10 Biggest NFL Rivalries of All Time

over 1 year ago

The biggest NFL rivalries were born from the uneasiness of geographical closeness, the rights to a song, or Vontaze Burfict. This is America's biggest sport for a reason and the hate for rivals keeps us going until next Sunday. This isn't just a game.

We're talking life and death when games are known as the "Bounty Bowl" or the "Body Bag Game". Let’s take a look as we rank the top 10 biggest NFL rivalries of all time. Before we do, don't forget to show your passion with great deals on official NFL team apparel right here.

10. New York Jets vs. New England Patriots

The Jets and Patriots have been hated rivals since the 1960's and it's been in the offices where the Jets-Patriots rivalry has heated up. The Jets were accused of tampering in order to sign Bill Parcells as head coach in 1997. In 2000 former Jets assistant coach Bill Belichick was announced as head coach, but signed for the Patriots instead barely 24 hours later.

In 2007 Jets coach and former Patriots assistant Eric Mangini exposed New England's tactics of illegally videotaping the Jets offensive and defensive signals. The Patriots were forced to forfeit their first round pick of the 2008 draft.

20 years ago today, Bill Belichick resigned as head coach of the Jets 24 hours after taking over for Bill Parcells.
Belichick reportedly wrote his resignation on a napkin before facing the media. He became Patriots head coach about three weeks later. pic.twitter.com/GJXDCSQdoG — B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) January 4, 2020

9. Kansas City Chiefs vs. Las Vegas Raiders

Ever since the Raiders moved to Las Vegas the Chiefs-Raiders rivalry has simmered somewhat, but the history between these hated AFC West rivals isn’t forgotten. During the 1960s and 70s both teams destroyed each other's playoff hopes, and the Chiefs are one of only a handful of teams to have a historical winning record over the Raiders.

During the Raiders first season in Las Vegas they enjoyed a rare win over Kansas City at Arrowhead Stadium. The Raiders deliberately drove around the stadium car park in the team bus. In their next meeting at Arrowhead the Chiefs got their vengeance in a blowout win and blasted “The Wheels on the Bus” through the stadium speakers.

The Wheels On The Bus is playing at Arrowhead after the Chiefs beat the Raiders😂pic.twitter.com/obvMPolIcM
— PointsBet: A Fanatics Experience (@PointsBetFBG) December 12, 2021

8. Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns

The Steelers have a lot of enemies, the Browns being one of them. Historically both teams have played tough smashmouth offense against each other and they’ve dominated during different eras: Cleveland in the 50s and Pittsburgh in the 70s.

Naturally the Browns-Steelers rivalry stems from geographical closeness, only 135 miles separating the cities. Although Cleveland and Pittsburgh are one of the biggest NFL rivalries, ask any Steelers fan and they would've felt empty during the three years Cleveland were deactivated from the NFL.

7. Green Bay Packers vs. Minnesota Vikings

Skol Vikings, Go Pack Go! The Packers-Vikings rivalry literally divides friends and families in western Wisconsin who have split allegiances between the NFC North rivals. Games between Green Bay and Minnesota are arguably the most important in the NFC as they've often decided the division. The Vikings also love poaching former Packers players like Greg Jennings, Darren Sharper, Ryan Longwell and of course, Brett Favre.

In case you don't understand the #Packers-Vikings rivalry, here is Aaron Rodgers after clinching NFC North title in Minneapolis: "It feels great to win it in this stadium where a couple of years ago I was jeered leaving the field after breaking my collarbone. Feels pretty good."
— Tom Oates (@TomOatesWSJ) December 24, 2019

6. Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Commanders

The NFC East delivers one of the biggest NFL rivalries between the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Commanders. Their rivalry began back in 1958 all over a song. Washington was almost sold to Dallas oil tycoon Clint Murchison Jr. but owner George Preston Marshall backed out of the deal.

Murchison Jr. wasn't happy about it so he spitefully bought the rights to the music from the "Hail to the Redskins" fight song. He then held the rights to the song for ransom and threatened to prevent Washington from using it. Marshall was "blackmailed" into voting to approve an NFL expansion franchise in Dallas, and a rivalry was born.

5. Washington Commanders vs. Philadelphia Eagles

The "Body Bag Game" is the one you've been waiting for. The Commanders-Eagles rivalry has been extremely close head-to-head despite first meeting in 1934, and these NFC East foes are only 135 miles apart.

In 1990, they took the rivalry to new heights when Eagles coach Buddy Ryan boasted pre-game that Washington players would "have to be carted off in body bags". Well they ended up knocking out nine Washington players, and both teams lost their starting and backup quarterbacks.

OTD 1990: "The Body Bag Game"
In one of NFL history's most barbarous games, the #Eagles punish Washington at The Vet, 28-14, as no less than nine Washington players are injured in this MNF affair. All-time NFL kick/punt returner Brian Mitchell is forced into emergency QB duty. https://t.co/ECvLudv9hF pic.twitter.com/uxttuFLEir — Kevin Gallagher (@KevG163) November 12, 2020

4. Dallas Cowboys vs. Philadelphia Eagles

The Cowboys-Eagles is one of the biggest NFL rivalries and have been at each other's throats since 1960. Their hatred for each other intensified in the 80's and in 1989, Dallas and Philadelphia played out the infamous "Bounty Bowl'. Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson accused the Eagles of placing bounties on Cowboys players. In light of Johnson’s accusations Philadelphia fans began throwing objects at Cowboys players and coaches.

A decade later in 1999 when the teams met Cowboys' all time great and three-time Super Bowl winning wide receiver Michael Irvin went down with a career-ending neck injury. As trainers and paramedics strapped Irvin and stretchered him off the field, Eagles fans erupted with cheers. That’s what you call hatred.

I love that the Eagles-Cowboys rivalry is the most uncivil rivalry in the NFL..n maybe all of sports.. I don’t think I have ever seen 2 fan bases just absolutely hate each other and I’m here for it!
— Steven Michael Puga (@PUGA20) October 15, 2019

3. Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens

We've ranked Ravens-Steelers the third biggest NFL rivalry and that's despite Baltimore only joining the league in 1996. There's respect between the two teams but that's where the animosity ends. When Baltimore faces Pittsburgh, the hits are violent, the fans are loud and the games are a war of attrition

Some of the biggest names took their game to a new level in the matchup including Ben Roethlisberger, Terrell Suggs, Ray Lewis and Hines Ward. Even Pennsylvania's Harrisburg is considered an official secondary market for the Ravens. And remember when Mike Tomlin interfered on Jacoby Jones' kickoff return?

Mike Tomlin on the Steelers-Ravens rivalry:
"This series is special because of the men that have played in it. Guys like Ben pit his skills against Suggs. Guys like Hines pit his skills against Ed Reed. You could go on and on and on. That's what makes this series what it is." pic.twitter.com/VtTQmGsGtO — Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) January 4, 2022

2. Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Vontaze Burfict.

That's why the Steelers and Bengals are the second biggest NFL rivalry. Yes, the Steelers-Bengals are AFC North foe and they've been division rivals since 1970. Burfict escalated the historical rivalry in 2016 when he violently knocked out Antonio Brown and likely gave him CTE.

JuJu Smith-Schuster got revenge in the following season with an illegal block that knocked Burfict out cold. When they met again in 2018 Burfict couldn't help himself and was fined for unnecessary roughness on Antonio Brown and James Connor. Burfict's recklessness and violence is what the Steelers-Bengals rivalry is about.

I’m no doctor, but maybe Antonio Brown never recovered from this disgusting hit by Vontaze Burfict pic.twitter.com/7FKGRs9AiD
— Eric Rosenthal (@ericsports) January 2, 2022

1. Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers

The Bears-Packers rivalry is the biggest in the NFL with every football fan circling this one in their calendars. Green Bay and Chicago have been bitter rivals since 1921 and the Packers only recently overtook the Bears in overall head-to-head in 2017.

Chicago's only a 30-minute drive from the Wisconsin border and those from Illinois look down on the "Cheeseheads" from Green Bay. I'm return fans from Wisconsin have a strong hatred for those from Chicago who they know as "fishtabs", or "F&*%in' Illinois S&^# Head Towing a Boat".

To commemorate the 204th rivalry game between the @packers and the @ChicagoBears, here’s an interactive graph showing top career passers by yards throughout the years. If you like this, drop a follow and comment what I should do next! Who is your favorite QB? #GoPackGo #DaBears pic.twitter.com/rtwjigg7Wc
— Bryan Geenen (@BryanGeenen) December 9, 2021

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