In a sport that features a lot of brute force, nothing tops the best NFL rivalries. Some of these teams have hated each other for decades, even if all the players and coaches change from year to year. However, some of the biggest NFL rivalries always deliver a game worth watching. From the Pittsburgh Steelers vs Baltimore Ravens to the Dallas Cowboys vs San Francisco 49ers, here are the best rivalries in the NFL today.
Pittsburgh Steelers vs Cleveland Browns
The oldest rivalry in the AFC, the Pittsburgh Steelers vs Cleveland Browns first matched up in 1950. Nearly 75 years later, it’s still one of the best NFL rivalries today. Pittsburgh drafting an Ohio native in Ben Roethlisberger only cranked up the energy, but it hasn’t slowed down since. Two teams with some of the best defenses today, the Steelers vs. Browns games are nearly always a ‘bloodbath.’
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Dallas Cowboys vs Philadelphia Eagles
The Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles have been in the same division for 63 years, so you can bet there have been some heated scrums between these two teams. They’ve alternated wins for each of the past two seasons, showing Nick Sirianni and Mike McCarthy’s squads are a good match for each other. Yet, each team enters the season with Super Bowl aspirations, meaning this rivalry features high stakes again in 2024.
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Cleveland Browns vs Cincinnati Bengals
The Battle of Ohio takes place two times a year between the teams with orange helmets. The all-time Cleveland Browns vs Cincinnati Bengals rivalry has been amazingly close, and both teams are expected to be playoff contenders again in 2024. Of course, the Bengals are projected to have one of the NFL’s best offenses, whereas the Browns are expected to have one of the NFL’s best defenses. It should be a great matchup in 2024 and for years to come.
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New York Giants vs Philadelphia Eagles
The New York Giants-Philadelphia Eagles rivalry was already one of the best in the NFL. But now that the Eagles have swiped one of the Giants’ best players away in free agency, both divisional matchups will be must-see TV this season and for years to come. We’ve already seen some historic battles, from Jake Elliott’s 61-yard game-winning kick in 2017 to DeSean Jackson’s ‘Miracle at the Meadowlands’ punt return touchdown in 2010, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg in the Giants-Eagles rivalry.
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Buffalo Bills vs Kansas City Chiefs
This is a rivalry that really only recently heated up with the arrival of Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen. Both are annual MVP candidates who put their teams on their backs on the way to the playoffs; you can always count on a shootout between the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs. Who knows, if the Chiefs hadn’t kicked the Bills out of the playoffs three times in the past five years, maybe the Bills would have a Super Bowl win of their own.
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Dallas Cowboys vs New York Giants
The all-time matchup record between the Dallas Cowboys vs New York Giants may show dominance for America’s Team, but this is still one of the best rivalries in the NFL. The truth is, the Cowboys have crushed the Giants by winning 13 of their past 14 matchups. But that doesn’t mean this rivalry doesn’t still get both sides amped up on gameday, where the two fanbases can’t stand each other.
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Minnesota Vikings vs Green Bay Packers
The battle of the North features a classic border matchup between Minnesota and Wisconsin, and these two teams have never liked each other. Aside from the Purple People Eaters’ reign in the ’70s, there hasn’t really been an overly dominant stretch by either team, yet Green Bay still comes out ahead in this NFC North rivalry, and in the trophy case too, boasting four Super Bowl wins compared to zero in Minnesota.
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Buffalo Bills vs Miami Dolphins
The Buffalo Bills vs. Miami Dolphins rivalry dates back to the ’60s when the two teams competed in the AFL. But it’s just as strong today, with both teams boasting some of the best offenses in the NFL. But the Bills have won 13 of their past 15 matchups, showing how much Buffalo has dominated Miami in recent years. However, Mike McDaniel won’t continue to allow his team to get pushed around by a division rival. This rivalry is just getting good again.
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Chicago Bears vs Green Bay Packers
The Chicago Bears haven’t been able to match wits with the Green Bay Packers in recent years, but that could be changing with the highly anticipated arrival of Caleb Williams. The Bears have lost their last 10 matchups with the Packers, but Bears ‘owner’ Aaron Rodgers is long gone, so now the attention turns to Jordan Love vs Williams for the next decade-plus.
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Dallas Cowboys vs San Francisco 49ers
Even though they’re not in the same division, the Dallas Cowboys vs San Francisco 49ers rivalry dates back to 1960. They’ve both won five Super Bowls and have even matched up nine times in the playoffs, too. Two of the most legendary franchises in the NFC, all eyes are on the Cowboys and 49ers when they match up.
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Baltimore Ravens vs Pittsburgh Steelers
There’s no greater rivalry than a classic AFC North divisional battle. The Baltimore Ravens vs Pittsburgh Steelers ranks among the best in the black and blue division. Both teams that boast a top-notch defense and a tough-minded head coach, the Ravens and Steelers are always a threat to make the playoffs. When they go toe-to-toe, it always feels like a playoff atmosphere between Baltimore and Pittsburgh.
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