Greatest Rivalry Games in the NFL

Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears

The oldest and most-played rivalry in NFL history, dating back to the league's infancy, with legends like Lombardi, Butkus, Favre, and Urlacher all leaving blood on the frozen tundra. Remarkably, despite over a century of hatred, the two have never met in the playoffs, making eve

First Played: 1921Total Meetings: 203Series Record: Packers lead (~104-95-6)Rivalry Intensity: 10/10Playoff Meetings: 0

added by IJR

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens

Born from the Browns' relocation and forged into pure violence, this is the modern era's most physically brutal rivalry, defined by James Harrison highlight-reel hits and Ray Lewis-era defenses. The 2008-2011 stretch alone produced multiple playoff classics and instant-classic hi

First Played: 1996Total Meetings: 55Series Record: Steelers lead (~30-25)Rivalry Intensity: 9.5/10Playoff Meetings: 4

added by IJR

Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Commanders

A rivalry stoked by two marquee franchises, iconic owners, and decades of NFC East supremacy battles from the Staubach-Theismann days through the Aikman-Rypien 1990s. Thanksgiving Day matchups and the infamous Joe Theismann leg injury by Lawrence Taylor are seared into league lor

First Played: 1960Total Meetings: 124Series Record: Cowboys lead (~72-52)Rivalry Intensity: 9.5/10Playoff Meetings: 2

added by IJR

Dallas Cowboys vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Two fanbases that genuinely despise each other, fueled by decades of NFC East trench warfare and moments like DeSean Jackson's punt-return walk-off in 2010. Despite the venom, the teams have famously never met in the postseason, leaving every regular-season game feeling like a de

First Played: 1960Total Meetings: 128Series Record: Cowboys lead (~74-54)Rivalry Intensity: 9/10Playoff Meetings: 0

added by IJR

New England Patriots vs. New York Jets

Elevated from divisional footnote to must-watch television once Bill Belichick left the Jets for New England and Rex Ryan started running his mouth about ending the Patriots' dynasty. Spygate, Butt Fumble, and endless Belichick mind games against his former team give this an edge

First Played: 1960Total Meetings: 120Series Record: Patriots lead (~68-52)Rivalry Intensity: 8.5/10Playoff Meetings: 1

added by IJR

Las Vegas Raiders vs. Kansas City Chiefs

An AFC West blood feud rooted in the AFL days, defined by black-and-silver villainy against Kansas City's red sea, with brawls, late hits, and trash talk as much a tradition as the games themselves. The rivalry cooled during Oakland's lean years but has roared back as Mahomes-era

First Played: 1960Total Meetings: 123Series Record: Chiefs lead (~65-58)Rivalry Intensity: 8.5/10Playoff Meetings: 1

added by IJR

Las Vegas Raiders vs. Denver Broncos

Another AFL-born AFC West staple, this one simmered through decades of divisional title chases and produced some of the most physical, foul-heavy games in league history. Mile High Stadium and the Oakland Coliseum became pressure cookers whenever these two clashed for playoff pos

First Played: 1960Total Meetings: 123Series Record: Raiders lead (~63-58-2)Rivalry Intensity: 8/10Playoff Meetings: 2

added by IJR

San Francisco 49ers vs. Dallas Cowboys

A cross-conference rivalry built almost entirely in the playoffs, from Dwight Clark's 'The Catch' in 1982 to the brutal early-90s NFC Championship battles between Montana/Young and Aikman's Cowboys dynasty. Few pairings have decided so many Super Bowl trips on the field between t

First Played: 1970Total Meetings: 40Series Record: Cowboys lead (~22-18)Rivalry Intensity: 8.5/10Playoff Meetings: 5

added by IJR

Indianapolis Colts vs. New England Patriots

The defining quarterback rivalry of a generation, as Peyton Manning and Tom Brady traded haymakers in the AFC for over a decade, capped by the legendary 2006 AFC Championship comeback. Every meeting felt like a referendum on who the era's greatest passer truly was. Even after Man

First Played: 1998Total Meetings: 30Series Record: Patriots lead (~18-12)Rivalry Intensity: 9/10Playoff Meetings: 5

added by IJR

Philadelphia Eagles vs. New York Giants

A classic old-NFC East grudge match stretching back to 1933, with hard-nosed defenses and division titles constantly on the line between two of football's original franchises. The rivalry lacks a single iconic moment but makes up for it in sheer sustained hostility, decade after

First Played: 1933Total Meetings: 184Series Record: Giants lead (~92-88-2)Rivalry Intensity: 8/10Playoff Meetings: 1

added by IJR

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns

One of the AFC North's oldest and nastiest rivalries, rooted in blue-collar civic pride and decades of Steelers dominance that only made Browns fans hate them more. The 2019 helmet-swinging brawl between Myles Garrett and Mason Rudolph became an instant symbol of just how far thi

First Played: 1950Total Meetings: 142Series Record: Steelers lead (~78-60-1)Rivalry Intensity: 8/10Playoff Meetings: 1

added by IJR

Green Bay Packers vs. Minnesota Vikings

A frozen-tundra NFC North staple stretching back to 1961, marked by iconic quarterback duels from Bart Starr and Fran Tarkenton to Favre's bitter post-Green Bay stint in purple. Favre's 2009 revenge tour with the Vikings added a soap-opera layer rarely seen in divisional play. La

First Played: 1961Total Meetings: 120Series Record: Packers lead (~65-53-2)Rivalry Intensity: 8/10Playoff Meetings: 3

added by IJR

Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers

Reignited into a national obsession by the Legion of Boom-era Seahawks and Jim Harbaugh's 49ers, this rivalry peaked with Richard Sherman's game-tipping deflection and iconic postgame rant in the 2013 NFC Championship. The coaching feud between Pete Carroll and Harbaugh added ext

First Played: 1977Total Meetings: 88Series Record: 49ers lead (~48-38-1)Rivalry Intensity: 8/10Playoff Meetings: 2

added by IJR

Chicago Bears vs. Detroit Lions

A long-running Original Six NFC North rivalry that rarely gets national spotlight but has quietly produced nearly two centuries of combined divisional battles. It lacks a singular signature moment, but the sheer volume of meetings and mutual playoff heartbreaks over decades keeps

First Played: 1930Total Meetings: 183Series Record: Bears lead (~98-77-5)Rivalry Intensity: 6.5/10Playoff Meetings: 0

added by IJR

Los Angeles Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers

A West Coast rivalry that spans the Fearsome Foursome era to the modern Sean McVay-Kyle Shanahan chess matches for NFC supremacy. The 2021 NFC Championship, where the Rams stole a trip to their home Super Bowl, added a fresh signature chapter to a decades-old feud. It's a rivalry

First Played: 1950Total Meetings: 143Series Record: 49ers lead (~76-64-3)Rivalry Intensity: 7/10Playoff Meetings: 3

added by IJR

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

A perennially underrated AFC North grudge match known for its cheap shots, late hits, and playoff-atmosphere regular season games, epitomized by the notorious 2015 Wild Card brawl. Ben Roethlisberger and the Bengals' rotating cast of quarterbacks turned this into a defensive slug

First Played: 1970Total Meetings: 108Series Record: Steelers lead (~68-40Rivalry Intensity: 7.5/10Playoff Meetings: 3

added by IJR

Los Angeles Chargers vs. Las Vegas Raiders

An AFL-born AFC West rivalry marked by hard hits, division title fights, and a mutual disdain that has followed both franchises through multiple relocations. The rivalry never produced a signature Super Bowl-era moment, but decades of physical divisional battles kept it alive acr

First Played: 1960Total Meetings: 123Series Record: Raiders lead (~64-58-1)Rivalry Intensity: 7/10Playoff Meetings: 1

added by IJR