Are there any GREAT rivalry's in the NFL like there use to be?

[flaraider]

Steelers Ravens is a great one

Pats Phins is also a great rivalry, Boston Miami has good history

Dallas Washington

Giants Dallas

Philly Giants

Those are great rivalries that stand the test of time

 

[NWPATSFAN]

AFC is Brady vs Peyton until they retire. Im not really sure who the future contenders will be.[/QUOTE]

Is it really a rivalry when one owns the other?

 

[Anointed One]

My point is basically...the rivalries never really die, but they are less of a national story when the teams are not as good.

That's a great statement and you really hit the nail on the head... Just seems like we're in a lul right now w/out the great rivalrys of the past/present having both teams playing consistently well...

Like others have said:

Oakland vs KC back in the day was awesome but Oakland hasn't been relevant for so long...

Dallas vs Washington was awesome but isn't the same right now because of the poor management beginning with, Dan Schneider...

The NFL is at it's best when Oakland, Dallas and Pittsburgh are all playing at a high, competitive level... JMHO...

I've read rumors that if/when LA does get an NFL team, that team could go to the NFC West sending the Hawks back to the AFC West... Be interesting to see what happens when the team does go to LA...

 

[LPinSLC]

Ravens/Steelers

 

[Fountain City Blues]

That's a great statement and you really hit the nail on the head... Just seems like we're in a lul right now w/out the great rivalrys of the past/present having both teams playing consistently well...

Like others have said:

Oakland vs KC back in the day was awesome but Oakland hasn't been relevant for so long...

Dallas vs Washington was awesome but isn't the same right now because of the poor management beginning with, Dan Schneider...

The NFL is at it's best when Oakland, Dallas and Pittsburgh are all playing at a high, competitive level... JMHO...

I've read rumors that if/when LA does get an NFL team, that team could go to the NFC West sending the Hawks back to the AFC West... Be interesting to see what happens when the team does go to LA...

Hmm, that doesn't seem too likely if it is the Rams, Raiders, or San Diego as they can just stay in their current divisions without causing any disruption to current rivalries. That might happen though if a team not named the Raiders, Chargers, or Rams gets into LA. Who that is, I really don't know, however. Jags stadium situation is pretty stable as well. I have a hard time seeing who the 4th suitor could be... the Bills?

 

[Anointed One]

Hmm, that doesn't seem too likely if it is the Rams, Raiders, or San Diego as they can just stay in their current divisions without causing any disruption to current rivalries. That might happen though if a team not named the Raiders, Chargers, or Rams gets into LA. Who that is, I really don't know, however. Jags stadium situation is pretty stable as well. I have a hard time seeing who the 4th suitor could be... the Bills?

Could be SD that would go to the NFC... They don't have much of a rivalry w/ any of the teams in their division... I don't think they ever had not that I think about it... Would make the most sense to send them to the NFC West...

 

[wiskyisgood12]

I don't know that rivalries are relevant to players. I mean, they're more intense for divisional games, I get that. But, the term rivalry is more for us fans. I still feel it with Packers-Bears games. I also, really do feel a certain electricity with Packers-Lions games.

 

[Clayton]

AFC is Brady vs Peyton until they retire. Im not really sure who the future contenders will be.

Is it really a rivalry when one owns the other?

Didnt Peyton just beat Brady last year to go to the Super Bowl? Or are you suggesting that Peyton owns Brady which is also wrong?

 

[Schmoopy1000]

I remember back in the day. it Seemed the whole AFC East (back when they had 5 teams) seemed to have a vendetta against the other. & the fans joined in too. They were fun back then to watch beat on each other, especially in the winter games.

To me though one of the best was the Raiders & Steelers in the 70's. It was like putting 22 bullies on the field & saying have at it.
Sometimes I wonder if they were even paying attention to the score. Lots of heavy hitting, heavy cheap shots (& in the 70's it took a lot for it to be a cheap shot)sprinkle in a lawsuit or two LOL

Must see games.

 

[Lemon Harang Pie]

It'll take them getting truly good again, but all the divisional matchups are bitter rivalries for Cleveland.

You have the in-state rivalry with Cincy.
You have the Ravens rivalry, the team that used to be the Browns but the scumbag owner up and moved the team when he didn't get a new stadium.
and You have the Steelers rivalry, which used to be one of the most bitter and competitive in the NFL.

The Brownies are still a little ways off from being competitive, but these are all good, true, rivalry games.

The Pittsburgh and Cleveland rivalry used to be fantastic, especially in the 80's where the teams were pretty close. That was before Pittsburgh became "gentrified" and Cleveland, well, terrible.

 

[cdumler7]

Could be SD that would go to the NFC... They don't have much of a rivalry w/ any of the teams in their division... I don't think they ever had not that I think about it... Would make the most sense to send them to the NFC West...

You don't understand the AFC West much if you think this. The Chargers have been a part of the AFC West since 1960. They are actually tied with the Raiders for most division championships at 15 in that time span. So while I would still say the Broncos have a more heated rivalry with the Chiefs and Raiders the AFC West would not be the same without the Chargers. If they move back to LA (yes they have been in LA before) then it just makes sense for them to continue to be in the AFC West instead of screwing up all of it with another team having to come over to the AFC West ruining 54 years of history.

 

[PhillyJoker]

I'm an Eagles fan, but I do think Eagles/Cowboys still has enough juice to push it out of the fan base vs fan base, but only just enough. It could heat up if both teams stay relevant. Outside of my team I think Steelers/Ravens and Brady/Manning are the best two remaining. Granted the first has lost a lot as their defenses went from great to good and the second lost quite a bit once Manning left the Colts. Another one that I think is outside the fan base's is 49ers/Seahawks but that seems done now that the coach is gone.

 

[Oldschool739]

Good point... And don't get me wrong, the Ravens vs Steelers is still a blast to watch, even from an outsiders perspective... I just miss the days when they both had great defenses where the games were like 13-10; 9-6 and so on... I always made sure I tuned in for those games... I like the Steelers so i'll usually watch them no matter who they play...

You obviously misunderstand what a rivalry entails.....
It doesn't hinge on which side of the ball the teams are better on, but rather how hard and heated they play the game against each other....
It's like 2 brothers going at it at the family reunion, everybody is astounded and its a knock down drag out battle because neither wants to lose in front of the whole family....
And I don't get where you think our D's have declined so much either, other than our injury depleted secondary we have a solid D that ranks very high in every category, plus we have been the last 4 games without our pro bowl Dline leader that is back now, we won 10 games and Pitts won 11, not too shabby for injury ridden D's I'd say, wouldn't you ?
And who cares if the D is not quite as good as previous yrs as long as the O is better ?

Goooooo Ravens !!!!!!!!

 

[Anointed One]

You obviously misunderstand what a rivalry entails.....
It doesn't hinge on which side of the ball the teams are better on, but rather how hard and heated they play the game against each other....
It's like 2 brothers going at it at the family reunion, everybody is astounded and its a knock down drag out battle because neither wants to lose in front of the whole family....
And I don't get where you think our D's have declined so much either, other than our injury depleted secondary we have a solid D that ranks very high in every category, plus we have been the last 4 games without our pro bowl Dline leader that is back now, we won 10 games and Pitts won 11, not too shabby for injury ridden D's I'd say, wouldn't you ?
And who cares if the D is not quite as good as previous yrs as long as the O is better ?

Goooooo Ravens !!!!!!!!

I'm speaking as an outsider... Obviously I think the rivalry between the Hawks/49ers is a lot better than most others view it right now, it's because i'm a fan of the team and SF is the team I hate the most... Same with your situation...

The past few years, this rivalry isn't as fun to watch for the reasons I stated... JMO...

FTR, I never said it wasn't a good rivalry anymore...

 

[Anointed One]

You don't understand the AFC West much if you think this. The Chargers have been a part of the AFC West since 1960. They are actually tied with the Raiders for most division championships at 15 in that time span. So while I would still say the Broncos have a more heated rivalry with the Chiefs and Raiders the AFC West would not be the same without the Chargers. If they move back to LA (yes they have been in LA before) then it just makes sense for them to continue to be in the AFC West instead of screwing up all of it with another team having to come over to the AFC West ruining 54 years of history.

I understand it very well... I know it good enough to know that if they decided to keep only 3 teams in the AFC West, SD would be the odd man out....

 

[RobToxin]

The rivalries ain't what they used to be. In the 70s, Redskins-Cowboys were nasty! Skins players were allegedly paid a bonus by George Allen if they could put Roger Staubach out of the game.

Raiders-Steelers were very physical and got pretty downlow and dirty back then too. I recall Steelers players claiming the Raiders went out of their way to try and hurt Lynn Swann in one of the AFC Title Games.

 

[cdumler7]

I understand it very well... I know it good enough to know that if they decided to keep only 3 teams in the AFC West, SD would be the odd man out....

My question though is why move them out of the AFC West if they are staying on the West Coast? It just doesn't make sense to then move them to the NFC and destroy 60 years of history. I agree if there is one team in the AFC West that could move to the NFC it would be the Chargers but logically speaking if they move to LA it makes 0 sense to then move them to the NFC West. I could understand like the situation when the Seahawks left the AFC West where they were the new guys on the block and just were not that relevant at the time that it really upset too many people. The Chargers leaving the AFC West though would cause a whole lot more uproar.

 

[JMR]

Before this season started, Seattle-SF had clearly emerged as the best rivalry in the league. Not the longest or the one with the most history, but the best in the present tense. Coaches had some bad blood going back to their meetings in college, you had Sherm vs Crabtree, two young stud QBs, and both teams were having lots of success and were each other's main obstacle to the SB. But then the 49ers fell apart this year, and now it looks like they'll probably take a step back before they step forward. Cards may move right in to their spot in the rivalry next year.

 

[Sharkonabicycle]

I feel like everything in the NFC North pretty much. NFC East rivalries are not bad, but we haven't seen a great team from that division for a while (just 'good' teams). Either way, gotta love Dallas/Wash. I guess you must really hate the other team to give your star runningback a HUGE workload right before a playoff game when that Wash game had zero bearing on anything LOL.

 

[sonnyblack65]

IMO If your talking 2000's then its def Balt-Pitt if player then Brady-Manning. I like Seattle but personally dont get too hopped up about a Seattle/SF game. There is venom with the black n yellow/purple put their pads on. Harrison/Ward /Polamalu vs Lewis/Reed/Suggs/Ngata /Suggs etc no love lost. Plus you have the coach step on the field to try and prevent a TD runback