This article will be permanently flagged as inappropriate and made unaccessible to everyone. Are you certain this article is inappropriate? Excessive Violence Sexual Content Political / Social
Email Address:
Article Id: WHEBN0001952057 Reproduction Date:
The American Football Conference – Eastern Division or AFC East is a division of the National Football League (NFL)'s American Football Conference (AFC). There are currently four teams that reside in the division: the Buffalo Bills (based in Orchard Park, New York); the Miami Dolphins (based in Miami Gardens, Florida); the New England Patriots (based in Foxborough, Massachusetts); and the New York Jets (based in East Rutherford, New Jersey).
Since the division's enfranchisement in 1960, with the creation of the American Football League, the division has been represented in 18 Super Bowls and won 7 of them. The most recent appearance and championship in the Super Bowl won by an AFC East team was the Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX.
Entering 2015 the Patriots had the most wins in the division's history, with a record of 450-377-9, with a playoff record of 28-18 (4-4 in Super Bowls) entering the playoffs of that season. The Dolphins were second at 415-317-4 (having played 84 fewer games than their division rivals) with a playoff record of 20-20 (2-3 in Super Bowls). The Bills were at 376-436-8 with a playoff record of 14-15 (with two American Football League titles) but winless having gone to four consecutive Super Bowls. The Jets held a record of 373-439-8, with a playoff record of 12-13 including victory in Super Bowl III.
In 2012, the Patriots broke a tie with the Dolphins for winning the most division titles; with two more subsequent division titles in 2013 and 2014 the Patriots have won 17 AFL/AFC East division titles to Miami's 14. The Bills have won ten division titles, and the Jets have won four.
Two teams formerly in the division combined for ten AFL/AFC East titles - the Houston Oilers (now the Tennessee Titans) won four division titles (and the 1960 and 1961 league titles) during the AFL era while the Baltimore-Indianapolis Colts won six division titles (and Super Bowl V) in the 32 seasons they were in the division.
The American Football League Eastern Division was formed during the inaugural season of the American Football League in 1960, as a counterpart to the AFL Western Division. The divisional alignment consisted of the Buffalo Bills, Boston Patriots, New York Titans and Houston Oilers. The Miami Dolphins entered the AFL in 1966 as part of its Eastern division.
The division was absorbed nearly intact with the AFL–NFL Merger in 1970, but Houston was moved to the AFC Central (formerly the NFL Century Division, now the AFC North) and replaced by the closer Baltimore Colts (from the NFL Coastal Division, which became the NFC West). Despite relocating to Indianapolis, Indiana in 1984, the Colts continued to play in the AFC East until NFL expansion from 31 to 32 teams with the addition of the Houston Texans (successor club in Houston to the Oilers) and 2002 re-alignment when they were moved to the AFC South (the successor franchise to the Oilers, the Tennessee Titans, is also in the AFC South).
Although Miami is farther south than the home cities of the other three teams, all of which are in the Northeast, all four AFC East teams have historical rivalries among them, dating from their years in the AFL during the 1960s.
None of the AFC East teams currently plays within the central city of their metropolitan area:
All of the teams are or were coached by a first or second generation member of the Bill Parcells coaching tree: the Patriots have Bill Belichick; the Dolphins had Tony Sparano; the Jets had Eric Mangini (who served as an assistant with both Belichick and Parcells); and the Bills had Dick Jauron (fired on November 17, 2009), who served as an assistant with former Parcells assistant Tom Coughlin. The Jets are now coached by Todd Bowles and the Bills are now coached by Rex Ryan. Parcells himself coached the Patriots (1993–6) and the Jets (1997–9) and was Vice President of Football Operations for the Dolphins until the summer of 2010.
ESPN's Chris Berman often calls this division the "AFC Adams" due to its geographical similarity to the old Adams Division of the NHL, now known as the Atlantic Division.
Along with the AFC (formerly AFL) West, the AFC East is the oldest NFL division in terms of creation date (1960).
Place cursor over year for division champ or Super Bowl team.
(AFC East records 1960-2014 seasons) Reflects Colts & Oilers results only while in the East Division.
1 Realigned from NFL West in 1970 merger. Known as the Baltimore Colts before 1984. Realigned into the AFC South beginning with the 2002 NFL season. 2 Realigned into the AFC Central in 1970 merger, and into the AFC South in 2002. Known as Tennessee Oilers from 1997–98, and Tennessee Titans since 1999.
National Football League, Super Bowl, American Football League, Super Bowl III, Shea Stadium
National Football League, Super Bowl VII, Super Bowl VIII, San Diego Chargers, New York Jets
Pittsburgh Steelers, Green Bay Packers, New York Jets, Super Bowl XLVIII, Kansas City Chiefs
New York Jets, National Football League, American Football League, New York, Super Bowl
National Football League, New York Jets, Super Bowl, New York Giants, American Football League
Chicago Bears, Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants, St. Louis Rams, Washington Redskins
Florida, Miami Dolphins, National Football League, Super Bowl, AFC East