NFC Championship: Most appearances, wins, losses
On Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles will host the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game. Neither team is a stranger to this game, but the Niners are definitely the more experienced of the two.
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
During the 1980s, if there was one team that dominated the NFC, it was most definitely the San Francisco 49ers. Yet, having been to the game just last year when they fell to the Los Angeles Rams, it would be fair to say they aren’t a team of the past either. Indeed, this is the second straight year that the Niners are going to be playing in NFC Championship and it goes without saying that Kyle Shanahan’s men will be itching to go one better than they did last year.
Standing in front of them will be the Philadelphia Eagles who despite a few dips actually flew quite high all season long. In truth, this NFC Championship Game is a fitting contest between the two top seeds in the conference. On both sides of the line of scrimmage there will be quarterback concerns, but for different reasons. Where the Eagles are concerned, they have seen an MVP worthy campaign from Jalen Hurts derailed by a recent shoulder injury - he’s still struggling. As for the Niners, both starting QB Trey Lance and backup Jimmy Garoppolo have been sidelined by injury, leaving third string rookie QB Brock Purdy to hold the fort. As the last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, many expected Purdy to sink rather than swim, but here we are.
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 18 appearances in the conference’s biggest game, with six of those games having been played since 2011. The Eagles on the other hand, have got eight appearances. The most recent of those came back in 2017, when they actually went on to defeat the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. Needless to say, Philly will be looking to repeat that feat when they meet the Niners on Sunday.
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, the Cowboys haven’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 Eagles.
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 10 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 29th, January for the NFC Championship game between the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles. Kickoff is set for 3:00 p.m. ET.