American Football Conference je konferencija, podliga američkog nogometa. Podijeljena je na 4 divizije gdje u svakoj diviziji igraju po 4 momčadi: Istočna (AFC East), Zapadna (AFC West), Sjeverna (AFC North) i Južna (AFC South). Podjela ne odražava nužno zemljopisni položaj, podosta u podjeli ulogu imaju i rivalstva.
Povijest American Football Conference je nastala 1970. nakon što su se ujedinile National Football League (NFL) i American Football League (AFL) u novu National Football League (NFL). U sastav American Football Conference je ušlo svih 10 klubova iz AFL-a (Boston Patriots, Buffalo Bills, Houston Oilers, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, Cincinnati Bengals, Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos, San Diego Chargers, Oakland Raiders) te tri momčadi iz NFL-a (Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers i Baltimore Colts) te su momčadi podijeljene u tri divizije (AFC East, AFC Central i AFC North). Trinaest originalnih momčadi iz 1970. je i danas prisutno u konferenciji, iako su neke promijenile grad ili naziv (Boston Patriots su danas New England Patriots, Houston Oilers su danas Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Colts današnji Indianapolis Colts, Oakland Raiders su jedno vrijeme bili Los Angeles Raiders, dok Cleveland Browns nisu djelovali u periodu 1996. – 1998.).
Članovima AFC-a su još postali: 1976. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (ali su odmah 1977. prešli u NFC 1977. Seattle Seahaks (prešli u NFC 2002.) 1995. Jacksonville Jaguars 1996. Baltimore Ravens 2002. Houston Texans
Od 2002. AFC umjesto tri broji 4 divizije (AFC East, AFC West, AFC North i AFC South).
Momčadi AFC-a U American Football Conference trenutno igra 16 momčadi raspodijeljene u četiri divizije.
Aktivne momčadiDivizijaMomčadStadionGrad/PodručjeSezoneBivči nazivi momčadi u AFC-uAFL konferencijski nasloviAFL divizijski naslovi Istok (AFC East)Buffalo Bills Ralph Wilson Stadium Orchard Park, New York 1970.- 4 East: 7Miami Dolphins Sun Life Stadium Miami Gardens, Florida (područje Miamija) 1970.- 5 East: 13New England Patriots Gillette Stadium Foxborough, Massachusetts (područje Bostona) 1970.- Boston Patriots (1970.) 8 East: 17New York Jets Meadowlands Stadium East Rutherford, New Jersey (područje New Yorka) 1970.- East: 2 Sjever (AFC North)Baltimore Ravens M&T Bank Stadium Baltimore, Maryland 1996.- 2 North: 4Cincinnati Bengals Paul Brown Stadium Cincinnati, Ohio 1970.- 2 Central: 5 North: 4Cleveland Browns Cleveland Browns Stadium Cleveland, Ohio 1970. – 1995., 1999.- Central: 6Pittsburgh Steelers Heinz Field Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 1970.- 8 Central: 15 North: 6 Jug (AFC South)Houston Texans Reliant Stadium Houston, Texas 2002.- South: 3Indianapolis Colts Lucas Oil Stadium Indianapolis, Indiana 1970.- Baltimore Colts (1970. – 1983.) 3 East: 6 South: 9 Jacksonville Jaguars Jacksonville Municipal Stadium Jacksonville, Florida 1995.- Central: 2Tennessee Titans LP Field Nashville, Tennessee 1970.- Houston Oilers (1970. – 1996.) Tennessee Oilers (1997. – 1998.) 1 Central: 3 South: 2 Zapad (AFC West)Denver Broncos Invesco Field at Mile High Denver, Colorado 1970.- 8 West: 15Kansas City Chiefs Arrowhead Stadium Kansas City, Missouri 1970.- West: 6Oakland Raiders McAfee Coliseum 1970.- Los Angeles Raiders (1982. – 1994.) 4 West: 12Los Angeles Chargers Dignity Health Sports Park Costa Mesa, Kalifornija 1970.- San Diego Chargers (1961. – 2016.)1 West: 10 Bivši članovi AFC-a Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1976. Seattle Seahawks1977. – 2001. West: 2
Struktura sezone
Regularna sezona U regularnoj sezoni svaki tim igra 16 utakmica kroz period od 17 tjedana (od rujna do prosinca). Tradiocionalno se utakmice igraju svako nedjeljno popodne (u 19 sati po našem vremenu), s iznimkom da se jedna utakmica igra u nedjelju navećer, a druga u ponedjeljak navećer (monday night football). Zadnja tri tjedna u regularnoj sezoni utakmice se igraju i subotom.
Formula po kojoj se takmiće klubovi u NFL-u tokom regularne sezone:
Svaki tim igra protiv svakog tima u njegovoj diviziji po dva puta: jednom kod kuće i jednom u gostima (6 utakmica). Svaki tim igra po jednu utakmicu protiv 4 tima iz drugih divizija u njegovoj konferenciji po trogodišnjem rotirajučem principu: dvije utakmice kod kuće, i dvije vani (4 utakmice). Svaki tim igra po jednu utakmicu protiv 4 tima iz drugih divizija u drugoj konferenciji po četverogodišnjem rotirajučem principu: dvije utakmice kod kuće, i dvije vani (4 utakmice). Svaki tim igra dvije utakmice protiv dva tima u njegovoj konferenciji ovisno o dosadašnjim rezultatima sezone: Jednu utakmicu kod kuće i jednu vani.
Ova formula se pokazala vrlo korisnom jer se njome očuvaju stara rivalstva dok se u isto vrijeme stvaraju i nova.
Doigravanje (playoff) Doigravanje traje obično kroz siječanj i početak veljače (doigravanje se uglavnom ne igra u istoj kalendarsjkoj godini s regularnom sezonom) a u doigravanje ulazi šest momačadi - 4 pobjednika divizija (koji su ovisno o uspješnosti u regularnoj sezoni rangirani kao 1., 2., 3. i 4.-topostavljeni) te dvije momčadi koje imaju najbolji omjer pobjeda i poraza u ligi uz ova četiri prvaka divizija (ove dvije momčadi su rangirane kao 5. i 6.-topostavljena u ovisnosti o regularnoj sezoni). U doigravanju se igra na jednu utakmicu, a domaćin je bolje plasirani tim u regularnoj sezoni.
Konferencijsko doigravanje se igra kroz tri tjedna ovim redoslijedom: Wild Card Playoffs (Wild Card Weekend) - 1st i 2nd seed su slobodni, a utakmicu međusobno za prolaz igraju 3rd i 6th te 4th i 5th seed. Divisional Playoff - pobjednici Wild Card Playoffs) igraju protiv 1st i 2nd seeda, a parovi se određuju tako da 1st seed igra protiv najslabijeg seeda koji je prošao Divisional Playoff Conference Championship - igraji ga pobjednici Divisional Playoff te pobjednik postaje prvakom American Football Conference te ide u Super Bowl protiv prvaka NFC-a za najbolju momčad NFL lige.
AFC konferencijska finala Sezona Prvak Rezultat Finalist Grad Savezna država Stadion1970. Baltimore Colts 27:17 Oakland Raiders Baltimore Maryland Memorial Stadium1971. Miami Dolphins 21:0 Baltimore Colts Miami Florida Miami Orange Bowl 1972. Miami Dolphins 21:17 Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Three Rivers Stadium1973. Miami Dolphins 21:10 Oakland Raiders Miami Florida Miami Orange Bowl1974. Pittsburgh Steelers 24:13 Oakland Raiders Oakland Kalifornija Oakland Coliseum1975. Pittsburgh Steelers 16:10 Oakland Raiders Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Three Rivers Stadium1976. Oakland Raiders 24:7 Pittsburgh Steelers Oakland Kalifornija Oakland Coliseum1977. Denver Broncos 20:17 Oakland Raiders Denver Colorado Mile High Stadium1978. Pittsburgh Steelers 34:5 Houston Oilers Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Three Rivers Stadium1979. Pittsburgh Steelers 27:13 Houston Oilers Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Three Rivers Stadium1980. Oakland Raiders 34:27 San Diego Chargers San Diego Kalifornija Qualcomm Stadium1981. Cincinnati Bengals 27:7 San Diego Chargers Cincinnati Ohio Riverfront Stadium1982. Miami Dolphins 14:0 New York Jets Miami Florida Miami Orange Bowl1983. Los Angeles Raiders 30:14 Seattle Seahawks Los Angeles Kalifornija Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum1984. Miami Dolphins 45:28 Pittsburgh Steelers Miami Florida Miami Orange Bowl1985. New England Patriots 31:14 Miami Dolphins Miami Florida Miami Orange Bowl1986. Denver Broncos 23:20 Cleveland Browns Cleveland Ohio Cleveland Municipal Stadium1987. Denver Broncos 38:33 Cleveland Browns Denver Colorado Mile High Stadium1988. Cincinnati Bengals 21:10 Buffalo Bills Cincinnati Ohio Riverfront Stadium1989. Denver Broncos 37:21 Cleveland Browns Denver Colorado Mile High Stadium1990. Buffalo Bills 51:3 Los Angeles Raiders Orchard Park New York Ralph Wilson Stadium1991. Buffalo Bills 27:10 Denver Broncos Orchard Park New York Ralph Wilson Stadium1992. Buffalo Bills 29:10 Miami Dolphins Miami Florida Joe Robbie Stadium1993. Buffalo Bills 30:13 Kansas City Chiefs Orchard Park New York Ralph Wilson Stadium1994. San Diego Chargers 17:13 Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Three Rivers Stadium1995. Pittsburgh Steelers 20:16 Indianapolis Colts Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Three Rivers Stadium1996. New England Patriots 20:6 Jacksonville Jaguars Foxborough Massachusetts Foxboro Stadium1997. Denver Broncos 24:21 Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Three Rivers Stadium1998. Denver Broncos 23:10 New York Jets Denver Colorado Mile High Stadium1999. Tennessee Titans 33:14 Jacksonville Jaguars Jacksonville Florida Jacksonville Municipal Stadium2000. Baltimore Ravens 16:3 Oakland Raiders Oakland Kalifornija Oakland Coliseum2001. New England Patriots 24:17 Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Heinz Field2002. Oakland Raiders 41:24 Tennessee Titans Oakland Kalifornija Oakland Coliseum2003. New England Patriots 24:14 Indianapolis Colts Foxborough Massachusetts Gillette Stadium2004. New England Patriots 41:27 Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Heinz Field2005. Pittsburgh Steelers 34:17 Denver Broncos Denver Colorado Invesco Field at Mile High2006. Indianapolis Colts 38:34 New England Patriots Indianapolis Indiana RCA Dome2007. New England Patriots 21:12 San Diego Chargers Foxboro Massachusetts Gillette Stadium2008. Pittsburgh Steelers 23:14 Baltimore Ravens Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Heinz Field2009. Indianapolis Colts 30:17 New York Jets Indianapolis Indiana Lucas Oil Stadium2010. Pittsburgh Steelers 24:19 New York Jets Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Heinz Field2011. New England Patriots 23:20 Baltimore Ravens Foxborough Massachusetts Gillette Stadium 2012. Baltimore Ravens 28:13 New England Patriots Foxborough Massachusetts Gillette Stadium 2013. Denver Broncos 26:16 New England Patriots Denver Colorado Sports Authority Field at Mile High2014. New England Patriots 45:7 Indianapolis Colts Foxborough Massachusetts Gillette Stadium 2015. Denver Broncos 20:18 New England Patriots Denver Colorado Sports Authority Field at Mile High2016. New England Patriots 36:17 Pittsburgh Steelers Foxborough Massachusetts Gillette Stadium 2017. New England Patriots 24:20 Jacksonville Jaguars Foxborough Massachusetts Gillette Stadium 2018. New England Patriots 20:18 Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Missouri Arrowhead Stadium2019. Kansas City Chiefs 35:24 Tennessee Titans Kansas City Missouri Arrowhead Stadium
Prvaci AFC divizija