Top 10 NFL Rivalries - Todays Lines

The NFL is fueled by the rivalries it creates. The best argument for still having divisions is to make sure teams are meeting at least twice a year every year to build those rivalries and give fans a common enemy to root against as they cheer their team on. This is also important information to consider when betting at the top NFL sportsbooks.

Some of the best NFL rivalries are not even between teams in the same division. It could just be 2 of the best teams in the league for an extended period who keep meeting in pivotal games that define whole eras in the NFL. Right now, the Chiefs vs. Bengals could be growing into a rivalry of that caliber after meeting in the last two AFC Championship Games.

In choosing the top 10 NFL rivalries in history, we wanted to balance the classic division rivalries with those great matchups of elite teams. One thing is for certain, it helps to be a team that is beloved and hated by many to get on this list of top rivalries. You can expect a lot of the Cowboys, Steelers, Patriots, and Eagles for that reason.

10 Atlanta Falcons vs. New Orleans Saints

If there was an NFL rivalry that felt most like a college football one, it might be the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints. Many of the NFL teams established in the Super Bowl era have failed to catch on with a strong division rivalry, but the Saints and Falcons have shared a division every year since 1970, going from the NFC West to the NFC South together.

The SEC has been king in college football, and maybe it’s a southern thing at play with Atlanta and New Orleans battling for supremacy of the south in the NFL, but this is a heated rivalry where the fanbases really get into it.

Some highlights of the Falcons-Saints rivalry, which is tied at 54-54:

1978: Falcons quarterback Steve Bartkowski threw a game-winning 57-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass to Alfred Jackson in a 20-17 win that helped Atlanta make the playoffs.
1991 NFC Wild Card: The Falcons denied the Saints their first ever playoff win with a 4th-quarter comeback after Chris Miller threw a 61-yard touchdown pass to Michael Haynes.
2002: Michael Vick ran for 91 yards and 2 touchdowns before setting up a game-winning field goal as the Falcons won 37-35.
2006: In their first game back in the Superdome, the Saints routed the Falcons 23-3 in a game memorable for Steve Gleason blocking a punt that was returned for a New Orleans touchdown on the opening drive in this Monday night classic.

The countless shootouts and close finishes between quarterbacks Matt Ryan (Falcons) and Drew Brees (Saints), including a 2018 game where the Saints won 43-37 in overtime after Brees ran for game-tying and game-winning touchdowns. The quarterbacks combined for nearly 800 yards, 8 touchdown passes, and no interceptions.

The 2023 NFC South figures to come down to what happens in the games between the Saints and Falcons too, which will only add to the rivalry.

9 Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears

It is the NFL’s oldest rivalry as the first meeting was in 1921. The Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears are 2 of the oldest franchises in the NFL, and they still rank among the top 2 teams in championships and games won.

But fans of a certain age – basically anyone under 40 – are unlikely to be impressed since this rivalry has been so one-sided for decades. This comes back to the quarterback position and how the Packers enjoyed having Hall of Famers Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers from 1992 to 2022. Meanwhile, the Bears are still searching for their best quarterback since Sid Luckman, who debuted around the start of World War II.

Some highlights of the Packers-Bears rivalry:

The teams have met 207 times with the Packers leading 106-95-6.

1924: In a Bears-Packers game, we had the first instance in the NFL of players being ejected for fighting in a game the Bears won 2-0.
1935: Don Hutson caught the first pass of his NFL career, and it was an 83-yard touchdown against the Bears in a 7-0 win. Hutson would go on to become the most prolific wide receiver in the NFL’s first half century.
1941: The only thing standing between the Bears and a perfect 13-0 season was a 16-14 upset loss to the Packers in Week 9. But when the teams met again in a divisional playoff game that season, Chicago won 33-14 and went on to win the championship that year with one of the most dominant seasons in NFL history.
1985: Led by their famed defense, the 1985 Bears swept the Packers to kick off an 8-game winning streak against Green Bay, the longest streak Chicago has ever had in the series.
1995: On a Monday Night Football game, Brett Favre threw a 99-yard touchdown pass to Robert Brooks in a 27-24 win for the Packers.
2010 NFC Championship Game: With Chicago trailing 14-7 at home and backup quarterback Caleb Hanie in for an injured Jay Cutler, B.J. Raji returned a Hanie interception 18 yards for a touchdown in a 21-14 win to send the Packers back to the Super Bowl.
2013, Week 17: With the division title up for grabs, the Packers rallied for a 33-28 win after Rodgers threw a 48-yard touchdown pass to Randall Cobb on 4th-and-8 with 38 seconds left to recapture the NFC North.
2018, Week 1: Rodgers went from looking like he sustained a season-ending injury on opening night to leading a 17-point comeback in the 4th quarter in a thrilling 24-23 win.

Regardless of how one-sided it has been, this is a new era for Green Bay with Jordan Love, and he already won the first matchup in 2023 with Chicago. The teams will meet again in Week 18, but there surprisingly has not been any prime-time meeting scheduled as the NFL loves to show us this rivalry in prime time almost every season.

8 Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Raiders

Our first entry that is not about a pair of division rivals, the Steelers and Raiders embarked on an all-time great rivalry in the 1970s when they met in the playoffs 5 years in a row (1972-76), which no one has been able to match in NFL history. The Raiders lead the series 17-15 and it is tied 3-3 in the playoffs.

Those classic matchups in the 70s led to many heated moments between the teams over the years, and their more recent matchups still spark some of that old rivalry between a couple of the AFC’s best franchises.

Some highlights of the Steelers-Raiders rivalry:

The Immaculate Reception (1972): What better way to start a rivalry than with one of the greatest plays in NFL history? In the 1972 AFC divisional round, the Steelers trailed 7-6 late in the game when Terry Bradshaw threw a pass that was eventually caught by Franco Harris for a 60-yard touchdown to win the game 13-7. It was deemed The Immaculate Reception, and it is one of the most controversial plays ever for Raiders fans, and an all-time great play that kicked off a Pittsburgh dynasty.
1973 AFC divisional: The Raiders got some revenge on the Steelers with a dominant 33-14 win at home.
1974 AFC Championship Game: The Steelers rallied back in the 4th quarter for a 24-13 win after Harris scored on a 21-yard rushing touchdown to put the game out of the reach and send the Steelers to their first Super Bowl, which they won.
1975 AFC Championship Game: In a rematch in Pittsburgh, John Madden and the Raiders thought the Steelers purposely let the field get icy to slow down his receivers. After a 3-0 score going into the 4th quarter, the teams exploded with points with the Steelers winning 16-10 to advance to their 2nd-straight Super Bowl win.
1976 AFC Championship Game: The Raiders had the best team this time, the Steelers were missing Harris and his backup at running back, and Oakland pulled away in a 24-7 win. The Raiders went on to win their first Super Bowl that year.
1983 AFC divisional: In the last playoff meeting between the teams, the Raiders crushed the aged Steelers 38-10 before winning another Super Bowl.
2000: In the final meeting at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, the Raiders lost 21-20 after quarterback Rich Gannon confusingly threw incomplete on 4th-and-1 when he didn’t think it was 4th down.
2002: Gannon got some revenge in the first meeting at Heinz Field when he completed 43-of-64 passes for 403 yards in a 30-17 win.
2022: In celebrating the 50-year anniversary of The Immaculate Reception just days after Franco Harris died, the Steelers rallied for a 13-10 win with a late game-winning touchdown drive. Derek Carr threw a game-ending interception on what became his final pass with the Raiders.

The Raiders have been a bad team since 2003, but they were a thorn in the side for Ben Roethlisberger in his career. The future Hall of Famer missed the playoffs in 2006, 2009, 2012, 2013, and 2018 when he was healthy. In each season, he lost a game to the Raiders, including a 2009 game where Bruce Gradkowski became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw 3 go-ahead touchdown passes in the 4th quarter of a game.

7 Philadelphia Eagles vs. New York Giants

This is one of the oldest rivalries in the NFL with the first meeting in 1933 when the New York Giants joined the league. The teams have continued to share a division ever since, and they have played many memorable games against each other as NFC East rivals.

The Eagles lead the all-time series with a 93-88-2 record, including a 3-2 edge in playoff games.

Some highlights of the Eagles-Giants rivalry:

The Hit (1960): Eagles legend Chuck Bednarik delivered what became known as The Hit on Giants star back Frank Gifford. It was a nasty hit that led to a severe concussion for Gifford, which knocked him out of action for 18 months.
The Miracle at the Meadowlands (1978): In one of the most shocking endings in the history of football, the Giants just had to take a knee to win a game against the Eagles. But in trying to hand the ball off to Larry Csonka, Giants quarterback Joe Pisarcik botched the exchange, fumbled the ball, and Herman Edwards returned it for a game-winning touchdown in the final seconds.
1981 NFC wild card: The Giants wised up 3 years later in the first playoff meeting between the teams when they kneeled down to secure a 27-21 win over the Eagles.
1988, Week 12: In another wild finish, the Eagles won 23-17 in overtime after Clyde Simmons picked up a blocked Eagles field goal and returned it 15 yards for a game-winning touchdown. Both teams finished 10-6 that year, but the Eagles won the division title thanks to a sweep of the Giants.
2000 NFC divisional: The Giants used a kickoff return touchdown and a pick-6 to win 20-10 against the Eagles in the first playoff loss for Andy Reid.
2006: In Week 2, the Giants came back from a 24-7 deficit in the 4th quarter to win 30-24 in overtime after Plaxico Burress caught a 31-yard touchdown from Eli Manning. But the Eagles got revenge in the wild card game that year in a 23-20 victory.
2007: The Giants tied the NFL record by sacking Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb 12 times in a game.
2008: The Giants were 11-1 and defending Super Bowl champions, but after Plaxico Burress shot himself in a nightclub, the team’s season went sour. They lost 20-14 at home to the Eagles in Week 14, then played even worse on offense in the divisional playoffs in a 23-11 upset win by Philadelphia.
The Miracle at the Meadowlands No. 2 (2010): The Giants were 9-4 and led 31-10 in the 4th quarter before the Eagles rallied. DeSean Jackson returned a punt 65 yards for the first ever walk-off touchdown on a punt return in NFL history for a shocking 38-31 win. The Eagles went on to win the NFC East while the Giants missed the playoffs with a 10-6 record.
2022 NFC divisional: No match for the Eagles, the Giants were swept 3-0 after losing 38-7 in the playoffs in Philadelphia.

The Giants are not Philadelphia’s No. 1 rival, but they have played their share of great games against them over the decades.

6 Dallas Cowboys vs. San Francisco 49ers

Another great non-division rivalry is Dallas and San Francisco. When you think about what’s a classic NFC matchup with big games galore, you should think Cowboys vs. 49ers.

When they meet, it usually has been in important games, and it has been close with the 49ers leading 20-19-1. The 9 playoff meetings between the teams is the most in NFL history.

When players like Deion Sanders, Charles Haley, and Ken Norton Jr. played for both the Cowboys and 49ers at their peaks in the 1990s, that was definitely the best rivalry in the NFL at the time. In 1992-95, the NFC Championship Game was basically the real Super Bowl as the Cowboys (3) and 49ers (1) won all the Super Bowls.

Some highlights of the Cowboys-49ers rivalry:

1970 NFC Championship Game: In the first playoff matchup, league MVP John Brodie was not able to solve Dallas’ defense in a 17-10 home loss.
1971 NFC Championship Game: Dallas won the rematch too by a 14-3 final, and the Cowboys won their first Super Bowl that season.
1972 NFC divisional: In one of the best comebacks ever, Roger Staubach came off the bench to lead a 15-point comeback in the 4th quarter to beat the 49ers 30-28 back when the 2-point conversion did not exist yet.
1981 NFC Championship Game: In a game that became infamous for The Catch, the 49ers won 28-27 after Joe Montana threw that memorable pass to Dwight Clark for the late lead, and the defense forced a fumble to secure the win.
1992 NFC Championship Game: How about them Cowboys? Underdog Dallas upset the top-seeded 49ers at home in a 30-20 classic. The Cowboys went on to win their 3rd Super Bowl title.
1993 NFC Championship Game: The rematch was less entertaining as Dallas won easily 38-21 despite losing Troy Aikman to a concussion. The Cowboys repeated as Super Bowl champs.
1994: Steve Young and the 49ers got some revenge after acquiring star cornerback Deion Sanders and a bunch of other key veterans. They beat Dallas 21-14 in the regular season, then jumped all over them early in the NFC Championship Game at Candlestick Park, winning 38-28. The 49ers won the Super Bowl that year.
2000: 49ers wide receiver Terrell Owens infamously spiked the ball on the Dallas star before getting hit by Dallas safety George Teague.
2021 NFC wild card: The 49ers upset Dallas on the road in a game remembered for Dallas running a quarterback draw with no timeouts and the clock expiring before they can run another play.
2022 NFC divisional: George Kittle helped the 49ers break a 12-12 tie with a big drive and the Cowboys again botched their final drive on offense to lose back-to-back playoff games to the 49ers.

Both teams are still looking for Super Bowl title No. 6 as neither has won since that 1994-95 period in the NFL. But maybe it can happen this year, and maybe we can see them meet for a 10th time in the playoffs.

5 Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns

It is the oldest rivalry in the AFC with the Steelers holding an 81-62-1 edge. The teams’ bitter hatred for each other could stem from the closeness of Pittsburgh to Cleveland, and how both cities model themselves in similar blue-collar, hard-nosed fashion.

The rivalry took a 3-year break in 1996-98 when the Browns moved to Baltimore before returning to the league in 1999. But incredibly, Cleveland’s last 3 playoff appearances all featured a game against the Steelers (1994, 2002, and 2020).

Some highlights of the Steelers-Browns rivalry:

1978: Steelers linebacker Jack Lambert is ejected after throwing a punch at Browns quarterback Brian Sipe. Lambert responded that “Quarterbacks should wear dresses.” The Steelers won 15-9 in the first overtime game in the series.
1986: Browns finally win in Three Rivers Stadium after starting 0-16 there.
1989: The Browns handed the Steelers their worst loss ever with a 51-0 rout in Week 1. Incredibly, the Steelers rallied to make the playoffs that year.
1994: Steelers complete 3-0 sweep by beating Cleveland 29-9 in the divisional playoffs.
1999: In their 1st game back in the NFL, the Browns lost 43-0 at home to Pittsburgh in a game where the Steelers had the ball for 47:49. The Browns came back to beat the Steelers 16-15 in Week 10 for what would be their 2nd and final win in a 2-14 season.
2002: Steelers again complete a 3-0 sweep of the Browns after Tommy Maddox led a 17-point comeback in the wild-card playoff game.
2005: After a drunk Browns fan ran onto the field, Steelers linebacker James Harrison body-slammed him.
2017: After losing 28-24 in Pittsburgh in Week 17, the Browns finished 0-16.
2019: A late squabble in a Cleveland win led to Myles Garrett taking quarterback Mason Rudolph’s helmet and swinging it at his head.
2020: The Steelers lost to the Browns in Week 17, and then were blown out 28-0 in the 1st quarter at home in the wild-card game before losing 48-37.
2021: Ben Roethlisberger’s final home win at Heinz Field was against Cleveland.
2023: Pittsburgh’s defense returned 2 Deshaun Watson turnovers for touchdowns in a 26-22 win.

With the Steelers and Browns both competing for the playoffs again in 2023, there will be more heated games to come in this rivalry.

4 New England Patriots vs. New York Jets

The New England Patriots and New York Jets met in the AFL in the 1960s, but the rivalry was able to grow after they were both placed in the AFC East in 1970. Chalk it up to another Boston vs. New York thing, but these teams genuinely hate each other thanks to some key coaching hires in the 1990s and 2000s.

It was at that time when the likes of Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Pete Carroll, and Eric Mangini were all coaches that the Patriots and Jets both employed at different times. This led to dozens of players playing for both teams.

But the real source of the rivalry is what happened in 2000 when Belichick took the job as the head coach of the Jets, then resigned in a day. He then took the Patriots coaching job instead. A year later, the Jets and Patriots were playing a game just after 9/11, and that’s when Drew Bledsoe was injured, leading the way for Tom Brady. The rest is history.

You could say the Jets are more responsible than anyone for the Brady-Belichick dynasty in New England. If they could have just kept Belichick satisfied with the job, there would be no threat in New England all those years, and maybe the Jets would have been the team to beat in the AFC East.

The Patriots lead the all-time series 74-54-1. To their credit, the Jets did more to try to limit the success of the Patriots than the Bills and Dolphins ever did in the dynasty era.

Some highlights of the Patriots-Jets rivalry:

1985 AFC wild card: The Patriots won 26-14 in New York on their way to become the first team to reach a Super Bowl after winning every playoff game on the road.
1999: In Week 1, Vinny Testaverde tore his Achilles when reaching for a fumble in a game against the Patriots. He missed the season after leading the Jets to the AFC Championship Game the previous year.
2001: A hit by Mo Lewis on Drew Bledsoe led to Tom Brady taking over for the Patriots, who went on to win the Super Bowl that year.
2002: The Jets won 30-17 in New England in Week 16 in a game that helped them win the AFC East and keep the Patriots out of the playoffs.
2006: The Jets won a game in New England in the regular season, but they lost 37-16 in the AFC wild card rematch.
2007: Jets coach Eric Mangini helped expose New England’s Spygate scandal with taping the signals from opponent’s sidelines. The Patriots finished the 2007 season 16-0 but lost the Super Bowl.
2010: Despite beating the Jets 45-3 in December, a month later the Patriots lost as a huge home favorite, 28-21, to the Jets in the AFC divisional round. New York has not won a playoff game since.
Thanksgiving 2012: In a nationally-televised game, Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez ran into his own lineman’s butt before fumbling to produce The Butt Fumble. New England won 49-19.
2015: After the Patriots took the wind and kicked off in overtime, Ryan Fitzpatrick threw a game-winning touchdown pass to help the Jets beat the Patriots and deny them another No. 1 seed. The Jets have lost 15 straight meetings to New England ever since.

The Jets have been the only thing keeping the Patriots out of the AFC East basement since Brady left. But that could change this year.

3 Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys

The NFC East can be overplayed with the big markets, but Eagles-Cowboys is legitimately a great rivalry. It’s like watching the brashness of Stone Cold Steve Austin (Philly) take on the cockiness of Shawn Michaels (Cowboys) in 1998 wrestling terms.

The fans definitely hate each other more than the players do, though don’t tell Drew Pearson that after he riled up the Philadelphia fans with the way he introduced Dallas’ pick in the 2017 draft. But this is still usually a fun rivalry where the Cowboys have a 73-56 edge.

Some highlights of the Eagles-Cowboys rivalry:

1980 NFC Championship Game: The first playoff meeting was a big one as the Eagles stamped their tickets to their first Super Bowl with a 20-7 win over hated rival Dallas.
1987 Strike Season: With the Cowboys having many of their starters crossing the picket line during the strike, they embarrassed the Eagles 41-22. A few weeks later after the strike ended, the Eagles returned the favor with a 37-20 win
1989: Dallas coach Jimmy Johnson insisted that the Eagles had bounties on Dallas players like Troy Aikman and their kicker. The games were physical and Philadelphia won both.
1992 NFC divisional: The Cowboys beat Philadelphia 34-10 on their way to winning their first Super Bowl in the 1990s.
1995 NFC divisional: A repeat of 1992, the Cowboys started their title run with a home divisional round win over Philadelphia, crushing the Eagles 30-11.
1999: Dallas wide receiver Michael Irvin suffered a career-ending spinal cord injury in a game in Philadelphia, and as you can guess, the crowd was not too choked up about it.
2004: Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb had a memorable play on a Monday night game where he scrambled for 14 seconds before launching a 60-yard completion. Unfortunately, in a late-season rematch, Roy Williams tackled Terrell Ownes from the horse collar, leading to his broken ankle that kept him out until his miraculous return for the Super Bowl. That incident did a lot to making horse-collar tackles illegal in the NFL.
2006: In his first game against the Eagles after a messy divorce, Terrell Owens returned to Philadelphia as a member of the Cowboys. He was held to 3 catches for 45 yards on 13 targets, and the Eagles won 38-24.
2008: In one of the best Monday night games ever, the Eagles outlasted Dallas 41-37 in a game with 7 lead changes. The teams met again in Week 17 with the Cowboys needing a win to make the playoffs. They were blown out 44-6 in Philadelphia.
2009: For some revenge, the Cowboys swept the Eagles 3-0, including a 34-14 wild card win in Dallas that would be the final game for Donovan McNabb in an Eagles uniform.
2013: With the NFC East title on the line in Week 17, the Cowboys had to win without Tony Romo, who had a back injury. Kyle Orton was intercepted late in a 24-22 loss, sending Dallas home and giving the division title to Philadelphia.
2022: Dak Prescott converted a 3rd-and-30 in the 4th quarter to lead a 40-34 comeback win against the Eagles, who were missing Jalen Hurts at quarterback.

If you wanted a sense of how heated this rivalry is among the fans, you just had to pick a side online between quarterbacks Dak Prescott and Carson Wentz any time in 2016-19. Prescott ultimately proved to be better, but Philadelphia’s much more recent playoff success is something Eagles fans will love to hang over Dallas fans’ heads.

Since the Cowboys’ last appearance in the NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl in the 1995 season, the Eagles have been to 7 NFC Championship Games and have a 1-2 Super Bowl record.

2 New England Patriots vs. Indianapolis Colts

The rivalry between the Colts and Patriots is so unique in that it was a division rivalry for 3 decades when the teams were placed in the AFC East from 1970 through 2001. But after division realignment in 2002 shipped the Colts to the new AFC South, it actually led to what was the best rivalry of the 2000s.

By placing the Colts and Patriots in separate divisions, we still continued to see big matchups each year from 2003-2010 between these teams, and between quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. That was what made the rivalry so great, and that player rivalry is what drove up the quality of quarterback play around the league. They raised each other’s game.

The Patriots lead the series 53-30 thanks to a dominant 27-12 run in the 1980s and 1990s, and they are 8-1 against the Colts since Manning left for Denver. But that 2000s run is truly unique in NFL history.

Some highlights of the Colts-Patriots rivalry:

1981: The Colts finished 2-14 and allowed the most points ever (533) in a season, but both wins came against New England.
2001: Tom Brady’s first career start in the NFL is against Manning’s Colts, and the Patriots win 44-13.
2003: In the true start of the rivalry, the Colts rallied back from a 21-point deficit before trailing 38-34 with 1st-and-goal at the 1. The Patriots put on a goal line stand for the ages, stuffing Edgerrin James on 4th-and-goal after linebacker Willie McGinest, who made the game-saving tackle, faked an injury earlier in the drive.
2003 AFC Championship Game: The No. 1 defense of the Patriots shut down Indy’s red-hot offense, intercepting Manning 4 times with Ty Law collecting 3 of the picks. But the Colts had a shot down 21-14 late, and tight Marcus Pollard was interfered with on the last two plays only to see no flags. Influenced by this game, the NFL made illegal contact a point of emphasis for referees in 2004.
2004, Week 1: On opening night, the Colts again had a chance to beat the Patriots, but James fumbled at the 1-yard line and Mike Vanderjagt missed a game-tying field goal in a 27-24 loss.
2004 AFC Divisional: In a playoff rematch in the snow again, the Colts melted down with drops and fumbles in a 20-3 loss where the Patriots ran wild on their defense.
2005: The Colts ended their 6-game losing streak against the Patriots with a dominant 40-21 win in New England on a Monday night.
2006: The Colts had another impressive road win in New England on a Sunday night, intercepting Tom Brady 4 times in a 27-20 win.
2006 AFC Championship Game: In the rivalry’s No. 1 game, the Colts trailed 21-3 before rallying with 32 2nd-half points in a 38-34 win. Brady was intercepted by Marlin Jackson in the final minute to send the Colts to their only Super Bowl win under Manning and coach Tony Dungy.
2007: In one of the most hyped regular-season games in NFL history, the 7-0 Colts hosted the 8-0 Patriots, who looked unbeatable. But while the Colts led by 10 points in the 4th quarter, the Patriots showed how powerful Randy Moss could be in their offense, leading to a 24-20 comeback win.
2009: The Colts trailed by 17 points at home in the 4th quarter in a Sunday night game before another incredible rally. The Patriots went for a 4th-and-2 at their own 28-yard line and did not get it, setting Manning up on a short field in the final minutes. He threw a game-winning touchdown to Reggie Wayne and the Colts won 35-34 in the game known as 4th-and-2.
2010: The Colts almost repeated their 17-point comeback in the 4th quarter feat in New England, but this time, Manning was hit as he threw in field goal range and the Colts lost 31-28 in the final Manning vs. Brady game involving the Colts and Patriots.
2014 AFC Championship Game: The biggest meeting in the Andrew Luck era for the Colts against the Patriots was a blowout most notable for leading to the Deflategate scandal that led to Tom Brady being suspended to start the 2016 season. The Colts lost 45-7 and it was the only title game in Luck’s career.

While we never saw a true shootout between Manning and Brady, the huge comeback attempts were always fun to watch, and the way these teams made each other better was similar to Magic Johnson and Larry Bird with the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers in the 1980s NBA. There may never be another rivalry like this and it had a huge impact on the NFL in the 21st century.

1 Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens

It was only natural that the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens would turn into a great rivalry. The Ravens were literally the Cleveland Browns, a key Pittsburgh rival, transplanted to Baltimore in 1996. But it wasn’t until the 2000s when the Ravens established themselves as a hard-nosed, defensive-led team that wants to run the ball and punch you in the mouth that this became the best rivalry in the NFL.

The Steelers have great rivalries with their division foes, but the ones with Cleveland and Cincinnati are more about hatred and pettiness, not unlike a big brother and little brother going at it with contempt.

With Baltimore, there is a great deal of respect between the teams as they have similar goals, similar ideas on how to achieve them, and they have played so many close, important games over the last 20 years. They also are two of the only teams to have coaching stability with John Harbaugh (2008) and Mike Tomlin (2007) both putting in over 15 years with these teams.

The Steelers lead the series 34-25 with a 3-1 playoff record.

Some highlights of the Steelers-Ravens rivalry:

1997: In a 42-34 win, Kordell Stewart rushed for a 74-yard touchdown to cap off a 5-touchodwn day in leading a 21-point comeback for the Steelers.
1999: Baltimore receiver Qadry Ismail set a Three Rivers record with 258 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns.
2001: The Steelers lost the first meeting at Heinz Field in a game where Kris Brown missed 4 field goals. Pittsburgh got its revenge with a 27-10 win in the AFC divisional round.
2002, Week 17: Tommy Maddox led an 11-point comeback in the 4th quarter to help the Steelers claim the AFC North in its first year with a 34-31 win.
2004, Week 2: Rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger made his debut off the bench in Baltimore after starter Maddox was injured. Roethlisberger lost with the Steelers down big when he entered, but he would go 13-0 as a starter in the regular season.
2008: The teams had the best defenses in the league, and they met in 3 memorable games with the Steelers closing out each win in the 4th quarter. Roethlisberger led a long game-winning drive in Baltimore with a touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes, then Troy Polamalu intercepted Joe Flacco for a touchdown to win 23-14 in the AFC Championship Game, leading to another Super Bowl win for Pittsburgh.
2010: Roethlisberger’s nose was broken on a hit by Haloti Ngata, but he stayed in the game and helped the Steelers win 13-10. The teams met again in the AFC divisional, and Roethlisberger’s 58-yard pass to rookie Antonio Brown to convert 3rd-and-19 led to a 31-24 win for the Steelers.
2011: After the Steelers took a late 20-16 lead, Torrey Smith caught a 26-yard game-winning touchdown with 8 seconds left in a 23-20 win that helped Baltimore win the AFC North.
2014: Even though Roethlisberger threw 6 touchdown passes against the Ravens in his last game, the AFC wild card game was all Baltimore, which won 30-17 on the road.
2016: On Christmas, Antonio Brown caught a 4-yard game-winning touchdown with 8 seconds left to beat the Ravens 31-27.
2017: In another December classic on a Sunday night, Roethlisberger passed for 506 yards in a 39-38 comeback win.
2020: With COVID-19 causing havoc on the schedule, the teams ended up meeting on a Wednesday afternoon in a game the Steelers won 19-14 to improve to 11-0 that season.
2021: The Steelers swept the Ravens in close games to reach the playoffs again. The first meeting in Pittsburgh saw T.J. Watt pressure Lamar Jackson on a potential game-winning 2-point conversion in a 20-19 win by Pittsburgh. The Week 18 meeting saw Roethlisberger lead the last game-winning drive of his career in a 16-13 overtime win.
2022: Rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett led a late game-winning touchdown drive to beat the Ravens 16-13 on a Sunday night.
2023: After the Ravens dropped a lot of passes, the Steelers came back late with a 41-yard touchdown to George Pickens for their first lead of the game. Watt sacked Jackson on 4th down to end the game and upset win for Pittsburgh.

Since 2007, the Steelers have scored 728 points against the Ravens, and the Ravens have scored 719 points against the Steelers. It’s always so close.

No matter which quarterback is starting or what the team’s records are, there is a standard you can expect from a Steelers-Ravens game. It is going to be physical, it is going to be close, and it is going to be worth your 3 hours.