This stat proves the AFC runs through the Patriots, Chiefs, and...Jets?

For years, the AFC has been dominated by a small group of franchises that have shaped the very foundation and identity of the conference. That exclusive group consists of the New England Patriots, the Kansas City Chiefs, and, of course, the New York Jets.

Yes. The Jets.

Believe it or not, one completely real and undeniably serious statistic proves this narrative to be true. The last 17 AFC Championship Games have featured at least one of those three teams every single season. Laugh if you must. The math has already been done.

While everyone is quick to look back fondly on the Patriots and Chiefs dynasties, why does everyone overlook the Jets dynasty? Where is their ESPN 30 for 30 documentary? Where is the widespread acclaim they so clearly deserve?

The Jets might just belong in the AFC's elite alongside the Chiefs and Patriots

The Patriots’ place here, unfortunately, requires no explanation. They spent the better part of two decades turning the AFC into their personal playground, stacking Super Bowl appearances like souvenirs.

The Chiefs followed by seamlessly picking up the torch, turning the conference into a yearly Patrick Mahomes invitational. Their streak of 10 consecutive playoff appearances finally came to an end this season.

And then there are the Jets, standing proudly alongside these titans of the sport, their equal by the cold, unfeeling logic of statistics. Try as you might, you can't deny it.

Now, this is where it feels important to acknowledge a few inconvenient details. The Jets have not made the playoffs in 15 years. They own the longest active postseason drought in the NFL and, depending on the day, are often treated as the league’s punchline.

Coaching turnover, quarterback roulette, and constant rebuilds have defined the franchise for more than a decade. None of that is in dispute. The Jets are a very bad football team, and they have been for quite some time.

And yet, none of that matters here.

Because in 2009 and 2010, the Jets made the AFC Championship Game in back-to-back seasons. It may be an era that now feels less like recent history and more like football folklore, but those games count exactly the same as every Patriots or Chiefs appearance that followed.

Statistics do not age. They do not contextualize. They do not care about embarrassment or vibes. They do, however, undeniably count.

So while the Patriots built a dynasty and the Chiefs constructed the modern standard of excellence, the Jets quietly etched their name into AFC history in a way that can never be removed. 17 straight AFC title games. Three franchises. The Jets, as everyone would expect, are included.

Dynasties rise and fall, but the Jets, somehow, remain part of the AFC’s inner circle, at least as it pertains to recent conference championship games. Surely that has to count for something, right?