Nfl Afl Merger Teams
Today being Super Bowl Sunday, I was curious to know if older teams had a long-term advantage in the NFL. I put together a table showing the regular season win-loss records for all NFL teams since the 1970 merger between the NFL and the AFL. While the teams at the top are pretty much what you expect, I did find a few surprises in the results.
Nfl Afl Merger Teams Rosters
| Team | Division | Origins | Org | Join NFL | W | L | T | Pct | Winning Seasons | Losing Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Steelers | AFC North | old NFL | 1933 | 1933 | 412 | 266 | 2 | 0.607 | 70.5% | 20.5% |
| Miami Dolphins | AFC East | AFL exp | 1966 | 1970 | 400 | 278 | 2 | 0.590 | 65.9% | 20.5% |
| Dallas Cowboys | NFC East | 60s exp | 1960 | 1960 | 397 | 283 | 0 | 0.584 | 65.9% | 25.0% |
| Denver Broncos | AFC West | AFL | 1960 | 1970 | 393 | 281 | 6 | 0.582 | 59.1% | 22.7% |
| San Francisco 49ers | NFC West | AAFC | 1946 | 1950 | 387 | 289 | 4 | 0.572 | 59.1% | 38.6% |
| Minnesota Vikings | NFC North | 60s exp | 1961 | 1961 | 379 | 298 | 3 | 0.560 | 61.4% | 25.0% |
| New England Patriots | AFC East | AFL | 1960 | 1970 | 375 | 305 | 0 | 0.551 | 63.6% | 29.5% |
| Washington Redskins | NFC East | old NFL | 1932 | 1932 | 361 | 317 | 2 | 0.532 | 54.5% | 34.1% |
| Oakland Raiders | AFC West | AFL | 1960 | 1970 | 357 | 317 | 6 | 0.529 | 50.0% | 34.1% |
| Green Bay Packers | NFC North | old NFL | 1919 | 1921 | 354 | 317 | 9 | 0.527 | 50.0% | 36.4% |
| Baltimore Ravens | AFC North | AAFC | 1946 | 1950 | 352 | 324 | 4 | 0.521 | 50.0% | 38.6% |
| Philadelphia Eagles | NFC East | old NFL | 1933 | 1933 | 347 | 325 | 8 | 0.516 | 47.7% | 43.2% |
| Chicago Bears | NFC North | old NFL | 1919 | 1920 | 343 | 336 | 1 | 0.505 | 38.6% | 52.3% |
| Indianapolis Colts | AFC South | AAFC | 1946 | 1950 | 342 | 336 | 2 | 0.504 | 52.3% | 43.2% |
| New York Giants | NFC East | old NFL | 1925 | 1925 | 337 | 340 | 3 | 0.498 | 45.5% | 45.5% |
| St. Louis Rams | NFC West | old NFL | 1937 | 1937 | 336 | 339 | 5 | 0.498 | 45.5% | 50.0% |
| Seattle Seahawks | NFC West | exp1 | 1976 | 1976 | 293 | 303 | 0 | 0.492 | 44.7% | 44.7% |
| Kansas City Chiefs | AFC West | AFL | 1960 | 1970 | 328 | 345 | 7 | 0.488 | 47.7% | 45.5% |
| Tennessee Titans | AFC South | AFL | 1960 | 1970 | 329 | 349 | 2 | 0.485 | 43.2% | 43.2% |
| San Diego Chargers | AFC West | AFL | 1960 | 1970 | 322 | 353 | 5 | 0.477 | 36.4% | 45.5% |
| Carolina Panthers | NFC South | exp2 | 1995 | 1995 | 144 | 160 | 0 | 0.474 | 26.3% | 57.9% |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | AFC South | exp2 | 1995 | 1995 | 144 | 160 | 0 | 0.474 | 36.8% | 52.6% |
| Buffalo Bills | AFC East | AFL | 1960 | 1970 | 311 | 367 | 2 | 0.459 | 36.4% | 56.8% |
| Cincinnati Bengals | AFC North | AFL exp | 1968 | 1970 | 309 | 370 | 1 | 0.455 | 36.4% | 47.7% |
| Atlanta Falcons | NFC South | 60s exp | 1966 | 1966 | 304 | 371 | 5 | 0.451 | 34.1% | 59.1% |
| New Orleans Saints | NFC South | 60s exp | 1967 | 1967 | 305 | 371 | 4 | 0.451 | 27.3% | 56.8% |
| New York Jets | AFC East | AFL | 1960 | 1970 | 304 | 374 | 2 | 0.449 | 34.1% | 45.5% |
| Arizona Cardinals | NFC West | old NFL | 1898 | 1920 | 279 | 395 | 6 | 0.415 | 25.0% | 65.9% |
| Houston Texans | AFC South | exp3 | 2002 | 2002 | 79 | 113 | 0 | 0.411 | 25.0% | 58.3% |
| Detroit Lions | NFC North | old NFL | 1929 | 1930 | 275 | 401 | 4 | 0.407 | 27.3% | 63.6% |
| Tampa Bay Bucs | NFC South | exp1 | 1976 | 1976 | 233 | 362 | 1 | 0.392 | 31.6% | 65.8% |
| Cleveland Browns | AFC North | exp3 | 1999 | 1999 | 77 | 163 | 0 | 0.321 | 13.3% | 86.7% |
My general conclusion is that while a few old NFL teams have been very successful in the modern era, how long a team was established before the merger seems to have little relationship its long-term success. The most successful team (in the regular season and in terms of Super Bowl victories) has been the Pittsburgh Steelers, one of the earliest NFL teams. Charter NFL franchises the Detroit Lions and Arizona Cardinals (the oldest team in the NFL), however, are among the consistently worst teams in the league since the merger. The ten best regular season teams in the post-merger era are from the old NFL, the AFL ans the AAFC (the upstart league in the late-1940s). Post-merger expansion teams, by contrast, have struggled in the NFL, although the Seahawks are playing in the Super Bowl today.
And, of course, I have to moan just a little about my team, the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings are among the most successful NFL franchises–in the regular season, anyway–but they just can’t win the big one. Among teams who have have had winning seasons 50 percent or more years, the Vikings are the only team to have not won a Super Bowl. I don’t know how many years I have left, but I hope to see them break that curse in my lifetime.
The official source for NFL news, video highlights, fantasy football, game-day coverage, schedules, stats, scores and more. Charter NFL franchises the Detroit Lions and Arizona Cardinals (the oldest team in the NFL), however, are among the consistently worst teams in the league since the merger. The ten best regular season teams in the post-merger era are from the old NFL, the AFL ans the AAFC (the upstart league in the late-1940s). Following an agreement to merge the NFL with the rival American Football League (AFL), the Super Bowl was first held in 1967 to determine a champion between the best teams from the two leagues and has remained as the final game of each NFL season since the merger was completed in 1970. Charter NFL franchises the Detroit Lions and Arizona Cardinals (the oldest team in the NFL), however, are among the consistently worst teams in the league since the merger. The ten best regular season teams in the post-merger era are from the old NFL, the AFL ans the AAFC (the upstart league in the late-1940s). Post-merger expansion teams,.
In 1966, Alvin Rozelle and other Professional Football executives lobbied the 89th United States Congress to pass legislation permitting the merger of the NFL with the American Football League.
Nfl Afl Merger Teams
They appeared before the Congress' Subcommittee on Antitrust, chaired by New York congressman Emanuel Celler. In their appearances, two points were repeatedly made:
Nfl And Afl Football Teams
(1) Rozelle promised that if the merger was allowed, no existing Professional Football franchise of either league would be moved from any city; and |
That is, if the merger was permitted, Professional Football would keep its existing teams in the cities AND stadiums that had teams in 1966.
For passing Public Law 89-800 (PL 89-800) and agreeing to allow the merger that eliminated the name, logo and identity of the American Football League (the genesis of modern Professional Football); and for then ignoring the breach of trust the NFL repeatedly committed by allowing teams to move and demand ever-larger stadiums; the 89th United States Congress is consigned to the 'American Football League Hall of Infamy'.
Below is an article about the merger, written in 1971 by Baltimore News-American Sports Editor John Steadman. To see the scanned version of the article, go to 'John Steadman article'. Also see Jerry Magee's more recent column for the San Diego Union.