NFC Championship: Most appearances, wins, losses

As we prepare for the NFC Championship Game, we’re taking a look at the storied history of the conference’s biggest game. Who’s appeared the most? Who has the most wins? Who were the players that dominated? All valid questions, which we intend to answer.

The San Francisco 49ers return once again

When they take to the field this Sunday, the San Francisco 49ers will be playing in their third consecutive NFC Championship game. That’s to say we’re talking about a team that is a dominant force in the conference and quite frankly, one that’s always been. Yet, it’s got to be said that the Niners’ last two trips to the conference’s biggest game ended in defeat. Indeed, one could argue that last year’s loss was one of the more heartbreaking we’ve seen in recent times as breakout quarterback, Brock Purdy, seemed on the way to a bright start before going down with a game-ending injury in the first quarter. From there it was only a matter of time before the Philadelphia Eagles got the better of them en route to a Super Bowl appearance. It goes without saying that Kyle Shanahan’s men will be itching to go one better than they did last year.

Of course, the 49ers are going to have a tough time booking their ticket to the Super Bowl. Standing in front of them will be the Detroit Lions who come into the Conference Championship game having put down the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-23 in the Divisional Round. Indeed, the Lions have continued to impress in the postseason, following a 12-5 finish to the season which was good enough to clinch the NFC North title. Looking ahead to the game itself, we’re likely in for a tense affair. On one side, we’ve got a team that has been playing very good football, however, have only played at Ford Field in Detroit during the playoffs so far. Now on the road for the first time in the postseason, the Lions will face a defense that is more than good enough to get to quarterback Jared Goff, and that’s before we touch on the Niners’ own man under center, Brock Purdy. The man they called ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ has been in scintillating form this season and we don’t expect that to change this Sunday.

Who’s top of the lists in the NFC?

From its start back in 1970, there has been one team that’s synonymous with dominance in the NFC and that’s the San Francisco 49ers. In total, the Niners have now got a whopping 19 appearances in the conference’s biggest game, with seven of those games having been played since 2011. The Lions on the other hand, are making just their second appearance in an NFC championship game. The last time they played in the postseason’s penultimate game was back in 1991 when they faced the then Washington Redskins who gave them a solid 41-10 beating.

The team that has won the most NFC titles, however, is the team that sits right behind San Francisco in appearances, their eternal rivals, the Dallas Cowboys. Across a total of 14 NFC Championships, the Cowboys have won on eight occasions. Incidentally, the first of those was the inaugural game back in 1970. Then came their period of dominance in the 90s, where they won three of four consecutive appearances between 1992 and 1995. Sadly, if you’re a Cowboys fan, the team hasn’t been back to the NFC Championship game since. With that, the Niners now have the opportunity - once again - to tie the Cowboys for most wins if they can defeat the Lions.

What about the most losses in the NFC?

Well, it seems the more you appear in the game, the more you could lose it. That makes sense, right? The Niners are currently in the lead for most losses in NFC Championship Games with 11 total losses. Clearly, they won’t be looking to extend that lead any further this Sunday, but we imagine there are a few Cowboys fans who will be hoping that they do. Remember to join us on Sunday 28th, January for the NFC Championship game between the San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. ET at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.