NFC Championship Game history: Most wins, losses and appearances

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The two teams that will square off in Sunday’s NFC Championship Game are familiar with the big stage.

On one side, there are the San Francisco 49ers, a team that ruled the NFC in the 1980s. After suffering a pair of quarterback injuries in 2022, rookie Brock Purdy stepped in and has yet to lose. With home playoff victories over the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys, the team has reached its third NFC title game in the last four years.

Standing in their way are the top-seeded Philadelphia Eagles. Jalen Hurts and Co. were the last NFL team to earn a loss during the regular season and landed the No. 1 spot in the NFC with a 14-3 record. Following a first-round bye, they ensured this year’s NFC Championship Game would be played at Lincoln Financial Field with a 38-7 rout over the NFC East rival New York Giants in the divisional round.

Ahead of Sunday’s matchup, here’s a look at the teams with the most wins, losses and appearances in NFC Championship Games:

Which team has won the most NFC Championship Games?

The Cowboys have the most NFC Championship Game victories with eight.

Those eight wins have come in two dominant stints. The first came from 1970, the first year with an NFC Championship Game following the NFL-AFL merger, to 1978 and featured five NFC title game wins. The second stretch came from 1992 to 1995, when Dallas made four straight appearances and picked up three victories.

The 49ers have a chance to tie the Cowboys on Sunday, as they have seven NFC Championship Game wins under their belt. After the 49ers, the Giants, Los Angeles Rams and Washington Commanders are tied for the third-most victories with five apiece.

Which team has lost the most NFC Championship Games?

While San Francisco can tie the record for most wins, it can also extend its lead with the most losses in NFC Championship Game history. The 49ers have lost the game 10 times, with their most recent defeat coming last postseason in Los Angeles.

The Cowboys, Rams, Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings are second on the list with six NFC Championship Game losses apiece.

Which team has the most NFC Championship Game appearances?

The 49ers are making a record 18th NFC Championship Game appearance this year. It is their sixth time reaching the game since 2011, and they are 2-3 in that span.

The Cowboys are second on the list with 14 appearances, the Rams are in third with 11 and the Packers and Vikings are tied for fourth with nine each.

Every team in the current NFC has reached at least one conference title game, and only one team has failed to represent the conference in a Super Bowl. Here is each team listed by NFC Championship Game appearances:

1. San Francisco 49ers: 18 (7-10)

2. Dallas Cowboys: 14 (8-6)

3. Los Angeles Rams: 11 (5-6)

T-4. Green Bay Packers: 9 (3-6)

T-4. Minnesota Vikings: 9 (3-6)

6. Philadelphia Eagles: 8 (3-4)

7. Washington Commanders: 6 (5-1)

T-8. New York Giants: 5 (5-0)

T-8. Chicago Bears: 5 (2-3)

T-10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 4 (2-2)

T-10. Carolina Panthers: 4 (2-2)

T-10. Atlanta Falcons: 4 (2-2)

T-13. Seattle Seahawks: 3 (3-0)

T-13. New Orleans Saints: 3 (1-2)

15. Arizona Cardinals: 2 (1-1)

16. Detroit Lions: 1 (0-1)

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