AFC Championship Game

Die Lamar Hunt Trophy – Pokal für den Sieger des AFC Championship Games

Das AFC Championship Game ist eines der beiden Halbfinals der National Football League (NFL). Es treten die Sieger der Divisional Play-offs aus der American Football Conference (AFC) gegeneinander an. Der Sieger erhält als neuer Meister der AFC die Lamar Hunt Trophy und tritt im Super Bowl gegen den Gewinner des NFC Championship Games an, um den Meister der NFL zu ermitteln.

Aktueller Meister der AFC sind die Kansas City Chiefs (Saison 2022), die die Cincinnati Bengals im AFC Championship Game mit 23:20 bezwangen.

Bis 1970 hieß das AFC Championship Game AFL Championship Game, da die 1959 gegründete American Football League (AFL) und die NFL zu diesem Zeitpunkt zwei eigenständige und konkurrierende American-Football-Ligen waren. Das AFL Championship Game war also das Finale der AFL. Mit dem Zusammenschluss von AFL und NFL wurden zwei Conferences, die AFC und National Football Conference (NFC), mit je 13 Mannschaften gegründet. Die AFC enthielt die zehn Mannschaften der ehemaligen AFL. Drei Mannschaften, die schon vor dem Zusammenschluss der NFL angehört hatten, wechselten in die AFC, um zwei gleich große Conferences zu bilden. Dies waren die Pittsburgh Steelers, die Baltimore Colts und die Cleveland Browns. Die restlichen 13 Mannschaften der alten NFL bildeten die NFC. Das einzige Team der AFC, das nie ins Championship Game einziehen konnte, sind die Houston Texans.

Liste der AFC Championship Games

Fett markierte Teams gewannen anschließend den Super Bowl.

Saison	Gewinner	Verlierer	Ergebnis	Spielort	Stadion
1970	Baltimore Colts (1)	Oakland Raiders	27:17	Baltimore, Maryland	Memorial Stadium
1971	Miami Dolphins (1)	Baltimore Colts	21:00	Miami, Florida	Orange Bowl Stadium
1972	Miami Dolphins (2)	Pittsburgh Steelers	21:17	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	Three Rivers Stadium
1973	Miami Dolphins (3)	Oakland Raiders	27:10	Miami, Florida	Orange Bowl Stadium
1974	Pittsburgh Steelers (1)	Oakland Raiders	24:13	Oakland, Kalifornien	Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
1975	Pittsburgh Steelers (2)	Oakland Raiders	16:10	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	Three Rivers Stadium
1976	Oakland Raiders (1)	Pittsburgh Steelers	24:70	Oakland, Kalifornien	Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
1977	Denver Broncos (1)	Oakland Raiders	20:17	Denver, Colorado	Mile High Stadium
1978	Pittsburgh Steelers (3)	Houston Oilers	34:50	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	Three Rivers Stadium
1979	Pittsburgh Steelers (4)	Houston Oilers	27:13	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	Three Rivers Stadium
1980	Oakland Raiders (2)	San Diego Chargers	34:27	San Diego, Kalifornien	San Diego Stadium
1981	Cincinnati Bengals (1)	San Diego Chargers	27:70	Cincinnati, Ohio	Riverfront Stadium
1982	Miami Dolphins (4)	New York Jets	14:00	Miami, Florida	Orange Bowl Stadium
1983	Los Angeles Raiders (3)	Seattle Seahawks	30:14	Los Angeles, Kalifornien	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
1984	Miami Dolphins (5)	Pittsburgh Steelers	45:28	Miami, Florida	Orange Bowl Stadium
1985	New England Patriots (1)	Miami Dolphins	31:14	Miami, Florida	Orange Bowl Stadium
1986	Denver Broncos (2)	Cleveland Browns	23:20	Cleveland, Ohio	Cleveland Municipal Stadium
1987	Denver Broncos (3)	Cleveland Browns	38:33	Denver, Colorado	Mile High Stadium
1988	Cincinnati Bengals (2)	Buffalo Bills	21:10	Cincinnati, Ohio	Riverfront Stadium
1989	Denver Broncos (4)	Cleveland Browns	37:21	Denver, Colorado	Mile High Stadium
1990	Buffalo Bills (1)	Los Angeles Raiders	51:30	Orchard Park, New York	Rich Stadium
1991	Buffalo Bills (2)	Denver Broncos	10:70	Orchard Park, New York	Rich Stadium
1992	Buffalo Bills (3)	Miami Dolphins	29:10	Miami, Florida	Joe Robbie Stadium
1993	Buffalo Bills (4)	Kansas City Chiefs	30:13	Orchard Park, New York	Rich Stadium
1994	San Diego Chargers (1)	Pittsburgh Steelers	17:13	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	Three Rivers Stadium
1995	Pittsburgh Steelers (5)	Indianapolis Colts	20:16	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	Three Rivers Stadium
1996	New England Patriots (2)	Jacksonville Jaguars	20:60	Foxborough, Massachusetts	Foxboro Stadium
1997	Denver Broncos (5)	Pittsburgh Steelers	24:21	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	Three Rivers Stadium
1998	Denver Broncos (6)	New York Jets	23:10	Denver, Colorado	Mile High Stadium
1999	Tennessee Titans (1)	Jacksonville Jaguars	33:14	Jacksonville, Florida	Alltel Stadium
2000	Baltimore Ravens (1)	Oakland Raiders	16:30	Oakland, Kalifornien	Network Associates Coliseum
2001	New England Patriots (3)	Pittsburgh Steelers	24:17	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	Heinz Field
2002	Oakland Raiders (4)	Tennessee Titans	41:24	Oakland, Kalifornien	Network Associates Coliseum
2003	New England Patriots (4)	Indianapolis Colts	24:14	Foxborough, Massachusetts	Gillette Stadium
2004	New England Patriots (5)	Pittsburgh Steelers	41:27	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	Heinz Field
2005	Pittsburgh Steelers (6)	Denver Broncos	34:17	Denver, Colorado	Invesco Field at Mile High
2006	Indianapolis Colts (2)	New England Patriots	38:34	Indianapolis, Indiana	RCA Dome
2007	New England Patriots (6)	San Diego Chargers	21:12	Foxborough, Massachusetts	Gillette Stadium
2008	Pittsburgh Steelers (7)	Baltimore Ravens	23:14	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	Heinz Field
2009	Indianapolis Colts (3)	New York Jets	30:17	Indianapolis, Indiana	Lucas Oil Stadium
2010	Pittsburgh Steelers (8)	New York Jets	24:19	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	Heinz Field
2011	New England Patriots (7)	Baltimore Ravens	23:20	Foxborough, Massachusetts	Gillette Stadium
2012	Baltimore Ravens (2)	New England Patriots	28:13	Foxborough, Massachusetts	Gillette Stadium
2013	Denver Broncos (7)	New England Patriots	26:16	Denver, Colorado	Sports Authority Field at Mile High
2014	New England Patriots (8)	Indianapolis Colts	45:70	Foxborough, Massachusetts	Gillette Stadium
2015	Denver Broncos (8)	New England Patriots	20:18	Denver, Colorado	Sports Authority Field at Mile High
2016	New England Patriots (9)	Pittsburgh Steelers	36:17	Foxborough, Massachusetts	Gillette Stadium
2017	New England Patriots (10)	Jacksonville Jaguars	24:20	Foxborough, Massachusetts	Gillette Stadium
2018	New England Patriots (11)	Kansas City Chiefs	37:31	Kansas City, Missouri	Arrowhead Stadium
2019	Kansas City Chiefs (1)	Tennessee Titans	35:24	Kansas City, Missouri	Arrowhead Stadium
2020	Kansas City Chiefs (2)	Bufallo Bills	38:24	Kansas City, Missouri	Arrowhead Stadium
2021	Cincinnati Bengals (3)	Kansas City Chiefs	27:24	Kansas City, Missouri	Arrowhead Stadium
2022	Kansas City Chiefs (3)	Cincinnati Bengals	23:20	Kansas City, Missouri	Arrowhead Stadium
2023	Kansas City Chiefs (4)	Baltimore Ravens	17:10	Baltimore, Maryland	M&T Bank Stadium

AFC Championship Game Teilnahmen 1970-heute

Platz	Team	G	V	Anzahl	%	Punkte	Letzte Teilnahme	Letzte Meisterschaft
1	New England Patriots	11	4	15	73,3	407:297	2018	2018
2	Pittsburgh Steelers	8	8	16	50,0	349:339	2016	2010
3	Denver Broncos	8	2	10	80,0	235:200	2015	2015
4	Miami Dolphins	5	2	7	71,4	152:115	1992	1984
5	Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders	4	7	11	36,4	202:253	2002	2002
6	Kansas City Chiefs	4	3	7	57,1	181:172	2023	2023
7	Buffalo Bills	4	2	6	75,5	154:092	2020	1993
8	Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts	3	4	7	42,9	132:178	2014	2009
9	Cincinnati Bengals	3	1	4	75,0	095:064	2022	2021
10	Baltimore Ravens	2	3	5	40,0	088:079	2023	2012
11	Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans	1	4	5	20,0	099:151	2019	1999
12	San Diego Chargers	1	3	4	25,0	063:095	2007	1994
13	New York Jets	0	4	4	0,0	046:091	2010	–[1]
14	Cleveland Browns	0	3	3	0,0	074:098	1989	–
15	Jacksonville Jaguars	0	3	3	0,0	040:077	2017	–
16	Seattle Seahawks[2]	0	1	1	0,0	014:030	1983	–

1. letzter AFL Titel 1968
2. Die Seattle Seahawks waren von 1977 bis 2002 Mitglied in der AFC und spielen seitdem in der NFC.