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NFC Championship Game

The NFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the National Football Conference (NFC) and one of the two semifinal 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.

This article is about the game played annually since the 1970 season. For its predecessor, see List of NFL champions (1920–1969).

First played

January 3, 1971 (1970 season)

George Halas Trophy

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 NFL founder and founder and longtime owner of the Chicago Bears, George Halas.

History[edit]

The first NFC Championship Game was played following the 1970 regular season after the merger between the NFL and the AFL. 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 19, and have hosted the most at 11.[2][3][4] Both the Dallas Cowboys and 49ers have won the most NFC Championships at 8 each.[5]


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.

Most victories:

1970

Most losses: 11** – San Francisco 49ers (1970–1971, , 1990, 1992–1993, 1997, 2011, 2013, 2021–2022)

1983

Most appearances: 19** – San Francisco 49ers (1970–1971, 1981, 1983–1984, 1988–1990, –1994, 1997, 2011–2013, 2019, 2021–2023)

1992

Most consecutive appearances:

2001

Most consecutive victories:

1974

Most victories without a loss: 5** – New York Giants (, 1990, 2000, 2007, 2011)

1986

Most appearances without a win: 2 – (1991, 2023)

Detroit Lions

Most consecutive losses before first win: 4; Los Angeles Rams (1974, 1975, 1976, 1978)

Most consecutive appearances without a win: 6 – (1977, 1987, 1998, 2000, 2009, 2017)

Minnesota Vikings

Most defensive shutouts: 2**; – New York Giants (, 17–0 vs Redskins and Jan 14, 2001, 41–0 vs Vikings)

Jan 11, 1987

Most times shut out: 2**; – Los Angeles Rams (, 0–28 vs Cowboys and Jan 12, 1986, 0–24 vs Bears)

Jan 7, 1979

Most consecutive losses:

1976

Most games hosted: 11 – San Francisco 49ers (1970, , 1984, 1989–1990, 1992, 1994, 1997, 2011, 2019, 2023)

1981

Most consecutive games hosted: 3; – Philadelphia Eagles (–2004)

2002

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 () – Los Angeles Rams vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

1979

Fewest points scored, either team:

January 7, 1979

Most points scored, losing team: 31; January 28, 2024 () – Detroit Lions at San Francisco 49ers

2023

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 () – Atlanta Falcons (30) @ Minnesota Vikings (27), OT

1998

Most NFC Championships won in overtime: 2** – New York Giants (, 2011)

2007

Most NFC Championships lost in overtime: 2* (tie) – Green Bay Packers (, 2014) Minnesota Vikings (1998, 2009)

2007

Current teams which have never hosted an NFC Championship Game:

Detroit Lions

Current teams which have never won an NFC Championship:

[fn 27]

Longest drought without appearing in an NFC Championship Game: Washington Redskins/Commanders (last appearance – )

1991

Longest drought without an NFC Championship: Detroit Lions**

[fn 27]

Highest attendance: 88,919; Dallas Cowboys vs. Los Angeles Rams at the on January 4, 1976 (1975)

Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

Largest comeback:

2012

Overtime games:

1998

Notes:

Almanac 2004

Time