American Football League playoffs
For its first nine seasons, 1960 [American Football League season|1960] through 1968, the American Football League determined its champion via a single playoff game between the winners of its two divisions and 1968.
In 1969, the tenth and final year of the independent ten-team AFL, a four-team playoff was held, with the second-place teams in each division traveling to play the winner of the other division in what were called the "Interdivisional" playoffs. These playoffs were not, and are not considered to have been, "wildcard" playoffs since the runners-up in both divisions qualified, rather than the two best non-division winners., would have qualified while the Eastern's runner-up, Houston Oilers season|Houston] The 1969 AFL playoffs were only the second time a U.S. major professional football league allowed teams other than the first-place teams to compete in post-season playoffs.
Before the first Super Bowl, in the 1966 season, the AFL went to great lengths to avoid scheduling its playoff games at the same time as the NFL's. In 1960, the NFL Championship Game|NFL's game] was held on Monday, December 26; the AFL had that week off, and played its 1960 American [Football League Championship Game|title contest] on Sunday, January 1, as the college bowl games were played on Monday. In 1961 and 1962, the AFL played its championship game during the off-week between the end of the NFL's regular season and its title game. In 1963, the AFL held its Eastern Division tiebreaker playoff on Saturday, December 28, 1963, thereby avoiding the NFL championship game that Sunday. In 1964, pro football had a championship weekend, with the AFL's title game held on Saturday, December 26, and the NFL championship on Sunday. For 1965, the AFL tried to return to the practice of playing its game on a Sunday during the off-week between the NFL playoff, slating its championship contest for December 26, while the NFL's game was not held until January 2, 1966; the Colts season|Colts] and 1965 [Green Bay Packers season|Packers] required a Western Conference tiebreaker on December 26—and when that game went to overtime, it shrank the TV audience for the Buffalo Bills season|Bills]-San Diego Chargers season|Chargers] title game in San Diego. Even in 1966, the AFL originally scheduled its championship game for the off-week, planning to hold its playoff on Monday, December 26, six days before the NFL title game on January 1.
In 1966, the leagues agreed to hold championship doubleheaders for the next four years: both title games would take place on the same day but at different times so television audiences could watch both. These took place on January 1, 1967; December 31, 1967; December 29, 1968; and January 4, 1970.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame and the National Football League include AFL playoffs in their statistics for the NFL playoffs.
Championship summary
| Season | Date | Winning team | Score | Losing team | MVP | Venue | City | Attendance |
| 1960 | Houston Oilers season|Houston Oilers] | Los Angeles Chargers season|Los Angeles Chargers] | Billy Cannon | 32,183 | ||||
| 1961 | Houston Oilers | Chargers season|San Diego Chargers] | Billy Cannon | 29,556 | ||||
| 1962 | Dallas Texans season|Dallas Texans] | Houston Oilers | Jack Spikes | 37,981 | ||||
| 1963 | San Diego Chargers | Boston Patriots season|Boston Patriots] | Keith Lincoln | 30,127 | ||||
| 1964 | Bills season|Buffalo Bills] | San Diego Chargers | Jack Kemp | 40,242 | ||||
| 1965 | Buffalo Bills | San Diego Chargers | Jack Kemp | 30,361 | ||||
| 1966 | Kansas City Chiefs season|Kansas City Chiefs] | Buffalo Bills | Len Dawson | 42,080 | ||||
| 1967 | Oakland Raiders season|Oakland Raiders] | Houston Oilers | Daryle Lamonica | 53,330 | ||||
| 1968 | New York Jets season|New York Jets] | Oakland Raiders | Joe Namath | 62,627 | ||||
| 1969 | Kansas City Chiefs | Oakland Raiders | Otis Taylor | 53,564 |
- Eastern Division hosted in even-numbered seasons, Western in odd.
1960 Championship