Top 5 Greatest Rivalries in the NFL

The NFL is the most prominent sports league in the USA, with the wider worldwide audience also showing a huge interest in the sport and what’s going down in the NFL. The showdown, the Super Bowl, is one of the biggest events of the year, where two top teams of the season clash for the championship. For every collegiate athlete, it’s a dream to become an NFL player. The honour and prestige attached to it are unparalleled, and this is because the league brings out the best in an athlete as you’re forced into age-old rivalries between some of the biggest teams in the league. All the 32 teams have a history, fan base, background, culture, and identity, and the fans of an NFL team are devoted and support their respective teams at any cost. Over the years, there have been some historic matches with some arch-rivalries developing for just about each and every team. Looking at the NFL, here are the top 5 greatest rivalries in NFL history:

Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers

Like in soccer, the NFL fans despise each other. The Bengals and the Steelers always put on a show whenever they meet, and there is nothing friendly about their encounters when they meet on the field. The intensity of the tackles, interceptions, offense, and celebrations are pushed up a level when these two longtime opponents are forced to face-off against one another. Whether it was a tackle of Vontaze on Antonio Brown in 2016 or Kimo knocking out Palmer, big things always happen in this fixture. However, the Steelers are leading the all-time match score between the two sides, so it will be interesting to see both teams taking their gloves off again this season.

Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears

The oldest and the most talked about rivalries of the NFL has to be between the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears. The history between the Packers and the Bears goes way back to 1920 and since then, they have encountered one another more than 200 times. These two teams are also two of the most successful teams who have each racked up multiple championships under their belts, including the Super Bowl. For the last three seasons, the Packers have had the upper hand, and the last time the Bears were head-to-head was in 2018, so the Chicago side has some catching up to do. Green Bay will take the top spot on the winners’ list if the team maintains its winning ways despite losing Davante Adams. With Matt Nagy gone and Justin Fields as a second-year quarterback, the Bears are expected to perform in line with their previous season if all goes well.

New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys

The NFC East is known for a bitter rivalry between the Giants and the Cowboys. When the first encounter took place in 1960, it was an indicator that something was brewing between these two sides. Since then, the heat between these two premium franchises has only gone up as each year goes by. The vendetta was boosted when the Hall of Famer Tom Landry, who played and coached the Giants, left New York and joined the Cowboys. Tom coached the Cowboys for 29 seasons and won multiple NFC Championships and two Super Bowls. The fierce relationship between the two began even before the merger, so you can expect it will not end anytime soon.

Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders

Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders are two NFL franchises with a rich history. These are two teams with arguably the biggest fan bases in all of football history, and both have been extremely successful throughout the years. It’s amazing to see when two teams, despite their seasonal performances, play every match against one another like it’s a final. Both teams enjoy a loyal following, which is quite evident by the attendance in their respective stadiums. The cheers, the noise, and the enthusiasm keep this rivalry alive and probably entrench it into one of the best. The Chiefs are leading in the head-to-head record, and the NFL lines will probably have the same say this season.