The Biggest Rivalries In NFL History

By Pat Pickens , Henry Palattella
Contributor , Editor
Mo Egger Contributor
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The Biggest Rivalries In NFL History

When it comes to rivalries in the NFL, most are ever-evolving. 

While they lack the history of some of the centuries-long rivalries of college football, the NFL still has some deep, decades-old rivalries that can ebb and flow depending on where teams are in the standings.

But perhaps the biggest difference between NFL and college rivalries is the schedule. Division rivals play twice per season in the NFL and can end up playing a third time in the playoffs, which can substantially raise the temperature.

All of that said, there are still some rivalries that stand out above the rest. Here are the five best NFL rivalries, all of which can be bet on at our favorite NFL betting sites.

Bears vs. Packers

  • First Meeting: Oct. 14, 1923 (Bears won 3-0)
  • Series record: Packers lead 107-95-6; 1-1 in playoffs
  • Last game: Packers won 17-9 on Jan. 7, 2024
  • Why it’s great: Because there is no older rivalry in professional football, and it’s been going for more than a century.

Even though this rivalry has been going on for more than 100 years, it’s still less lopsided than others on this list. That’s a particularly astounding fact given the fact the Bears have had to contend with Green Bay’s assembly line of generational quarterbacks for three consecutive decades and counting.

Sure, the Packers have dominated the Bears since Brett Favre started patrolling the signal-caller duties in the early 1990s before he handed the reins to Aaron Rodgers, with Rodgers eventually passing the baton to budding superstar Jordan Love. 

Those three quarterbacks have led Green Bay to a 47-15 record against the Bears over the past 32 years — a period that includes the Packers clinching a Super Bowl berth at Soldier Field with a 21-14 win in the 2010 NFC Championship Game.

The Bears also have one playoff win over the Packers, which led to an NFL Championship, albeit in 1941.

This rivalry has also played host to some of the biggest names and personalities in NFL history, like Lambeau, Halas, Lombardi, Ditka, Favre, Payton, Rodgers, Butkus and so many others.

This is the rivalry that started it all, which is why it’s No. 1 on our list.

Cowboys vs. Eagles

  • First Meeting: Sept. 30, 1960 (Eagles won 27-25)
  • Series record: Cowboys lead 74-56; 3-1 in playoffs
  • Last game: Cowboys won 33-13 on Dec. 10, 2023
  • Why it’s great: While this isn’t a rivalry that includes teams from the same geographical region, these teams and fan bases have hated each other for decades.

The Cowboys and Eagles have risen to the top of the NFC East, which is just the latest chapter in a rivalry earmarked by bad blood and epic moments. 

On the Eagles side, there are standout moments like the Pickle Juice game (where the Eagles loaded up on the drink at coach Andy Reid’s suggestion ahead of their season-opening 41-14 win in 2000) or Donovan McNabb’s 14 seconds of pocket presence in 2004. 

On the Cowboys’ end, there’s Emmitt Smith’s 237-yard rushing performance, Tony Romo’s first postseason win, which came at the Eagles’ expense in 2009, and Roy Williams’ game-sealing pick-6 in 2005.

There have also been ugly moments, notably when Eagles fans cheered loudly when Michael Irvin sustained a spinal injury that ended his career on the turf at Veterans Stadium in 1999. 

The good, the bad and the ugly: aka the Cowboys-Eagles rivalry.

Eagles vs. Giants

  • First Meeting: Oct. 15, 1933 (Giants won 56-0)
  • Series record: Eagles lead 94-89-2; 3-2 in playoffs
  • Last game: Giants won 27-10 on Jan. 7, 2024
  • Why it’s great: Another NFC East rivalry that features two fan bases that despise each other. 

While Eagles vs Giants is a regional rivalry first, it also stands out for some of the most ridiculous moments in NFL history. The Eagles have long been a thorn in the Giants’ side, especially considering Philadelphia has pulled off two improbable wins in the Meadowlands in the time since these teams started playing.

But even though the Eagles have gotten the last laugh recently (they’ve won five of the last six meetings), New York has gotten some swings in, too. New York’s best run of success against the Eagles came in 2000 when it won all three meetings, including a 20-10 playoff victory – highlighted by Jason Sehorn’s acrobatic interception return for a touchdown – en route to a Super Bowl appearance.

Plus, there was Eli Manning’s legendary comeback in 2006, where he led New York back from down 17 in the fourth quarter to a 30-24 overtime win. But the Eagles ended up getting the last laugh that season with a 23-20 playoff win on a last-second David Akers field goal.

Not only do these two teams play within 90 miles of each other, but they’re also rivals in every other major U.S. sport, which means you’ve got a recipe for one of the best rivalries in sports. 

Jets vs. Patriots

  • First Meeting: Sept. 17, 1960 (Patriots won 28-24)
  • Series record: Patriots lead 74-55-1; 2-1 in playoffs 
  • Last game: Jets won 17-3 on Jan. 7, 2024
  • Why it’s great: Pick your reason. Is it a regional rivalry? The multiple scandals involving both teams? Or the fact the Jets effectively ended both the Drew Bledsoe and Bill Belichick eras with wins in Foxborough?

This rivalry may have been one-sided for years (New England won an unfathomable 15 straight against New York between 2016 and ‘23), but so much of the hatred comes from playing the ‘what if’ game. In 2000, Bill Belichick infamously coached the Jets for one day before resigning and becoming the Patriots’ head coach, where he ended up leading one of the best dynasties in NFL history.

A year later, Mo Lewis injured Bledsoe, which opened the door for a little-known backup named Tom Brady to take control of the Patriots’ offense.

And lest we forget the Spygate saga, which the Jets helped unearth after New England was caught filming their team signals in their season opener in 2007.

But don’t let all that distract you from the memorable moments on the field. New York dealt New England a stunning 28-21 playoff loss in 2011, which coined the legendary “Can’t Wait” Bart Scott meme and still stands as the Jets’ most recent playoff win.

With Belichick and Brady both officially out, a new chapter will begin in Patriots-Jets will open in 2024.

Ravens vs. Steelers

  • First Meeting: Sept. 8, 1996 (Steelers won 31-17)
  • Series record: Steelers lead 35-25; 3-1 in playoffs
  • Last game: Steelers won 17-10 on Jan. 6, 2024
  • Why it’s great: While this may be the youngest of all the rivalries on the list, these teams hate each other with the passion of teams that have been competing for decades.

The Steelers have controlled the rivalry by winning 35 of the 60 head-to-heads, including their 23-14 win over the Ravens in the 2009 AFC Championship Game en route to their then-record-setting sixth Super Bowl win and their 31-24 win over Baltimore in the Divisional Round in 2010.

Baltimore won 13 of the 22 head-to-heads in the 2010s, including four straight between 2015-16. And while the Ravens are 1-5 against the Steelers in the 2020s, it’s not like they’re rolling over against their hated rival.

This rivalry tends to produce one of the top teams in the AFC, as one of the Steelers or Ravens have played for the AFC title 11 times since 2000. Additionally, one of the Steelers or Ravens has represented the AFC in the Super Bowl five times in the span.

They’re two of the elite teams in football, and their games tend to turn into slugfests, which makes this one of the best rivalries in all of football.

Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

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Pat Pickens
Pat Pickens Contributor

Pat Pickens is a veteran sportswriter who has been covering the sports betting since 2021. He is the author of the nonfiction book "The Whalers: The Rise, Fall, and Enduring Mystique of New England's (Second) Greatest NHL Franchise," which was released in 2021.

Henry Palattella
Henry Palattella Editor

Henry Palattella is a writer and editor based in Cleveland, Ohio, where he can usually be found ranting to his cat about how injuries robbed Grady Sizemore of a Hall of Fame career. He also works as a writer for MLB.com along with freelancing for numerous publications in Northeast Ohio. A native of Erie, Pennsylvania, he is a graduate of Kent State University, where he graduated the same year that Julian Edelman completed his degree.

Mo Egger
Mo Egger Contributor