Discover the 10 greatest NFL rivalries of all time in this countdown of historic matchups and intense grudge matches. Don’t miss out!
Football’s Most Bitter Battles: The Top 10 NFL Rivalries of All Time
The NFL is the most popular sports league in the United States, and the unique setup of it vs. other professional sports leagues creates a ripe environment for rivalries. While teams in other leagues play numerous games against every team, that’s not the case in the NFL, where teams play each other between zero and three times per season, with three matchups only possible if two divisional opponents meet in the playoffs. Because of this, every game is magnified, and rivalry games become more important. Whether it’s divisional rivalries or cross-conference ones, these games bring out the best on both sides. NFL fans who want to keep up with the top rivalries in the league should make sure they’re subscribed to Fubo, where they can watch nationally broadcast games on CBS, ESPN, FOX, NBC and the NFL Network, as well as the NFL RedZone Channel.
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The Most Intense Matchups in Football History
Below, you’ll find 10 of the biggest rivalries in the history of the NFL, with information on each rivalry, including some of the biggest moments in the history of the rivalry.
Green Bay Packers vs Chicago Bears
As of the end of the 2022 NFL season, the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears have met 206 times, with the Packers leading the all-time series 105-95-6. The Packers have won the past eight meetings with Chicago.
The first meeting between these teams took place in 1921, when the Bears were known as the Chicago Staleys, with the Staleys winning 20-0 in a game where Gaylord Stinchcomb scored the only touchdown of the game.
In 1924 during the Bears’ 3-0 win over the Packers, two players were ejected, the first time in NFL history that players had been ejected from a game.
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The two sides first met in a playoff game in 1941, with the Bears winning 33-14. The two didn’t meet again in the postseason until the 2011 NFC Championship Game, with the Packers winning 21-14. The Packers went on to win the Super Bowl that season.
In December 2022, the Packers defeated the Bears 28-19. The two teams were tied for the most wins in NFL history heading into that game, with Green Bay pulling ahead after the victory.
Pittsburgh Steelers vs Baltimore Ravens
The Steelers/Ravens rivalry is one of the newer ones in the NFL, as the Ravens didn’t become a team until 1996, though the teams had met before when the Ravens played as the Cleveland Browns.
The Steelers currently lead the all-time series 33-25. The Steelers won the first meeting in 1996 by a 31-17 score. The teams have also played four times in the postseason, with the Steelers leading the playoff series 3-1.
The first postseason meeting of the two teams came in the 2001 AFC Divisional round, with the Steelers winning 27-10. Baltimore’s lone playoff victory in the series came in the 2014 AFC Wild Card round, with Baltimore winning 30-17.
Dallas Cowboys vs Washington Commanders
The Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders are rivals in the NFC East. The two sides have met 126 times since their first contest in 1960, with Washington won 26-14.
The Cowboys hold the edge in the all-time series, leading 76-48-2. Despite the long history between the two teams, they’ve met just twice in the postseason, with Washington winning both times: a 26-3 win in 1972 and a 31-17 win in 1983.
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The rivalry began before the Cowboys were even a team. In 1958, Clint Murchison Jr. wanted to bring an NFL team to Dallas and attempted to buy the Commanders, but Washington owner George Preston Marshall backed out of the deal at the last moment.
Dallas Cowboys vs Philadelphia Eagles
Like the rivalry between the Cowboys and Commanders, the rivalry between the Cowboys and Eagles dates back to 1960. The Eagles won the first contest between the two teams 27-25. The Cowboys lead the all-time series 73-55, with no ties in the series. Dallas leads the postseason series 3-1.
This matchup is the most featured matchup on NBC’s Sunday Night Football, with the two teams playing 16 times on that stage.
The first playoff matchup between the two teams came in the 1980 NFC Championship Game, with the Eagles winning 20-7. The teams last met in the playoffs in 2009 in the NFC Wild Card Round, with the Cowboys winning 34-14.
Indianapolis Colts vs New England Patriots
The Colts and Patriots don’t play in the same division, but the teams have still met 82 times since 1970, with New England leading the all-time series 53-30.
This rivalry is best known for producing strong games during the 2000s when Tom Brady was the New England quarterback and Peyton Manning was the Indianapolis quarterback.
These teams have met five times in the playoffs, with New England holding a 4-1 advantage. The first playoff meeting of the two sides came in the 2003 AFC Championship Game, with the Patriots 41-24, with the Patriots intercepting Manning four times.
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Indianapolis’ lone playoff win over the Patriots came in 2006, with the Colts coming back from a 21-3 deficit to win 43-27.
New York Giants vs New England Patriots
While most rivalries involve division rivals, or at least conference rivals, the AFC’s New England Patriots and the NFC’s New York Giants have carved out a unique NFL rivalry.
The teams have only met 13 times, with two of those games coming in the postseason. Because they’re in different conferences, both of those meetings were in the Super Bowl. In 2008, the Giants defeated the Patriots 17-14 in Super Bowl XLII and in 2012 the Giants defeated the Patriots 21-17.
That 2008 matchup spoiled a perfect season for the Patriots, who entered the game 18-0, including the postseason. The game was highlighted by David Tyree’s “helmet catch.”
Seattle Seahawks vs San Francisco 49ers
The Seahawks and 49ers both play in the NFC West, meeting 50 times since 1976. The Seahawks hold a 30-20 advantage in the series.
The teams have met twice in the postseason, with the Seahawks winning 23-17 in the NFC Championship Game in 2014, and the 49ers winning 41-23 in the NFC Wild Card game in 2023.
The bulk of this rivalry has taken place since 2002, when the Seahawks moved into the NFC West. It ramped up a notch in 2011, when former Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh took over the 49ers. With former USC head coach Pete Carroll coaching the Seahawks, the two former Pac-12 coaches re-ignited their college rivalry.
Dallas Cowboys vs San Francisco 49ers
The Cowboys and 49ers have met 39 times since 1960, with the two sides tied all-time at 19-19-1, with the 49ers winning the most recent two matchups.
This rivalry has featured nine postseason games, with the Cowboys up 5-4 in the playoffs. The Cowboys won all three of the playoff matchups between the two teams during the 1970s. San Francisco’s first playoff win over the 49ers came in 1981.
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The rivalry continued in the 1990s, with the teams meeting in three consecutive NFC Championship Games. The Cowboys won the first two and went on to win the Super Bowl, while the 49ers won the 1994 game and won the Super Bowl afterward.
The rivalry has been re-ignited the past two seasons, with the teams meeting in two consecutive postseasons. San Francisco won both games.
Cincinnati Bengals vs Pittsburgh Steelers
AFC North foes Cincinnati and Pittsburgh have met 107 times, with the Steelers leading the all-time series 68-39, including a 2-0 mark in the postseason.
While the results have been one-sided, this was one of the most bitter rivalries in the 2000s and 2010s, with the two sides playing some brutal games, including the 2015 AFC Wild Card game that featured Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict concussing Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown.
Steelers kicker Chris Boswell kicked the game-winning field goal to give the Steelers the 18-16 win. That game was part of an 11-game win streak in the series for the Steelers.
Las Vegas Raiders vs Kansas City Chiefs
The Raiders and Chiefs have met 128 times since 1960, with the Chiefs leading the all-time series 72-54-2. The teams have met three times in the playoffs, with the Chiefs leading 2-1. The last playoff meeting was in 1991, with the Chiefs winning 10-6.
Kansas City has dominated the series lately, winning the last five meetings thanks to quarterback Patrick Mahomes. KC also has the longest win streak in the series, as the Chiefs won nine consecutive times from 2003-07.
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