1970 AFC West Division Title

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Lore & Background

The AFC West was formed in 1970 as part of the new NFL's two-conference, six-division alignment, with the AFL West entering the merged league more or less intact. The original AFL West had four members – the Dallas Texans (who moved to Kansas City in 1963 as the Chiefs), Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers (who moved to San Diego in 1961, then back to Los Angeles in 2017) and Oakland Raiders (who moved to Los Angeles in 1982, back to Oakland in 1995, and Las Vegas in 2020). These four teams have remained in the AFC West since its inception, and are currently the only teams in the division. However, the claim that all four teams have played each other in the same division since 1960 is incorrect: the Dallas Texans (later Chiefs) were in the AFL Western Division from 1960, but the Los Angeles Chargers moved to San Diego in 1961 and were in the AFL Western Division, while the Oakland Raiders joined the AFL in 1960 but were in the AFL Western Division only from 1960 to 1961, then moved to the AFL Eastern Division in 1962, and returned to the AFL Western Division in 1966. Therefore, the four teams did not continuously play in the same division from 1960. Additionally, the AFC West cannot be considered the oldest division in its present form in the NFL, as the NFC East has had the same four teams (Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders) since 1970, while the AFC West has undergone team relocations (e.g., Raiders to Las Vegas, Chargers back to Los Angeles).

In Their Own Story

The source does not provide specific details about the 1970 season games, individual player performances, or the specific moment the division title was clinched. It states that the division was formed in 1970 and that the Chiefs, as the former Dallas Texans, have been a continuous member of the division since 1960. The source also notes that the division has sent teams to the Super Bowl twenty-one times beginning with Super Bowl I when the Chiefs played the Green Bay Packers.

Did You Know?

• The AFC West was formed in 1970 as part of the new NFL's two-conference, six-division alignment, with the AFL West entering the merged league more or less intact.
• The four teams that have remained in the AFC West since its inception are the Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers, and Las Vegas Raiders.
• The Chiefs, originally the Dallas Texans, moved to Kansas City in 1963.
• Contrary to some claims, the four AFC West teams did not all play each other in the same division continuously since 1960; the Oakland Raiders spent 1962–1965 in the AFL Eastern Division.
• The division has sent teams to the Super Bowl twenty-one times, beginning with Super Bowl I when the Chiefs played the Green Bay Packers.