We recently received a great question from Brad in Massachusetts. He asked what franchise, of all the franchises that were part of the old American Football League (AFL), has gone on to experience the most success.

Success is a subjective term that means different things to different people. All of the following information is based on facts through the end of the 2007 NFL season.

Q. What original AFL team has won the most games in their history?
A. The Oakland Raiders. The Raiders have won an even 400 games since they came into the AFL in 1960. In second place in victories is the Kansas City Chiefs with 379 wins and right behind them is the Denver Broncos with 378 wins.

Q. What original AFL team has won the most championships?
A. The Oakland Raiders and New England Patriots have each won three league championships. The Raiders have defeated the Vikings, Eagles, and Redskins in their three Super Bowl victories while the Patriots have beaten the Rams, Panthers, and Eagles in their three Super Bowl victories.

So, it looks like the most successful of all of the former AFL franchises is the Oakland Raiders, with an honorable mention going to the New England Patriots.

A few facts about the least successful of all former AFL franchises:

-The Cincinnati Bengals have won the fewest games of all former AFL teams with just 268 wins. In their defense, the AFL started in 1960 but the Bengals’ first season in the league didn’t come until 1968.

-The teams from the AFL that have never won a Super Bowl in their franchise history include the Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, San Diego Chargers, and the Tennessee Titans (who began as the Houston OIlers).