The NFC holds a slim lead over the AFC when it comes to Super Bowl victories. Back-to-back titles for the Kansas City Chiefs briefly created a tie between the two conferences, but Super Bowl wins for the Philadelphia Eagles and Seattle Seahawks the last two seasons give the NFC a 31-29 edge overall. It’s amazing the ledger is that close considering there was a stretch in which the NFC won 13 straight Super Bowls.
That’s not AI slop. It really happened. From 1984 through 1996, the NFC won 13 consecutive Super Bowls. Six teams accounted for those wins: San Francisco 49ers (4), Dallas Cowboys (3), New York Giants (2), Washington Redskins (2), Chicago Bears (1) and Green Bay Packers (1).
It’s not as if the AFC was bereft of talent those years. John Elway and the Denver Broncos lost the Super Bowl three times in a four-year span (they eventually ended the streak when they beat the Packers in Super Bowl XXXII). The Miami Dolphins only reached the Super Bowl once in that stretch, but Dan Marino kept them perennially in the mix. The Buffalo Bills famously became the first and only team ever to win four straight conference championships, only to lose four straight Super Bowls.
By Tony Fisher
Since the 2000 season, the AFC holds a 15-11 edge in Super Bowls. But here’s the problem: Four quarterbacks account for 13 of those 15 wins — Tom Brady (6), Patrick Mahomes (3), Ben Roethlisberger (2) and Peyton Manning (2). Brady, Mahomes and Roethlisberger should all join Manning as first-ballot Hall of Famers. The other two Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks for the AFC in this century were Trent Dilfer and Joe Flacco.
The NFC’s 11 Super Bowl victories since 2000 came with a much wider array of QBs. Brady is on this list with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Drew Brees is a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Aaron Rodgers will be and Matthew Stafford might be. Eli Manning, the only two-time winner on this list, is a two-time Hall finalist but is still waiting. Russell Wilson is on the bubble. Rounding out the list: Brad Johnson, Nick Foles, Jalen Hurts and Sam Darnold.
So what’s the takeaway here? Well, if you don’t have a Hall of Fame-caliber quarterback, you better have a dominant defense. Hurts and Darnold have had their moments, but it’s defense that won the Super Bowl for the Eagles and Seahawks. Between Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert, it’s fair to say the AFC has the majority of current “superstar” quarterbacks — yet it’s the Los Angeles Rams who are favorites to win Super Bowl LXI. And while the Rams have a star QB in Stafford and an offensive guru in head coach Sean McVay, it was the acquisition of sack king Myles Garrett that made them the team to beat.
And even though the AFC has those big-time field generals, it’s the NFC that arguably boasts the two best divisions in the NFL. Here’s how I would rank all eight divisions:
1. NFC West
Combined 2025 record: 41-27
The only division to produce three playoff teams last season and all three should be in contention again. The competition between the Rams and Seahawks should be as entertaining as it was last year. The 49ers might be the favorite in any other division. As for the Arizona Cardinals, they’re obviously the weak link here but rookie running back Jeremiyah Love might emerge as a must-see talent.
Matt Marton-Imagn Images
2. NFC North
Combined 2025 record: 38-29-1
Remember when the NFC North was the black-and-blue division? Now it’s got three head coaches in Kevin O’Connell, Matt LaFleur and Ben Johnson who are offensive wunderkinds, and some of the most explosive offensive players in the league — Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Caleb Williams, Justin Jefferson. The Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions were both 9-8 last year, which was tied for last place.
3. AFC South
Combined 2025 record: 36-32
Speaking of winning the Super Bowl with defense, the Houston Texans are starting to become a buzzy pick. Yet while the Texans and their top-ranked defense have won 32 regular-season games and three playoff games over the last three years, it’s actually the Jacksonville Jaguars that are the defending division champs. The Indianapolis Colts collapsed down the stretch in 2025, but don’t forget they were 8-2 at one point. The Tennessee Titans pick up the rear, but they can make waves if Cam Ward turns out to be the franchise QB they expect him to be.
4. AFC West
Combined 2025 record: 34-34
It wasn’t long ago the AFC West was considered hands-down the best division, but then the Chiefs’ attempt to threepeat ended with a thud, as Mahomes went down with a knee injury and the team finished 6-11. If the Chiefs rebound, combined with the bright prospects for the Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers, this division maybe should be ranked higher. However, don’t forget these Chiefs were struggling last season long before Mahomes went down.
Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
5. NFC East
Combined 2025 record: 27-40-1
Despite having the worst combined record of any division last season, there is some promise. The Eagles will remain a serious playoff contender. The additions on defense are generating buzz for the Cowboys. John Harbaugh has the Giants moving in the right direction. The Washington Commanders were 5-12 last season, but they made the NFC title game two years ago and have a dynamic star in Jayden Daniels.
6. AFC North
Combined 2025 record: 29-39
This isn’t the beastly division it was a few years ago, and the Cleveland Browns really drag it down. If Burrow and the Bengals can rebound after missing the playoffs three years in a row, that helps.
7. AFC East
Combined 2025 record: 36-32
The battle at the top of this division between the Bills and New England Patriots should be epic after they went a combined 26-8 last season. But then you’ve got the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets, whose battle for the worst record in the league might be just as epic.
8. NFC South
Combined 2025 record: 30-38
The NFC South didn’t have the worst combined record last season, but it was the only division that produced zero teams with a winning record. The Carolina Panthers went 8-9 and are the defending division champs. The New Orleans Saints finished 6-11 … and were two games out of first place. Ugh.
