* - A players' strike in 1982 reduced the regular season to nine games. Thus, the league used a special 16-team playoff tournament just for this year. Division standings were ignored, Miami had the best record of the division teams.
Wild Card Winners by Year
1970 - None
1971 - None
1972 - None
1973 - None
1974 - None
1975 - None
1976 - None
1977 - Oakland Raiders
1978 - None
1979 - Denver Broncos
1980 - Oakland Raiders
1981 - None
1982 - *
1983 - Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks
1984 - Los Angeles Raiders, Seattle Seahawks
1985 - None
1986 - Kansas City Chiefs
1987 - Seattle Seahawks
1988 - None
1989 - None
1990 - Kansas City Chiefs
1991 - Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Raiders
1992 - Kansas City Chiefs
1993 - Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Raiders
1994 - Kansas City Chiefs
1995 - San Diego Chargers
1996 - None
1997 - Denver Broncos
1998 - None
1999 - None
2000 - Denver Broncos
2001 - None
2002 - None
2003 - Denver Broncos
2004 - Denver Broncos
2005 - None
* A players' strike in 1982 reduced the regular season to nine games. Thus, the league used a special 16-team playoff tournament just for this year. Division standings were ignored.