Parity? AFC vs NFC

[GunnerBill]

After the Divisional Play-off games last week when the Championship line ups were set what struck me about the NFC was that feels fresh and new as compared to there "oh look it is those two again" in the AFC. So I started looking into the history of the Championship match ups.

 

Since the 2008 season only 6 of 16 AFC teams have made the Championship game:

 

New England Patriots;

Denver Broncos;

Pittsburgh Steelers;

Baltimore Ravens;

Indianapolis Colts;

New York Jets.

 

In the same period a staggering 11 of 16 NFC teams have made the Championship game. A remarkable total in a period of 8 seasons. The only NFC franchises that haven't in that time are the Buccs, Redskins, Lions, Rams and Cowboys.

 

I started to look further back... other than one appearance by the Chargers you have to back as far as the 2002 season to find any other AFC representative. Now that is without doubt at least in part down to the Manning / Brady / Big Ben dominance of the AFC but only 4 of the Championship games in those 13 years have been two of those three facing off... so there has been opportunities for other teams and only the pre-Manning Broncos, the post-Manning Colts, the Ravens, the Jets and the Chargers have taken advantage.

 

In total going back to the 1994 season and the introduction of the salary cap the AFC has had 10 different teams contest the Championship game whereas the NFC has had 14 different Championship Sunday participants (with only Detroit and Washington failing to make it).

 

Another interesting observation - of the 24 NFL franchises that have made a title game since the 1994 season none have only made it once. The only team that did apply to before this season was Arizona. Every other team who has made it has done so in at least 2 seasons.

 

The only team to make a Championship game on double figured occasions in that time is New England with 11 (as of tomorrow). The next best is Pittsburgh with 8, the Packers have 6 and the Eagles, Broncos and Colts all 5 appearances.

 

So both conferences have some dominant teams (although New England are out on their own) but the NFC can definitely claim to have more parity. Will it change post Brady and Manning? It will be interesting to see.

[Mr. WEO]

No mystery here. The QB is king and the best QBs are and have been in the AFC throughout that whole period. P Manning, Brady, Ben are all 1st vote HOFers.

 

In the NFC, Rodgers has been twice, so has E Manning. Wilson too, almost a third time during Carolina's collapse last week.

 

In the last 11 NFCC games, the Giants(2)/Carolina(2)/Seahawks(3)/Packers(3)/Cards(2)/49ers(2) have played in 9 of them.

 

The Seattle and NYGiants have won 5 of the last 11 games. If the Cardinals win, that will be 3 teams that have won 7 of the last 11 NFCC games.

 

Is that really significantly more parity?

[GunnerBill]

No mystery here. The QB is king and the best QBs are and have been in the AFC throughout that whole period. P Manning, Brady, Ben are all 1st vote HOFers.

 

In the NFC, Rodgers has been twice, so has E Manning. Wilson too, almost a third time during Carolina's collapse last week.

 

In the last 11 NFCC games, the Giants(2)/Carolina(2)/Seahawks(3)/Packers(3)/Cards(2)/49ers(2) have played in 9 of them.

 

The Seattle and NYGiants have won 5 of the last 11 games. If the Cardinals win, that will be 3 teams that have won 7 of the last 11 NFCC games.

 

Is that really significantly more parity?

 

I wasn't really suggesting it was a mystery.... just that more teams appear to have hope in the NFC and teams tend to go more naturally through cycles - the Cardinals and the Panthers are actually good examples of that in that they had decent little periods then struggled for a few years then rebuilt and came back. Really the ability of New England and Pittsburgh in particular to be so consistently competitive over such a period of time is really impressive. Yes the Quarterbacks are part of that but Brees and Rodgers have at times been as dominant in the NFC and yet haven't had that same consistency.

 

I think what it might point to, at least in part, is that there are more dysfunctional franchises in the AFC who have consistently failed to rebuild well even after multiple goes at it.