super Bowl.[4]

The George Halas Trophy should not be confused with the Newspaper Enterprise Association's George S. Halas Trophy which was awarded to the NFL's defensive player of the year from 1966 to 1996 or the Pro Football Writers Association's George S. Halas Courage Award.

List of NFC Championship Games

Numbers in parentheses in the winning team column are NFC Championships won by that team. Bold indicates team won Super Bowl that year.
Numbers in parentheses in the city and stadium column is the number of times that metropolitan area and stadium has hosted a NFC Championship, respectively.
Season Playoffs Winning team Score Losing team Score Location Stadium
1970 1970–71 Dallas Cowboys (1) 17 San Francisco 49ers 10 San Francisco, California Kezar Stadium[fn 1]
1971 1971–72 Dallas Cowboys (2) 14 San Francisco 49ers 3 Irving, Texas Texas Stadium
1972 1972–73 Washington Redskins (1) 26 Dallas Cowboys 3 Washington, D.C. RFK Stadium[fn 2]
1973 1973–74 Minnesota Vikings (1) 27 Dallas Cowboys 10 Irving, Texas (2) Texas Stadium (2)
1974 1974–75 Minnesota Vikings (2) 14 Los Angeles Rams 10 Bloomington, Minnesota Metropolitan Stadium
1975 1975–76 Dallas Cowboys (3) 37 Los Angeles Rams 7 Los Angeles, California Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum[fn 3]
1976 1976–77 Minnesota Vikings (3) 24 Los Angeles Rams 13 Bloomington, Minnesota (2) Metropolitan Stadium (2)
1977 1977–78 Dallas Cowboys (4) 23 Minnesota Vikings 6 Irving, Texas (3) Texas Stadium (3)
1978 1978–79 Dallas Cowboys (5) 28 Los Angeles Rams 0 Los Angeles, California (2) Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (2)
1979 1979–80 Los Angeles Rams (1) 9 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 0 Tampa, Florida Tampa Stadium
1980 1980–81 Philadelphia Eagles (1) 20 Dallas Cowboys 7 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Veterans Stadium
1981 1981–82 San Francisco 49ers (1) 28 Dallas Cowboys 27 San Francisco, California (2) Candlestick Park
1982 1982–83[fn 4] Washington Redskins (2) 31 Dallas Cowboys 17 Washington, D.C. (2) RFK Stadium (2)
1983 1983–84 Washington Redskins (3) 24 San Francisco 49ers 21 Washington, D.C. (3) RFK Stadium (3)
1984 1984–85 San Francisco 49ers (2) 23 Chicago Bears 0 San Francisco, California (3) Candlestick Park (2)
1985 1985–86 Chicago Bears (1) 24 Los Angeles Rams 0 Chicago, Illinois Soldier Field
1986 1986–87 New York Giants (1) 17 Washington Redskins 0 East Rutherford, New Jersey Giants Stadium
1987 1987–88 Washington Redskins (4) 17 Minnesota Vikings 10 Washington, D.C. (4) RFK Stadium (4)
1988 1988–89 San Francisco 49ers (3) 28 Chicago Bears 3 Chicago, Illinois (2) Soldier Field (2)
1989 1989–90 San Francisco 49ers (4) 30 Los Angeles Rams 3 San Francisco, California (4) Candlestick Park (3)
1990 1990–91 New York Giants (2) 15 San Francisco 49ers 13 San Francisco, California (5) Candlestick Park (4)
1991 1991–92 Washington Redskins (5) 41 Detroit Lions 10 Washington, D.C. (5) RFK Stadium (5)
1992 1992–93 Dallas Cowboys (6) 30 San Francisco 49ers 20 San Francisco, California (6) Candlestick Park (5)
1993 1993–94 Dallas Cowboys (7) 38 San Francisco 49ers 21 Irving, Texas (4) Texas Stadium (4)
1994 1994–95 San Francisco 49ers (5) 38 Dallas Cowboys 28 San Francisco, California (7) Candlestick Park (6)
1995 1995–96 Dallas Cowboys (8) 38 Green Bay Packers 27 Irving, Texas (5) Texas Stadium (5)
1996 1996–97 Green Bay Packers (1) 30 Carolina Panthers 13 Green Bay, Wisconsin Lambeau Field
1997 1997–98 Green Bay Packers (2) 23 San Francisco 49ers 10 San Francisco, California (8) 3Com Park (7)
1998 1998–99 Atlanta Falcons (1) 30a[›] Minnesota Vikings 27 Minneapolis, Minnesota (3) Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
1999 1999–00 St. Louis Rams (2) 11 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 6 St. Louis, Missouri Trans World Dome
2000 2000–01 New York Giants (3) 41 Minnesota Vikings 0 East Rutherford, New Jersey (2) Giants Stadium (2)
2001 2001–02 St. Louis Rams (3) 29 Philadelphia Eagles 24 St. Louis, Missouri (2) Edward Jones Dome (2)
2002 2002–03 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1) 27 Philadelphia Eagles 10 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2) Veterans Stadium (2)[fn 5]
2003 2003–04 Carolina Panthers (1) 14 Philadelphia Eagles 3 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (3) Lincoln Financial Field
2004 2004–05 Philadelphia Eagles (2) 27 Atlanta Falcons 10 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (4) Lincoln Financial Field (2)
2005 2005–06 Seattle Seahawks (1) 34 Carolina Panthers 14 Seattle, Washington Qwest Field
2006 2006–07 Chicago Bears (2) 39 New Orleans Saints 14 Chicago, Illinois (3) Soldier Field (3)
2007 2007–08 New York Giants (4) 23a[›] Green Bay Packers 20 Green Bay, Wisconsin (2) Lambeau Field (2)
2008 2008–09 Arizona Cardinals (1) 32 Philadelphia Eagles 25 Glendale, Arizona University of Phoenix Stadium
2009 2009–10 New Orleans Saints (1) 31a[›] Minnesota Vikings 28 New Orleans, Louisiana Louisiana Superdome
2010 2010–11 Green Bay Packers (3) 21 Chicago Bears 14 Chicago, Illinois (4) Soldier Field (4)
2011 2011–12 New York Giants (5) 20a[›] San Francisco 49ers 17 San Francisco, California (9) Candlestick Park (8)
2012 2012–13 San Francisco 49ers (6) 28 Atlanta Falcons 24 Atlanta, Georgia Georgia Dome
2013 2013–14 Seattle Seahawks (2) 23 San Francisco 49ers 17 Seattle, Washington (2) CenturyLink Field (2)
2014 2014–15 Seattle Seahawks (3) 28a[›] Green Bay Packers 22 Seattle, Washington (3) CenturyLink Field (3)
2015 2015–16 Carolina Panthers (2) 49 Arizona Cardinals 15 Charlotte, North Carolina Bank of America Stadium
2016 2016–17 Atlanta Falcons (2) 44 Green Bay Packers 21 Atlanta, Georgia (2) Georgia Dome (2)[fn 6]
2017 2017–18 Philadelphia Eagles (3) 38 Minnesota Vikings 7 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (5) Lincoln Financial Field (3)
2018 2018–19 Los Angeles Rams (4) 26a[›] New Orleans Saints 23 New Orleans, Louisiana (2) Mercedes-Benz Superdome (2)
2019 2019–20 San Francisco 49ers (7)
 37 Green Bay Packers 20 Santa Clara, California Levi's Stadium
2020 2020–21 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2) 31 Green Bay Packers 26 Green Bay, Wisconsin (3) Lambeau Field (3)
2021 2021-22 Inglewood, California SoFi Stadium

^ a: Overtime

Appearances, 1970–present

# Team W L  % PF PA Last game Last win Home games Home wins Home losses Home win % Away games Away wins Away losses Away win %
17 San Francisco 49ers 7 9 .438 344 309 2021 2019 10 5 5 .500 7 2 4 .333
14 Dallas Cowboys 8 6 .571 317 264 1995 1995 5 4 1 .800 9 4 5 .444
11 Los Angeles Ramsb[›] 4 6 .400 108 210 2021 2018 5 2 2 .500 6 2 4 .333
9 Minnesota Vikings 3 6 .333 136 175 2017 1976 3 2 1 .667 6 1 5 .167
9 Green Bay Packers 3 6 .333 184 207 2020 2010 3 1 2 .333 6 2 4 .333
7 Philadelphia Eagles 3 4 .429 147 126 2017 2017 5 3 2 .600 2 0 2 .000
6 Washington Redskinsd[›] 5 1 .833 139 78 1991 1991 5 5 0 1.000 1 0 1 .000
5 New York Giants 5 0 1.000 116 50 2011 2011 2 2 0 1.000 3 3 0 1.000
5 Chicago Bears 2 3 .400 80 86 2010 2006 4 2 2 .500 1 0 1 .000
4 Atlanta Falcons 2 2 .500 108 103 2016 2016 2 1 1 .500 2 1 1 .500
4 Carolina Panthers 2 2 .500 90 82 2015 2015 1 1 0 1.000 3 1 2 .333
4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2 2 .500 64 56 2020 2020 1 0 1 .000 3 2 1 .667
3 Seattle Seahawksc[›] 3 0 1.000 85 53 2014 2014 3 3 0 1.000 0 0 0 —
3 New Orleans Saints 1 2 .333 68 93 2018 2009 2 1 1 .500 1 0 1 .000
2 Arizona Cardinals 1 1 .500 47 74 2015 2008 1 1 0 1.000 1 0 1 .000
1 Detroit Lions 0 1 .000 10 41 1991 N/A 0 0 0 — 1 0 1 .000

^ b: Includes appearances during their first tenure in Los Angeles (the 1970 merger to 1994), where they went 1–6 in NFC Championship Games; and their period as the St. Louis Rams (1995–2015), where they went 2–0 in NFC Championship Games.

^ c: The Seahawks were members of the NFC in 1976 and then members of the AFC from 1977 to 2001, before rejoining the NFC in 2002. Including their only appearance (1983) in the AFC Championship Game (0–1), they hold a combined 3–1 record between both Conference Championship Games.

^ d: The team currently known as the Washington Football Team was known as the Washington Redskins at the time of all their NFC Championship appearances.

Appearances by Year

In the sortable table below, teams are ordered first by number of appearances, then by number of wins, and finally by year of first appearance. In the "Season(s)" column, bold years indicate winning Conference Championship appearances.

Apps Team Wins Losses Win % Season(s)
17 San Francisco 49ers 7 9 .438 1970, 1971, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2019, 2021
14 Dallas Cowboys 8 6 .571 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995
11 Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams 4 6 .400 1974, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1985, 1989, 1999, 2001, 2018, 2021
9 Minnesota Vikings 3 6 .333 1973, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1987, 1998, 2000, 2009, 2017
9 Green Bay Packers 3 6 .333 1995, 1996, 1997, 2007, 2010, 2014, 2016, 2019, 2020
7 Philadelphia Eagles 3 4 .429 1980, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2017
6 Washington Football Team 5 1 .833 1972, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1991
5 New York Giants 5 0 1.000 1986, 1990, 2000, 2007, 2011
5 Chicago Bears 2 3 .400 1984, 1985, 1988, 2006, 2010
4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2 2 .500 1979, 1999, 2002, 2020
4 Carolina Panthers 2 2 .500 1996, 2003, 2005, 2015
4 Atlanta Falcons 2 2 .500 1998, 2004, 2012, 2016
3 Seattle Seahawks 3 0 1.000 2005, 2013, 2014
3 New Orleans Saints 1 2 .333 2006, 2009, 2018
2 Arizona Cardinals 1 1 .500 2008, 2015
1 Detroit Lions 0 1 – 1991

Most common matchups

Count Matchup Record Years Played
6 Dallas Cowboys vs. San Francisco 49ers Cowboys, 4–2 1970, 1971, 1981, 1992, 1993, 1994
2 Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Redskins Washington, 2–0 1972, 1982
2 Dallas Cowboys vs. Minnesota Vikings Tie, 1–1 1973, 1977
2 Los Angeles Rams vs. Minnesota Vikings Vikings, 2–0 1974, 1976
2 Dallas Cowboys vs. Los Angeles Rams Cowboys, 2–0 1975, 1978
2 Los Angeles / St. Louis Rams vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Rams, 2–0 1979, 1999
2 Chicago Bears vs. San Francisco 49ers 49ers, 2–0 1984, 1988
2 Los Angeles Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers 49ers, 1–0 1989, 2021
2 New York Giants vs. San Francisco 49ers Giants, 2–0 1990, 2011
2 Green Bay Packers vs. San Francisco 49ers Tie, 1–1 1997, 2019

NFC Championship Game records

File:Nfc-championship.jpg
NFC Championship Game logo, 2001–2005
  • Most victories: 8 – Dallas Cowboys (1970–1971, 1975, 1977–1978, 1992–1993, 1995)
  • Most losses: 9** – San Francisco 49ers (1970–1971, 1983, 1990, 1992–1993, 1997, 2011, 2013)
  • Most appearances: 17 – San Francisco 49ers (1970–1971, 1981, 1983–1984, 1988–1990, 1992–1994, 1997, 2011–2013, 2019, 2021)
  • Most consecutive appearances: 4 (tie, 2 teams, 3 times)
    • Dallas Cowboys (1970–1973, 1992–1995)
    • Philadelphia Eagles (2001–2004)
  • Most consecutive victories: 2 – (tie, 6 teams, 8 times)
    • Dallas Cowboys (1970–1971, 1977–1978, 1992–1993)
    • Minnesota Vikings (1973–1974)
    • Washington Redskins (1982–1983)
    • San Francisco 49ers (1988–1989)
    • Green Bay Packers (1996–1997)
    • Seattle Seahawks (2013–2014)
  • Most victories without a loss: 5** – New York Giants (1986, 1990, 2000, 2007, 2011)
  • Most appearances without a win: 1 – Detroit Lions (1991)
  • Most consecutive appearances without a win: 6 – Minnesota Vikings (1977, 1987, 1998, 2000, 2009, 2017)
  • Most defensive shutouts: 2**; – New York Giants (Jan 11, 1987, 17–0 vs Redskins and Jan 14, 2001, 41–0 vs Vikings)
  • Most times shut out: 2**; – Los Angeles Rams (Jan 7, 1979, 0–28 vs Cowboys and Jan 12, 1986, 0–24 vs Bears)
  • Most consecutive losses: 3* – (tie, 3 times)
    • Los Angeles Rams (1974–1976)
    • Dallas Cowboys (1980–1982)
    • Philadelphia Eagles (2001–2003)
  • Most games hosted: 10 – San Francisco 49ers (1970, 1981, 1984, 1989–1990, 1992, 1994, 1997, 2011, 2019)
  • Most numerous matchup: 6** – Dallas Cowboys vs. San Francisco 49ers (1970–1971, 1981, 1992–1994)
  • Most points scored: 49 points – January 24, 2016 – Carolina Panthers vs. Arizona Cardinals (2015)
  • Largest margin of victory: 41 points – January 14, 2001 (2000), New York Giants (41) vs. Minnesota Vikings (0)
  • Closest margin of victory: 1 point – San Francisco 49ers (28) vs. Dallas Cowboys (27), 1981 NFC Championship Game**
  • Fewest points scored, winning team: 9**[›]; January 6, 1980 (1979) – Los Angeles Rams vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  • Fewest points scored, either team: 0*; (tie, 5 teams, 6 times)
  • Most points scored, losing team: 28 (tie); January 15, 1995 (1994) – Dallas Cowboys vs. San Francisco 49ers, January 24, 2010 (2009) – Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints
  • Most combined points scored: 66; January 15, 1995 (1994) – San Francisco 49ers (38) vs. Dallas Cowboys (28)
  • Fewest combined points scored: 9**; January 6, 1980 (1979) – Los Angeles Rams (9) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0)
  • Longest game: 71 minutes, 52 seconds**; January 17, 1999 (1998) – Atlanta Falcons (30) @ Minnesota Vikings (27), OT
  • Most NFC Championships won in overtime: 2** – New York Giants (2007, 2011)
  • Most NFC Championships lost in overtime: 2* (tie) – Green Bay Packers (2007, 2014) Minnesota Vikings (1998, 2009)
  • Current teams which have never hosted an NFC Championship Game:
  • Current teams which have never won an NFC Championship:
  • Longest drought without appearing in an NFC Championship Game: 29 years
    • Detroit Lions (last appearance – 1991)
    • Washington Football Team (last appearance – 1991)
  • Longest drought without an NFC Championship: 51 years***; Detroit Lions
  • Largest comeback: 17 points (trailed 17–0; won 28–24), San Francisco 49ers, 2012
  • Overtime games:
    • 1998 Atlanta Falcons 30 Minnesota Vikings 27
    • 2007 New York Giants 23 Green Bay Packers 20
    • 2009 New Orleans Saints 31 Minnesota Vikings 28
    • 2011 New York Giants 20 San Francisco 49ers 17
    • 2014 Seattle Seahawks 28 Green Bay Packers 22
    • 2018 Los Angeles Rams 26 New Orleans Saints 23

Notes:

  • *Tied for Conference Championship record
  • ^ **: Conference Championship record

TV ratings

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  • 2006: 35.233 million viewers; post gun: 24.641 million; post-game: 15.279 million
  • 2007: million viewers; post-game: million [1] [2]
  • 2008: million viewers; post-game: million [3]
  • 2009: million viewers; post-game: 23.83 million (10:27pm–11:02pm) [4]
  • 2010: 57.9 million viewers [5]
  • 2011: 51.9 million viewers;
  • 2012: 57.6 million viewers [6]; Post Game: million [7]
  • 2013: 42.0 million viewers; post-game: million [8]
  • 2014: 55.91 million viewers (peak: 66.3 million viewers); (6:42-9:59pm); post-game (9:55-9:59pm): 44.903 million [9]; The OT (9:59-10:19pm): 30.339 million viewers [10] [11] [12]
  • 2015: 49.8 million viewers (peak: 60.5 million viewers); The OT: 16.280 million viewers (6:40-7:06pm)[13]

Footnotes

  1. ↑ This was the final NFL game played at Kezar Stadium.
  2. ↑ The 1972 Dallas Cowboys were the first ever NFC wild card franchise to advance to the Conference championship game.
  3. ↑ The 1975 Dallas Cowboys were the first ever wild card franchise to advance to the Super Bowl.
  4. ↑ played on Saturday
  5. ↑ This was the final NFL game played at Veterans Stadium.
  6. ↑ This was the final NFL game played at the Georgia Dome.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 The Lions last hosted and won the 1957 NFL Championship Game during the pre-Super Bowl era.

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Urena, I., Pro Football Schedules: A Complete Historical Guide from 1933 to the Present (Jefferson, NC & London: McFarland & Company, 2014), p. 10.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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