Week 7 poll: Best AFL Franchise

General Published on : 1/1/2005

Week Seven poll: Best AFL Franchise

In honor of the AFL's 40th anniversary and the classic AFL matchup this week between Kansas City and Oakland, we take a look at the greatest AFL franchises. Which one was the best? You decide. Get some background below before casting your vote ... and check back on our previous winners from Weeks One-Six.

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Houston Oilers

Johnny Unitas

George Blanda

Led by QB/K George Blanda, the 1960 and '61 Oilers won the first-two championships of the AFL. The Oilers finished 11-4 on the 1960 campaign, including a 24-16 championship game victory over the L.A. Chargers. In '61, Blanda racked up over 3,000 yards passing and 36 TDs, leading the Oilers to a 10-3-1 record. The Oilers defeated the 12-2 San Diego Chargers, 10-3, to win their second AFL title in as many seasons.

Buffalo Bills

Dan Marino

Billy Shaw

The 1964 AFL-champion Buffalo Bills gave the city its first-ever professional sports championship. The Bills' 371.9 avg. yards per game were nearly 100 yards greater than their opponents' 277. Their 12-2 record was tops in the league, and the Bills dominated the AFL Championship game, 20-3, over San Diego. As the only team in the Eastern Division with a winning record in 1965 (10-3-1), the Bills advanced to the AFL Championship Game against the Chargers. Once again, the Bills destroyed San Diego, 23-0, for the first shutout in AFL Championship Game history.

Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs

The Texans/Chiefs' 10-season AFL record of 92-50-5 was the best of any team. In 1962, the Texans won the AFL Championship in what was then the longest game in pro football history, 20-17, over Houston in two overtimes. After a move to Kansas City in 1963, the Chiefs won a second AFL title in 1966 and were the first team to represent the AFL in Super Bowl competition, losing to Green Bay, 35-10, in Super Bowl I. The Chiefs again won the AFL title in 1969 and became the only team in AFL history to win three championships. They upset the NFL-champion Minnesota Vikings, 23-7, to complete the AFL vs. NFL portion of the Super Bowl series tied at two wins each. It was the last game ever played by an AFL team.

Jerry Rice

Hank Stram is carried off after SB IV

New York Jets

Jim Brown

Joe Namath

The 1968 Jets defeated the Oakland Raiders, 27-23, in the AFL championship and then stunned the entire sports world with a 16-7 victory over the overwhelmingly-favored Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III, which was guaranteed by eventual Super Bowl MVP Joe Namath. Head coach Weeb Ewbank became the first head coach to win a world title in both the NFL and AFL. The AFL win was the first victory for the AFL over the NFL in the Super Bowl.

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Note: Photos courtesy of the Associated Press.