The National Football League's Top 10 Rivalries
Note: A rivalry needs to be about more than just repeated postseason matchups to qualify. And, in each case, I am listing these teams by alphabetical order. Not in any other order: Not personal preference, not age, not success level.
10. Miami Dolphins vs. New York Jets.
Began: 1966, with the Dolphins' founding in the AFL.
Reason: Divisional play. It can't be distance, as there's 1,264 miles, mostly of Interstate 95, between East Rutherford and Miami Gardens. But the Dolphins got good in 1970, just as the Jets came off their Super Bowl III high -- a game played at the Orange Bowl, the Dolphins' home field at the time -- and it's been mostly Dolphins ever since.
Biggest Individual Rivalry: Dan Marino vs. the Jets' defense. The "New York Sack Exchange" couldn't stop the curly-haired kid from Pittsburgh in the 1980s, and their successors in the 1990s couldn't do it, either.
Biggest Event: January 23, 1983, the AFC Championship, at the Orange Bowl. Known as the Mud Bowl, it was scoreless at the half, but 3 interceptions by A.J. Duhe (a linebacker, which is rare) doomed Gang Green, and the Dolphins won 14-0. Three times since then, at least points-wise, the Jets have come closer to reaching the Super Bowl, but it still feels like that's the closest they've come since Broadway Joe Namath held up that "We're Number 1" finger as he walked off the field at the Orange Bowl half a century ago.
The Jets have had their moments, though, including a 51-46 overtime shootout in 1986, and a comeback from being 30-7 down to win 40-37 in overtime in 2000, a game known as the Monday Night Miracle, both at the Meadowlands.
Current Status: Surprise! Despite the Dolphins being far more successful, the Jets lead the rivalry, 54-51-1, mostly due to the Dolphins being underachievers for about a quarter of a century.
This Year's Games: In Miami (well, in Miami Gardens, Florida) on November 3, and in New York (well, in East Rutherford, New Jersey) on December 8.
9. New York Giants vs. Philadelphia Eagles.
Began: 1933, with the Eagles' founding.
Reason: Geography. Currently, 96 miles, most of it along Interstate 95, separate the teams. But it got personal on November 20, 1960. It was the only time between 1958 and 1963 that the Giants didn't win the NFL Eastern Division, and it was clinched when the Eagles' Chuck Bednarik forced a fumble on the Giants' Frank Gifford, knocking him out cold, and forcing him into an early retirement. (He came back in 1962, for 3 seasons.)
Biggest Individual Rivalry: Bednarik vs. Gifford.
Biggest Event: Surprisingly, not a Playoff game, although there have been 4 of them between these teams. The Giants won a Wild Card game at Veterans Stadium in 1981, and a Divisional Playoff at Giants Stadium in 2000. The Eagles won a Wild Card game at Lincoln Financial Field in 2006, and a Divisional Playoff at Giants Stadium in 2008.
No, the game that stands out in everyone's memory, unless they're old enough to remember the 1960 Bednarik-Gifford hit, was on November 19, 1978. The winner would probably make the Playoffs. The loser, almost certainly not. The Giants had a 17-12 lead with 30 seconds left, but quarterback Joe Pisarcik tried to hand off to Larry Csonka, it didn't work, he fumbled the ball, and Herman Edwards picked it up, running 26 yards for a game-winning Eagles touchdown, 19-17. Eagle fans call it "The Miracle at the Meadowlands." Giant fans call it more profane things.
The Eagles made the Playoffs, and got to the Super Bowl 2 years later. The Giants organization started firing people the next day. Their rebuild would take a little longer, but they, too, would reach the Super Bowl after 8 years -- and, unlike the Eagles, actually win it. And then, 4 years later, another.
Current Status: It can't get any closer: Each team has won 86 games, with 2 ties.
This Year's Games: In Philadelphia on December 9 (Monday Night Football), and in New York (well, in East Rutherford, New Jersey) on December 29 (the regular season finale).
8. Atlanta Falcons vs. New Orleans Saints.
Began: 1967, with the Saints' founding.
Reason: Geography. These teams have these things in common: They're in the Southeast's 2 leading cities (Miami doesn't usually think of itself as "Southeastern" or "Southern," but ask The Doors about that), they're professional teams in Southeastern Conference country, they were founded at around the same time (the Falcons in 1966), and now play in domed stadiums where Mercedes-Benz has the naming rights. Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and the Mercedes-Benz (formerly Louisiana) Superdome in New Orleans are separated by 470 miles.
Some of that SEC flavor has gotten into this one. Both teams struggled, and, for a while, first in the NFC West, and now in the NFC South, both teams could beat few except the other. In 1998, the Falcons reached a Super Bowl (XXXIII, losing it), and the Saints hadn't yet won a Playoff game. But in the 2009 season, the Saints won Super Bowl XLIV. The Falcons have since blown the biggest lead in Super Bowl history (LI), and Saints fans have never let them forget it.
Biggest Individual Rivalry: Current quarterbacks Matt Ryan vs. Drew Brees.
Biggest Event: There has been 1 Playoff matchup between them: The Falcons hosted and won a Wild Card game in 1991, despite the Saints having won the Division for the 1st time in their history.
Current Status: It's close: The Falcons lead it 52-48.
This Year's Games: In New Orleans on November 10, and in Atlanta on November 28 (Thanksgiving Night -- have some gumbo or grits next to your turkey).
7. New England Patriots vs. New York Jets.
Began: 1960, with the founding of the teams and the American Football League.
Reason: Personal. Yes, the geography does have something to do with it. Yes, the traditional New York vs New England rivalry in other sports also has something to do with it. Jets vs. Patriots might not yet be as big as Yankees versus Red Sox, but it has gotten bigger than Knicks vs. Celtics and Rangers vs. Bruins. It's just 207 miles from the Meadowlands to Foxborough.
It got personal in 1993, when former Giants coach Bill Parcells went to Foxborough, and revived the Patriot franchise, building a mini-rivalry with the Jets, where none had previously existed. Then, in 1997, Parcells, with his former Giants defensive coordinator Bill Belichick going back to him after coaching the Cleveland Browns, came to the Jets. Patriots fans, not yet used to success, took that personally, and hated the Jets, whereas they previously considered them a minor annoyance.
Parcells left the Jets after the 1999 season. The Jets thought they had gotten Belichick to succeed him, but the day after agreeing to do so, he announced he was resigning, and took the Patriots job. Since then, the Patriots have won 225 regular-season games, the Jets 141; the Patriots have made the Playoffs 17 times, the Jets 6; the Patriots have won the AFC East 16 times, the Jets once (in 2002); the Patriots have reached the AFC Championship Game 13 times, the Jets twice (in 2009 and '10); the Patriots have reached 9 Super Bowls, winning 6, while the Jets have reached none. It is more lopsided than Yankees vs. Red Sox ever was in the Yankees' favor.
Biggest Individual Rivalry: Bill Belichick vs. the Jets organization.
Biggest Event: January 16, 2011: The Jets, coached by Rex Ryan and quarterbacked by Mark Sanchez, beat the Patriots in Foxborough in an AFC Divisional Playoff game. It is the Jets' biggest win ever, except for Super Bowl III. There have been 2 other Playoff games between them, both Patriot wins: In 1985 at Giants Stadium, and in 2006 in Foxborough.
Current Status: Before Belichick went to Foxborough, the Jets led the rivalry 43-36-1. Even in the 2007 season, the Jets led 48-47-1. Now, the Patriots lead it 65-54-1.
This Year's Games: In Boston (well, in Foxborough, Massachusetts) on September 22, and in New York (well, in East Rutherford, New Jersey) on October 21 (Monday Night Football).
6. Cincinnati Bengals vs. Cleveland Browns.
Began: 1970, with the Bengals' admission to the NFL following the merger with the AFL.
Reason: Personal. Paul Brown was the Browns' 1st coach (they were not named for him), leading them to 4 AAFC and 3 NFL Championships. But new owner Art Modell fired him in 1963. To be fair, new coach Blanton Collier got them into 4 of the next 7 NFL Championship Games, winning the title in 1964.
But Brown never forgave Modell. He knew Modell was slime long before most Browns fans did. When the AFL offered Brown ownership of a team in Cincinnati -- an Ohio native, he had also won a National Championship at Ohio State -- he jumped at the chance. He now only named himself head coach and general manager, he gave his new team everything he gave the Browns: The same initials, the same colors, and the same offensive and defensive schemes. He even rehired his former Browns assistant coaches.
And he instilled in his new team hatred for his old team. Sam Wyche was his 1st starting quarterback, and later coached them to the 1988 AFC Championship. During a 1989 game vs. Seattle, fans reacted to a bad call by throwing things onto the field. Wyche was given a microphone, and admonished the fans: "You don't live in Cleveland! You live in Cincinnati!" Big cheer.
Of course, the rivalry is also regional and Divisional, as both teams are in the State of Ohio and in the NFC North. The Cincy-Cleveland rivalry doesn't really manifest itself in any other sport -- Cincinnati doesn't have the NBA, Cleveland doesn't have MLS, the cities share the Columbus Blue Jackets in the NHL, and the Reds-Indians rivalry is not one of the bigger MLB Interleague rivalries -- but it's intense here. The teams are separated by 253 miles of Interstate 71.
Biggest Individual Rivalry: Brown vs. Modell.
Biggest Event: Hard to say. They've never faced each other in the Playoffs. It may have been the 1st-ever meeting, on October 11, 1970. Paul Brown did not get his revenge, as Cleveland won 30-27 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. But on November 15, a 14-10 Bengals win at Riverfront Stadium sparked the Bengals to win the 1st-ever AFC Central Division title, in only the team's 3rd year of existence.
Current Status: The Browns may be the more historically successful team, but the Bengals lead this rivalry 50-41.
This Year's Games: In Cleveland on December 8, and in Cincinnati on December 29 (the regular season finale).
5. Los Angeles Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers.
Began: 1950, with the 49ers' entry into the NFL from the All-America Football Conference.
Reason: Regional. Northern California vs. Southern California is always big: Giants vs. Dodgers (less so, Athletics vs. Angels), Raiders vs. Chargers (when the Raiders were in Oakland), Warriors vs. Lakers (and now, Warriors vs. Clippers?), Kings vs. Sharks, Earthquakes vs. Galaxy (a.k.a. the California Classico), Cal vs. UCLA (more so in basketball than in football).
49ers vs. Rams lost its luster after the Rams' move to St. Louis in 1995. But with their return to L.A. in 2016, it was reborn. Currently, they are separated by 352 miles, mostly on Interstate 5.
Biggest Individual Rivalry: Probably the quarterback rivalries. Norm van Brocklin vs. Y.A. Tittle in the 1950s, Roman Gabriel vs. John Brodie in the 1960s, Jim Everett vs. Joe Montana in the 1980s, Whether Jared Goff vs. Jimmy Garoppolo develops into such a rivalry remains to be seen.
Biggest Event: The 1989 NFC Championship Game, their only Playoff matchup, at Candlestick Park. Montana's Niners dominated, 30-3. However, on November 10, 1957, they played each other at the Los Angeles Coliseum. What stood until the 21st Century as an NFL record regular season crowd of 102,368 saw the Rams win 37-24.
Current Status: The 49ers lead 69-67-3. That counts games in the Rams' St. Louis tenure.
This Year's Games: In Los Angeles on October 13, and in San Francisco (well, in Santa Clara, California) on December 22. With the NFL's "flex schedule," this game could be moved back to Saturday, December 21.
4. Kansas City Chiefs vs. Oakland/Los Angeles/Las Vegas Raiders.
Began: 1960, with the founding of the teams and the American Football League.
Reason: Personal. Lamar Hunt founded the AFL and the Chiefs, and his aim was to get the AFL teams into the NFL. Al Davis became the Raiders' head coach in 1963, and owner in 1966 (in part, then wholly in 1972), and his aim was to beat the NFL. Hunt wanted acceptance, Davis wanted humiliation. This is largely why, after the merger was carried out from 1966 to 1970, Hunt was welcomed into the fraternity by the owners of the established NFL teams, while Davis was mistrusted.
But it was also why Hunt and Davis didn't like each other. Davis had to tolerate Hunt to stay in the league, while Hunt chose to tolerate Davis because he helped the league's profile. Once their teams were placed in the AFC West after the merger, and they could drop the pretense of needing each other and view each other as true opponents, the roughness got worse.
The Raiders have had rivalries with several other teams, including the Jets, Miami, New England, Denver, Pittsburgh, and the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers -- although the only occasional opposition of the neighboring San Francisco 49ers has prevented that from becoming a real rivalry -- but their biggest hate remains for the Chiefs. The Chiefs have had a rivalry with the Denver Broncos as well, but it's hardly the same.
It's worth noting that the Raiders' move from Oakland to Los Angeles in 1982, and their move back to Oakland in 1995, had no effect on the rivalry's intensity. I suspect the Raiders' planned move to Las Vegas for next season won't, either. The distance, for the moment, is 1,816 miles from Arrowhead Stadium to the Oakland Coliseum, longer even than Redskins vs. Cowboys, making this the longest arch-rivalry in the NFL.
Biggest Individual Rivalry: Davis vs. Hunt. I've listed Davis first, since he was the instigator.
Biggest Event: There have been 3 postseason games. In 1968 at the Oakland Coliseum, the Raiders won a Playoff for the AFL Western Division title. In 1969, also at Oakland, the Chiefs won the last AFL Championship Game. In 1991, at Arrowhead Stadium, the Chiefs won an AFC Wild Card game.
Current Status: In spite of the Raiders' greater overall success, the Chiefs lead the rivalry 65-53-2.
This Year's Games: In Oakland on September 15, and in Kansas City on December 1.
3. Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers.
Began: 1950, with the Browns' entry into the NFL from the All-America Football Conference.
Reason: Regional, as they are separate by 135 miles of Interstates 76 and 80. But also personal, as the cities are so similar: Industrial powerhouses that lost their way in the socioeconomic upheaval of the 1970s.
Biggest Individual Rivalry: None really stands out. Although it is interesting that the Steelers' 1st 5 Super Bowl wins were coached by former Browns players: Chuck Noll (IX, X, XIII and XIV) and Bill Cowher (XL).
Biggest Event: They've faced each other in the Playoffs twice, and the Steelers have hosted and won both: In 1994 at Three Rivers Stadium, and in 2002 at Heinz Field.
Current Status: In spite of the Browns' dominance in the 1950s, '60s and '80s, the Steelers lead 75-58-1.
This Year's Games: In Cleveland on November 14 (a Thursday night), and in Pittsburgh on December 1 (the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend).
2. Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Redskins.
Began: 1960, with the Cowboys' debut.
Reason: Personal. Seriously. It's not proximity, that's for sure: The distance between the teams' respective stadiums is currently 1,367 miles. No, essentially, it is personal. And it's mostly the Redskins' fault.
But when Clint Murchison, leading the group that owned the Cowboys franchise, wanted entry into the NFL, a unanimous vote of the owners was required to admit them. The Redskins' owner, George Preston Marshall, refused. He also owned the team's radio network. (The NFL was already negotiating TV rights separately.) As the Southernmost team in the League at the time, he was marketing the 'Skins as the South's team. The Redskins were also the last NFL team that hadn't yet racially integrated. These facts are connected. Marshall didn't want to give up his Southern status.
So Murchison pulled a dirty trick: He bought the rights to the fight song, "Hail to the Redskins." He told Marshall that if he wanted the right to ever play the song at his games again, he would have to vote to admit the Cowboys. Certainly, as an oilman, Murchison could not be bought with mere money. (Marshall was rich, but not that rich.) Not wanting to lose the NFL's best-known fight song (even more than "Bear Down, Chicago Bears,"), Marshall caved.
In 1971, George Allen was named head coach of the Redskins. He knew that, in the newly-merged-and-realigned NFL, the Cowboys were well-positioned to dominate the NFC East. And, as a former coach of the Los Angeles Rams, he was already sick of the Cowboys for their success since 1966. So he made it his mission to beat the Cowboys, more than to win a title.
He made his players hate the Cowboys as much as he did. As Cowboy defensive end Harvey Martin said in an interview about the rivalry -- with some irony, given that the Cowboys played in the city where John F. Kennedy was assassinated, and that the Redskins' stadium was now named for JFK's assassinated brother, Robert F. Kennedy, "When you go to play the Redskins, you better have your guns on." The apotheosis of this was the Redskins' win over the Cowboys on New Year's Eve 1972, in the NFC Championship Game.
Allen's technique would be copied by Dick Vermeil when he became Philadelphia Eagles coach in 1976. At least once at every practice, he would ask his team, "What's it going to take to beat the Dallas Cowboys?" He did this until a Sunday night in 1979, as his team was at their Dallas hotel, preparing for their Monday Night Football game the next night, having just seen that day's games. Vermeil turned off the TV, and asked, "What's it going to take to beat the Dallas Cowboys?" Believing they were finally ready after 3 1/2 seasons, he answered his own question: "Twenty-four more hours." His team roared its approval, and did it. The next season, they beat the Cowboys in the NFC Championship Game.
Eagles vs. Cowboys is pretty nasty, too. This was already the case before Vermeil, and has been the case ever since. But it doesn't make the Top 10.
Biggest Individual Rivalry: Allen vs. Cowboys coach Tom Landry. Landry was always described as stoic, never using his face to betray his emotions. Allen was one of the most emotional head coaches in NFL history.
Biggest Event: They've face each other in 2 NFC Championship Games: 1972 and 1982, both times as RFK Stadium. The Redskins have won them both, and each time, faced the Miami Dolphins in the Super Bowl, losing in VII and winning in XVII.
Current Status: In spite of the Redskins' postseason success, the Cowboys dominate overall, 71-45-2.
This Year's Games: In Washington (well, in Landover, Maryland) on September 15, and in Dallas (well, in Arlington, Texas) on December 29 (the regular season finale).
1. Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers.
Began: 1921, the NFL's 2nd season. The Bears had been formed the season before, as the Decatur Staleys in Downstate Illinois; the Packers, the season before that. But it took until 1921 for the Packers to join the NFL. As a result, the Packers celebrated their 100th Anniversary last year.
Reason: Regional and historical. The teams are separated by 209 miles of Lake Michigan, and Interstates 94 and 43. And they've played each other 198 times. The NFC North Remembers. This rivalry is why the Division, formerly the NFC Central, was known as "The Black and Blue Division": The Monsters of the Midway against The Creatures From the Frozen North.
While the Arizona Cardinals did begin in Chicago in 1920, and had a nasty rivalry with the Bears, at least at first -- including Thanksgiving Day games, some of which had fights -- the Cards' move to St. Louis in 1960 seriously increased the distance and decreased the rivalry. If there was any left by 1987, it was ruined by the Cards' move to the Phoenix area after that season.
Biggest Individual Rivalry: George Halas vs. Vince Lombardi. From 1959 to 1967, Lombardi's tenure as Packer head coach, each man was both head coach and general manager for his team. Halas and Packer founder-coach Earl "Curly" Lambeau were more friends than rivals. Halas and Lombardi certainly respected each other, but each wanted to be the biggest man in the NFL.
Lombardi knew he couldn't be the biggest, as Halas was, not entirely but a stand-in for everyone else who was, the founder of the League. So he settled for being the most successful. In Lombardi won 5 titles in 9 seasons, compared to Halas' 8 titles in 64 seasons. (They are still the most successful franchises: The Packers have won 13 NFL Championships, the Bears 9, albeit just 1 since 1963.)
Biggest Event: January 23, 2011. Despite the Bears having home-field advantage, the Packers won the NFC Championship Game, and went on to win Super Bowl XLV. Their only other postseason meeting was when they tied each other for the NFL Western Division title in 1941, and the Bears won a Playoff.
Current Status: It couldn't be much closer: The Packers lead it 97-95-6.
This Year's Games: At Chicago tomorrow night, and at Green Bay on December 15.