Rivalries in the NFL

[Virginia Steeler]

Last night I was listening to sports radio and this guy was talking about the best rivalry in the NFL - said it was the Colts and Pats...he said he believes this because of the recent success of both teams and last years AFC Champ game.

I disagree -

1. They aren't in the same division. So what if they played in a few playoff games, no one cared about the colts/pats games until brady and manning. Until recently, they weren't good.

2. There is no big NFL rivalry. I think there are rivalries for sure, but outside of the fans most people don't care. Sure the Redskins/Cowboys, Steelers/Browns, Packers/Bears are big rivals - but really, do Raiders, Rams, Panthers or Jets fans care about those games?

3. My theory is that if you are a true fan of a team you'd rather watch your team play over "the game of the week". If Steelers and let's say the 49ers are playing at the same time as the Colts and Pats, I am watching the Steelers.


The Colts and Pats aren't rivals - it is just a good game.

[The Duke]

Well I think they are rivals due to the recent success of both teams as you said, maybe not as big a rivalry with all the history like the browns and steelers or bears and packers, but it has become a rivalry, and yes it could be because of Manning and Brady, they are like the face of their franchise. They are not division rivals obviously but they are rivals when they meet on the field. Also the steelers and patriots could also talked as a rivalry, they beat us twice in less than five years in the AFC Championship and we still haven't got our revenge.

[fansince'76]

I miss the relatively short-lived Steelers/Jags rivalry. When the Steelers and Jags were still in the AFC Central, they had some really entertaining and close-fought games against each other.

[HometownGal]

KC and the Raiders is a pretty good rivalry along with the Pats and Dolphs.

I really only care about two teams playing each other if one of them is an AFCN division rival, quite honestly. Then, no matter who the other team is - I'm cheering 'em on.

[onthebus36]

I think the AFC North is a great division for rivalry. None of those teams like each other.

In fact, I think it's pound for pound the best division in football.

[xXTheSteelKingsXx]

Originally Posted by onthebus36

I think the AFC North is a great division for rivalry. None of those teams like each other.

In fact, I think it's pound for pound the best division in football.

Yeah I think the AFC North has the best rivalries.

[RoethlisBURGHer]

Steelers-Browns are a classic rivalry.The fans hate each other and so do the teams.

Pats-Colts are a great rivalry,and could go down as one of the greats like the 70's Steelers-Raiders rivalry.

[Preacher]

the old AFC west was a great rivalry as well. Denver, Seattle, Oakland, KC,...

In the 80's, they all had pretty good teams, and they just hated each other. I still hate Denver because of the Seattle/Denver rivalry.

[Livinginthe past]

Originally Posted by Virginia Steeler

Last night I was listening to sports radio and this guy was talking about the best rivalry in the NFL - said it was the Colts and Pats...he said he believes this because of the recent success of both teams and last years AFC Champ game.

I disagree -

1. They aren't in the same division. So what if they played in a few playoff games, no one cared about the colts/pats games until brady and manning. Until recently, they weren't good.

Its a great rivalry because they are both contenders for the title year in year out.

Factor in their head-2-head matchups in recent postseasons and you have games that always capture the imagination of the neutral fan.

I believe the 2006 AFCCG was one of the NFL's most-watched prime time games in five years.

Brady/Manning are the two best QB's in the NFL - this was about who is the best rivalry right now, wasn't it?

Watching those guys go head-2-head always makes for plenty of hype - especially now that Manning looks like he has turned the corner.

Originally Posted by Virginia Steeler

2. There is no big NFL rivalry. I think there are rivalries for sure, but outside of the fans most people don't care. Sure the Redskins/Cowboys, Steelers/Browns, Packers/Bears are big rivals - but really, do Raiders, Rams, Panthers or Jets fans care about those games?

So your argument is that there is no big NFL rivalry at all?

If the Browns were competitive there would be - and the Redskins/Cowboys would have alot more bite of they could both make the postseason...maybe even contend an NFCCG or two.

I only really care about rivalry's where something is at stake - and that is probably the case with most fans who find themselves as a neutral regarding the two teams involved.

In recent years I love the Steelers/Bengals rivalry - not just because they seem to hate each other, but because there is division title or wildcard at place when they play.

Originally Posted by Virginia Steeler

3. My theory is that if you are a true fan of a team you'd rather watch your team play over "the game of the week". If Steelers and let's say the 49ers are playing at the same time as the Colts and Pats, I am watching the Steelers.


The Colts and Pats aren't rivals - it is just a good game.

This is where you lose me again.

Surely every fan worth his salt would watch his own team over the 'game of the week' (unless they are way out of contention) but with multiple start times its very possible that the game of the week doesn't compete directly with your team anyway.

Its a rivalry because its a big deal between their fans - and in the Colts/Patriots case between their ownership (there is a good deal of bitterness between the two) - what makes it the top rivalry is the fact that the neutral fan gets drawn in everytime.

[section514]

I hate Cleveland but I expect to beat them, if we lose to them its like getting beat up by a girl (no offense hometown, floodcity and all the other females around here) but the rivalry is not much of a rivalry any more, we used to trade games back and forth until recently the all time record between the two of us was roughly .500. In the past few years the Steelers Browns has been in favor of the steelers. I would have to say our greatest rival is the Bengals , and the Ravens of course. All of our division games, aside from the browns game, in my mind mean something and I am never 100% positive that we will win before hand.